At the time of our last reunion I had retired from the Forest Service, but had taken on the job of Secretary/Manager of the Eagles Lodge in Lewiston, ID for 2 years. Told them I would take the job until I got them out of their financial problems. So, been there, done that and retired again.
Started to make plans to travel full time in our RV when my wife (now ex-wife) decided she wanted a divorce. So, 2½ years ago we parted ways, I hit the road by myself and haven't looked back. Met my new wife, Fran, in Billings, MT 2 years ago and couldn't leave her behind. So she quit her job, sold her stuff and we have been having the time of our lives out here. We winter in Yuma with side-trips to Mexico, NV and CA. Summer before this we traveled all year and went to New Orleans, Key West, up the east coast and then back to the NW to visit friends and family. This spring we went up the CA-OR coast, spent a couple nights in Marysville and then into British Columbia (Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna) to visit friends we know from our travels. Then in late May we took on Camp-Host positions at a Portland General Electric campground near Madras OR. That was interesting and kept us off the road with the high gas prices. We did see a lot of sights in Oregon while we were there though, and I got to visit some old Forest Service friends throughout the summer. Did that until mid-September and then hit the road again for ID and MT to see my mother, friends and Fran's kids. Started heading south via SD, WY, CO, OK, TX, NM, AZ and NV and ended back in Yuma last Friday.
We bought a lot in Yuma before we left last spring, so we are trying to decide what we want to do with it. We really don't want anything elaborate and we'll have friends using part of it this winter as they come to stay or visit. So, we'll just peck away at some improvements if and when we have time. We have a great time down here with friends and dance at least 4 nights a week. Some of you may know Dave Johnson (Class of '49). We have a good time down here with him and his wife Marie. If there are other LS grads that winter down here, please let us know so we can get together with them.
Well, that's a quickie. Looks like we'll be back in Madras next summer (PGE gave us a nice raise to come back). Don't know if we'll get to the Everett area or not. My son in Anacortes is in the process of moving to Boise ID so we won't be visiting that area every year as we have in the past.
2007 Update:
I graduated from the University of Washington in 1962 in Forest Management. Retired from the US forest Service in 1994 as a Staff Officer on the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho. Started full-timing in my motor home in May 1998. Met my future wife (Fran) in Billing, Montana and carried her off to Yuma, Arizona in September 1998. We full-timed in our RV for six years and traveled all over the US and Western Canada.
In 2005, we put a home on our lot in Yuma so we get off the RV during the winter months. We still travel in the summer and enjoy visiting Fran's side of the family scattered throughout Montana and my side in Idaho and Virginia. Last year we enjoyed Branson, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee on the way to Virginia and surrounding states.
We enjoy Yuma and the many American and Canadian friends we've made. We love to travel and dance.
