Chimacum

Our temporary spot at the Chimacum Escapees Park

It's been several days since the last post. Here's an update of events:

Friday I went back to school. The Delta Windshield Company, from which I obtained equipment in the past, offers a free one day training to it's customers. I scheduled our time in Eugene so that I could participate in their seminar. Very practical and well organized. Each "desk" had a 2 ft. by 2ft piece of windshield glass mounted upright. The glass had been well abused, with chips, bulls eyes, and star breaks. After a Power Point presentation, we began repairing the abused glass, attempting to bring it back to an acceptable level. Several technicians circulated, giving tips and specific instructions. It was interesting from an instructional standpoint as well as observing how a young, small company operates. Even in the recession, Delta is doing well through aggressive promotion and emphasizing the money saving ecological aspects of repairing windshields rather than replacing them. The staff of five people are young and enthusiastic, and determined to make a success of their company. Refreshing to see.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

Saturday we headed-out to complete our northwestern trip, arriving at Chimacum in the mid afternoon. Lots of traffic on the road. We took I 5 almost all the way up from San Diego, and it is interesting how the quality of road varied as we crossed State lines. California has the worst maintained section by far. The majority of the road was bumpy, with breaks in the concrete being common. As soon as Oregon was entered, the road became smooth and well maintained. Washington also has a well maintained road - though not quite as good as Oregon. I'm not sure why the difference between the States. I thought the US Govt. supports road maintenance on interstates.

Nice landscaping at the Chimacum Park.

Sunday we took a quick trip into Port Townsend, a scenic little harbor town on the straits of Juan de Fuca. We got some groceries and had lunch at our favorite spot - Waterfront Pizza. Most of the stores are the same even though we haven't been here for several years. The town and area are very photogenic, so I look forward to returning regularly and shooting some of the sights.

Today was spent repairing our dining table, which suddenly collapsed. The vibration of traveling and stress from lifting the end of the table repeatedly loosened some support screws. An easy fix. In the picture below, you can see our new Engel Freezer, which lives under the table, towards the back. This is our latest major addition to Smokey's list of improvements. It runs on AC or DC current, using very little electricity but keeping things around 0 degrees. Mimi loves it, and it greatly expands our food storage capacity. It will come in handy if I can catch some Dungeness Crab...