Sleep Deprived

Our first night at the Hee Hee Illahee RV Resort was unforgettable. Approximately 7 p.m., the 5th wheel rig next to us suddenly left the park. Couple plus 3 kids. Unusual time to check out. We speculated what may have triggered such a quick departure at that hour. We would find a plausible explanation later.

I awoke about three in the morning to the sound of truck engines and crashing metal. At first I thought it was a dumpster pick-up, but when the sounds repeated dozens of times during the next hour or so, I realized that our Fed-Ex neighbors were the cause of the commotion. Adjacent to the RV park is a central loading/transfer facility for Fed-Ex. Double and triple semi-trucks pull into the yard, are separated, and then backed into the main processing plant to load/unload. The process is then reversed---again and again and again.

Sleep was impossible with the crashing, banging and occasional horn blast. To top things off, a nearby train track carried a whistling train past, as well. Great place to put an RV park!

Janice located earplugs for me and eventually I went to sleep. The translation of “Hee Hee Illahee?” It means “We laugh while you try to sleep.”

In the morning, we headed off to McMinnville, site of the Evergreen Air and Space Museum, which houses Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose. We had been here two years ago, but were somewhat rushed then, as Carly was snoozing in the car in 95 degree weather. The new Space Museum had just opened in June, so we opted to pay our $12 apiece just to see that part. While there were many nice displays of space capsules, near-space planes like the X-15 and SR-71 (Blackbird), it was obvious that there was a lot of empty space (hence the name “Space” Museum). We were advised that there were “truckloads more on the way” and one local merchant informed us that it was likely that they would get a Space Shuttle. Now that would fill the space. Janice is hopeful that future displays might also feature some of our women space pioneers. Sally Ride was an obvious omission. Our daughter Julie would have been very disappointed as she and a friend did an annual history days project on Sally in 4th grade.

McMinnville is a cozy burg. After stopping by the local book merchant, Janice made contact with a high school classmate, Patty Erends DeRoos, who just happened to be in town from California to assist her brother-in-law in her sister’s absence from the gift shop the couple owns on historic 3rd Street. Very nice place. We lunched at the Wildwood Café, home of the best Rueben sandwiches in the state of Oregon. This was a return visit from 2 years ago. On the way home, we stopped for some wine tasting at the Four Graces, where we purchased a very nice bottle of Pinot Noir for some future special occasion. These Oregon vineyards are every bit as beautiful as their counterparts in Sonoma-Napa.

Back at the rig, it was, of course, Scrabble-time before BBQ salmon and salad. Janice’s win in the first game gave her a first-ever four in a row over the Scrabble-meister, who was obviously afflicted by Fed-Ex sleep deprivation. The win streak was snapped in the night-cap.

Received word that my sister returned safely from Alaska. The bears there won't be welcoming her back soon.