GMC Motor Home, Travel with Teri and Dan: July 2007

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

WIFI Setup

Ok, here is a look at my wifi setup in the coach. I am grabbing a signal from accross the field. This antenna along with a high powered wifi card and an amplifier, hung on the tripod, will reach out and grab a signal. Got a fulltimer wanting a demonstration after while. I told him when we get back from doing laundry I would show him, the guy in the bus. I pull out the "big gun" when I need to. Right now, I am in the car at laundry mat waiting on Teri to finish our clothes. I am only using the laptop, high powered card, and a little mag mount antenna on the car. Getting a signal from here in the little shopping center. I will have to drive up here when I want internet after Thursday as we are moving into the boonies. Not even sunlight gets in there, much less a wifi signal. Am hoping we can get out of there after 3 or 4 days. Up to Teri, her family reunion. Well, I guess that's about it for now. I took some helicopter fotos this am but they did not turn out good enuff for the blog. The little chopper was over at airport refueling. Teri is doing good, I am doing good, and of course, Sam is as spoiled as ever. We are still enjoying the quietness of our little park. I may come back to it for a day or two after the reunion. I hope everyone is having a great day. Thanks for dropping in. Dan

Monday, July 30, 2007

Fulltiming It

Take a look at this bus. It is a 66 model that has been converted to a motor home. This couple full time in this 35 foot home on wheels. Now, I like that. They do not have a house, this is it. MCI bus. GM also has a bunch of them. I have seen these things sell for a fraction of the investment. Might be something to be thinking about. No taxes on property. No junk around that a couple does not need. The kids do not have to worry about anything when you die. You got rid of your worthless stuff and spent all of your money. See, I really like the thought. Just have to store my Mustang somewhere or use it as our tow car cuz I am not getting rid of it. I was inside this bus too but I did not want to ask about fotos in their home. It does look nice though. I like looking at the conversion busses on the internet. Ive seen them from 80's back to the 40's. The thing is, they are timeless, they all look alike. Don't need a new coach just because they changed the square front end on a new one. If a person really wanted to, they could put a new model front cap on a 40 year old bus and probably beat the "ten year" rule at some parks. Oh well, something to think about. Hope everyone had a good Monday. For you "workers" hope you were not over worked and your brain got a few naps along the way. Keep paying in that Social Security because I need to draw some in 9 more years. Dan

Chevy Chase

Ever see the movie, Vacation? They get stuck downtown St. Louis. Well, Teri and I were there today, in Portland. Now I recall why I don't care for Portland. Oh well, some folks must like it because there aren't enough hiways to handle all of them. I would hate to be there at quittin time. No picture. I did not think yall would want to see what we saw in Portland. Worst part of the whole deal, I got to go back down in there to get my brake from Roadmaster next week.
I could not get anyone to really listen to my problem. I was getting real upset, they just did not realize it. I walked outside and then back in and I got some lip service. They were going to mail it home as there was no way they could get to it. Now, they think a week. Anyway, we left the brake and they are trying to fix it before we go home. So, maybe next week sometime we can pick it up. We won't be too far away that we can not drive in there and get it. It has never worked. I think we figured it out today. Will let you know later.
Not much to report. Was 175 miles over and back. More than half thru the mountains. Sam went too. She not good traveler anymore. Might have been her last ride in the Vibe. Hit a Walmart while in town. I am telling you folks, back home, that Portland is like a different country. Walmart is crammed downtown. We are not going back in there if I can help it.
It got cold here last night. I mean down close to 50. It is up to 75 now but wind is so stiff that you can not walk in it. Teri and Sam are taking a nap. I am not far behind them. Thanks for dropping by. Maybe I will have photos later. We have a nice trip planned, in a day or two, up the coast. Dan

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Leisurely Sunday Afternoon

Not a great photo but we are tucked in here real nicely. See that satellite dish? Teri is inside watching the race. It has been cloudy all day but I am still getting 5 amps of charge from the solar panels. If that is not enough I will fire the generator later. With tv and computer on all day we may have to run the old Onan.
Not many folks here. A few left while we were at church this am. We ran up here Thursday and there were about 5 coaches and or 5th wheels here so I figure this week we wont be crowded. However, this is the Girabaldi days week and the county fair is coming up next weekend so who knows, we may get to meet lots of folks. We got to visit with 2 folks last evening. One male and one female. Both are in seperate coaches and members of Loners on Wheels. Very pleasant folks. They seemed starved for conversation though. Both out talked me. We will head back to church after while. I think 6 pm, that is 8pm in Missouri. Need to get my Streets and Trips going before bedtime and map out our trip into Portland in the morning. No unwanted turns needed over there. May hit Walmart while there. I can get some more money out of those bottle machine things over there. That is fun if you could not tell from the photo.
Well, enough for now. I need to finish the Nascar race and get a nap. Hope everyone has a great upcoming week. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Yea, I came back and did my spell checking. I knew I mispelled that title but was not sure how to make it look right. Had my little assistant help me out. Teri is kinda handy that way. I am a college graduate and usually can spell but some words just never look right. My mother was an English teacher. She used to put me to bed listening to my spelling words on a tape recorder that my father had bought. She wanted to make sure that her oldest could spell. Dad, well he wanted to make sure that I could chop cotton and drive a tractor. Anyway, we got the title of this writing correctly spelled now.
Looks like we won't need the generator after all. The solar panels seemed to have done their job with 5 amps of charge and absolutely no sun at all today. We are up to 12.6 volts which is nearly a full charge. Yea, we will make it. I like free power, don't you? Solar is the way to go on RV's. I do not believe I could ever make it cost affective at home but in the coach it pays back in a hurry. No hookup fees at night. I like this. I have just a tad over 1,000 bux in 175 watts of solar, including the wire and solar charge contoller. The key is large wire and a good charge controller. If I can find room I want one more panel for an even 250 watts of power. Right now, I figure 10 amps of charge would be ideal with our system. Yesterday I saw 9 amps which is as good as I will get with our system. One more panel and I should have 12 amps of charge. Then I want two more 6 volt deep cycle batteries. Well, you did not expect a lesson in solar today, but what the heck, it was free. Have a good one. Dan

