Music!

Well look at this will you!  I was just poking around on Youtube, and you know how one thing quickly leads to another...

Right?  You do know how that works?

No matter.  This video by Buck 65 has a TRAILER in it! Ha.  I really like Buck 65 (which would explain why I watched the video in the first place).

Enjoy.

Hidden treasures

I was poking through my ridiculously large collection of photos on Flickr, and came across this one...

Oh hello!  I was more interested in the car when I took this photo, but look at that cute little trailer!  I've no clue what it is.  I took this picture in 2010 at a funky junk yard with a bunch of old cars and other vehicles.  Michael and I stopped one day and walked around - it was a bit eerie to say the least.  We never saw any people, but there was a strange house and people obviously lived there.  Today the yard has been cleared out quite a bit... I wonder if this little trailer is still there?

Actual camping...

I decided to search out more photos of trailers actually being used for camping - not just pretty little show pieces.  While looking for "working" trailers, I came across this little gem, a 1964 Aloha, traveling along the California coast.

Here's a spot I think I'd really like to visit myself!  Westport-Union State Park in California.  But where exactly is it?

{researching}

Aha!  It's in Northern California, between Garberville and Fort Bragg, on Highway 1.  Sure is a beautiful campsite!

Before hitting the open coast our Aloha friend made a stop in the redwoods, spending a night at Humbolt Redwoods State Park.  It looks like such a cozy little trailer!  And another great campsite.  I'd like nothing more than to sit back and relax at either one of these sites and watch the world go by.

We've been talking about a trip down the coast to visit friends and family.  Now that we have our own trailer, there's no real excuse not to go!  We'll have to follow in the wheel ruts of this trailer and many others and plot a course for our travels.

2014?  Very likely.  Once I decide to do something, it tends to happen.

Goodbye, weekend...

Well, here we are again as Sunday night winds down.  It was a fairly quiet weekend here, much appreciated after a few weekends and weeks of craziness.  We drove no further than the shop where we buy most of our meat now, the 3 Sisters Farm shop.  Twice.  Saturday we went to stock up on meat for the next couple of weeks, and then we returned home to a message that they had pig liver for us.  For Michael, that is.  I'll be eating salmon that night!  He's very excited, and we drove back down there today to pick up the pig liver.  For Michael, not me.

Even the girl at the farm store gave us funny looks when we came in to pick up our special order.  Ha!

Anyhow, yesterday on the way home Michael exlaimed "Fly agaric!"

SCREEEEEEEEEEECH!!!

Oh wow.  I've never seen these little devils in the bright red flesh.

I'm so excited!

But they aren't trailers, are they?  Maybe I should get a little teardrop and paint it like one of these.  That would be cute!  If I were inclined to give our trailer a theme (I'm not), fungus would be high on the list.  Along with clowns, or creepy dolls.  Fortunately for all of you, I'm not inclined to give our trailer a theme.

I did see a cute trailer while out on the dog walk today.  It passed us as we were walking, and I managed to catch the name as it drove by.

Ummm... what was it again?  It was a long walk, and I had to call 911 to report a guy passed out (dead?) on the sidewalk.  We didn't get too close, but it was obvious he needed some sort of assistance.  I see all sorts walking the dog around town these days.

I wracked my brain when I got home, and all I could remember is that it started with a "C" - I think.  I checked a couple of trailer manufacturer lists, and the name that jumped out was Cardinal.  I'm sure that was it!  I don't have a picture of the actual trailer that drove by, but it looked a lot like this ~

That little point in the back is a dead give-a-way.

Cute little thing, isn't it?

Oh dear...

I have been slack in posting, my apologies.  It has been a busy work week for me, with unusually early mornings and distant meetings and ding dang dong I'M TIRED!

I get home and I'm not terribly bothered to do much of anything after I walk the dog.  Enjoy a glass of wine, then blammo. Sleep hits.

Tonight I wanted to break through that slackness and post something.  But what?!! We're not planning any trips soon, so nothing to write about there.  Michael has been working on the staining/varnishing again, so we will soon have photos of the progress.  But at the moment the trailer is in a bit of a state.  The first section is finished, and it looks great!

