Guess Where We Are?

Did I hear someone say Pendleton, Oregon?   Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!!! 

Yup we are still in Pendleton but that is not altogether a bad thing.  We did get the Fit back and we drove it into town and everything seems to be working just fine.  They were late getting it back as the tire pressure monitor came on when the fella was about halfway here.  He turned around and went back to the dealer.  Turns out it was only a reset issue but it made it past 11a.m. by the time he got here.  They had called to let us know of the delay and when we added that into the bad weather equation, the sum total of our thinking said…just stay put another day and don’t try and force things.

Overall I am happy with the service at Gilbert Honda and would not hesitate to recommend them.  I am not as happy with the insurance adjuster but I suppose we all have our horror stories and our triumphs with insurance companies.  They are all pretty much alike but I will check rates when we get home and compare.  Since this was all handled by a call center anyway, I really don’t see a reason to pay more to have a local agent.  We’ll see on that one.  Our total bill was a bit over $1600.  A big chunk but less than $7000+ at least.  Amazing how your perspective can make $1600 seem like a bargain!!

Plus we had another little issue!  The awning wouldn’t retract all the way.  Russ took it down in a hurry yesterday when the wind came up and got it in closed position but it wouldn’t lock.  He worked and worked with it today and no luck.  We had decided to just secure it with Velcro straps but unrolled it for one last inspection.  There in the way of the center closure was the support arm, not fully collapsed into its smallest extension.  It was too near the center and was blocking the closure.  Push that little bugger back where it belonged and the awning operated perfectly…but with our luck, I still insisted on the Velcro straps!!  Can anyone say “operator error?”

So before we put Pendleton behind us, here are just a few more pictures of the area.

This picture was taken the day after we arrived.  Notice the tree.

This picture was taken today.  Notice the difference in the tree!!  We’ve been here HOW long??

We saw this amazing play structure at a local park.  This thing was HUGE.  What kid would not want to climb all over this?  Heck, I might want to climb all over it.

A different park.  For a small town, Pendleton has more parks and green spaces than you would imagine.

  This is what Pendleton is famous for.  World class rodeo is held here every fall.  I hear it’s a pretty big deal.

Local wildlife.

And that, my friends, is that.  I certainly hope this is my last post on Pendleton.  Unless we wake up to gale force winds, hail the size of golf balls, and 10 flat tires, we’ll be moving along tomorrow. 

Ya Learn Something New Everyday

There is a never ending supply of things to learn as we embrace the RV lifestyle…and we learned two important ones today. 

First, we learned a lesson in social interaction.  We were sorely lacking in a certain social skill.  Although we had read blogs about this particular activity, and had even purchased the correct set of tools to participate, we just couldn’t seem to master the task.  But all that changed today, for today Kate and Terry taught us how to play Mexican Train!  We had a great time learning although I have to say, I think Terry could have shown us a little more mercy.  I tell ya folks, Terry stays right on track and allows nothing to derail him.  What a kick.

The second thing we learned was probably more important but not as much fun.  We came to California to enjoy some sunshine and for several days  that is exactly what we have been doing.  However today we experienced what the weatherman down here called “showers.”  Honey, let me tell you, I am from Oregon and I know the difference between rain and showers and this was R-A-I-N.  Wet, drippy, pouring, RAIN! 

So what did we learn from this???  We learned that the awning needs to have a VERY steep angle to drain the water - not just a slight downturn on one corner.  At breakfast Russ looked out the window and said he needed to check the awning after he ate as it looked a little saggy.  Before he could take his first bite, we heard a loud crack and the awning now had an extremely steep angle on one side.  The end support pole had given way and was bent at a 90° angle.  That dropped the center enough so that Russ could barely get out the door to put the awning away.  He finally got it all put away – well, almost.  The awning enclosure is sprung just enough so that it is not fully locked in the closed position.  Kate and Terry offered some strong Velcro that sticks to itself and can be wrapped around the closed awning to hold it in place.

I guess as long as we are in California we will have to visit the factory and see if we can have it repaired.  We have had RVs before and have deployed awnings in “showers”.  But this turned out to be a little more than a shower and we should have paid closer attention to the angle.  Oh well, live and learn…and at least we did get to learn Mexican Train!

We were so busy today that I forgot to take any pictures.  And so here are a couple of Mt. Shasta that I took as we were headed south on I-5 on Sunday.





Goodnight all and happy travels.