Putzing around day

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Sunrise from the camper door

What a nice day we have had today. We are so easily entertained!

Once again breakfast was around 10 am at the picnic table between our rigs. The Frintstones have neighbors right close to them who happen to be from Meridian, but he is a talker. You can't poke your head outside without him starting up, so we kind of waited until they were busy before doing much outside.

After slowly getting around, and checking out some of the marine traffic report, we went out to the river overlook for a while. We watched for a while and saw a car carrier come in, and an interesting tug and barge heading out. Don't know for sure what it was carrying, but according to the marine traffic map, it was headed for Seattle.

car carrier

tug and barge

full of equipment for?

We then headed to the other side of Astoria to check out the Tongue point area. The fishing regs and reports all use Tongue Point as a reference point, but we didn't find anything interesting there. As we came back into town we stopped to see what Pier 39 was all about. Barney walked out and said it was kind of an interesting place.  Had a cannery museum, cafe, kayak rentals, etc.  We waited at the Trolley stop and listened to the Ark, Ark, Erk, Erk of the harbor seals! There were quite a number of them around, and they were loud.

Pier 30

Museum picture of cannery workers

museum picture

Coming back toward camp, we went out to the Petie I for lunch. You probaby won't believe this, but we thought it was too hot to stay out there. Mid 80's with the sun beating down and no wind or shade.

So we went back to the river overlook. There was a breeze, and it was cooler, and the river traffic is interesting. There was a small CoastGuard vessel pulling in a small boat, about the same as we saw last weekend. Then a larger CoastGuard boat came by pulling a larger fishing boat. Again, rescue at sea!

Pilot boat takes bar pilots out to incoming ships

small craft rescue at sea

Larger rescue boats in background

And towards evening there are a lot of small boats coming in from a day of fishing. Also, the pelicans come around to do their fishing. They are fun to watch splashing into the water. And they attract gulls who land beside them probably trying to get a free handout.  Barney says the pelicans have pet gulls.

Heading back to camp

camp sites in the RV park

Then when the breeze started to cool down, we came back to the camp site to settle in. We really had a nice day, hope you did too.

Just Another Great Day at the Beach

Friday, September 12, 2014

Wonderful, wonderful - we are having such a great time here! Although still no spot available at the campground, so we have to move out to the less than desirable RV park. Even though it is not our favorite, there are still other places around that are even less desirable!

We made a kind of slow morning of it but finally left camp. As we pulled out of the park, a Bigfoot trailer was leaving the KOA. They waved and then gave us a good shrug like why are you over there instead of with the rally.

We got checked in at the RV park, then went to Freddies for a few things. Pulled into the lot behind a Bigfoot motorhome, and they had to come over and talk to us. When they realized they hadn't seen us at the rally, we got the pep talk. Meanwhile Barney was over at the Ross parking lot talking to other Bigfoot owners. The rally broke up today, so we shouldn't get any more of that.

Barney enjoying the day

It was still just a little early for fishing, but we went out anyway. Got our favorite parking spot and after a short time Betty got to move over next to us. We relaxed a little then Betty and Wilma went out to see how Barney and Fred were doing. Fred got to show us the pictures of another nice wild one he caught but had to put back in. It wasn't as big as the one a couple of days ago, but very nice.

Just in

Nice fish

Getting away!

It was quite hot in the sun, so none of us lasted a real long time out there. The new hats really helped the guys.

We dropped off the Flintmobile, then went to get some Mexican lunch/dinner.  There is a small place that we like to stop at each time we are here. Everything is freshly made, and pretty good.

Too Windy to Fish

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Happy Birthday to Terri.

The forecast winds hit right on schedule. There were small craft warnings out this morning. We stopped out at the river to check it out, and there was no one parked along the road where there are usually five or six. We walked out to the edge of the river to look down the fishing row, but only saw three vehicles out there, and we had to struggle to walk against the wind.

So, we got to do the next fun thing--Laundry! Oh well, once it was done we felt better. After it was done we took the Flintmobile back to camp and the Rubbles drove us around all day.

