Thanksgiving and Hannah's Birthday Weekend

So, for the three of you who read this blog regularly, I thought I'd let you know about my 30th birthday weekend and our first Thanksgiving together  (I was in Italy last year).

So, for my big 3-0, I told Nick I just wanted a relaxing weekend. Since my birthday was on a Sunday this year, Nick started spoiling me as soon as I got home from work on Friday. He cooked me amazing meals (not out of the ordinary, but he did the dishes too, which is usually my chore), he surprised me with gifts on Saturday and Sunday, flowers, a massage, Amy Poehler's new book (really stellar, by the way) among others, and watched the first two Hunger Games movies on Sarurday so that we could go see the new one at the cute little theater in town on my birthday. He, even more than normal, made me feel special and appreciated, and I am so thankful. 

Then as we were discussing the upcoming g holiday meal I said I thought we should have halibut since we still have so much from Alaska, and Nick responded with unexpected passion, "No. We have to have turkey, and stuffing, and..." Ha! I had no idea, but apparently Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday all because of the meal. Our menu was turkey legs (so much easier than a whole bird!), stuffing, roasted root vegetable medley, and mashed sweet/white potato blend with apple crumble pie for dessert. Goose came out and we had a lovely relaxing holiday playing cards and hanging out. The next day was much of the same, except Goose and Nick went kayaking too. 

 

Birthday goodies

Scout was really interested in the turkey legs.

Scout loves Goose.

Adventures!

Nick is working this weekend* and I miss him terribly, so I am going to write about all of the awesome adventures we've been having!

*His schedule is generally Fri-Sun, Mon off, Tues-Thurs, one week off. Because the drive each way is about an hour, that was a lot to do twice everyday on top of a 12 hour shift, so the days that he works, he just stays in Lincoln City. The hospital has a place (free!) for him to stay, which is great, but I do miss him when he's gone.

So, in recent weeks, we've been mushroom hunting (didn't get nearly the haul that Nick and Lincoln found a few weeks ago 50 lbs or $500 worth of chanterelles!), took a beautiful sunset hike on the cape (which quickly turned into a nighttime hike because oops, daylight savings!) and a full day up the coast including state parks and Nicks first trip to Goonies town (Astoria). I fall asleep smiling almost everyday. Our life is so good! 

Beautiful bolete mushrooms Nick and Lincoln found!

In his natural habitat.

Beautiful (huge) conch.

Sunset hike on the cape with doggies!

Haystack rock!

My favorite Goonie. Major bucket list moment for him.

 

Updates and visit from Lincoln!

Nick's brother Lincoln is visiting this weekend and they are fishing and mushroom hunting despite the crazy weather. His visit also prompted me to revisit the project of loft curtains! Unfortunately, in doing so I found some moisture around the large window which will have to be attended to sooner rather than later. Happy weekend y'all!

Vintage pillowcase to extend the loft curtain without covering the doggie portraits!

String, command hooks, and clothes pins. I'm going with "folksy" but yes, it kind of looks like laundry. 

Brothers!

Also, I forgot to mention that we moved down to the end of the park so we have privacy, a yard, a great view and a LOT less road noise!

Rain

It is October and the rain has begun. Living on the coast means more rain than I became accustomed to in Portland. Not ideal: the car I bought has a sunroof that is not completely water tight. While this has made for a few soggy and grumpy mornings, overall Nick and I are well and happy.

The last couple of weeks we had our final days of sun, and we soaked it up. I was off work last week, which meant a few days into Portland for work at Sorenson, a mechanic visit, and vet visit for mister Scout. Scout had 15 teeth pulled (!) and the remaining ones cleaned. His breath is fresh (a HUGE deal if you have ever spent any time with him.) Previous nicknames: "death breath," "little baby rotten tooth," and because he was in pain from said rotten teeth, "little baby grumps a lot." Now: "sweet teeth," "little baby pearly whites," "little baby grumps no more." It was crazy expensive, but about four years overdue and completely worth it. He's a new doggie!

We've also been kayaking a lot. We brought Nick's boat out with us from New York and found me one on Craig's List for a steal. Unfortunately, my boat came without a seat so I hadn't been out until last week. Nick however, has made fast friends with my old friend and roommate Goose and they've been paddling a half a dozen times and are actually on their second three day trip now. Goose's wife Amy was in town last week (she lives in Boston. It's complicated.) so they came out and we did a day trip last Monday and we had a great time. 

