'NECESSARY STUFF' DAY

May 30th: We are still working on getting everything d.o.n.e. before leaving the PNW in a few weeks; for the time being, we have to work around everyone else's schedule before we can effectively kiss 'everyone else's schedules' goodbye.

This morning, we drove into Rainier to get our new phones synced with the funky GPS system they put in a few months ago: I hope the phone syncing goes better than the GPS system, system.

Both new phones have been synced to the GPS System.

Getting long-term business underway …

We grabbed a quick chick-fil-A order from the food wagon parked in the parking lot (a first for both of us; spendy, but tasty). Then it was a trip over the Lewis & Clark Bridge, to see what we could get done in Longview. There was a lot of running here and there .. and a lot of spreading the green around … we came home tired and poorer. But, also a lot closer to "getting 'er done".

Fossil fuel is GOOD for business; D.C. fossils are bad business; Lemmon's billboard on Industrial Way, Longview-WA.

Weird little car (looks like an airplane on wheels) down by Lemmon's on Industrial Way; Holland says it's a Studebaker 1952.

As we drove up to our RV Home, we saw a big box propped up against the front steps:

Holland's TV was waiting for him when we got back home.

Two more boxes were also subsequently dropped off, while we were putting Longview's {necessary} purchases away …

2 more boxes were dropped off; 1 was very looong; and HEAVY.

The Running Boards have arrived - YAY!; hopefully, they will be put on the same day the windows are tinted darker.

Adjustable RV water pressure Regulator-'Y' Drain Pipe-Tire Pressure Monitor System

Holland's eyebrows went up when I dumped the contents of a smaller bag out - and I said, "these are necessities, too, if you want my hair to grow out." He said, "You could wear a bandana, I have plenty of those."

Hair stuff.

You know, I could wear a bandana ;-)

I think I'll get a pair of tinted lens retro 1970's Janis Joplin eyewear when I go into Longview for my June 12th eye appointment; those will go with the stash of Holland's colorful bandana's.

I like it when he wears his bandanas … and if he likes the idea of me wearing one of them, I'll give it a whirl with girl flair ;-)

We are both learning to bend.

Janis Joplin

Knotted Bandana's

I can revert back to my hippie-background-roots - people will be amazed by Holland's 'ole lady': including Holland.

Hahaha ;-)

MEAN MOOD DAY

May 28th: Holland woke up in a mood, this morning.

His shoulder hurts - and he's trying to wean himself off Vicodin (and I support this decision).

We were supposed to meet one of his friends in town - so, I started getting ready. And Holland started doing his "thing" (heavy metal music load enough to wake the dead … and depressing as hell, which is what the lyrics scream). I listened for about an hour; shutting my ears to as much of the nonsense as I could. When I couldn't take anymore of the snarling, growling, and 'let the beast loose' lyrics, I asked Holland, "I love you Holland, but could you give me a break from metellica? I hate metallica - always have. You've been playing this same album for a month. How about something uplifting for a change?" I asked it nicely: he copped an attitude. He says, "Okay. I won't listen to YouTube anymore." I say, "It's not about YouTube, Holland. It's about 'letting the beast loose' at top volume."

His {mood} started building Friday morning with the motor revving before we drove to Astoria; he's in pain … and he's cutting back on his pain meds: I get it. But I also get that his angst is misguided: his main focus needs alignment, and his attitude needs a major adjustment.

Normally I do not tolerate an AH attitude from anyone - and most especially from men in general. But this particular man is my husband; AH, or not. We live in an RV and are in each others company, constantly. Private space is limited.

I can see that he's gearing up for verbal sparring.

I don't want to play this immature game.

So, I tamp my attitude down, grab Bleu's leash - snap it on his collar; and say, "I'm going for a walk. Hopefully, when we get back, the beast will be reined in, and you'll be in a better mood."

 

There are rabbits of every shade & hue here … every day you see a different one; I believe Joanne said her last count was 150!

Exploring the looping back Trail; upper section of RV Park.

Bleu gave me a workout.

Snail; Bleu nosed it for a bit, before moving on.

Ducks; in Anglo-Nubian Goat enclosure.

Queen Anne's Lace wildflower - gets taller than me; 5'2.

As soon as Bleu and I walk through the door, he immediately fires his laptop up and puts John Hagee on, and snidely says, "Is this better?"

Apparently he is still in a mean mood.

I felt like I was reliving the teen years with my kids.

