Still no photos (why do my photos on google photos in my phone not appear on my laptop?)

Day 3 highlights Nehelam bay to Merriman state park site 334

Music to start the day Marvin Gaye Gold (What’s going on…)

Well not much distance covered – a leisurely start to the day with a nice warm shower (law of travel if there is a bathroom use it, law of camping if there is a shower use it – you never know when/where the next one will be)

Yet again, you find me sitting in my van with rain and wind beating down.  Terrible wind again this afternoon (this morning was fine, cloudy but relatively calm, nice walk in campground and to the beach – awesome fine sand with not a trace of man or animal tracks and crashing waves – stops at Bayview for breakfast (had an energy bar and an apple at the campground) 2 fresh shucked oysters and then an ice cream cone at Tillamook cheese (truly Willy Wonka for cheese – it is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the huge! rooms and conveyor belts galore – I said as much to a staff person and she said nobody had ever said that, she really liked it, would tell management, usually people say it is the Disneyland of cheese (never having been to Disneyland I am ill suited to judge but …really? There are no rides, no artifice, just mammoth production of cheese and conveyor belts conveying cheese and sundry.  A bite of bread and cold chicken mid afternoon but tonight – oh tonight – the best, I kid you not – fish pasta ever.  It is not thanks to me but thanks to the ultra fresh sablefish and steamer clams from Bayview Oregon.  First cook your pasta till just under cooked (less then al dente) then strain your pasta but leave some of the pasta water clinging to it – it is good starch – In the same pot you cooked your pasta in (I am camping after all) put a slug of olive oil (there is a bit of pasta water left – that is ok – cook quickly on one side 1/4 pound of sablefish from the thick part, cut in 3, turn over and add a slug of white wine, two handfuls of steamer clams, and a tablespoon of homemade tomato salsa (mine is house made from Countryaire in Port Angeles).  Not too much salsa, actually less than a tablespoon, you do not want anything to overpower your fish.  Put your pasta on top to keep it hot in the steam, cook a few minutes, and only a few minutes and put into bowl (bowl is necessary the pasta will soak some of the broth as you eat the fish.  Oh the fish, the sablefish was, as it should be, buttery smooth, just barely cooked and flaky, and the tangy briny flavor of the clams to contrast, then the pasta and finish by spooning any liquid left over –  a genius meal!  And tomorrow, I bought a small container of shucked oysters, I will poach them briefly in their liquid and some more of that salsa, can be a bit more this time as the oysters can handle it, with some French bread I have left over that I will grill on my stove.  It is raining, I am tired of it but at this moment all is well. The way to this woman’s heart, particularly if the weather is lousy, is through her stomach

 Day 4 highlights  … Merriman to Harris Beach State Park  (near Brookings), site A25

Music to start the day: Lionel Ritchie.  What’s going on…. (his Hello song is great)

Là je me sens en vacances!

Yesterday before falling asleep I made a deal with myself that if the day was rainy and windy again I would head inland. Lo and behold I greeted a sunny and warm day today.  Put away the coat and sweater (and should have worn sandals – went to 18 degrees today!) So I am now at the end of the Oregon coast at Harris Beach state park (thank you Jenny and Patrick).  Another day of under 300 km – on my way back from Québec last fall I had a few days of over 600 km and most were around 500 and some. But what a difference a sunny day makes! The pounding surf is different in the sun, no longer ominous but mesmerizing. It was a beautiful drive.  Not many birds though but I did not stop at many of the birding hotspots – to date they would likely be the same species as BC.

 It is the first time since I have had Selva that I am sitting with my side door wide open (thank you for the sliding screen – it does give a semblance of privacy, plus protect against bugs (have been seeing mosquitoes since yesterday) and my back side window is also wide open (it opens out and has a screen that I can pull down.  I will sleep with the window open and sleep to the sounds of the surf.

The oysters poached in their liquid with butter and bit of Salsa was terrific. Another great super.

A few hints for the way:

Very good sourdough bread from: Winchester Bay

Great view of the coast at : Reedsport

After Harris Beach State Park it was the Redwoods (Day 5, to Redcrest, start with Petula Clark 2013 album Lost in You).  I felt like home (Vancouver Island) yet there is something sentinel-like about the redwoods.  Probably as the lower trunk is usually bare and they stand so tall and straight with quite contained greenery.