Nick has been fishing up a storm and has caught TWO delicious salmon. So cool! Never tasted anything so good as fish caught the same day. He's fished both from the shore and from his kayak, and I believe he prefers the latter. In his kayak he can get to little pockets away from shore, but that big power boats can't reach. He figures he's got to catch about 15 fish to make up for all the accessories he's bought, but I don't even care because he's just so doggone happy doing it.

We had a little mini vacation in Eugene for the weekend at a lovely AirBnB yurt by the Willamette. I hadn't spent any time in Eugene previously, and while we had a great weekend, driving through Corvallis on either end of the trip was really my favorite. We have talked about both of those towns as maybe forever places, and after this weekend, Corvallis is at the top of the list for me. It's a good deal smaller and feels more college town-y, while Eugene feels like a smaller Portland but without as much good food and other amenities. At this point, it's anybody's guess where we'll end up, which is fine by me.

I have a lot of free time on my hands because of only working during the school day. I'm trying to get back into running and yoga-ing because it makes me feel happier and clear headed. Some weeks I'm better at it than others. Before the rain, I was running at the beach, which was wonderful, but unless I can find a nicely wooded route soon, I think I'm just going to join the local YMCA. I'm also knitting again! With so much down time during the school day, I am so happy to be spending my time creating instead of just being a drone on my iPad. 

First three day trip! 62 miles of the Willamette!

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

First run in two months! 4 miles with mister Scout!

Nick's first king! Ain't she a beaut?

And full of eggs! (Good for bait.)

Goose and Amy!

I think this is my favorite picture of all time.

 Loaded up!

Eugene!

Okay, this might be my favorite picture...

Family portriat!

Milo squared.

Love from the coast!

RV tour! (finally)

Finally got around to doing this. Sorry it's a little shaky. Enjoy!

The Cheeburg Family Resides in Cheese Town

Hey, y'all! Sorry for the length between updates! I was waiting for us to get settled and for Nick to land a job before I updated, all of which has happened this week!

All told, we ended up spending about a month on Sauvie Island north of Portland and had a really lovely time. Between taking the dogs to the Columbia, having people over for dinner, or hanging out with friends and family in Portland August was a great month. We loved picking black berries just steps away from our door, getting to know our neighbors, and learning about RV living from some experienced veterans. We are still learning the ropes of RV life, but the transition has been so much easier than expected and we love our little home.

We moved to Tillamook on Labor Day (easiest move ever!) and I started work the next day. I love my school, my student, and the teachers. It's a really great fit, and I think it's going to be a wonderful year. Nick has kept himself busy contacting every travel nursing company available and taking care of lots of projects at home. This week he landed a job at a tiny little hospital in Lincoln City (about 45 miles south of us on the coast) and he couldn't be happier.

Life in Tillamook is definitely slower, but the scenery is so lovely (mountains, forests, beaches, oh my!) that we are adjusting quite nicely. We take the dogs to the beach at least once a week (they LOVE it, really we all do) and buy produce from the adorable farmer's market or roadside stands, and eat burritos from our favorite taco truck at least twice a week.

And then there's the cheese, obviously! OH MAN. We are eating a lot of yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, and it's pretty much the best ever. Basically as local as you can get, in that we drive by the cows that make the milk for these tasty dairy treats everyday. So good.

Oregon begins

So, I kind of kept the following news to myself until I had something more solid to tell. The last day in Alaska, I got an email blast advertising a job doing educational interpreting on the Oregon coast. I had no idea how they read my mind (apparently I had sent this company my information TWO YEARS ago), but I immediately replied with my resumé and contact info. 10 minutes later I got a call from a head hunter trying to set up an interview. Well, the interview was last Friday and I was offered the job on the spot! It's a full time gig (with benefits!) and seems to be pretty grand. The setting is a bit smaller and slower pace (read: closer to the wilderness), but it is perfectly lovely and we're both pretty excited. Nick also has a lead on a travel job there and we already reserved a spot at a quiet little RV park beside a river. It's also only 1 hour and a half outside Portland, so we plan to visit regularly. Best of both worlds. Win!

