Have been here in Milton Freewater for around 6 weeks now, and was getting very comfortable with excellent out-of-the-desert weather when BOOM, we got hit with a heat wave. I’ll get to that in a few paragraphs but first, and second, I did have some fun around town.
First thing was that I noticed on Facebook an announcement of a backyard garden concert staring Kate Morrison. Sure, gimme some of that. So I paid my $30 for a ticket, and the weekend of July 9th, headed on over to the back yard of a Walla Walla local carrying my 2 beers (one of them a NA). Plenty of comfy seating, I got a seat right in front of the BBQ that faced the stage. Kate has an excellent voice and does some jokes and anecdotes between both cover and original songs. Very talented.
Here’s the stage setup…won’t be a band, just Kate on guitar.
And these are our hosts I believe. Mike and his wife…um…Mrs. Mike. Yeah.
The rest of these shots are basically just of the venue. It was shaded, cool, welcoming place. They have politicians running for office come here and talk to citizens too. But today it was to be Kate performing.
And then Kate came onstage and introduced herself. Talked a little about herself.
And soon she was singing and kibitzing with the audience. Even with my hearing aids, I had trouble understanding her when she was talking but the songs were fun to listen to. I’ve always enjoyed live performances.
Click here for a short movie of her singing.
And soon enough it was dark and the 2 hour concert was over. She came over to my general area to talk to fans and asked my name…when I told her, she asked if I knew a singer by that name. As a matter of fact I do! My daughter! So we shared some anecdotes for a couple minutes and then she wandered off to press the flesh of others. Kinda neat that she just figured out from my looks that I might be related to Mush Morgan of the Coyote Kings band (she’s retired now). Guess we look something alike.
Here’s a few pictures that my friend Dale took, pretty sure he gave me permission to publish them.
Dale was there too as the photos imply. Sat over yonder with another friend. When it was time to leave, my knees were hurting so bad I only talked to Kate and then other people for a minute or two before I hobbled out to the car. Even sitting down in a comfy chair hadn’t helped much. That’s what happens when I forget to take a couple acetaminophen the morning of. I had worn my knee brace though…didn’t forget that.
The following weekend, I had discovered there was to be a comedy night at the Walla Walla VFW. So I showed up for that. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really hear much of anything anyone said. I took an online hearing test recently and though it could have been an issue with my setup or equipment, I don’t disagree with the ‘profound hearing loss’ findings from the test whereas a couple years ago I would have called it ‘moderate hearing loss’. Jeese, this getting old business really sucks. But, anyway, I did go to a comedy night, and had a great time. I wish I hadn’t eaten before I went because they had a special going on of a Philly Cheese Steak sammich. Missed having that. Anyway, here’s a few pictures of the Walla Walla VFW venue, kitchen, bar, and performers. I did get names, but gall durnit, I lost the scrap of paper I had them written on.
It started out a bit sad as the gal on stage was the promoter and a performer and she had put up 20 fliers. 20. I told her that with this size venue, she should have put up at least 200. She did an ad on Facebook too but that didn’t seem to do much either. Eventually, at least 15 people had filtered inside and seemed to enjoy the show. The echo-ey sound kind of ruined it for me. Couldn’t really hear them, oh, wait, I could hear them, just couldn’t understand them. Sigh. There was one guy who I didn’t get a picture of who came up on stage and didn’t get a single laugh. Poor bastard. I guess our eclectic group of 30 somethings to 70 somethings missed the joke perhaps?
Well, that’s it for now. The week after this comedy night the PNW got to enjoy extreme temperatures. In the 100 F range. Records broken all over the PNW. Even Seattle was/is breaking records for the heat. So I pretty much stayed inside the last two weeks trying to stay cool. We’re getting a respite from the heat today as it’s full on overcast and it’s probably not going to reach the 108 F predicted. It’s 96 now, at only 21% humidity so it’s hot, but not terribly uncomfortable. Sure hope that overcast sticks around. Just checked the Zoom.earth Live Weather satellite video and it sure looks like we are in for a cooling trend. Almost the entire Pacific is clouded over. And it’s heading my way. I’d love to see/feel some cooling rain.
I’ve got several things on my calendar if this heat wave backs off…install a new antenna on the roof, change the tranni oil and filters, change the engine oil and filter, install the dishwasher, come up with a nice cubby for my 45″ TV with it’s lift/lower mechanism, & find and repair whatever is going wrong with my LR slide! It’s been bugging me and acting weird since I first parked it in Mojave, CA back in June and it jumped and bucked when I tried to extend it. Seems like there’s something broken but I can’t tell what working alone. I’ll have to hire a handyman. Well, whatever, it’s still a much less expensive lifestyle then owning a house.
Thanks for visiting my blog! Let me know in the comments if there’s anything you’d like me to cover about this area or about repairs on the RV.
Jim; Cheaper? Cost of those fluids and filters? Joking. No property or school tax. You visited the VFW. Are you and AL member? Since I wasn’t overseas I was an AL member a couple years. But there’s nothing going on in this area. Ocean city, Md. though was another story.
Seems you’re going to stay busy working on the RV.
