GORILLA

Monday, August 31, 2009

The writer rose at eight thirty.  Inside the coach it was cool even though the sun was shinning through the windows.  Outside it was cold.

Time was taken to straighten up a bit and throw away some packing materials that had accumulated yesterday afternoon.

Then some notes were made before the tea and coffee were started.

Hot creamy buckwheat cereal graced our table and accompanied our tea and coffee as we broke our fast.

Then it was time for more cleaning up in the area where modifications had taken place to install our new flat screen TV and do some repairs to the overhead console.  Wood and metal shavings were in abundance.  Those on the floor were vacuumed up and those on the dash were wiped up with a wet paper towel.  Some more glue was applied to a piece of split wood and then a trip was made into Freddies to get some Gorilla glue.  The writer wanted to restore as much strength as possible to the over head anchoring strips.

At the house Onie worked on chasing dust and doing some rearranging in view of our leaving in a few more days.

When the writer returned from Freddies the wind in camp had picked up considerably and the awning was flapping a lot.  He stopped to readjust the de-flappers before going in to apply some of the new glue.

The wind continued to increase in force so a decision was made to take in the awning.  Onie went out with Pawpaw to help.

Later we had supper, watched some TV and called it a day about midnight.

DAVID

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

More clouds were overhead when we woke.  During the night the writer had heard a soft rain but all traces of it were gone by the time he went out to get the morning paper.

Onie had the coffee and tea brewing and soon served up steaming cups full.  With the contents of the paper digested we turned our attention to the crosswords and then to the Sunday crossword and then to previous days that had been saved, for solving.  Sometime during the solving Onie stopped to cook up eggs, sausage and skillet toast.  That along with Mayhaw jelly made a wonderful breakfast.  Together we cleaned the kitchen.

When the kitchen was clean Onie started supper, beef roast cut into bite size and cooked in the slow cooker.  Later today she will add the vegetables, some of which came from Dixie and Chelsea via Barbara.  She had brought, this morning, fresh beets, zucchinis, string beans and tomatoes.

A call was placed to Camping World about an order we had placed last week.  Everything was on back order so the shipping address was changed to our good neighbors, Jim and Polly Johnson.  Yesterday the writer had called the Coldspring post office and told them to stop forwarding our mail, effective today.  We will have a lot waiting for us when we get home.

Onie took fish from our freezer.  It will be brined tomorrow, dried tomorrow night and smoked and canned on Thursday.  Then the smoker and canner will be stored in the shed until next year.

With the fish thawing Onie set about starting supper, a beef stew.  The meat was chunked up and put in the slow cooker along with some water and spices.  Potatoes, onions and carrots would be added later.

Our time here is indeed growing short.  Not only does the calendar reflect that but so do the trees, shrubs, bushes and grasses, they are turning brown and losing their leaves.  Soon fall will be in full swing, here.  Today the high would be fifty five again, and we would have intermittent rain.  It felt like hunting season in Coldspring.

It had been a while since Onie had been to town or grocery shopping so she got her list and headed for Soldotna.

The writer got his fishing rod and headed for the river.  A hundred casts later he headed back to the coach.

Inside he began the laborious task of putting screws into the overhead for the front console.  The work is done through a small speaker opening in the dark, out of sight.  It is an operation that is done by feel with a manual screwdriver.  Because of the close quarters the screwdriver can only be turned about half a revolution at a time.  Driving a two and half inch screw home takes some time and perseverance as well as some strong hands.  The writer has the time and perseverance but has to stop frequently to rest hands that are not as strong as they once were.

The frame for the speaker cover was laid out and then the writer walked up the hill to Kurt’s house to get a saber saw.  It was needed to cut out the opening for the sound.  While on the hill he talked to Kurt via cell phone.  Back down he cut out the frame and the opening.  While he was at it Onie got back home.

The groceries were unloaded and stored, then Onie added more ingredients to our supper, in the slow cooker before starting some cornbread baking in the oven.

We watched GSN while our supper finished cooking and baking.

We ate around nine o’clock.  Outside the temp was back below fifty and the rain had started, in earnest.

Onie had bought us two new DVDs during her shopping.  Now we retired to our bedroom where we cued up and watched one of them, David, Shepherd and King.

All during the movie and afterwards, until we fell asleep, the rain beat down with such force that we could here it over the audio.  When the writer woke at three it was still pounding down.

NEARING THE END

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Rain had fallen all night long and the cloud cover had kept it relatively warm, forty eight degrees for a low. Now that we were awake, at nine, we found that the rain was still falling and the temp hadn’t changed that much, fifty one.

The writer turned on the heater and went back to bed for a few minutes to wait for the living room to heat up, to at least sixty five.

When the chill had been chased from the Marlin both occupants rose.  Onie started coffee and tea while the writer retrieved the paper.  Then a few notes were made while Onie prepared breakfast, a little hot cereal and a little stew.  Of course there was the crossword accompaniment.

By the time, noon, Onie had finished preparing the brine for the fish and getting the fish in it the temp had managed to get up to fifty one.  The rain continued to fall and it looked like it was shaping up to be another cold wet day.

