Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Pic-of-the-Week for August 28, 2013


Hello Family and friends,

The last Pic-of-the-Week we were just leaving Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  When we got back to civilization where we had internet access I had a surprise email sent from my web site.  Many of you do not know, but I have a web site for my Martin-Parry Model A.  It is not finished and is still pretty crude, but it has been a help in bringing people together that have Martin-Parry vehicles.  The web site is: http://www.martin-parry.com/ if you want to look at it.

Anyway, the email was from a Mr. A. J. Parry from Bend, and the way it started out, I thought I was in trouble for using the name Martin-Parry on my web site as it could possibly be a patented name that I was using without permission.  As it turned out, he is a descendent of the Parry family, (his grandfather was president of the Martin-Parry Corporation) and has collected information for many years.  He was just about ready to send all his information to the Indiana Historical Society when a friend of his told him about the web site.  We met with him and his wife and he allowed me to copy a LOT of information which I will eventually add to the web site.  (Turns out his wife worked with Harriet's sister Sharon years ago at the Eugene Public Library while Sharon was attending the U of O.) 

They turned out to be really nice people, and we took them to dinner the next night.



The Parry Manufacturing Company made buggies prior to merging with the Martin Truck and Body Corporation.



We met with the Purkey family for a weekend and had a good time and good weather on the Deschutes River at Lake Simtustus



It was an area with a lot of beautiful scenery and the weather was nice and warm!  Perfect!  This is the view from our campsite.


(Ben forgot to add this nice photo of his brothers and sister, and sisters-in-law).


Took a drive to visit an area of balancing rocks…..



We finally made it to our residence in Walla Walla where we had a good time visiting with Dick and Julie.  Then it was on to Bull Lake in Montana where we visited with Harriet’s sister and her husband.  While there we went to an area of  old growth Red Cedar trees.



And David took us for rides on the lake where we saw a number of Bald eagles.


For that last few days we've been camped in our friend's yard in Whitefish, MT, and today we're heading south to St. Regis and some other friends' cabin by the Clark Fork River, where we won't have internet access for a few days.  The photos below are from Whitefish, and the sunrise this morning.



There are two Picasa albums for August now.  The newest is
 August Part 2 .
The older one is August 2013.

Until I get in the mood to write again!

Ben, Harriet, Sam and Zoey, (who have worn themselves out trying to catch a squirrel or two!)  

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Pic-of-the-Week for August 8, 2013



Hello Friends and Family!

It has been a couple weeks since one of our emails have been sent out.  That doesn’t mean that nothing has been happening, just that I am lazy!  (That's Ben talking!!)

First of all, let me say that we have eaten out a LOT!  We just keep stuffing it in!  Not good on the diet.  (This kid REALLY stuffs it in...he loves to eat!)



Saturday, August 3rd, we went to the Great Oregon Steam-Up at Antique Powerland near Brooks, Oregon.  There is much to see.  There are a lot of very old steam tractors.



And, many that are not steam.



The kids thought that the train rides were the most fun!  Even some of the train engines were steam.




Some of the other things that are at the same location are a car and motor cycle museum, a working steam lumber mill, an electric trolley, as well as John Deere and Caterpillar both have museums.  There is also a large truck museum.  My brother-in-law restored a 1948 KB-8 International Log Truck which he donated to the museum.



After being in Western Oregon for over a month, we said "goodbye" to Rebecca and her family, and then we were able to travel to the central part of Oregon.  We like it there because it is usually warmer, and dryer than the western part of Oregon.  We took a trip to one of our favorite places in Oregon, Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  Near Hart Mountain is the very small town of Plush.



Near Plush we came upon a cattle drive on the highway.  (That always makes for interesting “stuff” on our vehicles once we continue down the highway!)

At Hart Mountain we saw deer.
 


And antelope, which aren’t antelope at all, but are really Pronghorns.



Now that I have told you about the wonderful Central Oregon weather, I must say that a strange storm came through the Central Oregon area and the weather for about 4 days was cool, sometimes windy, and sometimes a shower or two as well.

We did camp next to a couple with a 5 year old,  Esther,  who came to our trailer often to play with Sam and Zoey, read some children's books, and play with our colored pens and dry erase board.  Her mother’s name was Harriet!  All 3 of them seemed to have a good time even though they were camping in a tent.  We did have them over for some red wine and cheese and crackers one evening, which gave them a break from the cool weather.


Besides the exceptional scenery at Hart Mountain, there is a wonderful hot springs, which is surrounded by stone walls (to keep the wind out... couldn't do anything about the rain, but it didn't really matter once you're in the nice hot water!)



Some of the scenery.


To see more photos of our travels the last few weeks, check out our August 2013 Picasa album.  There are quite a few videos from the Brooks Steam Up (including the grandkids on the miniature train ride), and some neat rocks (really!)

We don't know when Ben will be inspired to write again, and we're going to be in Bend for a week, anyhow, helping Ben's brother with a green house extension.  After that, it's on to Washington, Idaho and Montana (really, D & S, we're coming!) 

Until next time,
Your Baja amigos vacationing in Oregon...
Ben, Harriet, Sam & Zoey