Welcome to my blog! This is where I will post occasionally on what I've been up too. Feel free to contact or respond. Looking forward to hearing from you.
2019 - The Year I wasn't Home
Last year, 2019, was the year I was not at home. From December through April I was helping the Koral family at Wheatridge Farm in Hillsboro with taking care of the kids while Erdem was at the Police Academy in Salem. Devon was busy taking Emre to Tae Kwon Do, and Leyla to gymnastics and weekday outings.
Leyla and Emre at the Farm.
Leyla at basketball practice.
I was only able to Snowshoe Ranger twice.
However we were able to make time to take new backpacks out for a break-in hike in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness.
In April, Erdem graduated from the Academy and is now a Hillsboro Police Officer! We are so proud of him.
The month of May, George and I drove Devon back to Illinois to start work on the Kocher Estate. Driving at only 65 miles an hour got us on roads that showed us some beautiful parts of the country.
This work was clearing out a 5000+ home of 3 generations of German immigrants who built their farm life there.
Witty went with us on this trip and truly got comfortable with staying in motels.
Really, she is quite comfortable in Devon, and loves the adventure as much as I do.
I realized quite soon, (luckily) that Devon’s headlights did not work driving across the country. We had to stop early every night and make sure we got dinner and motel rooms before dark. Once we arrived in Illinois, I was able to order the new switch from Rover’s North and change the part myself!
Being in southeastern Illinois in spring is a delight!
At Home Acres Farm in Illinois, we were able to start the daunting work of clearing out the house and outbuildings. We spent two weeks there and filled two 20 cubic yard dumpsters.
Driving back to Oregon was wonderful as well. We had lots of weather along the way which made us change our plans on the fly and go through areas we otherwise might not. This is the Red Canyon along the Green River in Utah.
Once back at the Cabin on the Deschutes, it was nice to meet the new deer of the season.
When the spring storms come to the cabin, we sometimes get out of the trees and up to Wickiup Dam to watch them.
On June 24th, I took Leyla and Emre on a three week camping trip all along the coast of Oregon. In getting ready to take the grands, I had some Rhino Racks put on Devon for the 3 paddle boards we would be carrying.
Then we had to pack the three of us to live out of Devon while we traveled Oregon.
Stand on Liquid in Bend, helped me with a loner board to round out our set.(They had a Smokey board there that I really wanted!)
The deer will miss us, as we will them.
Emre helps make sure Grandmama does not fall while putting up the boards.
We eat well while on the road!
We find lunch spots with great views!
I had gotten the kids journals so they could write about the trip as we went. Our days were so busy, that often times we had to journal by the Luci Lights. Those are blow up LED lights and have solar collectors. They are very cool.
When we got to Grants Pass, we looked up my college friend, Marylou. They kids fell in love with her. We ended up spending the night at her cute house, got our laundry done, and I was able to do a shake down repack of Devon. Emre told his parents, Marylou is old, but she is NICE!
After the Oregon Caves tour, the kids got their Jr. Ranger Badges. If Leyla looks a little dull, it turns out she had an ear infection. We took her to an Urgent Care in Medford, and medication perked her right back up!
Camping in the Redwoods was magical. Being surrounded by the giants, and subdued by the foliage was an amazing experience.
Mom and Dad (Erdem and Sierra) come to visit us in North Bend, Or. We were camped on the edge of the sand dunes and walked out the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.
We played on many beaches as we drove up the coast and explored tide pools.
On our last night, we got flooded out of our tent, and took a motel in Yachats, which was a wonderful stay right on the coast. We were able to dry out our tent and gear on the grass, and walk to the water.
I got back to the cabin in time for a few ranger hikes. One was a geology hike along Sparks Lake and the other a fisheries hike to Doris Lake.
Joelle and Bear were able to spend a few days at the cabin this summer too.
At the end of July, I needed to go back to Illinois to help George go through the 3 generation estate and get it ready for auction. One of the hardest jobs I’ve ever done, but we did enjoy our time on the farm. For me, it was interesting to get the feel of what it must have been like to live there before electricity and running water. Hearing George's stories, (he didn't have either until he was 11!) I loved hearing about the mythical "Dark Bend", the area where the farm was located. Outlaws would hide out in the swamps, and the law wouldn't go in to look for them. It's pretty tame now, and the swamps are drained.
The outside auction was fascinating for me to watch. I had never seen anything like it before. Hundreds of people came to see the wares of the successful farm family of the Kochers.