Normally, Holland listens to John Hagee without the attitude: he likes John Hagee. But today, he is hurting … and he is in a mood.

A quarrelsome mood.

I refuse to engage. That makes him more surly.

TIME OUT.

I don't want to argue with him about anything. It's Sunday - today, I am not going to verbally spar with anyone; about anything. especially about metallica!

I know he is hurting, but I just want a peaceful day.

So, I decided to have a peaceful day: I put Bleu in his kennel … and went for a walk.

I haven't enjoyed a walk in nature in a long time; it was due.

I like walking.

I like enjoying scenery while I walk.

Today we need a 'time out' from each other.

Crossing the RV Park Bridge.

This is a very nice RV Park.

I like the sound of country life …

Evergreen Bugloss; not a native flower - invasive species from Europe.

Hmm; which way to go … I chose 'Alder Grove'.

Nice little country walk.

Calming my thoughts & refreshing my soul …

I asked a guy if this was a dead-end street; he said this road will drop into 'old Swedetown, by the river'.

3 full-size horses, and 2 Shetland ponies.

A matted-hair Llama.

Foxgloves.

An hour into the walk, I turned back; I'll tackle the whole walk another day. I was almost to the gravel, I found out later ;-)

Seen on the uphill … my legs were getting a workout, today ;-)

A black goat is now standing where the Llama was … and the matted-hair Llama is lying down with goats; there is bare ground everywhere - what are they eating?

Little pink, wild roses.

Joanne has different goats on the Park Entrance section of the RV Park; Anglo-Nubian Goats are in the Park, itself.

When I got back to the house two hours later, Holland was in a conciliatory mood. I had left my phone at home (a deliberate move to avoid more arguing); and I left without my inhaler (I haven't needed it, so I didn't think about grabbing it); he was worried when he eventually noticed that I had left without either. He drove into town, thinking I had walked that way, and was seriously worried when he didn't see me anywhere along the way. By the time he got back - and I walked through the front door - he had had a major mood adjustment ;-)

The day was back on track (((THANK YOU LORD!))) - though the meet-up with his friend was postponed while I had gone walking.

We love each other; we will work through the hard times, and pray relief from the shoulder pain Holland is experiencing as he goes about getting off Vicodin.

We are committed to each other, regardless of {mood days}.

We are getting a crash course in "learning to bend"; this is a new experience for Holland … and an uncomfortable exercise for me. But we are both willing - and it is necessary in building our New Life, together.

We also love the atmosphere here so much, we are going to make this RV Site our {home base} when we come back up here, every 6 months - March & September - for Holland's Disability Doctor appointments. We've already discussed this with the property owner, and she has agreed 🙂

The RV Park rooster making his rounds. LOL

TINA TURNER DEAD

May 27th: Holland was drinking his morning coffee - and I was dinking around with the internet … when my husband said, "Huh. Tina Turner died."

My heart stopped for a minute.

Another Chapter of my old life closed.

I grew up with Tina Turner; not as face-to-face friends, but as friends just the same. Her music was always on the radio - her performances were always on TV - her legs were legendary, her energy was engaging - she aged gracefully.

I loved Tina, even though our faiths were not at all compatible.

R.I.P. Tina: you are missed.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tina-turner-dead-obit-192002/

ASTORIA-WARRENTON-LONGVIEW~Getting Things Done

May 25th: This morning, we finally got the paperwork needed to get the truck & RV tagged; Holland has been worrying about that. And, the bike rack, and extra electric cord needed for the generator arrived by UPS this evening (the generator is waiting for us at Warrenton's Home Depot Store) :-)

Currently, we are still working on clearing out the Longview Storage Unit (I do NOT want to pay another month's rent!), settling accounts from our previous home (bills due from that address), and making time to keep our Wednesday {Our Time} dates to keep our relationship from skidding off track: we are still newlyweds; married only 4-1/2 months, this month 🥰

May 26th: Instead of driving to the St. Helens DMV and dealing with the harpy there, we drove to Astoria to get the 4x & RV tagged so they are street legal.

Revving motors do not make me hurry.

Brad Paisley - 'Waitin' On A Woman' song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-C-IbkuNWs)

Holland had done work in Astoria, and he pointed out various buildings he and his brothers had contracted to work on - a few buildings I was not familiar with … but I had been in the Maritime Museum many, many times - and the interior work is top-notch. I was impressed.

