Visit to a Paradise!

Thursday September 11^th found us on the road again but this time only about an hour south of Portland we took a short side trip east to visit with Steve & Peg Mitchell in or near Lyons, OR.  Steve is a shipmate of Dick’s from the USS Firedrake who has attended some prior reunions and had invited us to stop by and stay with them at their new retirement home in the woods. 

Were we ever glad that we took Steve up on his gracious invitation to at least stop by.  Now sometimes a GPS plays tricks on you and this was one of those times.  I had phone conversations with Steve about bringing our RV in to where they are located and after he checked we agreed that I would drive the RV to a golf course that was near their home and park in a lot there as he had made arrangements with the course so it would be OK.  Well, Pat found the golf course on her GPS on her laptop and off we went down what was quickly becoming a narrower and narrower road.  At one point the pavement turned to gravel but then back to pavement, however suddenly the GPS “Lady” announced “In 200 yards park your vehicle and proceed on foot”…well that was an unexpected surprise.  We kept on driving and the road did continue but the GPS said it had ended!  We were in the hills and valleys of Oregon and it was beautiful and very green even though they had not had much rain.  The river that the road followed was obviously very low, but VERY clear. 

Suddenly in all the dense pine and hemlock forest around us I looked to the left and there was a clearing with someone on a golf cart on a fairway!  We made it and were able to park just fine on the grass parking lot.  Steve met us and we drove back a couple of more miles to his place.  What a fantastic place they have.  It had been Steve dad’s place many years back. They have redone the “main cabin” which is their home, added two small fully equipped cabins, one of which is attached to his garage and one free standing.  Their deck is very large and the whole place is located in among many large trees, most of which are hemlock, cedar and pine and has that great fresh outdoor scent that only woods like that can create. The photos below show their home in the woods, Steve and Peg with their very friendly dog with the side of one of their cabins.  The another shows the great bear carvings that Steve has mounted to a tree near their driveway.  The next photo is of a huge 7 x 7 elk rack that Steve has mounted in their living room.  I can’t find the words to adequately describe the awesome way in which Peg and Steve have decorated their home.  Everything is just perfect for the setting of their home in the woods.

 Below is a shot of a large petrified log that Steve has just off from his deck.  Sorry I didn’t place something by it to give size perspective but it is about 4 feet long and about a foot in diameter!  Also a shot of the Racoon carving on their deck.

  

Here are two more snapshots from Steve’s. One is the scale model of the Firedrake that he had built and hopes to be able to bring to a Firedrake reunion.  It is perfect in every detail!  The other is a jacket patch that he acquired that is just so perfect I had to have a photo of it to include here!  A true patch of Navy Pride!

 

We took a short walk up the road to Steve’s cousin’s home.  Wow! What a lovely place also.  It is a large octagon wood home with a vaulted ceiling that is just beautiful.   We returned to Steve’s home and enjoyed a nice lunch that Peg prepared for us.  

After Steve got out of the Navy he went to work for Del Monte and just retired last year after I believe 43 or more years with them.  He worked his way up in the company and managed several plants and other great jobs.  When he found out that Pat’s dad had worked for Del Monte he insisted on giving her a Del Monte ball cap in camouflage colors.

I would be very remiss if I failed to mention that while I was looking at and admiring a great collection of bamboo fishing rods that Steve had displayed their home, Steve proceeded to give me one of his bamboo rods with two tip pieces in a case. He insisted that I take it as he showed me a large collection of them he had in addition to the ones on display.  I greatly appreciate it and will put it to use fly fishing in PA and hopefully elsewhere! 

While we would have loved to spend the night or several nights with Steve and Peg in one of their cabins as Steve and Peg had so graciously offered, we needed to move on to get some miles on toward going to Bob and Cherie’s tomorrow so after a truly wonderful visit Steve drove us back to the RV and we departed about 4 PM.  Steve and Peg, thank you so much and we do hope to return someday when we can spend longer and would love to have you visit us in Pennsylvania.