Tuesday, July 22, 2008

More At Howard Prairie Resort

Well, so far it has been an enjoyable and busy summer. The ice went away, the skies are blue, pelicans are gathering and the fishing is good! Business at the restaurant has picked up quite a bit which helps the time pass. Though I'm enjoying waiting on people I can't say that I would want to do this again. I won't say never because then fate is sure to prove me wrong, but it isn't my favorite job. We'll see how I feel at the end of the summer. The people that I'm working with are great! Really, if they weren't I wouldn't still be here I'm sure.

Jim is enjoying the marina, why wouldn't he, he gets to grill the guests on their fishing for the day....you know, where did they catch them, what did they use, etc., etc., etc. He takes one of the boats out quite regularly and once in awhile I go with him. Today we took both the dogs in a Prairie Bell out to the "Cheese Hole", dropped anchor and fished. Within about 2 hours we had 4 decent trout for dinner and back we came. River does not like to ride in anything with a motor but once we dropped anchor he did actually lay down and sun himself. Harley on the other hand loves the boat and fishing!!! As soon as Jim hooks something Harley is right there whining his encouragement and then he guards the fish once they're in the bucket. Too funny!

We've tried bbq'ing them but we still prefer them rolled in flour and fried in a hot skillet. Yum!!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Howard Prairie Lake Resort

We arrived here in southern Oregon at the Howard Prairie Resort on March 15th, 2008.
Lots of snow where we are temporarily located....lots of snow but beautiful!
This is the lake under ice and snow!

Jim will be working on the marina, something he has wanted to do since we started fulltiming and I will be serving in the cafe which is something I wasn't sure I could do but so far so good.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

It's been too long!

It's been way too long since I last updated my blog! I guess I'm not the best blogger, I know it's supposed to be more like a daily diary but I'm just not very reliable in that respect, I tend to "catch up" it seems. Anyway, here is what we have been up to since the last post.

We left Anaheim to go to Escondido to work at a Christmas tree lot. I knew that it would be work but we had no idea, none, not at all! It was a huge lot, run by very nice people and our lot was managed by Danny, who is a super guy! He worked non-stop but made the whole process as fun as possible.


We worked 12 hour days, 7 days a week. I took care of the front desk girls and Jim worked with Danny out on the lot, setting up trees, carrying them to the cars, delivering, unloading trucks, etc. Very hard work, don't let anyone tell you different, unless of course, all you have to do is sit at the desk and delegate.
One benefit was that we both lost some weight, never a bad thing. The money was paid in two payments and was nice to get in a lump sum like that but when we did the math it turned out to be minimum wage. I doubt we'd do it again, but I won't say never.

After the tree lot we left the motorhome and drove the van up to central Oregon to spend Christmas with our two oldest sons and their families. Jim's mother passed away Christmas Eve in Vancouver, WA so we stayed longer to attend her funeral and see Jims siblings that are spread out. Seeing everyone is the only pleasant part of a funeral like this. Fern was the best mother-in-law and she adored her kids and grandkids. Though she will be missed, she herself was ready to go to a better place.


We left Oregon on 1/2 to go back down to Escondido to get the motorhome and go to Yuma, AZ. We met some friends, Dale and Melody, who had also sold Christmas trees in Yuma and they took us to Algodones, Mexico for the first time. Jim went to Melody's dentist there, had tooth pulled, a crown and got a partial plate, all for the price of $720! Nice little town, great shopping and the best shrimp tacos!

In mid January we came back to the Anaheim RV Village. I am working for site and Jim got a drafting job just 15 mins away making very good money through a temp shop. We will stay here until a business that we are starting with my sister and brother-in-law gets off the ground, more on that later.

So, now we are caught up. I don't promise to write everyday but I will try to write more often. I'll also add some pictures.