But nothing to look at.  I can take a picture or two this weekend.

So what.

What?

I saw some freaky mushrooms the other day.  It's been a good year for fungi, as we've had A LOT of rain.  But I've never seen anything like this...

Bizarre.  But I love it!

I'll keep you posted when I find out what it is.

1967

I saw a license plate that just said 1967.  It was a California plate, but that's easily cropped out.   1967... it was a good year, seeing as they made our trailer!  Haha

Running on not much more than steam tonight.

Have to get up a little early tomorrow, so we can get to the farmer's market in Anacortes.  We want to get some chickens!  Our freezer is looking a little empty.  Not live chickens - dead ones that we can eat.  Yumm!

Not Closed!

I am happy to report that despite the federal government shutdown, there are still plenty of places that one can go camping here in the states.  Each state has a network of state parks, and Washington has some of the best.  I will admit I'm very biased, as I have very little experience with parks outside of Washington.  I'm hoping to remedy that now that we've got the trailer, but for the time being I'll stick with the parks I know.

Here on Whidbey Island, we have four state parks with camping - South Whidbey, Fort Casey, Fort Ebey, and Deception Pass.  One park, Joseph Whidbey, doesn't have camping but has a few nice trails.  That's quite a collection of parks on our island!

Washington State Parks require a Discover Pass for access.  For just $30 a year, you can access any park as a day visitor without further charge.  If you don't have the pass, it's $10 per day.  I am more than happy to pay that $30 fee to support our parks.  I also pay the extra $5 on my vehicle license when I renew.  $35 is a very small price to pay for unlimited access to our parks.  Overnight camping is an additional fee, and the cost varies from park to park.  Not free like some federal lands, but still much cheaper than an hotel!

Let's take a look at Fort Casey today, shall we?  Fort Casey is a WWII fort, built to protect Seattle and the rest of Puget Sound from Japanese invasion.  The extensive bunker system still stands, as does an historic lighthouse.

The old fort is quite spectacular, and ripe for exploration.  Be sure to bring a flashlight!

The campground is rather small, and one of the few first come, first serve campgrounds in the state park system.  If you're looking to visit in the off season, then this is the place for you!  There are beaches and trails to explore, and this are is also very bicycle friendly.  Note the resident deer in the background!

And the dear young man in the foreground.  That's my kid, several years ago.

Should you wish to visit Fort Casey in the off season, you'll experience a low key, relaxing visit.  This is the opposite of summer.

You'll have the park to yourself, and the town of Coupeville is just a hop, skip, and jump away.  Good coffee, good food, and cute shops.

It's a great destination.  We're just lucky we live a few minutes away!  If you want to visit and would like more local recommendations, let me know.

Closed

I suppose it's best this happened in the off season, but damn.  All national parks, monuments, and other federal lands are CLOSED.

Will there be any security to ensure poachers don't come in and decimate the wildlife?  Signs are swell, but people who don't care won't stop when they know nobody is looking.  Especially if they're hungry.

It makes me sad.  And angry.  There is no valid argument for this.  None.  A small group of pissy bastards are holding this country hostage because they don't want people to have access to health care.  The irony - their tantrum does nothing to stop the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  People I know will have health care for pretty much the first time ever, and it will make a huge difference to their lives.  Who was the "brilliant" fellow that tied health care to employment in the first place?  Maybe it worked all right a long time ago, but no more.

One of the library regulars was in tonight, and he had just come from the Navy Commissary.  He told me it was closing, and it was "like the L.A. riots in there!"  They stayed open today so they could get rid of as much perishable food as possible.  I imagine the Navy Exchange will be closed too.  This means all of the military families will have to shop in the "civilian" stores like Safeway and Wal-mart and Radio Shack.  Ironically, the city could see a boost in tax revenues if the shutdown goes on for more than a few days.

If you're inclined to travel this time of year, get out and support your state parks.  And if you're out and about, be sure to document the effects of the shutdown.  It could get interesting.  We're hunkering down for a while due to yucky weather and working on the trailer.  Our next planned trip is in February, to celebrate Darwin Day.  Most likely we will stay at the Sou'wester Lodge and Campground.  It's going to be a long time waiting to go!

Sigh...