 I started to do some serious mileage as the weather was still foul.  So one day of 600km and another of 677km. Actually I do not find it hard.  I find drivers are in general quite courteous.  (they don’t ride on your butt) so :

Day 6, Redcrest to Santa Nella RV Park,site 46, 600km through fields of almond trees, dessert, some Joshua trees.  When you see the sign for Murray family farms stop for oranges and other good things.  The oranges were so juicy I had to eat them outside bending over to let the juice dribble down.  You might think there will plenty of farm stands but that is the only one I saw, so don’t miss it. (near Bakersfield)

Day 7 Sante Nella to Sam’s Family RV resort at Desert Hot Springs in site number 295, same as with Don in 2011, but this time rain and wind – in the desert – for me. 677km but I wanted to get here.

Day 8 very short day (92 km)/, Desert Hot Springs to Salton Sea, where I stayed for 3 nights (site 158 and then 136). Beautiful and nearly too hot and sunny!  Road mostly straight but up and down like a ribbon unfurling.  Nearly gives me seasickness!

Fever – sore throat coughing all night which is a shame since I was in, another, beautiful spot.  The Salton sea is an IBA (that means Important Birding Area, we have some of those as well) There is a state park along the eastern shore that has 4 campsites, 2 primitive and 2 with a mix of sull service and no service sites.  They are all along the water.  I chose Mecca, because it has some beautiful sites along the beach but also some trees and bushes which you do not have at the primitive sites.  It also has showers, albeit they are solar ‘heated’ and outside for all intents and purposes.

Nobody here and in summer it must be terrible, I believe the hottest place in the US I read somewhere.  Why do people not travel at this time of year is beyond me. Well that is fine with me.  It went up to 30 degrees today a bit too hot but it cools up fast.

Spent a day at the Sono Bono Salton Sea Wildlife refuge.  I will state her that the last few days have been somewhat of a pilgrimage.  I had recognized roads, landscapes and picnic spots visited with Don 5 years ago but had not synchronized to be able to stay at the same campsites.  That was remedied at Sam’s Family  RV Park in Desert Hot Springs.  Last time we had seen gambel’s quails, roadrunner, green heron etc this time, arriving after the aforementioned 677 km I asked and received the same camping spot.  You guessed it, in a section of the part where only 2 campers were occupying an area with at least 25 or so sites, but being the desert I had an unexpected surprise…rain! And cold! The next morning, I had a soak in the Hotsprings and a leisurely departure for the Salton Sea.  I stopped at the same organic date farm and bought a few goodies and had a date and bacon burger, yum, but could not eat all of it.  I have a photo of Don at the same place….

So Don and I had spent the day at the Sono Bono site and saw many great birds.  I saw 30 species on my walk there today but missing some of the species form last time (no Skimmers alas) I did surprise myself in remembering a number of birds that are not present in my home turf.  I think I am becoming a pretty good birder (nota: a birdwatcher is someone who will look at and notice birds around him or her and will generally be able to identify them, owns a bird book, a birder is one who actively seeks birds and makes an effort to find unusual, rare species and will go out of his or her way to do that.  I think that is the nuance.

My solar panels ensure charging for my phone, hot water, cold fridge, light galore etc..  No need for access to RV services

How to tell when your towels are dry in the dessert? When the flies stop flocking to it (at one point about 20 flies on it)

A lot of the countryside is reminiscent to many in Canadian provinces.  I drove through countryside that resembled the Okanagan, the Southern Prairies, the Badlands… except the flora and fauna are different.  Desert, sand, cacti, bromeliads, palms

Day 11 Salton Sea to Picacho peaks,  525 km and the day seemed very long, site B-9. Camping full – spring break.

Day 12 and 13, stayed in Tuscon at Susan’s.  Spent a day at a book fair. Of course, bought many books.  It was nice to see friendly faces and talk with Susan and other friends that were staying with her.  Got allergy meds – they help a lot – I did not have a cold but am here during height of allergy season it seems.