Holland did the interior of this building - he also did the Aquatic Center.

It took us half a hour to find the DMV (the streets do not follow in Astoria - 7th Street picked up again, on the backside of the OUTSKIRTS of Astoria) … where we were told we would have to pay excise tax on the RV - and of course, the DMV does not have that paperwork; we have to go online to get it, THEN take it back to the DMV to get the RV tagged: so, we will have been taxed TWICE for the RV (once in WV - and now, in OR) :-(

We did get our OR Driver's License, though: for another whopping $120.

All this "saving $$$$" is costing us an awful LOT of moolah!

Then, we drove to Warrenton, to get the Generator; Holland will need helps to get that thing in place: it's is very h.e.a.v.y.

We at  lunch at DQ, drove over the Astoria-Megler Bridge; and enjoyed a leisurely drive back home, via Ocean Beach Highway, "because you haven't had a long drive out-of-house, in a while Baby." This long loop drive is a concession - Holland is in pain with intense shoulder pain, and he told me this morning that he has decided to wean himself off his pain killing meds, so he does not have to be a slave to it. This choice is also a concession move - he is looking into a natural alternative to Vicodin - he's tried alternative substitutes and they just made him violently sick. I don't think there is a natural alternative: I'm pretty sure a healing from Yeshua will be his only alternative.

Bob was using Vicodin for severe back pain, when we started dating in 1974: I am familiar with the process.

NO! I do not want to stop at the top, Holland … Astoria-Megler Bridge.

Elohim keeps giving me water-lover husbands.

A sandbar showing …

TOUCHDOWN.

And we stopped by the Longview Storage Unit, to load up the back end of the truck.

It was the last load - YIPPIE!

I got every boxed thing we brought home this afternoon, put away :-)

'The Taxman' is a greedy machine.

Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble - 'Taxman' song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raDcViumSEk)

Unpacking; and settling in.

Finally getting my bathroom set up again … and that hefty latch hook should keep the cabinet securely closed while we are traveling.

Under sink storage - carefully and tightly crammed; nothing should shift when we are in motion ;-)

WE GOT CONTACT!

May 24th: Yesterday, we got our own WiFi internet connect.

We also got a new coffee pot - I am a happy camper, this morning :-)

Full-time-WIFI; (((YAY)))!!!

Bleu woke me up at the crack of dawn this morning; then came back inside and promptly laid in front of the bedroom door through 2 cups of coffee … jumping to his feet, and quivering with excitement when Holland finally woke up.

Waiting for Daddy to wake up.

I enjoyed a third cup of joy juice while Holland finished off two: then, we were off to find a hardware store for a cabinet lock - we'd brought two home with us from Home Depot the other day while we were Longview, but they wouldn't work ;-(

I'm wondering how long it will take …

When Holland came out of the store with a lock in handwith a lock and said, "I think you'll like this, Baby." I said, "It's perfect. A road jolt won't cause that latch to slip." It is perfect, & it's what I asked for: our RV home décor is farmhouse, complete with sliding farmhouse doors - this latch fits this country girl's lifestyle :-)

On our way home, we checked out the small county Park; and dropped off the cardboard boxes I'd emptied last night setting up our home.

When we got home, I took Bleu for a walk. Joanne (the RV Park Owner) had told us about her goats - and I'd promised Bleu a walk (to burn off puppy energy) … a walk past the goat pen would do the trick ;-)

Seeing the goats made me think of a cartoon a friend has posted on her FB Page. I was laughing as we walked back to our parked RV.

Hayfield.

The 'trail' was a wide cut swath from the mower. But it was a nice, lazy walk.

Bleu LOVES the creek.

He didn't know what to make of the goat pen.

Anglo-Nubian Goats; Brown in forefront - Black in background; all the kids are brown.

This is a working Farm-RV Park.

While Bleu and I were walking about outside, Holland had put the lock on my bath cabinet - and I LIKE IT :-)

Holland would have preferred something a little more upscale, but this RV is our home, not a magazine photo layout; and when we are on the move again, I will feel confident that this latch will hold the cabinet closed: I assured Holland again that "I LIKE IT."

This lock will STAY LOCKED. Thank you, Husband.

Later, I checked my FB Page, and saw this info about ticks and pets. I didn't know this; but I'm glad to know it, now.

I will be checking Bleu more thoroughly from now on.

ICK! Thanks Crystal for the noteworthy post about ticks and pets.