Our summer months in the States took us from sea to shining sea this year. Well… close enough: Elliott Bay (Seattle, WA & surrounding area) to the Gulf Of Mexico (TX: Corpus Christi / Padre Island National Seashore) and back. We visited many places we hadn’t been before which was fun as well as educational. In addition we experienced with awesomeness of solar eclipse totality with a group of friends in Oregon, and feel grateful to have seen Corpus Christi / Padre Island National Seashore, Cat Spring and surrounding areas prior to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

Retracing our steps: We arrive in Seattle just in time to celebrate Mona’s graduation from UW with a PhD in Civil / Structural / Environmental Engineering and her engagement to Paul. Then began the hard work of getting our storage unit organized and many boxes cleared out, a nearly 2 week effort. That accomplished, we head south to Portland OR for several days. Then east to Maupin for a few more, followed by two long days travel to Carbondale CO to spend time with Ellie. In the last days of June we arrive in Silverton CO for Nancy’s 4th of July bash. The Silverton 4th of July parade & fireworks was a fun addition to the Hillbilly Hotel visit. Next stop, Durango where we continue our Nancy visit as well as got a lot of Barber Creations LLC / Mintaka Innovations work done. We also fulfill two orders of 4 Mintaka STARs for NOAA / NWS and supply quotes to them for orders of 50, 75 and 100 Mintaka STARs.

The remainder of July had us meandering toward Cat Spring TX to visit our friends, Charlie & Saundra (s/v Island Sol). Accommodations along the way are a mixture of campgrounds and hotels. When camped we secured spots with power so that we could work (especially Jerry) and keep our electronics charged; AT&T data service was generally available and one campground even had WiFi. Taos, Santa Fe & Las Cruces NM were all ok stops. The farmers markets in Taos, Santa Fe & Angel Fire were honestly disappointing. We’re spoiled by the everyday fresh market offerings of Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. Outside Taos we pass by the strange, creative structures of the Earthship Biotecture community, and drive over the Rio Grand Gorge Bridge; very near town, we stop by the historic Taos Pueblo however it wasn’t worth the entrance fee so we looked in from the outside for a few minutes before moving along. In Santa Fe we visit the wildly creative, downright wacky Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return - think Alice in Wonderland otherworldliness, secret passage ways from a fridge and closet doors, dinosaur music bones, gigantic statutes in the parking lot (one is a robot) - and that’s just the few things I remember as I’m typing. While in Las Cruces we visit their diminutive Museum of Nature & Science, and drive out to the War Eagles Air & Auto Museum in Santa Teresa NM, a drive that takes us through El Paso TX.

Alamogordo NM was a good stop: the White Sands Missile Range & Museum, White Sands National Monument, and New Mexico Museum of Space History are all interesting and informative places. If Jerry had grown up in this area there is no doubt he would have had a space related career. The National Solar Observatory at the top of a nearby mountain was less of a special visit, perhaps our expectations were too high. The morning was also cool and rainy which limited our outside time and the reported expansive mountain top views were obscured; nonetheless it was a beautiful drive there and back. Alamogordo to Abilene State Park TX was an all-day-er. There we camp again, and I see something new to my eyes, portable air-conditioners (think window-size) propped up on blocks to be “in” tents. One night is all it takes to understand how this is a very useful thing here. LOL

One more all-day-er gets us to Cat Spring TX. We arrive at Charlie & Saundra’s beautiful and spacious home set on several acres on July 27th. Many memories made during our stay: grape harvest Saturday, the many-obstacles-to-overcome-to-depart trip to Corpus Christi then beyond for the serious 4x4 adventure drive down Padre Island National Seashore (120 miles round trip with a camp-in-the-sand night at the far end of the island), leisurely drives through neighboring towns, and last but not least, the enjoyment of Charlie’s speciality drinks and meals.

