SHABBAT GRATITUDE~RV Tagged & Long Drive Home

We were up at the crack of dawn; drinking coffee and noshing about this and that, as we shook the cobwebs and felt our bodies waking up and alerting to the excitement of finally being able to get the RV licensed and tagged.

We want to be enjoying the open road by the end of the month :-)

As we were passing through Clatskanie, my phone notified me of an incoming message: I did a double-take … my youngest sister. Hmmm.

Carla's 10 AM text.

It was good to be sharing convo with her … and know that she cares - and is interested in what I am doing. Holland was glad to see that at least one member of my family is reaching out to me: we don't talk that often; our life goals, and lifestyles, are so different.

But Carla is at least trying. It was a good start to this dawning Shabbat.

I am grateful.

We reached the Astoria DMV, and Holland went inside to get the transaction completed while I opted to stay in the 4x Beast with Bleu (we can't roll the windows down yet, until the shading film completely dries: Monday). He wasn't inside very long before he came back out to the truck and said, "We still can't get tagged." I just looked at him, speechless for a moment, before I said, "Why? We've jumped through all the hoops - what could they possibly be bitching about, now?" He said, "They said we couldn't get licensed because of this guy's name on the Title (he sowed me the name of the fella that sold us the RV), and that we need to contact him and have him sign a power of attorney waiver … and we need an odometer reading."

I counted to 10. Then I said, "This is utter bullshit. These people do not know what they are doing - or what they are talking about. We do not need a 'power of attorney';  - we do not need 'an odometer reading': we OWN the RV, and it WAS Licensed BY OREGON last week - it is AN RV … not a freaking car, or truck. I'm going inside, and they are going to stop this nonsense."

My eyes were shooting fire.

Holland said, "It won't do any good Baby; they won't listen to you. We'll just have to get ahold of the people in West Virginia that we bought the 5th Wheel from, and get a license plate from them - then get it tagged that way."

I said, "No - this run-around, is ridiculous. I am going inside here … and they are going to license and tag us here." Then, I looked up a the sky, and said, "God help me, because I am about to shake some teeth loose. Go before me and prepare a way of peace because I have fire in my eyes, and a storm brewing to set it loose. I am tired of all this jerking around nonsense. We've jumped through all the loops, and one way, or another, we are going home today with a license plate, and tags!"

I called Tina at PKB RV's in West Virginia and asked her a few questions that may help us with the Oregon process - she was as confused as us, but said she'd do what she could do to help us. She would call the Astoria DMV personally and walk them through the process they obviously are clueless about: the RV Dealer's Name was not the issue, the people working at Astoria's DMV were.

I gave the process between there and here about 20 minutes before opening the truck door. Holland said, "I'll go with you; a little while Bleu will be okay for." I'm sure he was thinking the fire sparking in my eyes would set the place on fire ;-)

We had a 30 minute wait before our number was called.

And Elohim was faithful - He prepared the way, and I did not have to unleash the fiery storm. The process was finally completed (our documents were accepted, & acknowledged paperwork was filed/stamped), and we left with license plate and tags ;-) 

I marched into that DMV Office with a storm brewing in my determined eyes …

My Guardian Angel's mindset. LOL

We were going to be coming home licensed & TAGGED, come Hell or high water; I pulled up the {needed} document and showed it to the clueless woman.

Cages were rattled from both ends (West Virginia; and me standing in front of her with eyes aflame)… and the deed was D.O.N.E. - with NO MORE nonsense.

We ate lunch at Astoria's DQ, down the road from the DMV; backtracked to the Astoria Column … then drove the long way home, over the back road that would drop us in Clatskanie - behind the Safeway Store.

This was a gift to me: love in action.

Holland had not seen the Astor Column - so we backtracked to it.

Astoria Column-OR: (1 Coxcomb Dr, Astoria, OR 97103; https://astoriacolumn.org/)

Located in Astoria, Oregon, the 125-foot-tall Astoria Column serves as a monument to the history Pacific Northwest. The idea for the column first came about in 1898 when the city thought to build an electrified tower that would rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The column overlooks Astoria, and the Columbia River. Its observation platform offers a panoramic view for the many visitors who climb the 164 steps of its winding staircase.

Overlooking the Astoria-Megler Bridge, Astoria, ect.

