Offer Accepted!!!

Can you believe it? We're on our way to owning our new home!!!

Wish us Luck -- We're Making an Offer

We're making an offer on a house tomorrow: it is sweet and we won't have to change a thing! The only thing we're contemplating adding is an invisible fence for Pippin. Will post pictures soonest!

A Small, Beautiful and Warm Church Community

Today was the annual church picnic at St Edward's. There were few kids there, but Julia and I were able to talk to a number of the parishioners and were warmly greeted by everyone there. In all about 35 people attended and we were actively recruited for RE and Knights of Columbus service. Should be a lot of fun. We think there is a total of about 6 kids in RE. K of C has 10 members. Their next big event is Oktoberfest in a few weeks...

Just Having Fun

Kiddos launching rocket balloons.

Here's a link for more pictures: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=3x70wrv.6vgrkxwn&Uy=bi0uwl&Ux=0

Searching for the new home...living in Sisters

We're out and about looking at homes most days now. Just wanted to post a few pictures for you to see... Bridget, as always is making lots of friends. These two are a girl from Tennessee and a puppy from Camas Valley, OR named Sassy--she's a Pappillion (sp?).

Here's a couple of young deer munching on some expensive landscaping:

Here's a favorite of the kids for a new rainy day play place down in Bend:

And here's us walking by the sights out by the RV Park:

Chao for now!

Today's question: rent or buy

We've been looking at houses here in Sisters. If you pull it up on Realtor.com, you'll see they're at least as expensive here as they were in Virginia. Half-a-million dollars for a house?! Still scares me. Anyway, we found a place we think we'd really love, but they're asking $549,000. It's over an acre and beautiful, but on a retired O-5 salary, that just ain't happening.

We figure the options are rent for a few months until one of us (ok, David--his earning potential is WAY higher than mine, and the kids would drive him crazy) gets a job, then look at the really nice places. OR buy a smaller place on an acre or two right now where we could add on or rebuild later.

But that's too depressing, so I'll tell you some of the reasons I love this town already:

Today David went in to rent a post office box so we'll have a way to receive mail. Before assigning a box, the asked, "How tall is your wife?" so they could give us a box we'd both be comfortable using. How cool is that? Last time we had a PO box it was about hip-high and a pain to check!

We also went to the school to see what we'd need to register. I remember registering the kids in Virginia; I had to have birth certificates, shot records, and a lease or bill addressed to me to prove where we lived (as if I couldn't just print out and sign a lease, or make up a bill on my computer!) Today I explained that we were living in the RV park until we rent or buy a house. "No problem, just put down that address." I asked if they needed proof that we're living there and she said, "Well, if you have a receipt, that would be great." This is truly an old-fashioned small town.

And yes, I know there are draw-backs to that--everyone knows everyone elses business. But I think the pro outweigh the cons.

Tomorrow we're taking Douglas to the middle school to sign up for classes and maybe looking at a couple houses.

Tschuss!

Is a Small Business for Us?

Today we’re busy checking out the school and having a meeting with business owners about possibly buying their business (a digital film printing and processing store). We have been analyzing their business tax returns and sales sheets. We’re not likely to buy it…don’t think we want to commit the business owner lifestyle in a tourist town (7-8 hrs/7 days per week). Anyway, here’s a picture of our drive out Highway 242 to the top of McKenzie Pass—a lava flow near Dee Wright Observatory about 20 miles west of Sisters. We did not hike up because it was drizzling and we were not dressed. BTW, it was sunny back down in town.
Enjoy!
Here is the usual link to more photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=3x70wrv.9wkib7rj&Uy=-6h2jel&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

Sisters, OR -- The Full Checkout

Hi all! We arrived at Sisters Oregon on Wednesday and we've had strong feelings that here is the place. We'll be visiting the school today and doing a more indepth look than our usual drive around and reading of Chamber of Commerce propaganda.

Will upload more pics and videos this evening as we can get to the central wireless.

Chao!

The Waiting Game

We're back at McChord AFB, near Tacoma WA waiting for some stuff Julia ordered to arrive via UPS. We're also diligently weighing our options and the straw poll results on where to go from here. In the meantime, Bridget has chosen to entertain us by learning to ride without her training wheels on her bike. The video is embedded below, just click the picture to play.

I have also caught up on uploading the pictures from our trip out to Sequim and Ports Angles and Townsend....click this link to view the latest slideshow:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=3x70wrv.9zzxkcjz&Uy=-ezytv5&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

Sequim by the Ocean

Well, we found our house and job....just kidding. But we did get real close. Check out the house at this link: http://www.tournow.net/show/46126 Too bad it doesn't have a garage....I guess if we talked them down enough we could build one. We also found that new career: http://masterlocksmith.com/sale.htm Flexible hours, 2 miles from home and steady work. The search goes on. Hey, on the poll...no stuffing the ballot box please!



For those of you who don't know, Sequim is in what the meteorologists call a rain shadow and airline pilots call "the blue hole." Because of the weather patterns, the ocean and the Olympic mountains, Sequim averages only 17 inches of rain and 300 days of sunshine per year. Quite unlike the rest of gloomy western Washington. They say for every mile you go east or west, you add an inch of rain per year. So Port Angeles, which is only about 15 miles west, gets twice as much rain. Strange, eh?



Today we drove up to Port Angeles and then over to Crescent Lake: beautiful!

Here's the standard link to the last few days pictures:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=3x70wrv.9zzxkcjz&Uy=-ezytv5&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=812905529035_956508551503

Ellensburg, WA and onto Tacoma

Last night we stayed in Ellensburg, WA. It's a fairly small town and home to Central Washington University. Unfortunately, the KOA was near the I-90 interchange and truck noise woke me (Dave) up way too early today. The RV suffered a couple rock hits to the passenger side windshield--the latest gave us a 10 inch horizontal crack as well. ; (

Anyway, after a windy drive thru Snoqualmie Pass, we arrived in Tacoma and continued our search for a place to bed down for the next couple nights. All the campgrounds within 20 miles appear to be full...so we fell back on a good 'ol standby--the FAMCAMP at McChord AFB. We have to dry camp there....but aside from the occasional C-17 Transport taking off...it is a very nice little campground only a mile from the BX, Commissary, gas and internet.

Well, it's pizza tonight at the homestead before returning to the RV...

Hasta for now.

Walla Walla

Beautiful surroundings...wheat fields, vineyards and parks full of historic trees. Walla Walla is a great little city with lots of charm.

Here's a link to all the pics:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=3x70wrv.2qkg1eb3&Uy=8719j8&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

Spokane and Walla Walla

We spent the last three days exploring Spokane, WA and Coeur d'Alene ID. Idaho is full of mountains and lakes; the land levels out considerably once you cross the border into Washington. Of course, the prettier scenery means higher prices too. We spent a lot of time looking around the various area, but took some time to visit a park in Post Falls, ID, where the kids had a chance to swim in the Spokane River.



This morning we drove down to Walla Walla, WA. I've always thought of Eastern Washington as being mostly flat, but we drove through some really weird hilly country. Lots of wheat on those hills, too.



Walla Walla is mostly flat. The Blue Mountains are to the east, but we haven't seen much of them yet.