You have pain. I have allergies. And old age does suck. Keep the shiny side up.
Hi, Sam!
Yeah, cost of repairs is a thing with these giant beasts but I have a repair fund in the thousands now as I stuff a hundred or so into it each month. When things are manageable with the RV, like right now (I bought the oil and filters last year), then I use those funds for trips…like going to Costa Rica for a month this November. I also save bundles of money by doing jobs myself or hiring a handyman instead of going to a shop. Have a guy I’ve hired before lined up right now for those jobs I mentioned. Fuel is only expensive when I drive somewhere, and I don’t have to when it’s high of course. But rent or mortgage? I pay and have paid an average of $350/month for RV space rental over the last 18 years of RV’ing full time. That right there saves me an average of $700/mo. And right now the RV park I’m at is $375/mo with 50 amp, cement pads, green grass, water and sewer. It is missing Wifi but I use my phone for that now at $25/mo unlimited data. No cable either but I have satellite at $80/mo. So I’m paying $480/mo for the typical things every homeowner has. But no separate bills for water, sewer, electric, taxes, or yard equipment.
American Legion? Yeah, I tried years ago to join an AL club up in Fairbanks, AK that I’d visited several times (you just walk in and sit at the bar like you own the place and they serve you without asking for a membership card) but my friend said no, he couldn’t invite me to officially join but didn’t say why. Later I found that they have a strict rule, “Joining our Post enables you to continue serving your God, Country and Community.” See the ‘serving your god’ BS? Yep, that’s in their rules. My friend knew he couldn’t invite me to become a member due to that. Some AL posts state you MUST worship god to join, others have prayer services regularly, many have xian Sunday services. You have to be recommended by a member and you have to be religious. And since I’m an atheist, that’s a no go.
I am a lifetime member of the VFW which has no such restriction. I have complained to national headquarters where I have found over-the-top Xian religiosity at VFW posts when I’m traveling which got me a written proclamation of their stance a couple times which is that they are NOT affiliated with any religion. But I do sometimes see these off putting Xian displays at VFWs. I’ve never seen one that incorporates and welcomes Islam, or Jews, or Hindu, or any other religion, only xianity. Which makes it somewhat exclusionary and bigoted. The VFW in Walla Walla has one small statue of a kneeling to a cross soldier but that’s it. No other icons. I haven’t met the post commander yet but I’ll complain about that when I do. The post in Pahrump only has one small wall mounted xian display but they took that down recently. And the missing soldier display that you used to see everywhere? The lone table and one chair set up with a dinner setting, a flower, and the buybull? The VFWs I’ve visited have removed the buybull that use to adorn them. So have all the VA clinics and hospitals. So that display is no longer exclusive and becomes inclusive by not displaying a single icon of one religion. It was laughable how xians got all butt hurt when those buybulls were removed all over the country. Shows how bigoted they are.
My pains are manageable, like my knees…if I take a couple acetaminophen in the AM, they aren’t bad the rest of the day. My hips act up on rare occasions and the pills help then too. As for allergies, yeah, I seem to have them because I can take an OTC anti-allergy meds and they get better. Haven’t needed to go to an allergy doctor though.
Anyway, thanks for reading my blog. I did get a bit long winded here in the comments section, but nothing else is going on today. I’ve not visited Maryland, maybe some day. Have a great summer!
I’m going backwards here, but I’ve signed up for a notice when you post something new.
I usually bump into you when I’m poking around IRV2..
You also answered my question about where you are camped $$..
Up here almost an hour to Chelan or Wenatchee some folks wanted $700. a month for a spot on their property. FHU’s but $50. more for WiFi….
After maybe 2 days they had a taker..
I’ve thought about it on my property, for a second, who knows what I’d have to deal with, I enjoy my peace and quiet, now a widower, just my B.K. (barn-kat), best pal & buddy.
David..
Hi! David, I am not adverse to paying $700/mo for a spectacular view or area. I prefer to find out of the way gems to stay and if they happen to have a low cost monthly, great! Where I am now is $375/mo W/S/E, paved road, large cement pads to park on, 50 amp, mail collection, grass at each site, a tree or two, and within 8 miles of Walla Walla. Lots of local shopping too. I’m in a residential area but it’s open, with lots of unbuilt manufactured home sites already constructed, just never finished. So I like it here…main reason is it’s very close to family. Daughter, son, sister & BIL.
I’ve been around or through both Chelan and Wenatchee in years past and I seem to remember it’s mostly dry country. And sparsely populated between the two towns. Might be fun to head to the river or into the Cascades for fishing though if I were staying in the area.
My condolences on the loss of your wife, that’s always tough. But BK should make things easier. I understand the reluctance on your part to rent your property to strangers that can run away quickly but I managed a large RV park and found that the majority of RV’ing renters were nice and no problem at all. If you are thinking about it, being a Harvest Host for a while would be an easy way to start out. You don’t even have to have an improved campsite. It can be dry, next to a barn, next to the road, wherever. Harvest Host collects and holds your money, takes their cut, and you host some family that wants to show their kids what it’s like on a farm or equivalent. But you’re not required to babysit either.