Moving down the coast at 20 mph

Sometimes life gives you lemons. Two hours after I left Julia and Jack, Julia slipped and fractured her ankle. No rafting trip for her. She decided to come for the two days camping down the coast prior to the rafting; what a trooper! She had our admiration for the spirit with which she handled the bad luck. She had a lot of pain, swelling and bruising.

I picked up Mary and Avery in Portland, right on schedule. Mary arrived without her luggage. At 5 am next morning, SWA made a delivery to our first campsite, Stubb Stewart State Park in Oregon. Now we had the RV overstuffed beyond its comfort level. Stuff everywhere! RV'ing with 3 is a challenge in Teregram. Good thing Julia had the extra car for Jack and her. Our first night camping, we feasted on fresh salmon and southwest brownies, created by me accidentally purchasing southwest omelet eggbeaters. I've had worse deserts, but not lately. Had a distinct chile taste.

Julia and her boot, Mary and her luggage, Jack, Avery and I began our coastal adventure through wonderful Yamhill Valley. We are considering moving there. Avery and Julia spotted a 5 bedroom, 5 bath house for us. Yamhill has to be the prettiest agricultural region I have seen. See my photo album for August 1 to enjoy wheat fields blending with orchards and fruit stands and hills and babbling brooks....just a piece of heaven.

Julia, Jack and Avery proceeded at normal speed ahead of the lumbering RV to the Oregon dunes to try ATV tours, while Mary and I sped down the coast at 20 mph toward our next campsite, Tugman State Park. Along the way we saw a whale in the Pacific. Our 2 pm arrival stretched to 6:30, but the campsite was worth it. We had a yurt plus the RV. Daisy went bush diving for stale bread, andJack made us steak on the grill. The highlight was fresh corn. Apres dinner we retired to the yurt to laugh into the night, exchange philosophies and enlighten the world and each other.

Early the next day, Avery and Jack departed after hot chocolate to buggy the dunes, while the intrepid threesome of Rice Girls motored toward Grants Pass. Jack and Avery quickly caught up with the torpedo RV and made Grants Pass well ahead of us.

Miss Daisy had a date with the Pet Spa, where she checked in for a week of boarding and a grooming. She seemed unconcerned with my departure, but I felt like a total failure of a mom. How can I be separated from her for five days? My other arm was gone. First Carl, now Daisy.

We were joined at the hotel by Terry, who spent the night in the Portland airport with a 2 am vacuuming nazi, and Laura and Rich. We all enjoyed dinner with a waiter with marbles in his mouth, followed by stuffing our river bags and settling in for the night. Tomorrow we are to arrive at the outfitters at the crack of 8 am. I myself hardly slept a wink. No Miss Daisy, and my first bed in two and 1/2 months. It felt very unnatural and I did not adapt. Will I sleep in the RV forever, if I ever get home? Will I ever transition?