First stop was at Fort Clatsop which is a Lewis and Clark National Park unit. We have been there several times, and already had the stamps, but there were three newer ones we didn't have yet, so it was a good stop. While entering them in the club records Fred noticed we had stamps from there that were dated 9-11-11, and those today were 9-11-14. We are fairly consistent about when we come over here! Guess it's a way to celebrate for Terri.

From there we went in to Astoria to the Bowpicker and had fish and chips.The line was about 30 to 40 minute wait, but worth it. Betty and Wilma stayed in the truck, and a couple came over to talk to us because they were at the Bigfoot rally and knew we were not. Don't know if I've already mentioned it. When we first got here there was a sign at the KOA across the road from the Fort Stevens entrance that welcomed the Bigfoot rally. Anytime we would go by, the greeters acted like we ought to turn in there. We have not been members of the Bigfoot owners club. Anyway, the rally actually went from Monday to Friday this week. We could see quite a few Bigfoot rigs down in the KOA. So the people that came over to talk to us just encouraged us to join the club.  Wilma later went on line and signed up for a three month temporary membership.

Then it was up to the Astoria Column. Betty and Barney bought gliders and climbed to the top. Betty's landed under a parked truck, so Barney retrieved it when they came down. It was a very clear day, and the wind was dying down, so a really great viewpoint. There was absolutely no ship traffic on the river at that time. They were mostly scheduled for early and for later in the day.

View from the top

The Astoria Column

Betty's glider

After a stop at Big 5 to buy hats for Fred and Barney, the Flintstones went back to camp while Barney checked out the fishing.

End of the day

Twas a fun day.

The Idiots Abound! AND Fish On!

It seems that all the idiots are in this area this week!  And so far that does not include us in case you are leaning to that thinking!

First of all, and update on our plans. I think before we had been here three days we had decided to stay here and not finish the circle of Oregon. Of course the weather could be contributing to that because it has been so great. But also, we are just totally relaxing and enjoying our stay.

After pancakes and eggs at the picnic table this morning, we finally got rolling. Our first stop was at the tackle/bait/charter shop where we bought bait for the day and then signed up for the charter for next week. That way if they bring in fish we will be headed home the next day.  Hope the weather stays good for their trip out.

On the way out to the river we stopped at the dump station to dump the tanks. We are not as conservative with the water use when we have a water hookup, so the tanks fill faster. That chore over, we got situated along the side of the road and the guys when out. The good parking spot has been taken the last few days, so we have to make do.

Wilma walked out to the end of the paved road and was watching river traffic when a little Tracker drove out onto the beach. Then a Camry followed close behind. Wilma just stood and watched, knowing what would happen. Maybe 100 yards in, sure enough the Camry ground to a halt. They were with the people in the Tracker, so it turned around and just bumper pushed them out. So instead of backing clear out to the pavement, she backed off to the side to turn around. This time the passenger was able to push enough to get it going. So she drove it in and parked where she should have the first time, then started walking out. The guy in the Tracker met her and she got in. He pulled off and started to back out and turn around. Missed a passing pickup by an inch or two. The guys in the pickup were yelling, but the geezer in the Tracker acted like there was no one around, so why should he look before moving. Watching these idiots is enough to cause stress!

The guys stayed out a long time, but when they came in Fred was happy as could be. He caught a really nice fish and had a fun time bringing it in. Said it jumped several times and gave him a workout to bring it in. However, it was a wild one and had to be let go. Wilma had told him he could only catch wild ones so we don't have to clean them! Barney gets to catch the keepers, then it would be his mess to clean. We don't have a picture because they didn't have a camera out there, and Fred forgot about his phone taking pictures. Barney thought it might be 18 to 20 pounds (think two 10 pound bags of flour for size).

Betty feeding her flock

We went up to the Petie I for lunch/supper, then headed to Costco to get sun hats we had seen on Sunday but didn't get. Sure enough, they didn't have any more. Betty thinks a wholesaler bought them up. No way could they have sold that many in a couple days. (little do we know)

Old pilings at the Hammond Basin overlook

Pelicans

Before getting back to camp we stopped at the Hammond Basin viewpoint to watch for ship traffic, but there wasn't anything going on, so we headed back. Hoping for another great day tomorrow.