The writer made another glue strip on the frame and on the cloth he was covering the speaker outlet with.  He had made the frame for the sound outlet for the new TV in the over the dash console.  Work was nearing an end on the “project” and the final screw would be placed in the overhead today, a stereo speaker put back in place and then the speaker cover replaced.  Other than the TV speaker cover, which still has a couple of glue strips remaining, that will be the end of the project Onie had thought would take a couple of hours.

Finished project. It only took a week!

When the final screw was back in the overhead support, the speaker in place and the speaker cover in place the writer began gathering tools.  Several tools had to be returned to Kurt and several more had to be stored back in the basement of the coach.  The storing would wait but the tools belonging to Kurt would be taken back today.  In addition hip waders and some boots would be stored in his garage.  It will be heated all winter and they won’t be subjected to freezing temps.

With that chore out of the way the writer headed off to Soldotna to pick up some Velcro.  That is the last thing needed to complete the job of placing the speaker grill in place for the new flat screen TV.

When I returned home Onie put supper on the table, stew.

Later the fish that had been brining all day were taken outside, rinsed in fresh water, placed on drying racks in the shed, seasoned and had the fan turned on them.

It was cold, no rain, but cold.  Pawpaw checked the thermometer on the smoker and it showed forty seven.  Back inside he checked the coach thermometer, it showed fifty three.  If his guess was right the coach thermometer was being influenced by radiant heat and the readings he has been giving all summer have been seven degrees too high.

Seated at Onie’s laptop he gave week fourteen one last check.  Onie will try to post it tomorrow.  Then he picked up his laptop and finished this story before joining Onie in bed.  It was ten and she was watching Forensic Files.

NO SILVER FOR ME

Thursday, September 3, 2009

The writer was up at six thirty to start the smoker, bring in paper and go back to bed.  He rose again at seven thirty to load the smoker which was now up to one hundred fifty degrees.  Then it was back to bed again.

He was again up again, this time to stay for the day, at nine when he unloaded the smoked fish and went in to the creamy buckwheat cereal Onie had waiting, for us.  The coffee and tea were there also.

After breakfast the writer got dressed and ready to go to Russian River for silvers.  Mike, who was driving, came by at nine fifteen.  As we were loading my gear into the car Onie was getting ready to can.  While we were gone Onie was busy with the canning, cleaning the gas grill and cleaning and rearranging the shed.

When Mike and I were almost to the Russian I realized my waders were still in Kurt’s garage.  We had intended to stop and get them but in our desire to get in the water and catch a silver we had forgotten them.  At the Russian we walked down to the river and watched the fishermen there trying their luck.  The silvers were stacked, in deep holes, like cordwood, but the number of fish being caught was small.  The writer thought about wadding the river in his Topsiders but after dabbling his fingers in the cold water he had second thoughts.  He decided to go back to the camp and get his waders.

The drive back was almost an hour.  At Kurt’s house he got his waders, put Mike’s bike in the garage, got his lunch, Onie had made me a BLT, which was delicious.  It was eaten on the way back to the Russian.

Back at the Russian the waders were donned, the walk taken to the river and the pursuit of a silver was began.  It continued until four thirty when the writer was worn out but resulted in no legally hooked silvers.  Two had been foul hooked and dragged ashore but were returned to the fast moving water.  Several very red reds were also hooked and landed but they too were returned to the river.  For the most part they were too close to death to be fit to eat and in addition the season on them was closed.

Mike, his daughter and great grandson, they had come in a separate vehicle, had strung two.  The driver headed and gutted those fish before the four folk headed back up the path to the parking lot and the cars.

Back in the Marlin at six the writer checked his email before playing three games of FreeCell.

When he went to the shed to hang up his waders he got a real shock at the work Onie had done.  The shed looked entirely different, inside, after her work.

She had avocado, beets and stew ready for supper after which the writer sat down to make notes.

Later the two of them watched The Magnificent Seven on TV before going to sleep at eleven.

LONG DAY

Friday, September 4, 2009

If it is Friday at Castaway it must be a day to yard sale for the ladies there.  Onie was up at eight to get ready.  The writer got up at eight thirty for hot cereal and tea.  Onie had already had her coffee.

With breakfast over Onie dressed and left at nine thirty with Sandy.

The writer worked crosswords and then played Bookworm, talked to Hager regarding the bib cover for the front of his fifth wheel.  Bill had a call from the folks that made it for him telling him it was completed and they needed their money.  On the way to the rig the writer asked Dennis to come along, to get his opinion.  It looked good.  While they were there they looked inside the enclosure and decided there was enough room to put the Blomstrom’s gas grill under the bib.  Loading it in Dennis’ truck they moved it and put it under the bib.  Some wood the writer wanted to save for next year was also placed under the rig, to keep it out of the weather.

The canner cooker was stored in the shed and some tools were placed in the RV, against the day we leave.

Bill Hager was called back and we visited about the rig cover.  Satisfied with the report he said he was going to mail a check.

Daughter, Dawn, called and we talked for a while.  It is always good to hear from her as she has news about home and loved ones.

Later a trip was made down to the grate where one hundred casts yielded no fish but the writer did feel one fish swim under his line.

