Where to Start

Hello My Peeps!

How's it goin? Ok, so many folks have suggested we post a blog since we travel so much, so they may keep abreast of our locale and what we're up to. My husband and I have traveled the entire west coast in less than two years. We have seen some beautiful country and met some really cool people. The third member of our family, Boo Radley, travels with us wherever we go, and I have to say he is one of the most cultured dogs we know.

My husband works with electrical power stuff. Sometimes this takes us to the seeming middle of nowhere, where we have found still more beauty and chat worthy cool stuff.

One of my hobbies is photography, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to capture what my eyes take in, and freeze it in time to remember forever. I would love to share some of this with you. I know lots of you have been to much more exotic places, hey - I used to live in Madagascar when I was a child. I have been to/through all but 8 states in the union...

Back to my point - Oh, my point is that it's really great to be able to explore my area of this planet that I have lived on for the past 32 years since growing up in Ventura, California.

So, here we'll start...with San Diego...

I had been telling my husband about San Diego since we were married back in 2001. I told him how wonderful it was, and how moderate the temperature always is. He promised to take me back there some time.

In 2006, after we both had graduated from college, and he was working as a maintenance electrician, he took a job offer to work in a different aspect of the electrical field which required him to travel a lot. We decided we couldn't pass up the opportunity, as the money was better than any job we could find in Utah, and the retirement offerings were unbeatable - which is important for us middle-aged, looking forward selves.

Our first gig was in San Diego; beautiful San Diego which I like to call home. We stayed in La Mesa, and most of Richard's work was in Chula Vista. The ironic thing is that after we arrived in San Diego, the weatherman announced that they were having the hottest summer on record for "x" number of years. It was 20 degrees hotter than normal. Needless to say, my husband did say, "I thought you said it was so moderate down here!" Ha ha. Yeeeaaahhh!

However it happened, and whatever ridiculous interference occurred, I forgot/left my professional camera at home, and only had my phone camera which takes shoddy photos at best. So we have no photo-journal of our time in San Diego. I know-it's almost embarrassing to admit.

We lived right off the freeway, and ten minutes from Sea World. We were able to go to Sea World a few times and pet the dolphins. Boo got to go to Dog Beach quite a few times, and that was a blast for all of us! I will say that I probably would never swim in the water at Dog Beach, but it's great fun to watch Boo run around and have such a blast! Boo and I stayed in San Diego for 2 of Richards 5 months. After finishing in Chula Vista, he went to Nevada for a spell, and then home in Utah again for a about 4 months.

In May of 2007, we headed out for a nine month jaunt - first up, then down the west coast. We began in Central Oregon. Richard worked in Wasco, Oregon for a few months. There is a huge wind tower farm in Wasco. We stayed in Grass Valley, which is the smallest town I'd ever been in. I did not even get cell reception. I had to drive 20 miles to Wasco and park on a hill to get cell reception.

Seriously, seriously.

Grass Valley, in Central Oregon, is approx 30 minutes from Biggs Junction and the Columbia River. There is a really great cafe in Moro - just outside of Grass Valley. We spent time in The Dalles, Oregon, where Richard has an Aunt and Uncle, and where we did our grocery shopping and laundry. People were very friendly in The Dalles.

We also spent time in Hood River, where there is a Walmart (of course). Hood River is a very cool, beautiful town right where the Hood and Columbia rivers meet. Columbia River is HUGE- the widest river I've ever seen!

Here's a few photos of Wasco and Hood River...