Christmas 2021 - The last family gathering before Remi and I hit the road!

The holidays are always a time of year that I truly enjoy, and this year was no different. This is however the very first time that I can say that without a doubt, I experienced a white Christmas. Earlier in December, we got 6 inches of snow around the 15th of December. We got an additional 6 inches on Christmas eve as well as another 3 inches on the 26th of December. Even the locals say that this is not the norm of late. 

My Christmas holidays started out with the last time that I would volunteer at Rescue Ranch here in Yreka. When I first started volunteering there, they had a small but dedicated staff. With the holidays and people always hoping to take time off to be with family, I thought I would go and help out for a few hours if they needed it. Also, I always welcome the opportunity to hang out with dogs and try to give them a little bit of love and today was no different. However, with the enhanced staffing levels at the Ranch, it turned out they really didn't need any help from me so I continued with going through the rest of the days plans. 

Because we were to have Brunch at Chuck and Terry's, I wasn't sure how things might go between Remi and their dog Poppy. If it were a little warmer and if things had not gone well, I would have just put Remi in the car, but since it was going to be cold and snowy, it was just best to leave her at home. The drive up to Chuck and Terry's was fairly un-eventful, but there was a lot of snow on the pass. 

One of the wonderful things about the family up here in Oregon is we all get along so well. We all truly enjoy each other's company. It also doesn't hurt that we are all of the same belief structure, or lack thereof, and politically, our views are very similar. It's been 10 years at least since I can remember anyone even being irritated during a family gathering. :-)

It was so wonderful to see Kristin, her wife Laura and their daughter Eliza. I love them all so very much! They were kind enough to fly out to the west coast from Connecticut again this year for the holiday season. 

Chuck and Terry were wonderful hosts for our Christmas Eve Brunch. It is so wonderful to get together and visit with them in their home. 

Though Chuck and Terry were the hosts, and provided the majority of the scrumptious food, everyone did bring something to contribute. Terry asked me to bring chips and dips, which I did. We had a simply wonderful time sitting, chatting and enjoying the food together. 

As we were enjoying Brunch together, we saw periodically that it was starting to snow. So, shortly after we were done with Brunch, I decided I had better head home. My main concern wasn't so much getting stuck in Ashland. If it were just myself to worry about, I would just simply hunker down somewhere. But, my big concern was Remi being locked in the motorhome overnight if I got stuck and couldn't get home. So, I headed home. And when I got home, I found that it was snowing quite a bit in Yreka at the 2,000 foot level. 

On Christmas day, Remi and I opened Christmas gifts and then prepared to head back up to Southern Oregon for Christmas day festivities, this time hosted by Karen and Mike at their place. A quick check of the road conditions and weather forecast indicated that we should be ok, at least for the early part of the day. 

 

On our way up to Karen and Mikes, I made a quick stop at Callahan's to see what it looked like with all the fresh snow. I love this place because it is modern, yet rustic and very romantic. 

Karen and Mike were our hosts for Christmas day, and just like the day before, we had another wonderful visit. 

Prior to sitting down for Christmas Dinner we opened Christmas gifts, the high point of which was a piece of stained glass that Mike had made for his brother Chuck. It was in the shape of the L.A. Dodgers logo.

After opening gifts we sat down to a wonderful dinner which included my favorite part, dessert, one option of which was Grasshopper pie. Yum! 

Shortly after dessert again, as if on cue, it started to snow again, and I figured it was best that Remi and I head for home. It was so wonderful that before the big trip coming up starting in the new year, that we could all get together and spend some quality time together. 

The following is a video that covers our Christmas Holidays in much greater detail. Enjoy! 

Safe travels! 

Eric and Remi too

Counting down the days to the big trip - December 18th, 2021

Hi there everyone, 

Well, time sure flies... it's either that or I'm so busy that it just seems that way. Since my last post I've been busy with Thanksgiving, dog videos, pre-Christmas activities and trying to get ready for the big trip starting on the 2nd of January 2022. Also, WE'VE GOT SNOW! I love snow! I love to experience it and explore in it. So much has been going on... 

First off, I should mention something that will become helpful going forward as I get closer towards my trip... Each stop that I stay at will have a series of three numbers associated with it. So, you will notice in the next part of the post that I have the number series of 76/156/14. Here is what each number means. 

