Skip to main content

Bolerama!!! and the (Y)awning (continued...)








































We are finally back from the great adventure of 2008. Yep, we took the dogs, the coolers, packed the Rav and pulled the Boler all the way from Western Montana, over 1750 miles, to the Southwestern Oregon coast and then back again.

First stop: scenic Pasco Washington; 100 degrees (and "cooling down" according to the campground owner!) where Zuz and Pip tried out the tie-out stake and play-pen. Both got a paws-down, but we instigated a no-whining rule asap. We actually were glad to have electric hook-up since we had brought a small fan. Sleeping with 2 furry monsters, and a 6' spouse in flannel sheets .... a lovely time was had by all.

Second day, we left early, thinking we would get to Lewis River Campground in SW Washington about 4 pm-ish - in time to swim, have a beer, chat with the fam and friends... you know. Well, we made a large (200 mile +) loop around the campground site. Wending our way through the fairy-forest, we finally got to camp at 10:30 that night. Whew!

Third day: spent walking through the forest, smelling the cedars, and knitting a bit on Stella's cat mittens. Then we sang campfire songs and enjoyed good company.

Fourth day: Drive to Bullard's Beaach, south of Coos Bay Oregon for the "Egg Gathering" (aka"Bolerama"). Again, we thought it would take us 4-5 hours. Took 10. enough said.

Fifth & Sixth days: Spent attending Solar-Bolar and LED retro-fitting workshops, touring all the trailers. Lots of trailer pictures can be found at flickr.com -search for "RobbinMT". It was fun to see all the special things people were doing to make their little nests cozier :)

Seventh day: Left Bullard's Beach at 10 am, went to CAMPING WORLD! in Gresham and got a new bike rack for the Rav that will fit in the hitch receiver and then you hook the Boler behind. After that, another short diversion at the Wasson Winery in Sandy- the maker's of a Sparkling Rhubarb wine to die for (and a "small" purchase) and we were finally on the way home. We drove straight through, stopping only to let the purps pee and refill our water jugs. Got home at 11:30 p.m. and whew!!! it was great :) also great to sleep in a large, clean bed!

The only regret is that I only got halfway done with one mitten..... The best was hooking up the laptop to the Blackberry as a modem really worked well! We processed orders 2 mornings, and felt free to play because Sara-the-beloved-worker-"queen-bee" was at home embossing and making sure things were still moving. Also we took the thermal pot and had chili the first night (it "cooked" in the car all the way), Congee one morning, and polenta and sausages another evening. This is a great way to camping-cook!

I am so looking forward to more Bolering this summer. We are hoping to make it up to Cascade campground in early August while the Quinn's Hot Springs' Baroque Music Festival is happening. That would be the best: camping on the river, and music!!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Patacones!!

PATACONES   -made with green plantains - if they have gotten yellow & spotty, they will not stand up to this treatment! Heat about an inch depth grapeseed or peanut oil in a deep skillet. Slice 4-5 green plantains into about 1 1/2" chunks, and then remove the peel. Fry the plantain chunks until lightly golden, drain on paper towels. When a bit cooler, take a heavy pot and squash the plantains  flat (they look like "large paws" - patacones -) and dip them (do not soak them!) into a bowl of salted water  (about 2c. water and a tbs. or so of sea salt) then carefully place them in the hot oil and fry again until crispy brown! Top patacones with guacamole and fresh salsa, or a garlic/mayonaise combination- they are a great alternative to chips and crackers. Best when eaten hot!!

Medicare for All should be our goal

" Under the greatest adversity there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others ." ~Dalai Lama And one of Montana's Methodist Ministers, Joan Uda, wrote an editorial for the Great Falls Tribune this week, asking essentially, What would God think of this? Here's a small excerpt: I'm startled by the frenzied opposition to health care reform. Are these good people Christians? Do they recall that Jesus will judge us not by how well we've kept our earnings for ourselves but by how we have cared for "the least of these"? Matthew 25:31-46. This is a matter of salvation. I don't believe God supports any particular solution for health care. But I do believe God wants everyone, even the least, included. And I believe Jesus Christ calls us to display our best Christian virtues in the debate on these issues. Here's George Lakoff's perspective on how language influences the discussion on Health Care policies this seas

My Precious Pikle-It

Now that we have finished running about between Missoula and Portland like bees buzzing between flowers, I can tell you all about my favorite kitchen "gadget" this year..... the Pickl-It from the wonderful People at Pickl-It . I got a set for myself and  my sister-in-law, - since we both are fermenting fiends. A few years ago, I had gotten a Harsch Gairtopf crock (see earlier posts regarding sauerkraut making) because I was tired of skimming my 'kraut. Essentially, I love kitchen science, but I'm even more enamored of  accomplishing kitchen crafts with less oversight! The Harsch crock has a wonderful "burping lid" water lock system that allows you to leave your crock unattended for several days at a time while the fermentation beasties work in a safe environment. My Harsch crock is in almost constant use, and I would never give it up. But there were still times when I wanted something smaller....for those tiny baby carrots, or the 3 small heads of gard