Onie got home and the writer helped her unload her buys.  In addition to the yard sales she had also stopped at Freddies, for groceries.  She had lunched at Veronica’s.

She started supper while the writer picked broccoli from the community garden.  Then the two of us went to Frank’s where we picked fresh lettuce.  With that Onie created a great salad with tomatoes and avocadoes.  We followed that with clam chowder.

With supper under our belts we felt much revived.  The writer took the boom box outside and started a fire.  Chelsie and Dixie were drawn by the fire and when they arrived Dixie took over the fire duties.  Chelsie calls her a pyro.  There must be a lot of them as the writer knows many folk who love a fire, Dawn and Diana among them.  Soon Kris and Norman brought their chairs and joined the group and then Dennis, Sandy and Kyle joined the group.  It was a convivial gathering with lots of visiting and laughing.  Fifties music played on the boom box.  With the supply of firewood at the Marlin completely depleted Chelsie went to his coach for more firewood.  The sun had gone behind the hill and it was getting colder.  More wood was added to the fire.  Chuck and La Von came by as they walked though the camp.  Later Don and Julie came by.

Norman, Chelcie, and Pawpaw telling tall tales.

Fire tender Dixie, Dennis, Kyle and Chris.

Don and Julie

Gradually the crowd melted away but Don remained as we discussed politics, family, hunting, “The Project” and perhaps the price of tea in China.  Sometime after three, with the fire dying for lack of wood, he headed home and the writer stepped inside the Marlin.

One last check of email was made and a final game, for the day, of FreeCell was played before the writer brushed his teeth and joined Onie in bed, at four.  It had been a long day.  Onie had been in bed several hours.

Outside a full moon shone through a clear cold sky.

AGAIN

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Onie was up at nine.  She had coffee and an apple scone for breakfast.  The writer rose at ten.

Dixie and Sandy wanted to go to yard sales, again.  They left at eleven with Onie in tow.  Dixie drove.  Onie opined as how they would be back in an hour or two.

The writer had hot tea and two scones for his breakfast while he worked crosswords, then played Bookworm before turning to FreeCell for one game.  Then he had some hot cereal before heading off to the shower.

The walk to the shower proved to him just how sunny and hot the day had become.

Back in the coach he worked on stories, pausing to talk to Alex when she brought by a thank you note for our attendance and music at her birthday party.

With the writing juices at low ebb the writer deserted the laptop in favor of the outdoors and some work but not before he visited the grate for one last time.  The results were as they had been the last few trips, nada. 

Dennis was relaxing in the sun and waved the writer over as he left the grate.  The two visited for some time before the writer headed on to the Marlin where he wrote a bit before heading off to the shower.  Once there he trimmed his hair and beard before scrubbing himself real good to remove accumulated dirt and grime.

Back at the coach he worked on a few interior maintenance items and called Camping World to check on his order.  It was still on back order so he redirected it, whenever it was shipped, to the Coldspring address.

By now Onie was back.  She had some new treasures which we looked at before she fixed supper.

After supper we headed off to Don and Julie’s where a campfire was blazing.

At eleven we headed home.

Full moon lit up the Kenai River.

Tomorrow was church.

SUZIE’S

Sunday, September 6, 2009

We were both up at nine. 

Sun breaking through the fog over the Kenai River.

Taken from out dining room window.

After coffee and tea we headed off to the showers.

Back in the coach we had hot cereal and more coffee and tea. 

Then we dressed and left for church.

Pastor Tim brought another good message.

After church we headed off to Suzie’s where we got a table for four.  Tim and Julie were meeting us for lunch.  It would make twice we had eaten at Suzie’s this year, the first and last. 

Half an hour later they joined us.  Preachers and their wives are almost always the last ones to leave the church building as they linger for anyone who wants to talk.  In this case Julie is the activities chairperson and there is a church wide bowling night coming up soon so many people wanted to discuss that, no doubt.

At any rate we had a nice lunch and visit with them learning about Tim’s time in Texas, he was born in Sterling and his family moved to Texas when he was still in school.  He lived in Spring and attended Klein Oaks High School and still follows Texas high school football as well as Texas college ball.  Now that he is back in Sterling he hopes to spend the rest of his days here and that should be a long time as my best guess is he is about thirty.  He and Julie are a delightful couple and we invited them to visit us in Coldspring the next time they come to Texas.

The lunch broke up about three fifteen and we were home by three thirty.

After changing clothes the writer went outside to take the wheel covers off and wash them.  He laid them out to dry on the picnic table.  Then he turned his attention to the front window screens where he washed them, in place.  When they are dry they will be removed, rolled up and stored.

At seven Dennis, Sandy and Kyle came over for snacks and a campfire.  Soon Chelsie and Dixie joined us along with Norm and Kris.

Sandy and Dennis with grandson Kyle.

Beautiful thunderhead developed over the Chugach Mountains.

Photo taken from our campsite.

So intrigued by this awesome sight, we drove up the hill to get another view.

Same thunderhead, just from a higher vantage point and just about 10 minutes

later.

Around nine the party adjourned to Don and Julie’s for one last community camp campfire.

We got home about two.