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Evening is Coming to the Mountains

This is pretty. The fog is rolling onto the mountains. This photo just does not do justice to what we see here tonight. We are just a little ways from the coast here in Tillamook, couple miles. Unlike where we have been, right on the ocean. I can look back west, toward the sea, and see the fog covering everything between here and there. These mountains, in the photo, are just to the north of us and west of the town of Tillamook. Very pretty scenery out here. I hope all of you can see it sometime. Thanks for checking in with us. Dan

Look at This

Ain't this something? That is a big plane. It sits outside the museum. The other picture is a J-3 Cub or some old bi wing giving rides over the ocean, 99 bux. That stopped Teri from wanting a ride.

We ran into town. Went to Fred Myers, no more. Way too high priced. They need a Walmart here, bad, or some kind of competition. We could not find the Safeway, they have moved. A friend here in the park told us tonite where it is so will try them next time. We will try them out next time. I think we will run over to Portland Monday to get our toad brake worked on by Roadmaster. It has never worked. It will before we leave the Factory. I told them last time I called that I would show up at the Portland home. They said come on. Anyway, need it to work since I paid for it.

Saw the church building this afternoon. Teri has been there several times. Will be my first time here to worship. Have a good evening and we will see you later. Thanks for dropping by. Dan in the northwest

Looking Out My Front Door

Look at what we see when we open our door. Is not this a great look? To the left is a blimp hanger, according to Teri. There is a museum there that we will visit and maybe get some pictures. We have been so blessed along our route. Great friends and great scenery. We left Lincoln City about 830 am Pacific time. Had to get some lp and I wanted to top off the gas tank as gas is high up here. We have been out ten weeks and this is our first time for lp. We should make the rest of trip home with this tank. We run refer and Teri cooks with it. That is all and the refer does not consume much at all. Well, Sam loves it here. She has grass to lie in. She and me too were getting tired of blacktop and sand. I was ready to leave that casino. But, can't complain, except for the guy that ran a 10 horse Briggs and Stratton generator every evening. One lady complained but the gaurd said as long as it went off by 11 pm it was ok. We did not let it bother us. There were plenty of others to bother without us. We never ran the generator, 6 days. Solar is the way to go if you want to camp without hookups. We even had two mostly cloudy days and we still had enough electricity. It is very cloudy here now. I guess you can tell from the picture I just took and put up. If Teri wants hot shower here I will run the generator for her. No one will complain here and our's is pretty quiet for a 6,000 Onan. If I had any clue that we would have dry camped this much I would have brought the little portable 1 kw Kipor I have. Can't hear it 50 feet away. The big thing is it will run 8 plus hours on a tank of gas and run everything we have but the ac, which we don't need anyway. Next trip. We are learning what to bring and what not to bring. That generator will find a permanent home so Teri can have warm shower every morning. I can run water heater with my 2,000 watt inverter but it will kill my batteries, need more. The ice maker is hard on the batteries also. I plan to add two more 6 volt deep cycles and maybe one more solar panel. Will see.
This is a small airport. We got J3 Cubs flying here. I will get out and get some photos later. This is a neat place. A well kept secret. I found it on the internet. Hope everyone has a good weekend. I will miss a bunch of the race Sunday as we are 3 hours behind Indy and it starts at 1 Eastern. That is 10 am here. Maybe I can catch the replay. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Friday, July 27, 2007

Running With The Big Dogs

Now, actually, the story starts at the bottom of this page. The picures load up back wards for some reason. So, scroll down and get the scoop then come back here. This last foto is how I feel kite flying should be. That is me at bottom and the kite at top.

Here are two of my favorite girls again. Playing in the water, running as the kite is up overhead. Sam just does not know what to think about this ocean stuff. She learned that she does not like drinking salt water. She barks at the white caps as they come in and tried to pounce on them. Then, when she realizes that she is all wet she turns and runs up the beach as the water is retreating. Funny to watch her.

Ok, here is Teri and Sam playing on the sand. Teri is flying the kite and Sam is running along beside her trying to keep looking up at the kite. Funny to watch her. Below is Teri and the kite. She really enjoys flying that kite on the beach. I really enjoy watching her. Who could ever believe a couple could have so much fun in life? No stress, no worries. Best time of life. I got to enjoy it all I can. My biggest worry for tomorrow is pulling out and getting LP and Gas and driving 40 miles up the coast to Tillamook. Yea Judy, I suspect the Good Lord sits up there enjoying His coastlines lots of days. And, congradulations Judy and Clyde on the new grandchild. We found out today that it has arrived. Send us a photo when you have time.