76 is the number of camping trips this motorhome has been on since it was bought 12 years ago. 

156 is the number of RV'ing trips I have been on. 

14 is the number of RV trips I have been on since my ex-wife and I separated. 

Thanksgiving Trip 76/156/14

So for Thanksgiving this year, I relocated the motorhome up to Holiday RV park, which is located in Talent Oregon, just a mile or so north of Karen and Mike's. It is a nice little RV park. It is a little older so some of the sites are a little on the narrow side, but the infrastructure seems to be solid. The power, water and sewer all seemed to be in good working order. And I was able to navigate around in the park. 

In the area there is a waterway called Bear Creek. That creek flows right past the RV park. It's very relaxing to hang out by it. 

We had a very nice Thanksgiving dinner at Karen and Mike's where Mike's brother Chuck as well as his wife Teri and a couple of Karen and Mike's friends joined us for dinner. 

One of the interesting things that I noticed at the RV park was one of the semi-permanent rigs in the park had apparently had someone work for PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) back when they were in operations in the 70's and 80's. I came to this conclusion when I saw a placard from a Jetway that welcomed folks. 

The day after Thanksgiving, Mike had a performance with his brass ensemble that he is the conductor of. They performed in downtown Ashland. they played a whole selection of holiday tunes for those that were shopping in the area. I always enjoy every opportunity to hang out with Karen and Mike that I get, and this was no exception. Ashland is a great little, smallish town and it very much has a quaint feeling too it. 

Of course as the clock clicks down towards my departure, I'm still trying to get as many dog videos done as I can before I leave. Two of the most recent ones are for Gizmo and Shelby. Shelby is a quiet little girl who was found abandon in a home by her previous owners. the windows had been smashed and the house was in rough shape. Shelby had been left behind to fend for herself with no supplies. She was brough to Rescue Ranch by the Siskiyou County animal shelter and Shelby and the staff and volunteers at Rescue Ranch are working to turn her life around!  

Another dog that I have done a video of lately is Gizmo. Gizmo was brought to the Siskiyou County animal shelter after his owner died. Gizmo has a number of medical issues going on between nerve damage due to an injury to his back just above his hips, and also what may be bone cancer. Stephanie Hoffman the shelter manager brought Gizmo into her home and had been fostering him. Well, I brought Remi with me and Stephanie, Gizmo, Remi and I worked to put a marketing video together of Gizmo. Shortly after Stephanie posted Gizmo on the Count Shelters website, someone indicated they wanted to meet him. :-) 

On December 11th, I helped out as Santa's Photographer for Rescue Ranch here in Yreka. We had a number of families come through with their furry and feathered friends to meet with Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. 

I was also very lucky that my friend Kelly Maloney and her dog Kada, who has been diagnosed with a tumor on her heart, were able to come by to get their picture taken as well. 

On Wednesday the 15th of December, we got snow and a lot of it. We are at about 2,100 feet in elevation here in Yreka. When we get snow, it is usually about an inch in depth and by lunch time it is gone. Well, it had been cold the few nights prior to the 15th, and when it snowed it stuck and we accumulated at least 6 inches of the white powder. I didn't know how Remi would react to the snow, but I think she likes it more than I do. Here is a little video to give you an idea of what we had and how Remi enjoyed it. 

Since I am going to be on the road for 6th months, you may wonder how I am going to get my mail. Well. many that live full time in their RV's, don't have a home base like Remi and I do. They travel from RV park to RV park with no particular home base established. They then have a mail forwarding service set up where the mail is sent to a fixed address like a Staples or independent mail handling establishment. They scan the outside of the envelope and then we, the customer, can evaluate if we want that piece of mail sent on to us. Once they have a bundle of mail we want, we give them an address that we will be at 5 to 7 days down the road and have them send the mail to us. 

I have established just such a service for myself for the next 6 months. 

The address is: 

3515 Atlantic Ave.  #1068 , Long Beach, Ca. 90807

Well, that is all for this particular installment of my journal. Stay tuned because I'm going to be updating the blog as well as my YouTube channel at least on a weekly basis. 

Safe travels all! 

Eric