One of the most pleasurable times was coming down for coffee and looking out the huge kitchen windows over the farm fields. Sorting through a household contents is intensely personal. We gave all the communications and photos to Dan to archive. Dave went over all the farm documents. George and Mary got to see old toys, books and childhood momentos.
The storms in Illinois are amazing. We would stop work and take our chairs out to the road to watch them!
We met new friends while we stayed and worked in Illinois for two months. April, who lives on the Dead River, invited us to visit her cabin there. There is a lot of wildlife there amongst the fields. Her husband Louie found a bob cat and cubs just across the river once.
These are "surprise lilies" that pop up suddenly, and are a reminder of the past as they were probably planted back in the early 1900's.
The hostas were planted by George's mother after the house was remolded in 1949. The farm was changing over from the plow horses to machinery.
It was a bittersweet time, to see three generations of immigrants hard work going out of the family. But now there is a new family to take over, and we are happy for them. The final auction of the house and grounds happened on Sept 7th with the new family inhabiting the farm.
Our friend April took some portrait photos of George and me around the farmstead. I will never forget my time there.
Anxious to get back to our cabin on the river, we drove a U Haul and the Prius back to Oregon in 4 days. We arrived home at last to find there had been a slow leak in the upstairs bathroom that caused a bit of damage, only to find out a week later that our insurance did not cover “slow leaks”.
In the week when I thought we were insured, I bought a ’64 Streamline travel trailer to live in while the floors were repaired. It is cute as a bug’s ear, so we will enjoy it for sure. But with no insurance we decided to do a long slow dry out over the winter.
The deer were glad to see George again.
Next was getting ready for the Farmington View Fall Festival sale where I make birdhouses out of the old siding from the original cabin. That wood is 70 years old, and I just could’t let it go.
Middle of November we brought the trailer home after renovating with safe gas, electrical, and water lines. Tom and London of Stratoglide took great care of her renovations! She tows like a dream.
We have power and water set up out at the "Camp" site on the north end of our property. She is set up for boondocking, and George and I plan to take her out this spring to explore Eastern Oregon.
The Farmington View sale of birdhouses and succulents.
Driving back to the cabin after the sale to a wonderful snow storm! We always carry a chainsaw with us in the truck.
December marked the end of the cancer study at OHSU! No ringing of the bell like in radiation, but still it is nice to know it is over, and we hope the study helps others.
There is nothing quite like winter at the cabin.
Now we start the planning for the upcoming year. Lots in store...Two Wilderness Volunteer Trips in California, a trip to Turkey with the Korals and Joelle, and I am the new newsletter editor for the Pacific Coast Rover Club! I hope to continue to be a volunteer ranger with Deschutes NF as well. The grass does not grow long under my boots!
Thanks for taking a look, and feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
Devon: The First Month
Devon: The First Month - February
It took quite a bit of time to figure out how everything worked in this new ride. Everything is manual from the window crank to the cooling system. (That is, the two ventilation flaps in the front.) I haven’t them to use then yet.
The windshield wipers are tiny and flat. They remind me of my first VW Bug. They have 3 speeds, intermittent, slow and a bit faster. The washer fluid is there, but I’ll have to see about adjusting the stream.
The diesel heater was the first feature to figure out because it really puts out the heat, and I needed to get it dried out. Of course the temperatures are in Celsius, so I had to get online to do a conversion to have a temperature range to aim for. The really nice thing about the heater is that I can keep it running while I’m doing an errand and the truck stays warm.
The windshield washer control for the front is a lever on the column, while the one for the back window is on the dash.
The control for the heated windshield is on the dash, while the one for the back window is….I’ll need to look again.
The horn is so cute! It is on the turn indicator lever on the column. You press it towards the column to honk.
Getting fuel has been fun. People just come up to me and talk and gawk. I get smiles and nods from people in passing cars. That’s pretty fun.
We all know that Land Rovers leak. This is my third, and they all leak. What do you expect from a wet country like the UK? They just accept it. Well, I learned a trick, and so far it is working. You park with the nose downhill and all the water runs off the front instead of down the sides and into the back. It is amazing.
The first week of driving my partner George kept telling me, your over the center line! (Which is even more scary when you’re the passenger on the left!) Getting myself positioned on the track in my lane took some time. (And remember, I didn’t have a left side mirror either!) I’d look out my window and see how close I was to the right hand paint. I must have finally gotten pretty comfortable with driving close to it, because last week my daughter asked if I felt like I was going to go off into the ditch. You just can’t please everyone.
Really, the sides are all windows, and they aren’t tinted dark like the LR3, I can actually see out of them. It really does have a good field of view. I was driving the kids to school one morning and spotted a hawk and was looking out the window and trying to show the kids, when my daughter yells, “Mama! Road!” I looked back and sure enough, I was driving off to the right, same direction I was looking. Great viewing though.
The radio seems to be a nice upgraded one. It will take a cd, but I haven’t tried that yet. It has quite the blue surround lights that are a bit bright for night driving.
So, did I mention that I got the lock fixed on the passenger door? Yes, it works now, locks and unlocks, no problem. The only glitch is, that Ships forgot to attach the mechanism on the inside. Now, the passenger needs to roll down the window and depress the outside button from inside, and then roll the window up again. (Thank goodness the windows work!) The alternative is that the driver can get out, go around and open the door. It is a good practice in patience. Please note, that Doug from Ships Mechanical has fixed the problem. He is a tremendous resource, and I am so glad to have found him!
My cat enjoys a good ride too. She sits on my lap in the LR3 for hours. We even took her from Oregon to Illinois and back again in it. So, I figured it was time for her to experience the Defender. I put her cat box in the back, along with her scratch board. She doesn’t like to eat or drink on the road, so no bother there. She even has her own wool blanket that I put across my lap for her. Witty says that when you have to sit on a set of legs that are constantly shifting, it really interferes with her sleep pattern. The jury is still out on this one. I’ll give an update after we take our first 200 miles to the cabin this weekend.
Wanna hear my new mantra? PHIL. I need to say this every time I stop and get out, and start up to go. I think it’ll hang from my rear mirror like a pair of fuzzy dice for a while.
Parking brake
Heater
Ignition
Lights
I have driven off with the parking break on more times than I’d like to admit. I hate that smell of burning brakes. I am not sure how long the separate diesel heater will go, but I’m not interested in coming out to an empty tank of diesel. The ignition is not too hard, but I needed a vowel, and I am infamous for leaving lights on. I’ll get a set of jumper cables as insurance. DONE.
Stay tuned to: First Drive to the Cabin on the Deschutes!
Devon: A Bespoke Defender, The Process
It really started back in the winter of 2016, when my 2001 Disco had a head gasket failure. We live 7 miles out on unmaintained Forest Service roads to get to our cabin, and I need a good 4 wheel drive vehicle with high clearance to get home. We have a dealer in Bend, Outland Motors, who deals with used Rovers and other SUV’s, so we went there to look for my next set of wheels. They had an old Santana, painted green with a soft top, and it was love at first sight. I looked it all over, and looked at LR3’s as well. We went home for the night while my Disco was inspected and found it could not be fixed easily. All that night I dreamt and fantasied about driving that Santana. I was completely love struck. In the morning, I came to my senses and realized that the Santana could not be my “daily driver”. So, I went back and I decided on a black 2008 LR3. It has been a great truck, so quiet and comfortable, but I never forgot that Santana.
Going back to Outland for servicing, or just to get a “fix”, I’d check for any Defenders for sale. Bill has them occasionally, and they are gorgeous, but the price tag was just too much for another fun ride. (Did I mention that I also have a , ’50 Honda Trail 90, ’48 Willy’s Jeep, a ’75 Ford High Boy, ’01 Disco, besides my LR3?) I kept asking for a “beater” for getting to TH’s as I volunteer as a Wilderness Ranger, as well as lead week long wilderness projects all over the western states.
Finally, I started to look on the internet, a dangerous thing to do-I know. I wasn’t going to just put in a bid on eBay, I don’t know enough about cars to do that. But, I found a website that rebuilds Defenders in the UK and Africa and ships to the US. I read every word on their website, looking at every truck they had, compared to other rebuilders, and then finally went to their Facebook page. Prices seemed to be about half of what I could find here, so I introduced myself. In May 2018 I started talking to Rob and Chris of Transatlantic Trading Company, rebuilders and importers of bespoke Defenders.
At first I wanted a 90, something small and sporty. But as I spoke with Rob and Chris, I decided that a 110 would suit my needs better as I travel the country, haul my backpacking gear and sleep in the truck when I can to save hotel costs. At first I considered a deep blue metallic with silver trim. She was beautiful and ready to go. Even though the price was good, I don’t like blue cars. I considered respraying, but it was a shame as she was mint already. We kept looking at inventory. They had a bus yellow Camel trophy replica that was nicely decked out, but my Disco already had most of that gear, and I was thinking about something more classic. The Camel was a good base truck that needed to be painted anyway, so I decided to have it stripped down and resprayed and built back up with a simple classic look.
The guys were great about sending me photos and details of the strip and build. The first part was more interesting for my partner George with springs, coils, and all the insides and under parts. Pretty early on I needed to decide the color scheme. I researched classic Defenders for little details like the lights, grill, tire size and paint configurations. I chose a simple Keswick Green with white top and wheels and older style lights. Living in Central Oregon, I decided on heated windscreens, seats, and a separate diesel cabin heater. I would add a block heater once she reached the US.
Luckily, my summers are filled with working in the forests, and taking my grandkids backpacking. But as fall came on I was really getting anxious for my truck to arrive. At first I thought it might be ready for a September trip to New Mexico, where I have been working on constructing the Continental Divide Trail for 7 years. Then, October, George’s birthday, and a trip to Seattle to pick her up at the dock. Then November, a birthday present for me, and finally December, a Christmas present!
Nope, she, “Devon” arrived in Tacoma on Jan 7th, and was delivered to me on a dark and rainy Thursday night. She was beautiful. The transporter couldn’t believe the paint job. We had her delivered about 2 miles from my daughters farm in Hillsboro because it was nice and flat and at the bottom of the hill. The transporter left, and there I was in the dark, with no idea how to drive her! Where are the lights, windscreen wipers, high beams and defroster? How to use the heater and go through the gears? The passenger door would not open, so George had to get in the back seat, the passenger seat was soaking anyway. With a flashlight we found out what we needed and I practiced driving the the Laurel Church parking lot before going up the steep hill. I dropped off George at the farm and we all oohed and ahhhed over her, and then I took her back out in the night to drive. I ended going the 10 miles into downtown Hillsboro, and cruised the strip of Oak and Baseline and back out to the farm. At 68, I felt like a teenager.
The next morning I was driving the grandkids to school, with my daughter following. We pulled over to get a nice shot of the morning sun coming up in the fields. I asked her to just adjust the left side mirror, and in trying to move it, she pulled it off! So, here I was driving for the first time, right hand drive, left hand shifting and now no left side mirror!
The first week I just about lived in my new Defender. I had to figure out how the diesel heater worked, where all the controls were, how to work the radio, adjust seats, etc. I definitely had a lock issue, as the passenger door would not open if you locked it with the key. All the keys looked very similar but opened only certain doors. I paired my phone with the radio, but it had no speaker, so callers could not hear me. Once I unpaired, phone calls came into my hearing aid, which over the 200 TDi, I couldn’t hear them!
I took my new truck to Ships Mechanical in Portland, meeting Doug and Neil. They looked her over and test drove, and deemed her sound. However, there were a few things that I’d make an appointment for to be checked into. The next week of driving brought about a broken water pump pulley, so I had to have her towed back to Ships. They discovered a slight misalignment in the pulley, put in a new passenger door lock, fixed an incorrect hose type, put on a hitch receiver, a locking gas cap, and put the side mirror back on for me.
Now I have figured out all the keys and labeled them, know how to use the diesel heater, and have almost memorized where all the controls are. I read somewhere that in a Defender, you are always an active driver, and I can attest to that. It’s a good thing that I love to drive!
I so enjoyed the process of rebuilding my Defender and working with Rob in the UK, and Chris in Vermont. I am looking forward to meeting the folks of Pacific Coast Rover Club and hope to someday meet Rob and Chris from TATC.
Making Progress
I have found a new meditative form of drawing called Zentangle, that is so wonderful to do. I'm having a great time with it. It is freeing to break away from trying to be realistic. This takes my doodling to a new level!
Witty is loving my new studio in Jaimes old bedroom. She likes to get up on the drafting table and join me, which can be a little difficult. But I try to accommodate.
How can I say no?
Looking forward to Turkey Day! Wishing you all many Thanksgivings!
Getting back into pen and ink
Practice, practice. It is hard to get your pen skills back up and running, but there is no time like now! I have this book, Rendering in Pen and Ink that I have had for years. Whenever I dip back in, this is where I go.
After I have practiced a bit, then I can delve into making something up. Trees and mountains are one of my favorites. It feels good to get the pen back to paper and the ink flowing again.