Well, I guess that is about it for today. Next time you hear from us we should be up in Tillamook. Will try to get out Sat nite and find a wifi spot so I can check in. Oh for a little more pension and I could have an internet dish on the roof of the motor coach. Maybe I can get Teri to work when we get home and save enuff for the monthly fee for a year. I sure enjoy keeping in touch with my family and friends via internet, at least the ones who want to hear from me, ha. Have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

See, I told you there are black berries here just ripe and ready for the picking. Teri and I got out this morning and picked a few. Actually all we could get to. I usually eat mine as we go. This is one thing that Sam just does not care for. More photos.

Yep, that is us right there in the middle, the one with the scooter on back. See, does not take a 40 footer to have fun. Teri, Sam, and I live just fine in our coach. Been out here 10 weeks today. Got another 8 or more to go. Will try to get home fore a hard frost. Not too early tho as I don't want to mow the grass. We have had a nice lazy day here on the beach. I will up load some more fotos for you.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Teri and these hot showers

We are back up here so Teri can get another hot shower tonite. I am manly and do the cold ones in the morning. Really wakes me up. I am glad I found the free showers for Teri. Keeps me from having to fire the Onan. Solar is good but not for elec water heater. I need more batteries. My ice maker kills the batts when we are parked so I am back to buying 100 ice in the afternoons from local store. Oh, Teri is back and now needs a shower cap. Ok, I can get her one. I hope our tanks will hold til Sunday then after church we will blast our way up 101 forty miles. Some nice inclines, Wally. Wally is my friend out in Omaha. He has cost me some money by giving me ideas for the coach that I can't live without. I think I am Wally's guinnea pig. Oh well, Wally is a good guy and will let us park a day or two when we come thru Omaha. Everyone have a good nite. Oh, Teri flew her kite tonite on the beach. Sam and I went down but we could not find the camera. So, no pics. Hey, get this, blackberry plants all around the casino so Teri and me are picking tomorrow. I got a bunch today and nearly got sick on them. Guess we will head back to the coach so I can enjoy some ice cream and Hershey's syrip. Thanks for dropping by. Dan

Up 101

I hope the foto came out ok. It is hard for me to tell in the car. HAve you ever tried typing in an 03 Vibe GT? It is hard on me and my weak wrists and forearm. Teri and I ran up to Tillamook today and checked things out. The picture is where we will spend a couple nights, depending on when we leave here. I am at the library again. Actually in Burger King parking lot. Teri is at grocery store. I told you about my Hershey's didn't I? I think I will sneak back down there and grab another 16 or 24 pounds. That stuff is good. Had some last night. Anyway, we will move, I am thinking Sunday after church, to Tillamook airport rv park. 5 bux a nite, no hookups. We checked it today and it is nice park, with water and very level spots and nicely mowed grass. On the 2nd of Aug we go into the remote park for Teri's family reunion. I mean it is remote. 5 miles from sunlight. I do not know why they enjoy that place so much but I can stay for 5 days. Then, I am heading back to civilization. We must run over to Portland one day next week. My Roadmaster Toad Brake does not work and I want them to fix it while we are here near their headquarters. Gasoline is rediculous price at Tillamook. I will fill everything up here before we leave. HAs been 2 months on our propane and we are getting low. I hope it will last til Sunday as we run the refer on it right now. Cloudy most of the day here today. Sammy is having a blast out here in Oregon. She sleeps most of the day while Teri and me run up and down the coast. She will like it in Tillamook as she can get out and sleep in the grass. Just blacktop at the casino here. Oh, get this. LAst night Teri and I walked into a job fair in the casino. A girl asked me if I was from Mo. as I had my work jacket on. I said yes and she said she was raised in Mo. I said where? She says a little town called Doniphan. I could not believe it and neither could she as I told her I was the lonely parole officer over there for 8 years. Her husband too. We knew lots of same folks and one of my daughter's best friends was a good friend of her's too. This world is not only beautiful, but small too. We laughed for 10 minutes. They work in the casino as her husband is some kind of indian and got them on there. Well, I see Teri coming back so I better go. Might get on later tonie if Teri wants another hot shower. I can snag a signal while she bathes. Me, I like cold showers. Does not take as much water. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Bottle Grabber

Now, yall back home aint going to believe this. I just stick a bottle in here and get money. This is much easier than picking cotton and it pays more too. 6 bottles and I got 30 cents. That was 10 pounds of cotton and about two hours work for me as a kid. I wish these little machines had been around when I was picking up soda bottles for money. I would have got rich as a child and never had to work nearly 30 years as a mean ole parole officer. This is really slick. Now, Teri would not let me try this in California. Seems they pay 8 cents a bottle. See, she was getting the money there and not paying for any of the 3.50 gasoline. I just knew I was coming out behind down there but could not figure how she was getting me. Now I know.
Took a short nap after we got back from our tour, 25 miles one way, until the neighbor needed to run his generator. I just dont get it. These folks have 100,000 dollar motor homes and they need electricity to watch tv or go to the pot. Makes no sense at all. This is our 4th day here and no generator. Solar Panels. Must be a secret out here or something.
Oh, I found good wifi and a shower house for Teri. Its in the parking lot of an RV park, out in front of the gate. I am fixing to go check it out for her. This will be too good to be true if it is whatt it looks like. Just up the hill from where we are staying, at the casino, too.
I had a picture of our back yard to show you but Teri took the card out of my lap top and forgot to put it back. Just look down at the one of the beach with Teri and Sam. That is our back yard. Ain't that something? This Pacific Ocean is something else.
Well, I think we will take the car up to Tillamook Thursday and see where we will move to in a few days. Need to find the wifi up there, closest to the park. I worked on the laptop and now I can sniff the signals easier.
Everyone have a great day and thanks for stopping back by. Email me if you have any questions for us. Just make sure to put BLOG or GMC in the subject or they will get deleted. Dan

That is a kite on the beach

Ok, here we go. This is a shot of our back yard here in Lincoln City, Oregon. This is some place. The top foto was a kite that a guy was flying. The bottom picture is a shot of the fog up on the mountain. Very pretty place here. Why don't all of our family and friends just move out here and Teri and I will just stay. You will have to bring your own sleeping arangements though. Our coach will visit 6 but sleeps only 2, and one old dog.

Dan

Yacquina Light house

Ok, We got to run back to Newport and visit the 5 dollar light house. Teri went up in and got a tour. She got her fix for the day, maybe. She loves those light houses. We have seen several. It is mighty hard for us to hook a wifi signal for some reason. Right now we are in a naborhood using some unsuspecting soul's wifi system. At least we found a shady spot. Fixing to head to Walmart. Just left Dollar Tree. Teri got me ten more bags of trail mix. They have some good stuff for a buck, cheaper than Walmart's trailmix. We found a Grocery Outlet next to us in Lincoln City. They sell lots of over stocked stuff. WE found 8 lb hersheys syrp for 3 bux, thanks to Jerry Wheeler. We got 24 lbs. What do u think? I should have enuff to last a few days on my ice cream. Dog gone, now we got to buy ice cream too. I can share they herseys with Sam I guess. I appreciate the emails. I can no longer answer all of them as we do not have time. I will try to get caught up one of these days. I see our nabor's house sold. I sure hope the girl at church picked a nice couple to live next door to us. JEannie Barker sold it I guess as she had it listed. Someone got a nice small house for a good price with a new kitchen and a great 53 year old neighbor. I hope I dont have to mow their yard, ha. Oh well, if they are retired, and older I will mow it for them. Been mowing that yard for about 4 or 5 years now for the retired folks that lived there. Lets see, what else???? Trying to type in a hurry so I dont get busted. We may drive the car up to Tilamook Thurs to look around and see where we will park the coach. I am getting ready to move from the Casino. Too many folks do not know how to camp without dang generators, and loud ones at that. Teri and I have not run the genset yet and wont unless she wants a hot shower. I have lots of great pictures to share. WE take them everywhere we go but no time to upload them. For the GMCers, you can go to the fotosite for latest, which I think was the rally at Jerry's. No paragraphing or spell check here today. Teri wants the laptop to check her hotmail. So, any kwestions??? Let me have them. Maybe I can get hooked up later today and do this in a more liesurely fasion. I hate to be rushed. Everyone have a great Wednesday. Judy and Clyde, be careful on your trip. Pauline and Ruby, I will get to yall in a day or two. Just got directions from Sharon Tiffany. She is my great uncle's youngest. We are going to park at their home on the Columbia River in a few days. Can't wait to overlook that big river. Thanks for stopping by. Dan Oh, if you want our email address here it is gregg_danathotmail.com. Use the @ where I spelled it. Be sure to type BLOG or GMC in the title or I will delete it. Bye

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Had to do it

I just had to get this pic up before giving the lap top to Teri. These are some big waves coming in here. I got this one just as it crashed over the rock. Everyone have a great day and be careful. Dan

A Cold Day on the Beach

My two favorite girls. Sammie and Teri out freezing to death on the Pacific beach. It was nippy and the wind was just a gittin it. We are over at Grande Ronde checking out the casino lot. I don't like it as well as where we are now so we will just stay put a little longer. Will head up to Tillamook in a few days. Got to head back down the coast so Teri can see some light houses that we missed as we drove up Sunday. Think we will do that in the morning. Met a nice couple today. They are Dairy farmers from Washington. The lady was raised in Springfield. I walked over to help them un hook their car and then fixed their satellite system so they could see the tv in the bedroom. Older couple, real nice and own two Toronados, Oldsmobiles from the 60's. Same engine and drive gear as our motor home. He really enjoyed looking through our engine glass and seeing the 455 sitting there. They are traveling in a 32 foot Winnebago pusher. Just right size pusher, if you ask me.
Well, guess that's about it for now. Teri wants to check her email and the battery is dying on the laptop. I got more pictures but will save them for later. Thanks for checking in. As I have said before, I really appreciate folks emailing me and letting me know they follow along with us. We are happy to share our trip with everyone that would like to come along. This is the way to see the US of A. Gasoline is a bit cheaper here than in California. I hate that as I try to use expensive gasoline in the coach if I can find it. Seems to run better on 3.50 gasoline, you know what I mean. Thanks for dropping by. Dan

Monday, July 23, 2007

Ok, I think I got all of the photos up. You will have to read downward to see why I had to put them up one at a time. Anyway, Teri, Sam, and I had a blast coming up the coast yesterday. It is time for me to go look for Teri in the mall so, everyone have a great Monday. I got two mile drive to find her. Thanks for dropping by and I hope many of you reading this will be able to do just what Teri and I are doing. It is worth every penny we spend. We hope this is just one of many long trips that we get to enjoy in our GMC motor home. Mite be a day or two before I get back, so, take care. Dan

