On Thanksgiving Eve I am very thankful.....

 8:10 am - Wednesday - November 25th - Seal Rock, OR - 46° F, 87% humidity, wind 8 mph out of the west by southwest......cloudy, raining.....rain is forecast for the rest of today with a high of 50° F.  We have reached the Eve of Thanksgiving one more time.  Where has the time gone?  It seems we just arrived here at Seal Rock a couple of weeks ago, but is has been over 70 days since September 15th.  As I have often remarked to friends  as you enter you 8th decade of life time goes fast whether, or not your are having fun.  I, like most people, prefer the 'having fun' option, and it has been nothing but fun since we arrived here in Seal Rock for our 6 month stint on the Oregon Coast.

So, on this Thanksgiving Eve day in the 8th month of the Wuhan Flu, for what am I thankful?  I am thankful we were blessed this year to spend the month of February boondocking outside of Borrego Springs, CA in the Anza Borrego Desert....one of our all time favorite boondocking sites......

......I am thankful for the two months we spent with very good friends Tom and Darlene on their property in Wittmann, AZ while we figured out what was going on with the Wuhan Flu.....

Helping Tom and Darlene install a sign post

.....for the second year in succession we were unable to travel to Alaska....this time because of the Wuhan Flu, however, that opened up other travel opportunities, and time spent helping Glenn and Laureen with their 1984 Newell Classic, and traveling with them.......

Shared many meals with Glenn and Laureen

...and worked endless hours on their 1984 Newell Classic

.....Glenn and Laureen arrived in Wittmann the second week in April, and during the next 3 weeks we installed their solar system, replaced all of their airbags, replaced all of their batteries, fixed numerous electrical issues, removed their defunct alternator, got it rebuilt, and reinstalled it.  There were many, many other things on which we worked.  Finally, as the Arizona temperatures were edging past triple digits we hauled our collective anchors and headed first for Flagstaff where it was in the 70's and 80's at 7,000+ feet elevation.

We spent the next 4, or 5 weeks traveling with Glenn and Laureen spending time in Page, AZ, then Goosenecks State Park where we boondocked for 5 days.  From there we headed to Bluff, UT and visited the just reopened Natural Bridges National Monument, and other local attractions. Then it was on to Durango, CO for a few days, then north on the Million Dollar Highway to Ridgeway, CO where we made day trips to Telluride,  Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the Tetons, Henry's Lake, Meeker, CO, Dinosaur National Monument, etc., finally bidding them adieu near West Yellowstone......

Flagstaff, AZ

Elks Lodge - Page, AZ

Horseshoe Bend near Page, AZ

Glenn Canyon Dam near Page, AZ

Goosenecks State Park

Shared many meals with Glenn and Laureen....here we are at Goosenecks State Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Downtown Telluride, CO...we found a place to eat lunch

Rode the Hiawatha Trail on our eBikes

Hooked up with George and Brenda (college friends) at Priest Lake, ID

Went to see the grave marker at my mother' s grave in Spokane, WA

Spent time with my sister Hilary, and husband Bob at Deer Lodge, MT

There were many micro breweries along the way, and I mean 

there were a lot (near Kalispell, MT)!!

Spent a few days at Lake Frances  near Valier, MT with Claude and Gail

Spent a few days in Harolowton, WY at the fairgrounds with Claude and Gail

Dinner at another Micro Brewery in Spearfish, SD with Claude and Gail

....we spent several weeks traveling with Claude and Gail to Driggs, ID where we boondocked on the shores of the Teton River, then on the shores of Henry's Lake at a free county campground, Devil's Tower, WY, Keystone, SD, Spearfish, SD, Harlowton, WY, Lake Frances and other places......

Two weeks in Keystone, SD near Mt. Rushmore

Watched fireworks over Mt. Rushmore

Riding our eBikes with Rich and Marnie

Eating out in Keystone, SD with Rich and Marnie

With a view of Mt. Rushmore

Hiking with Rich and Marnie

Visited Devil's tower with Claude and Gail

Telluride, CO

Elks Lodge in Grand Junction, CO

Finally eating at a restaurant in Grand Junction, CO

On the shores of the White River in Meeker, CO

Dinner with long time friends Lisa and John, and one of their daughters in Meeker, CO

Hiking around Devil's Tower

Fireworks on 4th of July in Keystone, SD

Elks Lodge, Coeur d'Alene, ID

Hooked up with our good buddy Art in Yellowstone and did some hiking

Sightseeing in Yellowstone with Claude and Gail

Dry camping on the Yellowstone River with Claude and Gail, and soaking in the Yellowstone Hot Springs

Got to hook up for lunch with 'Dodge' (Kristen Dodge) in Gardiner, MT

Camped on the shores of  Henry's Lake, ID with Claude and Gail (free)

Boondocking on the shores of the Teton River near Driggs, ID with Glenn, Laureen, Claude and Gail

Three vintage coaches....1984 Bluebird Wanderlodge, 1984 Newell and 1982 Newell

Claude's 1984 Bluebird Wanderlodge

....with a view of the Tetons

Lunch in Dinosaur National Monument

Spent 3 weeks new Coupeville, WA on Whidbey Island with long, long time friends Bob and Karen on their property overlooking Admiralty Way, and Oak Harbor

I flew our drone a couple of times over our Coupeville location

While we were there I refinished their deck

We celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary at our favorite Oak Harbor eatery

I also trimmed the weeds from both sides of their 150 yard long driveway, and then pressure washed it

We shared many meals with Bob and Karen, and took walks around Harrington Lagoon several times a week

......we parted ways with Claude and Gail in Kalispell, MT on July 20th, and were on our own for a couple of weeks before heading to Deer Lodge, MT to hook up with my sister Hilary, and her husband Bob at their vacation home, then it was on to Couer d'Alene, ID for days before heading up to Wenatchee, WA, then on to Coupeville, WA to visit our long time wonderful friends Bob and Karen at their home where we spent 3 weeks.  We celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary with them, I refinished their patio deck, their front deck, an pressure washed their 150 yard long driveway.  From there we spent two weeks on the Olympic Peninsula on our way to our current location, Seal Rock, OR.

I mention all these people and places to remind myself how thankful I am for the friends we have, and being and being able to spend so much time with all of them this summer.  When we left Wittmann, AZ in early May I had no idea how rich, and full our summer would become sharing time with so many people who are so dear to us.  The disappointment of not being able to travel to Alaska was replaced by new adventures, and the memories will endure long into the future.

We do not know what the future holds, but we do know that friendships and family will be a large part of that experience.  All the places we have visited this summer were special, and memorable, but at the end of the day it was the people with whom we spent time that will be remembered the most.

It took me most of the day to put this post together, which is why it is so late in being published.

Thanks for stopping by!

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