Addition to the list of Dummies

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

This was another do-nothing-special day, but very enjoyable.

We just cannot drag ourselves out of the campground before 9 or 10, and we need to be out at the fishing hole by 6 or 7 to have much chance at catching. So what, we have a good time anyway!

enjoying the river

After Betty fixed us some breakfast, we went in and got bait, then back out to the river. Betty and Wilma walked out after a while, and the tide was still coming in. It was a fairly high tide, and we kept having to move back out of its path. After it changed and started going out again, the lines really caught a lot of seaweed. That isn’t so much fun, so after a while the fishing ended for us. It was bright and clear out there, and Betty got sunburned on her arms and neck.

Car carrier coming in

And oh, when we were walking back in, we saw another in the class of dummies. We weren’t close enough yet to see everything, but there was a group of people just off the road tracks, and sure enough another car was stuck in the sand. We think it was maybe a Cherokee, but either was not 4wd or the driver dumb enough to not know how to drive it. Anyway, another truck had a tow rope and yanked him out. We don’t remember seeing these events in years past, and wonder why they are all here now. This one was from California.

This one was crabbing

Later on our way to Seaside we stopped to get the guys signed up for a charter trip, but didn’t have space available until next week. So we went on to Seaside to try a fish and chips place we learned about last year.  The Bowpicker in Astoria is closed on Monday and Tuesday, so it gave us a chance to try this other one.  She had a choice of fish, so between us we tried them all, cod, halibut and salmon. She also has a side of coleslaw with it, and that was excellent. Had pineapple bits in it and we all enjoyed it. The fish was good, and Barney said he likes the tartar sauce at the Bowpicker better.  We would probably all choose the Bowpicker first, but this place is a good second. Buoy something, or something Buoy, I can’t remember this name.

You can see the water line we kept dodging

We stopped to do some shopping at Ross and Fred Meyer before heading back to camp. Not a real exciting day, but we were all tired.

Dumb , Dumber, and Dumbest!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

 Sunday didn't add up to much. We lazed around and then got checked back into Fort Stevens for 5 days. They are full again for the weekend, so it might mean more Kampers West! We also did a Costco run and later sat around the campfire with marshmallows on the stick. But Monday was a full day!

Lap of luxury going by

Monday, September 8, 2014
Seems like we saw the extremes today. The first situation was dumb, and from there we went to dumber and then to dumbest. What a day.
I've already kind of described where we park when we go out to the river to fish. From the parking area it is maybe up to a half  mile out to the end of the fishing line. Most everyone has 4x4 pickups and a few SUVs, but all 4x4.  They have no problem driving out and parking off the tide line. Makes it very convenient to haul all your fishing gear out, and the vehicle can be used as shelter in foul weather. Since we don't offload the campers, we do not drive on the beach sand. We are much too heavy. Anyone without 4x4 just parks along the road like we do.  It is fairly difficult to just walk out the "driveway, lane, whatever you want to call it" - deep and very soft sand. Once you get out to the edge of the river there is a small area of more packed sand that is easier to walk on. Today the ruts in the lane seemed deeper and rougher than usual.
But I'm ahead of myself. There was a fine drizzle early this morning, and we just stayed around camp and enjoyed the down time. We ate breakfast around 10 and planned to go over to Fort Clatsop and maybe down to Seaside. By the time we finished breakfast, there was a very faint hint of some sun breaking through, so we decided to make it a fishing day. Dropped the guys off at the river and Betty and Wilma went into Warrenton for some bait, and a little more information from the locals.
Back out at the fishing hole we walked out with the bait to find the guys. They were fishing right near where a guy from Utah had gotten himself really stuck in the sand.

