Wednesday, 6 June - Richardson Park on Fern Ridge Lake, Junction City OR 97448

We spend the first hour or so talking with the supplier about delivery of our new Humminbird 10“ depth sounder /chart plotter which Kim ordered on line yesterday.  However before they can deliver they need to verify some details.  To give you the short version, because the value was over $1,000 they need to verify the billing address versus the delivery address and after many frustrating minutes on the phone and on hold it didn’t happen so we cancel the order and hope the credit comes as promptly as the payment was taken!  Maybe it was not meant to be this time round!

We are back on the road again today, it feels good to be riding high, looking over all the other traffic.  I need a haircut so we take the Beltline south to Walmart where Kim gets to spend some time browsing the RV and Automotive section while waiting for me.  We get back in the coach to travel another 8 or so miles to Richardson Park – not using much diesel today.  Site #36 which we were allocated when we made the booking is lovely, large with many tall trees but unfortunately not possible for us to get into, due to the overhanging limbs.  We scout around and find another more suitable site but on checking back at the office find it is not available for the 3 nights we have booked.  We walk around the park, both A section and B section and don’t find any sites that are free for the three days – the weekend is booked out.  So the camp host staff obligingly organise a couple of golf carts, a couple of guys and a lopper and they go about making the site fit our needs.  That’s great service but shhhh we can’t let the ranger know!  Plus the lovely ladies at the office offered us samples of fresh locally grown strawberries too.

By the time we are set up it’s about 2.30ish and we finish getting sorted, have a bite of lunch and then take the bikes on an investigatory hike to find the marina etc. 

Now this vista makes us feel at home!

There is a swim beach and some are swimming but at 24C is it definitely not necessary for us to get in the water just yet.  The day use/beach area is well supported today, young people everywhere in all their teenage glory with not a lot of clothes on.  As we bike past we get to sample each groups music of choice, each picnic table has its own but it is not overly loud and contained pretty much to each site.  However the launch tied to the jetty is trying to attract everyone and God’s attention by blaring their crap music out to the world.  Why do they think that is cool?

Life Jacket Loan - a great idea and we see it a lot of places by the water

We find a short cut back to camp and as we arrive back at #36 Camp Leader drives past on her golf cart towing a trailer of firewood, so we shell out the $5 to grab and bundle.

That;s how you make money by firewood sales - deliver!

So we are cooking outside on the fire tonight.  We start the fire early which doubles as a mosquito repellent and eventually sit down to steak, mushrooms and asparagus.

The WIFI here is very hit and miss, I only have one bar of cell coverage and Kim has none to some, so you might not get this post until we leave here.  Trying anyway!