Early August has us in Houston TX to visit one of our customer contacts with NOAA / NWS. The NWS loves their Mintaka DUOs, which their VOS program has used for more than two years now, and they are excited about the Mintaka STAR, of which they have several from their summer purchases. However, they said a couple of weeks earlier in a phone conference, if it could do a few more things, it could be the only instrument they need to install on their VOS ships. Since that phone call and follow up email, Jerry has been working on a prototype, which turns out to be a follow-on product, not an enhanced feature set. During this meeting, Jerry demos the new product while we gather solid customer feedback and additional information on this important NWS program. Also while in Houston, we spend most of a day at the Space Center. We splurge on VIP / Level 9 tickets and are treated to a fascinating and informative tour that includes a view into how and where astronauts train for missions, we watch staff in the Mission Control Center working realtime with the International Space Station - how cool is that!? - and a visit to the historic Mission Control Center for the Gemini and Apollo space missions (the actual “Houston, we have a problem” room). Easily a trip highlight.

From Houston we begin the trip back in order to be in Maupin OR by August 19th for the total solar eclipse on the 21st. Our return route, accommodations again a mixture of campgrounds and hotels: San Angelo TX, Socorro NM (where we make a stop at the Very Large Array, a 27 dish antenna radio telescope capable of making detailed images of deep space astronomical objects), Mesa Verde National Park outside of Cortez CO, Carbondale CO, Ogden UT, Donnelly ID to Maupin OR. It’s been a lot of hours and miles in the car since we left Seattle so we’re very happy to be able to stay at the Curtis Lodge for an extended rest & work time. We also need to get on our bikes; so far they have largely been back bumper ornaments. But first…. the solar eclipse gathering and event!

Friends and family of Stan’s start arriving at the Maupin cabin the Friday before the Monday morning event. By Saturday afternoon the house is overflowing with adults, kids - baby to teen-age - and a dog along with plenty of food and beverages. Next door, Wilf & M.E.’s guests have also arrived, many from out of state. Jerry & I know almost everyone so spend time at both parties. We brought Bloody Mary fixings so Sunday morning is designated Bloody Mary Contest Time. The competition was close, very close, however I have to say we edged the other team out with a combination of innovative garnishes: pickled beets / asparagus / okra, queen stuffed green olives, crispy bacon, a small meat-stick and of course the ever present celery stalk. The actual Bloody Mary was also pretty darn tasty. There is little doubt that this contest will have a rematch on an annual basis, if not a more regular one. On Sunday afternoon, we scout out possible solar eclipse viewing spots. Our drive takes us just into Madras where there are literally thousands of people camped / RV-ing cheek-by-jowl for the eclipse. After considering the options, on Monday morning the Stan house drives to a spot in the Reservation south of Maupin. The road had been closed due to a large fire (still smoldering in places) until just a day or so ago, so smaller crowds are anticipated, plus a longer totality time. This decision is rewarded with clear skies for the entire event. Solar eclipse totality of 1 min 47 sec along with an unobstructed view of Mt Jefferson nighttime dark directly east while Mt Hood, a little farther north, remains daytime sunshine bright. An awe-inspiring experience.

The last two days of August brings us several purchase orders, the largest by far is the NOAA / NWS order for 75 Mintaka STARs. Timing could hardly be better, our new order of STAR enclosures was just to be manufactured and we were able to get the custom NWS backplates manufactured within the same timeframe. After a quick trip to Seattle for all necessary items not shipped to Maupin, we assemble, commission and pack the order, shipping it from The Dalles OR just days prior to needing to be back in the Seattle area for annual medical appointments, a few quick catch-ups with friends, the purchase of remaining Vida Dulce provisioning / spares / supply items, and travel to Whidbey Island for this summer’s final book-end event, Mona & Paul’s wedding.

There was lots of other stuff going on but I’ll stop here with one final comment: It was a full summer of travel and events. An enjoyable time yet honestly at this point we’re looking forward to being home on Vida Dulce so that we can stop living out of suitcases. If you want to see a few pictures, click on the 2017 Summer album in the gallery - just a few there now with more to follow.