2nd Post July 23rd

Well, I have seveveral photos to up load but it wont let me. Ill try it on a seperate post.
This is a shot that Teri took yesterday. We did not tow the car so she was behind me. This shows the Pacific as we traveled north. It was an all day cruise up the coast. 150 miles. We stopped several times and looked at light houses and such. We walked the beach. There is a shot of Sam and me on the beach if I can get it to upload.
I can not say how much we are enjoying this trip. There is no way one could stay in a hotel every night for 4 months. The cost would be prohibitive for most folks. Even poor folks like Teri and me can do this. Gasoline is expensive only when we buy it. That is not a lot over 4 months as we drive to our next destination, park, unhook the car, and we get 30 mpg sight seeing and a free room when we get back. We normally stay put for a week or two when we move. LAst evening we rolled into a casino lot. 30 spots for rvs at no cost. When we move we will go to Tillamook where I have found a park for 5 dollars each nite, no hookups, just water. We have set our coach up so we do not need hookups. Our main elec use is tv in the evenings and our 150 watts of solar will more than take care of thea. Even in the cloudy northwest.
I am parked accross from the library now while Teri shops. I told her I will come get her in an hour. Should have said two, ha. Anyway. Going to close this post and see if I can upload a couple more photos from yesterday.
Dan

On the Coast

Yep, that is us yesterday. On the Pacific under the bridge. We got to see a couple lighthouses on our way north. Now we are staying in a casino lot. No internet so I am stealing a signal 2 miles away from a motel. Sitting on side of a street. Teri has been shopping and I have been snooping for internet. This is first one I could snag onto in the car. Life is great. Rained last nite but not bad. Big fog. We are right on the coast at this casino. Maybe I can get a pic later. In a hurry now to get out of here before I get run off.
Hope everyone is doing ok. I have had a couple notes from folks reading the blog. Thankyou for sending them to me. I never know how many folks enjoy this unless you let me know every once in a while. We hated to leave our friends yesterday, at Charleston. It was one of the best weeks on the trip. Jerry was fun to be with and I learned a lot from him. Not to mention he was the biggest contributor to getting those air vents done. Really felt good going up the coast yesterday.
Well, I just heard a nail gun and thought I was being shot at. I am getting out of here. No spell check, just hit post and I am gone. Thanks for dropping by. If I can get on again I will do a better job. This pacific coast is just awesome. Dan

Saturday, July 21, 2007

The Good Life

Now, the truth comes out. Yall can see how Teri fills her day while we are on the road. Actually she is trying to make some gas money so we can get out of here tomorrow. While I was outside, sweating, getting those air vents finished, Teri was inside "working". I think we can fill the tank now. We will have cool air now as we travel up the coast. I think we will move about 100 miles up the coast. I had planned to park in a casino lot but after seeing how much Teri likes this I might lose my shorts. Better stick to Walmart I guess.
The rally is drawing to a close. Time for folks to pull out in the morning. I hate leaving our friends. Jerry has really been good to us. I hope they can stop by our place sometime. Maybe we can meet Jerry and Rosemary in Quartzite before too long. That is a good place to spend a January. Just north of Yuma, on the California state line, south of Lake Havasu.
We did finish the vents today. Took longer than I anticipated but we got everything perfect so they should really work well. I don't know why new motor home makers don't put these vents in for fresh air. Anyway, the 4 inch holes are now filled with carpenter air gates. They open and close with a very short throw choke cable. The fresh air comes from the grille area thru a 4 inch tube. We have plastic gutter covering behind the grille so no unwanted guests will fly up into the cab thru the tubes.
Well, I better get back inside and drag Teri away from that table while she still has gas money. Got to say my goodbyes and hit the sack. Will hollar as soon as I find wifi and let yall know where we land for a few days. Sam is already asleep here next to my feet. She has had a rough day.
Oh, I forgot to tell you. My friends fixed me a chocolate cake with home made ice cream. They sang to me twice. Now, that was great. I really enjoyed that. Nice friends. Got more well wishes from them than I did from some of my own immediate family. These guys are great. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Friday, July 20, 2007

A Few More Things About Today

As I mentioned earlier, today was a work day. However, before we could work we needed a good breakfast. The top photo shows me getting that breakfast. Folks fixed breakfast for all of us this morning and I grabbed my French Toast.

The lower photo shows some of what many ladies did today. This is Teri's table. She is showing her products to others. We have had several ladies in our coach, the last couple days, checking out Teri's things and getting some demonstrations along with samples.

Teri took several ladies to town today to get some things from Walmart. They made some custom GMC t-shirts for us today. These ladies never sit still. I really believe that motor home folks live longer, happier, lives because of the lack of stress in their lives. Also the social aspect of getting together often on occasions like this rally. Teri and I have discussed this apparent fact on several occasions. I should live a long time as I really enjoy these gatherings and the main stress in my day is just getting out of bed each morning. The laughter at these rallies is unbelievable. Sharing is another thing that goes on. Folks help each other work on these old motor homes and do things for older members that might not be able to do for themselves. Its a great family atmosphere. I have made many life long friendships here this week and will look forward to seeing everyone again.

