Time to catch up – the days are getting away from me. On Tuesday afternoon, Donna and I borrowed Alana’s car and drove to Edmonds. We went to visit with our friend, Sini Schmitt. Sini’s husband Bob passed away suddenly a few weeks ago while vacationing in the British Virgin Islands.

We’d never been to their house before. Sini gave us a tour then we sat and talked out on the patio. Their house is on Olympic View Drive and it has a view across the sound through the strait past Whidbey Island.

View over Sini’s house from their guest house

Sini seems to be holding up well. One of her sons was there when we arrived and she’s been busy preparing a memorial service and celebration of life for Bob. They had already decided to sell the house and were planning to take off in their motorhome. She would like to continue traveling one way or another. We talked a little about their RV and what she should do – keep it or sell it and maybe get a smaller one. I was at a loss. I don’t know how to act in these situations and I can only imagine the void left by Bob’s sudden passing.

On Wednesday, Alana got off work early. She, Donna and Gabi went to Camano Island to pick up some homemade body lotion from a school teacher they met at the Arlington Street Fair over the weekend. She grows lavender and calendula and other plants that she uses to make her soaps.

Homemade soaps curing

Calendula used in soap

Then they went English Boom County Park to hike and play on the beach.

Alana and Gabi

Gabi with her new hula hoop

I stayed behind and ran a few errands. I bought another drinking water hose to fill our fresh water tank. We’re low on fresh water and the hose bib is too far away for the 50 feet of hose I have. An extra drinking water hose is a good thing to have on hand anyway. I also bought a couple of quarts of motor oil to change the oil in Alana’s lawn mower before we leave.

When we were at Towerpoint in Mesa, Arizona, a member of the Northwest Chapter of the Alpine Coach Association organized a pizza party for Alpine Coach owners. There were three Alpine Coaches in the Towerpoint RV Resort, but Alpine Owners from other parks nearby were also invited. We met Bob and Jeanne Scown and she and Donna really hit it off. When we told them we planned to be in Arlington, Washington in July they told us to contact them as they live nearby and have an RV property on Lake McMurray – about 12 miles north of Arlington.

Donna contacted Jeanne and we made plans to visit with them on Thursday. We all piled into Alana’s car and drove to their place. They have property right on the lake. It’s sub-divided between four owners with RVs. They have electrical hook-ups and cable TV. They’ve owned the property for 49 years and have come to it in various RVs in the summertime. Now they have a 2007 Alpine Coach.

We sat on the grass outside their coach and talked while Lainey enjoyed the sun and Gabi went in the lake on our inflatable floatie.

Bob and Jeanne’s Alpine Coach on their lakefront property.

View of Lake McMurray from their dock

It’s always fun to reconnect with friends we’ve met on the road. Meeting Bob and Jeanne in Arizona and then visiting their property in Washington is one of the perks of our nomadic lifestyle.

We’ve had a few days of nice weather, but the skies are overcast this morning. Hopefully it’ll clear up this afternoon. I plan to fill our freshwater tank and do the oil change on Alana’s mower. We’ll pull out of here on Monday – our next stop is in Winthrop, Washington. We stayed there two years ago and I made reservations at the same park there again.

I also booked three months in San Diego beginning October 13th. So now we know where we’ll be for the first half of the winter.