3 hefty jerks to pull a jerk

see how deep he was

There were people around trying to dig him out with shovels and boards for traction, but he just kept getting deeper. He did not have 4x4 and had no business driving out there. Poor sucker's wife had told him that too, so he's over a double barrel!  After quite a bit of drama, and a lot of help from those around, a local with a Toyota Tundra came up and hooked up a tow rope and literally jerked him out in three mighty heaves. He knew what he was doing, and most likely had some experience. He towed him clear out to the road, and hopefully gave the guy a full blown lecture.
As we were sitting around where the guys were fishing, the guy next to us had a beagle that was just being a beagle and really howling when he couldn't get near his owner. So I went over and befriended him. He was so sweet.

New friend

We really enjoy watching the big ship river traffic. Today it contributed to the dumber label. It was slightly foggy on the river and as a big ship came in he tooted his monster loud horn five times to alert small vessels in front of him to get out of the way. There are lots of small craft all over the river, and evidently there was someone in the ship channel. Pretty soon the ship horn sounded another three toots, then soon two more, and then one blast. Then to our surprise the big ship angled off toward shore. It seemed like he came to a dramatic slow down, facing approximately 45 degrees off the channel, then turned back into the channel. We hope the bar pilot could identify the small craft and maybe pull his license for a while.  The big ship and the bar pilot did an excellent job of avoidance. The little craft was truly dumber!

Angled off course

We stayed and fished until mid afternoon with no luck, but on the way back in another local made us feel like we shouldn't stop yet, and gave the guys some more pointers. Very interesting.
Then back at the parking area, the dumbest struck. A 35 foot motorhome towing a small car had driven out into the sand maybe 150 feet before grinding to a stuck stop. Totally unbelievable!  Truly close to idiot. He isn't 4x4 and probably weighs 3 or 4 times what our rig does, and he drove right past us and went on. I have no idea how long he has been there, but it will take a while for a big enough tow truck to get here, and then it should cost close to a small fortune!  Glad we are sane!  While I write this a tow truck has shown up, but I'm not sure he's big enough for the job. This should be a great show!  We stuck around for dinner and a show!  Made some sandwiches so we could eat while the drama played out.  The tow truck driver was very good, and made quick work of the whole deal. After getting the towed car out of the way he just hooked up a chain and pulled him out backwards. The old geezer in the motorhome should hang it up!

Disconnect this one

And out he came

Actually not moving out of the way of a zillion ton ship is probably the dumbest, but I just put them in the order of happening. It was a truly dumb day!

This fairly little guy did a big job

Back on straight course

Waves and Wakes got him slightly wet!

Rescue at Sea

Saturday, September 6, 2014

We all slept in this morning.  At around 10am Wilma fixed a breakfast of omelets and scones.    After things were cleaned up we headed for Seaside and the car show.   There were some 1300 to 1500 cars registered for the show.   As usual, we saw some really neat cars and trucks. 

  One of the custom trucks was a one ton with a Rollfast bicycle tied down of the flat bed.  There were cars from Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington and lots from Oregon.   There was even one from Alberta, Canada.    We walked around for a couple of hours looking at all the neat cars.   Lots of bucks tied up in them.   There were a couple of cars for sale for $42,000 to $48,000.    Seaside closes off several blocks of the downtown area to traffic and just has the show cars parked along the street and in a downtown parking lot.   They really go all out for the weekend.  

This little guy is real - never made a peep

We came back up and were going to the Petie I.   When we turned into the access road which is about ¼ mile long it was jammed with cars.   There were cars parked along the side of the road about half the way to the main road.  We just happened to be there at the start of the “Run to the Bar” which starts at the Petie I and goes to the south jetty of the Columbia River and back to the Petie I.  We were able to drive in and turn around without getting stuck in traffic.  

We drove out to the south jetty and went up the observation tower, took a few pictures then drove out to the overlook on the river near the Hammond boat harbor to watch 2 freighters come in.  It was getting to be almost dark and we saw a small Coastguard boat, with a 5 man crew, towing in a

fishing boat with 3 fishermen in it.  

Rescued

We headed back to Kampers West and settled in for the night.