So, I guess that's about it for today. I better shut up or I might not have anything left to say Saturday. Oh, my friends here would not agree with that statement for sure. I get a lot of ribbing here, but I give out a good bit too. Wish me a happy birthday if you want. July 21, 1954 my mother brought me into this world. I hope that she would be proud of the way I have lived my life. Come on back by later. I should have something to say and maybe show before bedtime Saturday. Dan

Guess

So, what do you think this is? Worked on it all afternoon and still not finished. Will hopefully get everything done Saturday and hooked up. there are two of these in the floor of the motor home now. Fresh Air Vents. Gets hot in the front sometimes but not hot enough for air conditioner. We will have 2 vents that are independant of the heat/air vents, which never bring cool air into a vehicle unless its cold out side. These babies are 4 inches in diameter. They will sove some air in at 75-80 mph. Will have cables that open and close them. Tubes run into the grille to pick up the air. So, there you have it. Today was a work day here at our gathering with other folks doing other stuff to their coaches. Everyone was doing something or at least bossing someone around. It is nice to just watch the folks work but today I was sweating myself. Hope I got the hard part done today. If I dont get these 4 inch holes plugged Saturday I will be in deep trouble.
Hope everyone had a great Friday. For those that worked, I know it was your favorite work day. Was always mine. For those not working, I guess it was just another day for you. I keep up with Sundays and Wednesdays and that's about it now a days.
For supper tonite there was Crab. I am no crab eater but Teri had it all over her little face. Was fun watching her dig that stuff out. I ate salad and cashews myself. Ice cream before bed time. Thanks for dropping by. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Dan

Thursday, July 19, 2007

And The Folks Keep Coming

Everyone has heard about our rally. See, now folks are arriving by boat too. What an event. We have lots of GMC motor homes here now, little room left so the boat people are parking in the bay. This is a very neat place. Weather is great. It is a well kept secret from Mo. folks. We will be back here. Lots of very nice folks here. GMC motor home people are very nice. We are having a great time just visiting with folks, all day long. Sure is nice not having to worry about getting up to go to work. I get to stay up late and sleep late out here. Wonderful. We have been in many motor homes out here seeing what we need to do to improve our's. Will get out of here this weekend and head on toword Tillamook. Hope everyone has had a great Thursday. I know it must be warmer at home than it is here, 68. As always, thanks for stopping by. Got to get back outside and do some more visiting. Sam is loving all the attention these folks give her. Dan

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Now, this is my kind of vehicle. Only weighs 700 lbs. Manny uses it to pull behine his coach. I am going to be on the lookout for something like this for Teri and me to pull. Will fix it so we can put a top and doors incase it rains and we are heading to church. Don't want to arrive wet. Anyway, This is a nice little vehicle. teri's brother builds some of these, just rail jobs. Maybe I can get him to make us one. This will be much better than a gocart.
Folks are arriving for the rally here now. Most will show up on Thursday but a few came today. Everything looks good. Jerry and Rosemary did a good job getting stuff ready for the group. All will end this weekend and Teri and I will mosy on up the coast. No telling where we might end up. Have 10 or 12 days til the family reunion so we got lots of time to kill.
Well, I think the grub is on so I better get out of here and see what I can find. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Up in the Bay of Northbend, Or.

Teri and I got out this afternoon and drove around. We found this little neat cove up in Northbend, Or. Just wanted to share it with you. It could be a lake in Mo. If I didn't tell you it was saltwater you would never know it. We helped around here this morning getting things ready for folks to arrive on Wed. and Thursday. Was warm this morning but it has been sprinkling rain this afternoon and really cooled things down. When we passed by the Indian Casino, at 2 pm, the temperature was reading 66. It is probably 60 by now, 545 pm Oregon time. This has been a great place for Teri and I to visit. Many folks have not heard of this town. I hope it stays that way as we want to come back and see it again, hoping it is the same as it is now. Gasoline went up a few cents today. It's about 2.89 around town now. Jerry let us wash the car today with his water and hose. Boy, was it ever dirty. I ran it though a car was the other day but that did not do much as it has not had a good washing since we left home on May 24th. It is much more presentable now. Dusted the coach off too. We are very excited to get to meet several new friends in the next days to come. I have visited with many of them on the internet but now I will get to see them first hand and pick their brains. I am a good listener when more intelligent folks are talking and I expect to learn a lot about motor homing and about various places that they will arrive from. I had two nice notes from my great uncle's daughter last evening. We plan to stay a few days at her place along the Columbia River. She was raised out here away from our family so it will be fun catching up on her family. Thanks for stopping by. We have many photos posted on the internet. Should anyone want to see them just let me know and I will send the link. Dan

Monday, July 16, 2007

New Engine

I know many of you have been wanting to see this engine so, here it is. It sure runs sweet. Built by Dick Patterson up in Canada. If you need one, he can produce it for you.
Yes, this morning's picture was a starfish. Some were not sure and I did not label it. Sure was pretty. We did not harvest it. So, it will be around to make more little starfish.
Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Oh My Goodness, Clams

Lookie here, lookie here. What a fun morning. We rose early, 630 am, that is real early for me, and out we went. Water in the bay was gone. We dug these clams, 24 big ones, in 30 minutes. 15 minute walk each way. The tide will come back in and all of this will be covered in water. Teri and I had a blast with Rosemary and Jerry this morning. Now it is time to work. Getting ready for a rally here later this week. There will be 25 plus coaches parked here. I can act like a real pro when the other folks come and makem think I am a real clam digger. These things are good size. They have big necks that stick out of the shells. Buried 1 foot to two feet deep. Easy digging in the sand. Well, thanks for stopping by, it is Monday, you know, so we must get to work. Dan

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Our Home

Here is a shot of our hangout, up against the mountain. Taken right at sunset by Teri. The berries are heind us and to the left of the coach.