Since we got back from Alaska, we've been sweltering in Portland (it's been in the 90s everyday) just trying to take care of business and spend time together. We were parking in front of my friend Goose's house (my last roommate here) for about 3 days, but felt a bit sketchy about it (and longed for hook ups! read: water and AC) so we headed back out to Sauvie Island again to Reeder beach. We've done dinner with Nick's brother Lincoln, a movie in the Park with my friend Zech, and dinner and a dude kyaking trip out on Sauvie with Goose. I got my haircut by Jen (goddess. master. super awesome lady.) I've been a bit hesitant to contact friends here because it's kind of "Hey, I'm kind of here and then I'm leaving again but I'll be close by-ish so let's hang out?" But I have been enjoying showing Nick around and sharing some of my favorite things with him. 

As far as Harvey news: he's great. We love our home. We learn something new everyday, and the space is just lovely. I love that no matter where we park, we're home. I know that sounds like something you would see cross stitched on a pot holder, but it actually feels true. The dogs are doing great (they are getting so many walks these days!) In short, we're adjusting to being full-time RVers swimmingly. 

In terms of learning something new about the RV, we'd been struggling a bit to figure out the propane and how it worked with the refridgerator and hot water heater. It seemed that no matter how many youtube videos we watched or people we asked, we just couldn't figure it out. Then, we were on the coast after my interview, and I kid you not, the EXACT same rig pulled right in behind us! We were in the car, so there was no way this sister ship would know, but Nick looked over and said he was going to knock on the door and ask them about propane. I was like, um no. Then, unfortunately, there was a 3 car accident just behind the scenic pull out where we were parked. We weren't involved thankfully, but we got out and were chatting with some of the other drivers, one of whom just happened to be the capitan of Harvey's cousin (I stand corrected, it was a 1995 not a 1994.) He was this precious geriatric cowboy from Idaho, and was only too happy to not only answer Nick's questions but show him exactly how everything worked! One of my favorite parts of RV life is other RV folks. They're gold. 

That pretty much sums it up. Love to all from Oregon!

Alaska 2!

So! We've kept ourselves quite busy since our last post. Today is our third or fourth rainy day since we've been here, which I keep telling Nick is crazy!

In Homer we checked out the Pratt Museum. It is a lovely little museum that focuses on local anthropological and ecological history with some art and craft thrown in for good measure. My favorite part was some recordings of lady homesteaders from back in the day. Such awesome strong women! Nick's favorite part was a native rain jacket made from sea lion (?) intestines. So cool! We drove down the Spit, but it was pretty late in the day so didn't partake in any of the excursions advertised. We got some dinner and a quick driving lesson for Nick (the truck we've been borrowing from mom is a manual and I had been doing all of the driving up to this point). He did great! Then we headed back to Kenai.

The next day momma cut Nick and Greg's hair (Nick's haircuts generally rotate around when we see my family) and Greg took us out for a shooting lesson. He took the time to explain safety (always handle a gun as if it's loaded) and appropriate technique. We shot a .22, .357, 9mm, and a .44 magnum. The last few were a little heavy for me, but I feel safer around and about guns knowing how to handle one myself. Also, I got in a couple of kill shots, which was pretty satisfying my first time out.

Side note: basically everything mom and Greg own from high end camping gear to the furniture in their lovely home came from some pretty epic yard sales, so since Nick and I have been here for such a long stint, we've done a couple of Saturdays and found some treasures. Wire baskets, a two tier lazy susan, and a heavy gauge extension cord for Harvey, a few clothing items for each of us (including TWO work shirts for me!) and a couple of other treasures. Just this past Saturday we saw a moose walk through a guy's back yard while we were standing not 15 feet away in his garage! He immediately picked up a moose caller (that was for sale on the table) and started howling into it a bit to see if the bull would come back. Ha! Only in Alaska.

Also, each yard sale day is topped off with a visit to The Moose is Loose bakery, which is an entry in itself. Apple fritters that will change your life. Sticky buns, donuts, and cinnamon rolls for days. The best sugar belly for your money in Soldatna, AK.

