Northwest GTG 2012 - Sept 27-Oct 2

[snowball]

Thanks for the wonderful pics. I am curious about how that turkey was cooked too. I sure don't think I could get a turkey that big in my oven. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun!

a couple of years ago I clipped an article of how some one solved the turkey is too big for the oven google trash can cooking a turkey or U-tube and see what you find it is doable so who is to say if it was real or not I won't as we did have turkey for the potluck
had a delightful time said my goodbyes and headed North took a detour so I could see some of the state saw beautiful country MT Hood and meandered and meandered took far longer than I anticipated but finally arrived at my destination Hood River city or what ever it's correct name is going to see the waterfalls ect along 84 then head to my sisters in Port Ludlow can't say a heck of a lot for this motel but it will do
Again thanks a lot for the gtg and thanks Beth for everything
sheila

[OregonLuvr]

Glad you arrived safely and you should have good weather for Multnomah Falls tomorrow. Have a safe trip up to your sisters. Was great meeting you and hope we meet again

karen

[Bethers]

Glad the meanderings were beautiful - since they took so long! Get a good nights sleep and enjoy the falls tomorrow. It's so quiet in my rig tonight. Not that you were noisy - just sayin' you are missed! Was great seeing you. Already looking forward to the next time.

[Sandersmr]

I did that falls tour a few years ago and each one was beautiful and unique. Multnomah is the easiest because it's right there on the road, but we saw several more.

[Joan]

Made it home. In the process of unpacking. What a great get together. Great people, great food, great time! Hope to see you all again real soon. In the meantime, happy travels.

[Cougarfan]

I made it home as well. Was a windy drive home. Felt like I was towing a big parachute LOL Only got 6.6mpg instead of the 11 I got last week. Oh well, it was totally worth it!

What a great gtg! I enjoyed everyone and everything. I think we should do it again next year

Laura

[rvgrammy1953]

Great photos, Beth!!! and it was great you got the Banner photos....Geez, we'll soon have to get an extension for it, do ya' think..... lots of more GTGs to come.....Safe travels home, or to what ever is your next adventure to all....

[monik7]

Made it home tonight. So glad I joined the forum just in time to attend the gtg. Was great to meet so many wonderful and caring ladies. So much fun and the food was out of this world. So many excellent cooks! I feel very blessed to have been able to attend and get to know everyone in person. Thank you to everyone for making my first gtg so memorable.
Sandi

[OregonLuvr]

Just had our last "fireside chat". What a great group of women. I am soooooo glad so many made it. I met some outstanding people and so sad to see it end. BUT like Laura said, we WILL do it again next year. If not sooner, you know how those mini GTG's just pop up sometimes. There are only 6 of us left. We will all be departing in the morning back to reality....sigh.

Nothing better than good food and good company. I will be sad to see the rest of us leave but all good things have to come to an end. Was very exciting to have some of our newer members join us. Glad the gals that left earlier got home safe and sound. Thanks for letting us know also.

karen

[ellenw]

What a wonderful way to meet new friends and get to know my new Joy, all at the same time. Supportive encouragement all around. You were all such a delight!

Kari and I stowed Joy about 5:30 tonight back in Spokane. The two days' drive were uneventful, except that the last 60 miles were the worst of the 1250 miles I drove in the last week. We had gusting winds and distant haze (dust) from north of the Tri-Cities (southeast Washington, just north of the Columbia River) to I-90 (about 75 miles). That was another new experience for me, learning how to drive steady, SLOWLY, in wind. Then where I joined I-90, the distant haze became a brown-out across the freeway and visibility dropped to about 150' - yikes! Very scary. The wind was stronger and the visibility came and went. Kari and I seriously considered pulling off and spending the night somewhere, but we plodded on that last 60 miles, with me struggling to hold the wheel steady in 45 mph wind gusts and semi's continuously pulling around me.

Anyway, another new experience logged. I've dumped the tanks 3 times now and I see the advantage of those accordian stair-step V-shaped thingies that provide a downward slope for the hose. I also understand the need for rubber gloves. I bought some cheap-o ones at Dollar Tree and tore the first one trying to get it on. Kari located some baby powder and sprinkled the remaining 9 gloves in the package. Hence another lesson learned.

Thanks to several GTG women, I learned the easy way about draining my hose when I disconnected instead of the hard way of getting a soaking as I stowed it away.

The potluck was great fun, the turkey was a hit - both Marda's [WickedLady] and Laura's [CougarFan] -- and Marda's homemade wine - Oh my goodness! Secret ingredients abound and make for a delish dessert treat. Karen [OregonLuvr] generously donated most of her space for a gathering place and Beth donated her picnic table so all 13 of us could be together. Ann [AnnCat] drove 6 of us to Crater Lake in her new BEAUTIFUL Winnebago View - my hero! All the dogs were so sweet and mostly got along well. Tucker didn't play well with some of the boy dogs, but he SO loves those girl dogs! Apologies to poor Oscar - Cheryl [Lynn2] and daughter, Lindsey's, sweet, sweet shepherd mix. He was terrorized and rebuffed by an obnoxious 5-pound menace.

I'm very much looking forward to my next GTG, wherever and whenever, whether mini- or large, spontaneous or planned. There are two of us now here in the Inland Empire of Eastern Washington/North Idaho - Kari [KariFlint] and me. Look us up!

[Bethers]

So nice to see that those heading home have made it safely. Like Karen just said, it was sad sitting out there tonight knowing that this is coming to an end. I met so many wonderful people. Some I've been talking to online for years, some just joined recently and only 1 I'd met previously (well, not including that I met Laura and Ann just the previous week!). Each one made this an awesome gtg. And, yes, next year! Or sooner! Somewhere - someplace - can't wait to see each of you again.

I'm sitting on my computer now completely reworking the way I'm probably heading south .... hahaha - Diana and her great ideas (yes, they were great) is giving me a headache lol - trying to figure ways to see so many places in so little time. We shall see what actually happens when I get on the road. But have changed my path a bit to try to accommodate these wonderful places she suggested. I need years and years to go 9 days lol

Karen - until you go back to work, no reality, ok? Mine will be in 13 days.

[Redwahine]

So glad you all had such a great time. The best part?? Getting together and meeting each other. I can't wait to met everyone sometime in the future. The worse part? Everyone saying goodbye and going in different directions like scattering in the wind. Thanks for sharing your stories and pictures.

[Nasoosie]

Sure does sound like a good time was had by all out there! I loved sharing it via the pictures, too. It is always so much fun to meet people we have been chatting with online in person, is it not? And the food! Ooooh that food! thanks to all who shared this neat GTG with us too far away to make it this time around. Maybe next year????

[Lynn2]

Can't begin to describe what a great gtg this was for my daughter and I. I second all said. We headed out about 8am this morning. Stopped and said goodbye to Les (gtg ladies eat your hearts out). All was well and hit the highway by 9am. Grabbed some coffee and started driving. Made it to Prineville by about 2:30. Great county park with walkways around the golf course for Oscar and Tip.
So far the trip back is going great. ( except for the HUGH gorge I had to cross--Karen I have pictures) So funny--the truck is running better, faster, the roads are wider and smoother, much less stress. Big change from my first days of driving.

Met such wonderful ladies, can't wait to do this again. Definitely next year or sooner.
Wishing you all safe travels.

[mtngal]

Landed in Sycamore Grove for the night. Ditto ditto ditto what everyone said! It was a perfect week; good friends, yummy food and lovely weather in a spectacular location! Yep will need to do it again, soon!