2021 – Here’s to New Beginnings!

I am confident that we are all ready to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. After our epic rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, we pretty much stayed home the remainder of the year. Holidays were subdued, but we were fortunate to have our oldest daughter Randi visit for Thanksgiving and our youngest daughter, Rian, home for Christmas. We kept the gatherings small and hunkered down to wait for the vaccine. We are still waiting… but life does not.

Randi helps to pick out the Christmas tree.
Seeing double? Rian shows off her new Floyd shirt.

Riley's reaction to TWO Floyds? Lol.

Waiting for Santa's helper to deliver the treats.

In January, Rog and I celebrated our 40^th anniversary quietly at home. Rian decided we needed something a bit more fun for such a huge milestone and she arranged for a mystery anniversary celebration. I was informed that at the appointed time folks were going to show up at the house and I was to direct them to a spot in the backyard, then go inside and NOT PEEK until summoned. We followed directions and were treated to an absolutely lovely backyard bubble picnic. We brought our beverage of choice, Rian had arranged for lunch and a beautiful setting. We spent an hour or so there and enjoyed being pampered. Such a lovely treat from our lovely girl. Thank you sweetie!

Surprise Bubble Picnic - Happy 40th Anniversary to Us!

Cheers!

What a fun time! Riley enjoyed it too. :) 

Rian was busy with more than party planning in January. She was on a mission to buy a house. Years of saving had given her a pretty decent nest egg and with just a little help from family, she was able to purchase a home in the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento. It’s a cute 3 bedroom, 2 bath rambler, built in 1950. It was recently purchased by flippers who did some cosmetic upgrades, but it still needed a bit of work. Hence, our current travels.

Rian's new home!
(These are the staged listing photos.)

We left 2/1/21 for Sacramento to lend a hand. Rian wanted to paint and do some repairs before she moves in, so we’ll help with that and the move. Some work will be contracted out, but Rog can tackle most minor home repairs and I am an excellent ‘gofer’. Above all, we’re providing free labor so the price is right. Lol.

We opted for the coastal route going south, a no-brainer given that the snowfall is being measured in feet rather than inches in some of the passes along the I-5 corridor. Our first stop was the French Prairie rest area for a free overnight stay. My brother asked how the trip was going and I responded, “Wet!”  We left around 1pm Monday, knowing we would be driving in the rain. What we hadn’t anticipated was the windshield wiper on the passenger side of the rig would quit working. Rog pulled over and we spent a miserable soggy 20 minutes troubleshooting it. That side of the windshield was recently replaced. Coincidence? I think not. I had some best-censured comments for the installers. The good news, Rog got it working again and when it stopped working a second time, it was a much quicker fix. In the meantime, we’d noticed the skylight in the shower had a serious leak. Sigh. When it rains, it pours. Literally. Rog bought the supplies he needs to fix that, but we need some dry weather. California here we come. 😊

Tuesday morning we continued down I-5 and then took SR 38 to Tugman State Park near Reedsport, OR. This was the same route we’d taken in 2019 when we were escaping Riley’s snow dance. While there has been plenty of precipitation, it’s all been drippy not fluffy. At Tugman we managed to dodge the showers and get some hiking in on the trail around Eel Lake.

 

We all enjoyed a woods walk.

Since this is a mad dash south, we’re only staying one night at each spot. Wednesday, got us down Hwy 101 to Trinidad, CA. It’s a beautiful drive along the coast and then through the Redwoods. We stayed at the Che-Ea Casino and stopped the next morning at Clam Beach. We all enjoyed a little sun and fun on the beach! 

 

Sunset over the Pacific.

Clam Beach.

Riley likes the beach, the waves... not so much.

For Thursday, 2/4, we made reservations to stay at a Harvest Host location in Calpella, CA. Testa Vineyards provided a convenient and lovely stop. We picked up a couple bottles of wine and Riley got to play in the vineyard. Everyone was happy!

 

Testa Vineyards, another excellent Harvest Host site.

Bored. Bored. Bored.
Day 4 on the road... are we there yet, Dad?

We pulled into Rian’s new digs early Friday afternoon, 2/5. Did I mention there is room to park our rig at her house? Yay, a new moochdock spot to add to our list. It will certainly make staying to lend a hand cheap and convenient. A win-win all around.

 

The Short Bus looks quite comfy next to Rian's new house.

Rian was at the house when we arrived, meeting with a flooring contractor. The flipper had pulled up the carpet to expose the original hardwood floors. Calling them “distressed” would be a kindness. Rian decided to have all the floors refinished before moving in. As we’ve watched the work progress, it was a brilliant call. The floors are going to look great!

An amazing difference.
Rian chose the middle stain color. Gorgeous!

We got the rig settled in and immediately went to work. Rog and I started cleaning up the yard. Rian and her roommate, Kelsey, who will be moving into the new house with her, and I spent the weekend painting. Trying to get as much done before the flooring work began. The girls also spent some quality cuddle time with Riley, wouldn't want the poor boy to feel neglected! Rog tackled some plumbing work and then we both worked outside on the exterior of the house and the yard while the flooring guys worked their magic.  Riley is also enjoying Rian's new back yard which is big enough for some ball play. 

Rian, Kelsey and Riley. Best buds.

Come on, Dad. Enough work, play with me!

Unfortunately, there won’t be a whole lot of travel in this travel blog, at least for a while. We’ll be hanging out here for a couple weeks as we continue working through the list of repairs and get Rian and Kelsey moved in. After that, we’ll see. I’m not sure we’ll be in any hurry to head straight home. Apparently Riley’s snow dance was finally successful, although he is too far south to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Those of you enjoying (or not) the freezing temps and snow in the PNW can thank him! Lol.