tales from the Drivers' seat: MOC part 4 and heading home

Well, here we go again, a little late in getting back to the computer as we are now in Wauna, Washington taking care of our 2 year old granddaughter who is keeping us busy.

But first back to the Montana Owners Rally. Phase 4 of the rally brought us back across the mountains, west to east, to 7 Feathers Casino in Canyonville Oregon. This is a very beautiful and well done park in the mountains across the freeway from the casino. The views are spectacular and the park is full of trees and large sites. If the need strikes you all you have to do is call the office and a bus will meet you at your site and take you to and from the casino.

The rally with over 40 rigs kept us busy with a visit from factory representatives from the Keystone factory and also Mor/Ryde. Lots of time to spend with old friends and meet new ones. We had one morning to visit and see what all the other Montana owners had done special with there rigs. Food was one of the big things at the rally; one morning we had over 80 people sharing baggie breakfasts. Another day we all went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and took over the whole place. We won't bore you with all the other things we shared. It's hard for us to put into words the great time we had so I will let new friends Wayne and Carolyn Mathews of Horse Prarie, Montana explain it. Reprinted with her permission.

"I normally am not at a loss for words, whether they're spoken or typed, but as the 7 Feathers group prepared to leave this evening, I knew I couldn't say a word without shedding some tears, so I said nothing at all. That won't do.

The rally was wonderful. In my wildest dreams, I'd never imagined that something like having an RV in common could bring such a congenial group together. During the week, I tried to compare this rally to various things so that I could explain to my friends and family just how much fun I was having. Like a week at a great summer camp? No I remember too many little kids crying and begging to go home when I went to camp. Like being with your best friends at school? No, because even in that group there frequently were many dynamics at work, preventing a true esprit de corps.

My conclusion is that nothing I've ever done, nothing, compares to this week at my first rally. We've made good friends, shared a lot of good times together with everyone, and learned that the MOC is a real family. Sharing, helping, socializing--what a great time!

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put on this rally. I know that for every hour of fun we had here, someone put in many hours over the last months ensuring that things ran smoothly. Thanks, too, for making us feel welcome immediately. You--we--are truly an amazing group, don't you think?..."

Dick took some time to climb the hill behind the park and was able to get a few shots and back down before getting caught and told to stay off the hill, like some others did. What a sly guy.

These are the best shots he could get, as the higher you went up the hillside the more trees there were, blocking the view. There are times we wish we had a chainsaw (like Robbie) and could just clear cut a large area so we could see better and get some more pictures.

This is just the set-up for one evening where most everyone brought snacks and treats and maybe a bottle of wine or two or other libations to share. More food than one knows what to do with. (But somehow we managed!)

Load up your plates and lets sit down and get to know each other.

The outside covered pavilion was a perfect place to sit and eat. Just a few feet away was 3 fire pits that the park staff would start camp fires for us and use their wood. What a pleasant change that was.

But lets not forget our master chefs who cooked oysters on the grill for those who wanted them. Thanks Ray and Carl.

As a parting shot from the rally we reflect on the good time we had and the great people we met.

Thanks to all for your hard work.

We headed out for one last stop before getting back to Washington. This was near the town of Silverton Oregon where if not it should be called the Christmas tree capital of the world. There were acres and acres of planted trees everywhere you looked.

We went out one day to the State Park to see the sights and do a little geocaching. We did find 4 caches including one not too far from the base of the falls. I wanted to use the long lens for this shot but found out it was now in California as Dick left it in a friend's truck and forgot to get it out. (Luckily for us that friend found it and it has now been safely returned along with some wonderful peanut brittle -- thanks Roxanne for the peanut brittle and helping John return the lens.)

The scenery in the area was spectacular especially after several months of seeing just brown in the desert. Here the wheat fields are green and growing tall. Do wish there was some blue in the sky for a better picture, but we are back in the Northwest.