Anyway, the day after Homer we got up early to try to go halibut fishing, but the water was too choppy so we ended up doing a little sight seeing in Ninilchick (where we were going to put the boat in) instead. Then we came back for another try on Monday and had the most amazing day on the water! It was sunny and warm (Well, all things being relative. We each still had on long underwear and two pairs of wool socks!) and we each caught our limit! (2 halibut each for a total of 8 fish!) We saw sea otters, and jelly fish, even an orca, which mom said has only happened to her once before! (And she and Greg fish all the time.) Nick was the big winner of the day reeling in a 50 lb. fish! I caught a couple about half that size, but was still pretty pleased with myself. That night, after a long day on the water, Nick and I left to head up for some camping in Denali National Park. We only got about halfway to Anchorage before we pulled over (Alaska has all these gravel pull outs in beautiful places where you can just pull over and car or RV camp for the night for free! It's awesome!) We just slept in the back of the truck but it was a nice head start on the 8 hour drive up to the near middle of the state.

The next day we finished our drive to the park with a couple of hours to spare so we were able to re pack all our gear before taking the last camper bus in. Our first night we stayed at Wonder Lake, which is all the way at the end of the road, which is only about half of the way into the park. Denali is huge (about the size of Vermont) and wonderful and wild. Our bus in only had 6 people on it (think school bus) and a veteran driver who shared great stories and wildlife with us. We had yet another sunny day and saw grizzlies, caribou, and moose among the beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, once we got to the campsite it was rainy, our stove wouldn't light, and there were millions of mosquitos. Thankfully, some fellow campers took pity on us and let us borrow their stove and I had brought a wireless mosquito zapper shaped like a tennis racket that provided lots of entertainment. The next morning the bugs and rain continued as we took a bus back out 2/3 of the way to Igloo Creek campground. Whereas Wonder Lake was somewhat crowded (28 sites, woah!) Igloo Creek was much quieter and our speed (only 7 sites total).

After we got our camp set up we took a hike up into the mountains. One of the cool things about Denali is that camping and hiking are permitted pretty much anywhere. Back country camping requires a permit and orientation (next time!), but hiking is to each his own. We found a little trail that scurried about half way up a mountain, which I was pretty pleased with, but Nick was dead set on hiking the rest of the way up. And up we went (on what we later found out was in most likelihood a sheep trail. I kid you not.) We went through the forest and across a gravely mountain shear (Think a 45 degree incline covered in sharp gravel that you are walking horizontally across with absolutely no trees or boulders around to hold on to. Pretty terrifying!) But then we turned a corner and across the valley on another mountain we saw about 7 Dall Sheep! So cool! We sat for a bit and took that in before making our slow descent.

The next day we packed up camp and headed back to mom and Greg's. We still couldn't get the stove to light, the weather wasn't letting up (totally socked in), and we had seen and done all that we had come to (except, of course, Nick seeing Denali itself. I saw it when I was here 11 years ago.) We took the next couple of days to recover from that drive and go fishing once again. Not quite the same luck as our fist day out, but will end up carrying about 100 lbs of fish back to Oregon with us!

Yesterday we picked wild blueberries, saw an eagle aerie (nest) and did a little more fishing on Skilak Lake. Today we've been packing and wrapping things up and just ate a feast that mom slaved over literally all afternoon. Halibut in white wine with garlic and butter, Salmon with honey ginger glaze, crab legs, steamed broccoli and carrots, homemade yeast rolls! We called it "Surf 'n Surf 'n Surf" and stuffed ourselves silly. Tomorrow is back to Portland so we can start getting life underway in Oregon. Many thanks to mom and Greg for making this such an incredible trip! We can't wait to come back!

Now, what you really care about: pictures!

chilling on the bluff

doggies enjoying Alaska

eagle in the yard

the bay in Homer

intestine rain coat!

Homer

emo selfie. he's adorable.

driving lesson!

shooting practice

deep breaths out!

nice view out front

Ninilchick Russian Orthodox Church

happy sunbathing doggie

Capitan Momma!

first catch!

she loves to do this. 

one happy dude.

reeling them in was hard y'all! 

but I got one!

50lb!

the day's catch

Denali Caribou

yeah, that's the road

Dal Sheep!

a very manly crossword puzzler

Captain Nick!

learning to fillet

black bears! triplets! 

my idea of fishing yesterday

hoping for a salmon

Skilak