SEPTEMBER 18:

This morning I was exhausted.  Our neighbors were up playing music, laughing, and talking very loud until around 11 PM.  I get so mad at people having no regard for others around them.  Once my blood pressure was up, it took me forever to get to sleep.

First thing MW was sitting outside waiting for me to get ready to go when the quail popped up again and were roaming around under the RV and all around his chair.  It was really cool.  When I finally got my act together, we got started on the chores for the day.  We started cleaning the RV, stripped the bed, got the laundry together, and headed to Moses Lake, Washington.  We finished our chore list, including flu shots.

Being my normal, chatty self, I started up a conversation with a woman at the laundromat who brought in about ten large baskets of laundry to do and three small children.  We were amazed at the amount of clothes!  Turns out that she has eight children and was having an issue with her septic system.  She bought a seven bedroom house a year ago and just found out that the septic is only permitted for two bedrooms!  Neither agent ever said anything about it, and she didn’t know to ask.  Wow!  In NC a couple of real estate agents would be having a new septic system installed.

After all of our stops were done, we went to Rock Top Burgers and Brew for lunch which was pretty darned good except for the fried pickles (too much batter).  Then headed back to Penelope to pack and finish cleaning.  There was a side trip later for ice cream, too!

The neighbors were at it again tonight, but I reached my limit about 10:40 PM and went out to say something to them.  They quieted down, but I found out as we were leaving the next morning that MW was wrong about quiet hours starting at 10 PM, so I should’t have said anything to them.  Oh well….it worked!  I also stand by my “rude” assessment.  I don’t care when quiet hours are, people shouldn’t be loud at night or early in the morning just out of respect for their neighbors.  When did we all become so unconcerned about our fellow man (or woman)?

Pics from today:

SEPTEMBER 19:

Sunrise

The sunrise at Potholes State Park was magnificent.

Up and out early this morning, I caught one of the best sunrise pics I’ve ever taken before we headed over to Falls City to store Brutus and Penelope and meet my father-in-law.  (Being pretty lucky in the in-law department, it is always fun to get to visit them.)  The storage company was easy, and having two lots right across from each other made backing in a breeze in the tight quarters.  Buddy was there right behind us, and we headed to Edmonds after the quick Penelope tour.  Part of our route planning for this trip was to make it to Seattle, as it has been quite a few years since our last visit.  Once at their house, we caught up on all the news and had a lunch of Sandy’s homemade soup and naan.  It was great!  Later Buddy asked if we wanted to walk to downtown Edmonds, so we got out and enjoyed the weather.  We stopped in at Anthony’s Beach Cafe for dinner, which had great seafood.  We really enjoyed the beautiful view, and after walking so far, I enjoyed sitting.  (I paid for it later when I tried to stand, though. LOL) Since the fall at Little Big Horn, my leg has been giving me fits!  After dinner, as we were sitting there visiting, Buddy noticed a huge, very dark cloud bank rolling in.  We hustled on the walk back trying to beat the rain, which was a bit tough.  We made it, though, despite adding in a stop for dessert.  When I checked my phone later, we had walked 4 miles.  That was more than I had walked at one time since surgery, and good training for the upcoming portion of the trip.  We visited some more when we got home, then turned in, exhausted.

More pics from today:

SEPTEMBER 20:

This morning began with a much slower start, and I was VERY sore.  Sandy had an appointment, so Buddy, MW, and I headed out to Cabela’s.  We can never get within 50 miles or so of this store without MW wanting to pop in to look in their Gun Library.  That is fine with me, because they have a lot of interesting stuff to see.  Next we ran over to an outlet mall and Costco on the great flannel shirt hunt (no dice).  By the time we got home, Sandy was back.  We snacked and talked, then Buddy and MW worked on a car issue for a bit.  For dinner we headed over to the The Matador, which is owned by the brother of one of our friends in Reidsville, NC.  This place was GOOD!  Great food (and watermelon margaritas), huge portions, and good prices for the area.  The decor was well done and the service was top notch, too.  If you go, try the Brussels Sprouts appetizer, which is definitely a hit (unless you just really don’t like BS…Brussels Sprouts, not bull****).  The restaurant is located in Ballard, which appears to be a really neat area with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants to explore.  After dinner we popped into a gelato shop for dessert.  Back at the house, we hit the hay before too long, preparing for an early departure.