And We Have Fire

The top photo is Jerry and Rosemary's home. It sure is pretty with a nice setting. The mountain right in their back yard with the bay in the front.

the bottom photo is of the bay just as the sun is dropping behind the mountain. The little girl is a grandchild of some of the folks that were feeding us fish tonight.

The motohome is running. I know everyone knew we would get it going. The new 403 from Patterson really sounds good with the fuel injection. Jerry is a happy camper tonite and will sleep good.
What a day. Teri and I got up and went to church services this morning. Stopped by Walmart and came on back to the coach. Teri fixed lunch while Jerry and I worked on the coach of his. We had a sea fish supper down the street tonite. Yum, yum. Food does not get any better than this. Rosemary had some berry pies for dessert and boy were they good. Teri and I helped with the dishes to pay for our supper. There was a large crowd of neighbors and kinfolks and us, along with a high school baseball team from Las Vegas. The folks out here fish nearly evry day. Everyone seems to have a deep sea fishing boat.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

So, wonder where Teri came up with that, "Ya'all" word? Oh well, some of you have been asking to hear from Teri so now you have. She will jump back in here from time to time. The top photo is Teri and Rosemary, in the berry patch behind out coach, making walking sticks out of redwood. Now, the bottom photo is our front porch view. The tide is just starting to roll out. How would yall like a place like this? Berries behind the coach and a bayside view in the front. This is some place that Rosemary and Jerry have. Rosemary was raised right here. The house was built by her grandfather, I believe she said. It is about a 1930 model. I will get a picture of their home in a day or two. They have some really nice old furniture inside. Teri and I have been privaleged to share a couple meals with them inside. The fish is really good here. Jerry and I worked on his coach most of the day. We will fire the new engine when we get home from church services tomorrow. He gave me the parts to fix my broken oil line and I got that done today. For those who have been following us since the beginning you will remember that we broke a line to the gauge going up a hill near Globe, Az. The glass engine cover allowed us to see something bad was wrong. Might have saved the engine and or the whole coach. Could have burned real easy with that oil spraying everywhere. Yesterday I changed the oil in the coach. Had about 3,000 miles on it. Jerry gave me a set of plugs and I changed them also. We should be ready to travel the rest of our trip now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. We miss our family and friends at home. Will have lots of stories for you when we get home in October. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Friday, July 13, 2007

Teri's Tidbits

Hi YA'ALL,
I understand that ya'all have been wondering about this trip from a my perspective...
We have been blessed with many friendly faces and have been welcomed on each Lord's Day in the congregations we have found along our journey. But, I MISS...the familar smiling faces and hugs from our brothers and sisters there at home in Dexter. There's no place like HOME. Ours just happens to be on wheels right now.
We left Missouri and had a great visit with Matt & Barb and kids, Dan's brother and family. Then a wonderful visit with the daily lives of our son-in-law, daughter and g'kids. Filled with ball games, b-day parties and just great memories.
It was hairy traveling across the desert in 110+ heat but Dan was a cool, patient and caring hubby. I lived in Arizona for 20+ years before I married Dan and moved to Missouri, but DIDN'T MISS the heat.
Stopped a week in the San Fransico area and our hosts, Jim & Grace, we had a special dinner on fisherman's wharf. What fun we had seeing the city night lights of Frisco off the side of a cable car. Even tho' we took the wrong car and had to walk several blocks, on a cool evening, we warmed up with a virgin English coffee and lots of good visiting with plenty of laughs. Lafter with good friends is fun but I don't MISS the big cities and people.
Traveling then on up the coast to the gentle giants...redwoods. They are breath taking and you can truely see GOD's handiwork each mile we drive on our journey.
Our next hosts were Bert & Fay...They live up the side of a mountain, thick with redwoods and ferns. It was the most peaceful and restful place I have been in a very long time. DIDN'T MISS the hussle and bussle of the city. Even tho we were in the middle of no where, life still goes on and the sun continues to shine-HA!
We left there and drove up the coast line taking our time and enjoying stops and ofcourse you have seen all the beautiful places we have, seen thru the pictures we have taken.
That brings us to where we are now. Again some wonderful friends, Jerry & Rosemary, opening up there lives and home, sharing meals and their special corner of their world with us. From where our GMC is parked you can hear the sea gulls, smell the sea and see the fish jumping in the water inlet. Today we picked buckets of blackberries, and out the back of the coach is a berry patch that supplies a wonderful treat. We have been exploring the coast on the bluffs, loved the close encounter with the deer, and the eagles we watched from the kyaks.
I MISS so very much the kids and g'kids there in Dexter. Thank goodness for the cell phone and e-mail. I MISS my washer and dryer... maybe I will share my laundry mat experiences some time.
Come to think of it each place we have stopped, has had a GMC garage/shop and at least 2 to 3 GMCs...hmmmm. These GMCers are very special folks.
What an experience we are sharing and for those of you who are interested, yes Dan and I are really enjoying our 24/7 time together.
Well, I guess you are sorry you asked, huh? Teri