Day 14:  Tuscon to Patagonia Lake state park first day at site 5 (where I had stayed with Don) and 2 other nights at site 66 (163km)

Le 13 mars, 2016, 3 ans après le décès de mon conjoint. Ce fut une journée pour le moindre irréelle, toute la journée il me semblait que les choses allaient à l’envers.  C’est vrai que j’ai dû prendre un antihistaminique pour les allergies qui ont commencé il y a 1 semaines et je n’avais pas pris de café le matin.  Je suis arrivé à ma première destination, l’église de San Xavier Del Bac à peine 10 minutes avant la messe de 8 :00. J’y ai assisté.  Ce que j’aurais cru être une messe d’inspiration latino ou autochtone (l’église est au milieu d’une réserve) était en fait une messe on ne peut plus américaine, avec le curé, assez âgé qui faisait une lecture très libre de l’évangile, c’était l’évangile de Jean de la ‘femme adultère’.   La musique était de la guitare avec les chants des églises des années 80 (qui tentait être cool, je m’en souviens j’y étais et j’y chantais) Mais l’église est d’une telle beauté, dans les couleurs vivent que me rappelait le rouge et le vert de la cathédral St-Steven de Budapest.  J’ai, bien entendu, allumé 2 chandelles.  Et j’ai resté aux alentour quelques temps à examiner les lieux et les gens qui défilait devant le sein, et semblait le border de son linceul, c’est-à-dire il flattait sa tête, lui relevait la tête et plaçait son oreiller ou tirait la couverture pour bien le couvrir. Je me suis contenté de le flatter. J’ai acheté une dernière chandelle ‘for the road’.

Après avoir mangé un des ‘indian tacos’ vendu sur place par bon nombre de famille je quitte pour Patagonia Lake mais avant des épiceries ou je passais mon temps à perdre mon chariot – j’étais dans les limbes je crois, et ensuite une visite à Tubac ou j’ai retrouvé un bon magasin de cuisine et vue trop tard, en quittant le bon magasin d’huile et vinaigre ou on était arrêté.

J’étais très fatigué toute la journée et je me suis endormi avec ma porte ouverte (moustiquaire fermé) et la radio à au poste de musique classique.  Nuit étoilés superbes.

Day 15 and 16

Le monde qui se promène comme s’ils quitte pour une excursion dans les andes.  Hier matin pour la marche d’oiseaux guidé de 8h00, une 30 d’explorateurs avec leurs bottines de marche, leur polar, certains en gant et tuque, les autres avec leur casquette anti soleil (cachons nous le cou etc).  Mais tous avec leurs petits sacs attachés à leurs reins, leur immenses caméras, lunette d’approche, tissus anti rayon uv etc.  Moi je n’avais même pas mis mes bottines de marche, ma seule concession était mes sandales archi-laides que je réserve pour des telles occasions : une marche lente dans le bois (le seul genre de marche possible pour ceux qui observent les oiseaux).  Pas questions de me camouflé en ‘bird nerd’ suffit de mettre des vêtements confortables qui protégeraient de la chaleur et du soleil car bien entendu même s’il faisait ‘froid’ (18 degrés) à notre départ, avant la fin de la marche 3 heures plus tard (environ 2 km de marché) il ferait 28 degrés.  Je n’ai pas de problème avec tous ces accoutrements si justifié mais on était pas en safari tout de même! Dans mon cas c’était mes quakis 3/4 et mon chandail de coton à longues manches tissé avec des mailles lousses de Eileen Fisher (juste moi pouvait savoir que ce chandail vaut bien plus de 300$, un de mes meilleurs achats, je l’ai tout le temps sur le dos) mais ce fut assez pour ne pas être prise comme membre de la bande. Je ne m’en plains pas. Ce fut tout de même une bonne sortie puisque nous avons vue, à la toute fin de la marche, l’oiseau qui avait échappé à la cherche de Don et moi il y a 5 ans : le fameux Elegant Trogon.

Et le jour 16 : elle écrit, une bonne part de ce que vous venez de lire. (après s’être fortifié avec  une superbe bannique à l’aide mon huile d’olive d’Italie, ma farine du Canada et ma confiture de fleurs de cactus de la Californie)