Saddle Mountain, in the distance.

Saddle Mountain-OR:

(https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=140)

I had warned Holland beforehand that the road was 'very snaky in places', and he was game to drive it.

I pointed out various elk sighting places; Fish Hawk Falls, I like to visit once a year; and places I normally pull over to explore along the route.

I like country backroads; I like enjoying those scenic rides with my husband. But towards the end of that long winding road, he was looking a bit green around the gills, due to the medication he takes. I pointed out the speed limit sign and said, "We're almost off this road - you should see Safeway Store around that next corner." He said, "Praise the Lord". And I burst out laughing because the relief in his tone as so obvious.

Holland is a good husband to me. Every day, I am grateful.

He is a good man~he is a good husband for me :-)

I am highly favored, and greatly blessed.

I am grateful.

As the sun begins to set, we are grateful to embrace the Shabbat Rest.

THAT STILL SMALL VOICE

My house will be thankful for today’s ‘still small voice prompt’ … for a while, I’ll be staying in it longer than the 2 hours before and during leaving/parking in the carport – plus the 8 hours of sleep I use it for.

Since Bob stepped off Earth, I’ve been gone as often as I can … and still justify paying the monthly Lot charge.

I’m hardy ever home anymore.

I come home just long enough to kick my shoes off, yank my bra off and throw it across the room, and flop into bed at night.

While eating breakfast this morning, I just happened to glance at the light hanging over the table … and saw it had cobwebs woven all around the bottom of it: they gotta go. Even if I am currently a hausfrau slacker, I can’t allow nomadic spiders to feel comfortable enough to make my home their home. I don’t have anything against spiders, per se (they have their place in the order of life on Earth); but they belong outside in the elements – they cannot freeload in my personal space.

But, the shrouding spiderwebs did not get disturbed this morning: they got a glance before I finished breakfast and scooted out the front door 😉

First, I bought a new garden hose … then I decided it would be cooler at the beach: with the ocean breeze kicking up, and whisking over Longbeach.

A 'still small voice' beckoned - and I heeded the call.

Longbeach from Heron Pointe.1 hr. - 28 mins.

The seatbelt pressing on my lobster-red sunburned shoulders (that I scorched walking the PIGS sales, Friday), was really hurtful.

PIGS (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2021/06/pigs-puget-island-garage-sales.html)

But I just kept rearranging the annoying thing … and cursing State Laws that interfere with free choice, and fill county and state coffers for overreaching power grabbers. I grew up in the era where seatbelts were optional – obviously I survived the freedoms of that era; and I seriously resent “what if” and “let’s fine the hell out of drivers” paranoias that plague society now.

Nearing Dismal Nitch.

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGEKW-e_Ge8)

Saddle Mountain, in Oregon.

( https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=140)

Passing through Chinook.

The air was refreshing and a lot cooler, the closer I got to Longbeach.

Before I entered downtown Longbeach, I saw the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge sign and turned towards the direction of the pointing arrow: this destination is in my Ambitions Jar, and had not yet been plucked out for a daytrip adventure … but I was here; and so was it 😉

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge; South Bay Unit.

( https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Willapa/map.html)

Gravel road.

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97rl54JOEoc)

All access points were gated – very disappointing.

I couldn’t access the refuge advantage points … but I did see some pretty wildflowers before leaving the area. I don’t know if I’ll venture back: I’m really getting sick and tired of the governmental covid restrictions bullshit – I mean, this is an outside thing. There is absolutely no risk of {catching covid} in sweltering/blistering/full-on-sun, 100+-degree-weather, for God’s sake!

Purple Lupine & unknown leafless flower.

Pretty bicolored flowers just rising out of the sand without leaves - like swaging eels in the sandy ocean bottom.

Not listed in any of my Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest books ... pretty, but strangely weird.

Leaving the dust of the inaccessible refuge behind, I drove to downtown Longbeach, where I walked the entire length of Main Street (maybe 30 minutes, tops – from start to finish), and came home with a few things I bought at three stores along my stroll 😉

I bought a cute, gauzy, sea-green top here.

I bought a medium-size Wind Spinner here.

The dazzling spinners caught my eye, so I had to have one; I’ll hang it as soon as I figure out where to hang it for max effect.

I bought a nice yellow pullover rain slicker, too; I know it’s summer, but I’ve been looking high and low for a rain slicker locally – with no luck. I knew I’d find one in Longbeach … and I snapped it up when I did 😉

Around 2:30 PM, I decided to turn the car towards home – I’d been kicking around Longbeach for an hour and a half; that was long enough to be surrounded, and pressed on all sides, by milling crowds of people. I’d enjoyed the cooler atmosphere of ocean breezes: and spent $$$ I had not planned to spend – not enough to keep my wings clipped and housebound the rest of the month … but enough to keep me closer to home turf when I do decide to get out of the house during the upcoming weeks.

Heading back home over the stretch between Dismal Nitch and Naselle, the blistering sunrays had beat down mercilessly on the blacktop highway; and the tar in the cheap, crappy, chip seal job the country laid, was melting to near water stage – causing the chipped gravel was literally lifting off the road (leaving ugly holes in the roadway that looked like exploding sunspot minefields) and loudly thumping and bumping along the undercarriage of the car (and no doubt sticking in lumpy globs) … and mentally, I could see Bob wincing. He hated driving through wet tar because it messes up the vehicles.

Dismal Nitch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dismal_Nitch

Listening to the flinging and zinging lumpy tar/gravel thumps, I wished I had driven back around the Bay, on 101, instead of returning on 401.

Longbeach Peninsula.

As I made Naselle, and was going into Johnson’s 1 Stop, I was stopped by Niki, as she was exiting. We hugged and chatted for about 10 minutes, and then she said, “Stop by the house before you go home today – it’s nice and cold with the AC humming along.” I said, “I’m heading to Eden Valley for a couple minutes after I leave here.” And she said, “I’ll be looking for you to drive up afterwards.”

So, that’s what happened: we had a nice, long, 2-hour visit in her comfy air-conditioned home 😊

And we’ve made concrete plans to stop at each other’s houses every time either of us passes through the other’s ‘neck of the woods’ (her place is literal country-country; mine is end-of-city-urban).

I am glad I listened to that still small voice that whispered to my inner being earlier today 😉

Which means … I’ve got to slow down long enough to stay home and get serious about applying elbow grease to housecleaning endeavors: and evict the freeloading spiders as I knock down those shrouding spiderwebs and thanking Elohim profusely for being faithful to answer prayers: we have both been asking God for a sister of the heart to kick around with 😊

It will be fun and enjoyable to have life in this empty house again

I am thankful. 

I am blessed.

I am going to get busy getting this house ready for entertaining.

Gaining ground towards home, I was driving past the Duck Inn, in Skamokawa; when I glanced towards it, debating whether to stop in for a quick bite, or continue home to eat a calorie-counting home cooked supper … and happened to see, in the side mirror, a speeding up vehicle with flashing red and blues coming up on me. And I looked at the dash and saw I was only doing 5 miles over the speed limit; I copped a badass attitude, with a badass expletive, and slowed down to pull over and get my ass chewed on by the speed meter patrol.

But, he sped right by me: lights still flashing a blinking tempo matching the sparkling sunshine grazing off the windshield.

Then my badass outlook morphed into heart-felt sympathy for whoever was at the end of the shimmering flash and dash when he reached his destination.

Since becoming a widow 30 months ago, my senses are more sharply aware now. Where I have always been compassionate towards survivors, I’m more empathetic, now: feelings deepen when one’s own life has been touched by tragedy.

Intermediately – for the next 8 minutes, I saw the flashing lights in the distance ahead of me: but lost sight of them as I neared the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge. By the time I crossed the bridge there, he had either turned off the Elochoman Road … or barreled into Cathlamet. He was off radar. And I didn’t see any flashing lights anywhere along the route from Cathlamet to Longview.

But, I did see four more police vehicles pass me on that short stretch of highway just before Longview: one lit up, and three more following like ducklings swimming in line with mama. The SUV cops were busy today.

I parked in the carport at home around 6 PM, and ate a reasonably good supper (fats, spices, and sugars add flavor and zip): I have seriously cut back on all three to seriously pare off the weight my small framed aging body is loudly complaining about. I am determined to shut those complaints down … but MAN! … I miss those fats, spices, and sugars 😉

I also finished one novel, and started another as I prepared to while away the nightie hours immersed in a quick paced storyline 😊