It’s a matter of perspective, I guess.

Well, I’ve spent the last week taking care of business and working at the overlook.  Nothing too exciting to report about that.  I did have to let Anahuac NWR and Imperial NWR know that I would be unable to volunteer there this coming winter since I’ll be residing at Jojoba Hills SKP resort.  I felt a little bad about doing that, but you know what?  I’m looking forward to volunteering at Jojoba when it suits me as opposed to a set schedule every week.  I may even find out what it’s really like to be retired.  No setting the alarm clock unless I want to.

Once a week, I set up my scope and stuff at a different overlook of Bird/Goat Island in the campground.  This is where I meet with the week’s batch of Junior Ranger candidates to talk about birds and harbor seals.  It’s always an interesting time as kids range from about four to fourteen years old.  Of course, they get the biggest kick out of how parent birds regurgitate food for their young, and how the white spots on the islands are really just places coated with bird guano.    Nothing like puke and poop stories to get kids moaning, groaning, and laughing about nature!  That’s what I did yesterday.

                         Today, it was back to the day use overlook with, surprisingly, very little wind.

Early on, I had my usual view of the island with blue skies overhead.  I was even able to find three rhinoceros auklets floating around in the waters.  I imagine most of you are not impressed or even care, but this was the first time I’ve ever seen these birds so I was quite excited that I was able to find them. 

Then along about 9:45, this was my view of the island.  Can’t see it out there can you?  When the sea fog decides to roll in, it does it in a hurry.  Within minutes, visibility is down to next to nothing.

I tried looking the other direction, and the view wasn’t much better.  I sat there over an hour waiting for the fog to lift, but to no avail.  You can’t exactly show folks the breeding birds if you can’t even see the ocean or the islands, so I packed things up and headed back to the rig.  Too bad, because I was expecting some famous/infamous(?) fellow full-time RVers to visit this morning.  I let the folks at the park check in station know that I was done for the day, and that I had been expecting some visitors.

A short time later, Nick and Terry Russell knocked on my door.  Even though I wasn’t at the overlook, they had tracked me down.  And, they had come bearing gifts!

Ever the business man, Nick handed me the latest copy of the Gypsy Journal.  It’s the newspaper that they publish six times a year about RV travel.  Lots of people subscribe to this newspaper and read Nick’s daily blog.  We had met briefly back in 2007 before the Escapade in Indiana, but our paths hadn’t crossed since then.

Now the next gift truly warmed the cockles of my heart, and here it is:

Terry gave me a big bag of homemade sponge candy!  I couldn’t believe it.  She has apparently been reading my blog for some time, and knew my love for this sweet treat.  She found a recipe and gave it a try yesterday.  It is just melt in your mouth goodness.  Much better than the stuff I can occasionally order from the Vermont Country Store.  I am one lucky, happy camper tonight!  Thanks, Terry.

The Oregon coast weather is a new experience for me.  It’s kind of a love/hate relationship.  I love it when the sun is shining, but I’m struggling with the cold and dampness of the foggy times.  I like a little fog now and then, and what it does to the views, but I’m thinking I like the sunshine more.

I stopped at the grocery store the other day, and the check-out lady asked what I thought about the three days last week when the sun was shining.  I told her I thought it was glorious.  She thought it was terribly hot (high 70’s) and uncomfortable.  Talk about different perspectives…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy