Last day

This is our last night in the house we worked on for so long. Today was the big garage sale, tomorrow is the big push to get all our remaining stuff out of it and on to "Grandma's house". We are looking forward to the trip, especially meeting our best "Injun" friend from Port Renfrew, Bill Jones, in Las Vegas and our best friends from Hawaii & California, Chuck & Diane Fitzgerald, in California. And I can't wait to see how #2 son, Robin, is getting along with his old and new horses in his new place. We'll keep posting updates and pictures, so keep checking this site.

Newer plans

Our date for leaving GA is now set for June 10. We will be staying with my mother "Grandma Ruth" Gilman, in my neice's house in Jonesboro GA, from May 30 to June 10. Her phone number there is 770 471 3428. If you want to call, it is better to call our cell, which is 678 516 6907. We have decided not to go to New Orleans, it's too far out of the way. We will just head straight west, to Memphis, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Las Vegas.... reaching Robin's place around the 17th or 18th. Our email address is still: observer@islandnet.com

Trip plans

We are going to drive to the Pacific Northwest. We have bought a '86 Ford Econoline van with a gas-hog V8 (Manfred always says "SMALL V8") so it will cost a fortune, but so do planes and shipping. At least we get to use [relativly] cheap American gas. The picture also shows our old Subaru station wagon, which we have to sell. The van is big enough to take all the stuff we need to take, and then some. We will go first to New Orleans, to see what it looks like now, and then on to California to visit #2 son, Robin, in Santa Maria. The route will depend somewhat on the weather/temperature, although we will have to resign ourselves to lots of heat. At least the van has 2 air conditioners, and 2 gas tanks. Before leaving, we will spend a week with my Mom, in Jonesboro GA. She lives with my neice, Tina, and her husband, Steele, who will be away on vacation in Denver. So, it will probably be nearer the end of June when we arrive in WA/BC.

House is sold.

The house refurbishing is complete and the house has been sold, at full price ($130K). It was only "on the market" for 5 days! Seems that people just loved the floors and especially the painting. We must leave by May 29. We will be returning to Port Renfrew, B.C., but must visit California first. Note added 1/26/09: There used to be a "virtual tour" on the realtor's page, but it's gone now, so I had to take out the link that was here. I'll try to get some more photos to put here instead.