The Golden Knights

Left Clear Lake the middle of September just as it was turning cooler.  First stop Las Vegas, NV for a bit of rest and relaxation and to try our hands at a few slot machines.  Lady Luck didn't smile on us,  but we were able to get out of town before too much damage was done to our funds.

From Vegas, we headed on down to just outside Yuma, Arizona to the Army's Yuma Proving Grounds where we'll spend the next four months.  Drove in on a sweltering 106 degree day and wondered why we had left Clear Lake. Then we remembered that winter day time temperatures here can't be beat. 

Lots of history here at YPG (The Proving Grounds), and it's such great fun to be here when the Army's Golden Knights parachute team comes in for training.  Free shows every day.

Some Good Fishing

We arrived at Clear Lake late 2008 to prepare for our summer job amid some of the worst snow the area has seen in years.  What a sight to see the lake frozen over and to see it snow the middle of June.

WOW.  Work was tough this year. I was never so glad to see Labor Day weekend come around since it marks the end of work for the year. I was ready for a rest.  It was a busy summer since people had been cooped up all winter and just wanted to be outdoors once it started to warm up.

That cold winter had a great effect on the fishing this summer because there were record size catches brought in.  It was an awesome season to be out on the lake fishing.

Clear Lake Resort

This summer we took a job with Fairchild AFB at their Clear Lake Recreation Area near Cheney, WA. We had so much fun we plan to be back there working summer of 2008.

The picture of the resort I've posted looks really serene, but believe me, during the height of summer this place is very busy and demanding.

Our jobs consisted of mowing, cooking, cleaning bathrooms, cabins and the lodge. Answering the phone, taking reservations, doing the paperwork at the end of the day. Renting boats, trash detail and anything that was needed doing. You name it and we probably did it.

We learned so much and couldn't have asked for a greater bunch of guys to work with. Our boss Mike is a young 28 year old local guy who was born and raised in this area. One of the nicest guys you could ever want to know.

What a great experience and a an awesome summer we had this year.

Niagara Falls

We had always heard about Niagara Falls, but had never seen them. Guess the Falls are to the east coast people what the Grand Canyon is to the people that live in the west. We stopped off and spent a month in the Buffalo New York area on our trip to Bangor, Maine and got our first look of Niagara Falls. My first sight of the Falls was identical to how I felt the first time I saw the Grand Canyon. The sight is indescribable. It's a sight that your eyes can hardly take in. The only word to describe it, is Awesome!

The Redwoods

Although Jamie was born in northern California very near the Redwood Forests, he had never seen the giant trees. With seeing the Redwoods in mind, we spent 4 months traveling the coast highway from San Diego, Ca all the way up to the Olympic National Forest of Washington State. We stopped off and spent a week just north of Leggett, Ca exploring these giant trees. Needless to say, Jamie was completely awestruck at the size of the trees as everyone is that sees them for the first time. We plan to explore the Giant Sequoias of King Canyon in Southern California on another trip.

The New Motorhome

We now have a new 40 foot Coach.! Purchased Jan 2005. Everything you could possibly want in a house. It actually has a larger livingroom than we had in the house in Reno. Have a 400hp Cat C9 diesel engine that moves us along really well and gets us down the road very nicely. We Love It, It's Our Home, It Is Totally Comfortable and It Drives Like A Dream!

Patricks Retirement

Friday October 7, 2005 was a proud day for us. It was the first time we have gotten together for too many years, and was the end of a succesful career in the Navy for my brother (now retired). The USS Midway hosted the retirement event with a very nice turnout of family and friends. The party that followed went over wonderfully with an attendance of approximately 70 people. Food and Fun were the words for the evening. Congratulations Pat. A Job Well Done and thanks for a great get together.