Wash Day

Well, today is wash day for us. The above photos were taken from the front of the whas house. The second one shows the Roosevelt street sign where we turn to get to our coach. Just a block from the sign, up in the bay. The first one is shot directly across the street from the wash house. I saw this neat little v-8 powered truck pull in and I took it. An old fella got out of it. I was thinking to myself, " only old guys can afford the time and money to have something like that". Then I thought, " I am old, got time but no money". Wonder what went wrong along the way. I guess choosing to be a Parole Officer did not lend itself to making much money. When the kids were growing up I worked two jobs so we could eat and make the house payment. Well, I don't have any money but I have well rounded kids. That is worth a lot more than money to me.

This is quite a little place where we are. I don't remeber if I posted our front yard view or not. I will though if I didn't. We are on the bay. It is unbelievable. This is a little, 1500 population town. Maybe much like Branson was back in the 60's. Laid back. No hustle and bustle. Just a group of friendly folks going about their lives not realizing what a beautiful place they live in. Coos Bay is just over the bridge and seems the same but 16,000 poulation. They have a Super Walmart. Teri and I have been blessed with friends who live in various places and have allowed us into thier lives. We are really thankful. My dad took us on a 2 week trip to California in 1960. I still remember much of it even though I was only 5 years old. Now I see why he wanted his kids to experience the country away from where we would grow up. Lots of beautiful places and people to see. This is really a nice trip for anyone that can take it. Teri and I feel very blessed and I hope you can get just an inkling of what we see here from our writings. Teri is going to post tonight. I hope she don't get wild and write about some of the stuff we do out here. Oh, just kidding. Anyone that knows Teri knows that I can not get away with any wild shennanigans when away from home. I must be the same here as I am at home. Yall have a good weekend. We are excited about maybe going salmon fishing Monday. Will take the camera. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Two adventures in one day

The middle foto is of the cotton pickin sea lions. They are eating all of our salmon. They need to be shot but I guess there are sea lion huggers out here too. Teri is on one of the sand dunes out here and I am standing in front of the Pacific Ocean. When we pulled up to the dunes we interupted a couple in the backseat of a blazer involved in a little hoochie coochie. They sure got their shirts on in a hurry. We hung around for 10 or 15 minutes, parked right beside them. They hardly moved. I thought it was funny. We took a tour this am and another one this pm. This Coos Bay area must be one of the best kept secrets. It is a wonderful place. Our highs have been running 65 degrees. I helped Jerry work on his coach this pm for a while. We are trying to get the engine all wired up and plumbed so we can put the new fuel injection on and hear the new engine fire up. It won't be long now. I picked up a new holding tank gauge. It came with no insturctions or wiring diagram. Got that all figured out today. So, another nice and productive day. Took me til noon to figure out it was Thursday. I kinda like that. No work, just play. That is why I started working at 7 years of age I guess. Oh, someone has a birthday next week. Wonder if Teri will remember. Had a note from a friend, Gene, earlier. He gave me a list of 20 places to see out here. I told him not to talk so loud or Teri might hear him. He will be here next week so I might just let him be Teri's tour guide. Thanks for stopping by. Maybe Teri will post later this evening. Dan

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

My Helicopter

A couple weeks back I promised a picture of one of my helicopters. So much has been going on that I had not had time to put one up. Bob, this is for you. Believe it or not these little boogers will fly. When I get to be a "pilot" I will have Teri take a shot of me at the controls. Radio controlled. May take one of them into Jerry's large shop and learn how to control it. Been helping Jerry get the engine wrapped up in his Royale GMC. Mostly little stuff left, wiring and hoses. He had the engine and transmission mounted. We should have it running in just a few more hours. I appreciate Jerry letting me help him. Good learning for me. Well, time to get back to work. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Here is a couple shots of what Teri and I did this afternoon. Rosemary and Jerry took us out in the water. Got to see two Bald Eagles in the trees. We had a great time. First time I have ever done anything like this. Weather has been great here today. I think the ladies are going to a Farmer's Market and Jerry and I are working on his coach Wednesday. We continue to enjoy our time out here. Thanks for stopping by. Dan

After 3 years of working on a 1974 GMC, 26 foot coach, Dan and Teri Gregg, along with Sam, travel from the midwest to the Pacific Coast and back. Come on along on our 4 month journey. As you can see, our journey has now lasted for 4 years and, we are still going. We seem to also still be working on the coach as we travel. You know if you have followed along. Also, Sam is a pleasant memory now. She was with me for 14 years. What a dog.

Name: Dan & Teri Gregg

Location: Dexter, Mo., United States

We love the Lord first and each other second. Enjoy travels in our GMC Coach. Members of GMCMI and Dixielanders along with FMCA. We love our children and 13 grandchildren. We enjoy our GMC friends. These posts are of our 4 month journey, beginning May 25th and ending sometime in October, 2007. Well, we had so much fun that we left home Dec. 14, 2007 for another 4 month journey. Come ride along with us. If you have followed us for very long, you know our two 4 month journies have now lasted 2 years. We continue to travel so please ride with us. About to begin our 5th year on the road, 03-11. Wonder just how long our money will hold out?

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GMC Motor Home, Travel with Teri and Dan