Little Whale Cove
Depoe Bay, Oregon
July 2026
Well, another month has come and gone. Many are already feeling as if summer is coming to a close, but I always think the end of summer falls after Labor Day. Plus, August temps along the Oregon Coast are usually very nice, and we may get above 70 degrees for a few days! This summer has actually been quite nice in our area, with lots of sunny days and moderate temps. The flipside to that, though, is that we are in desperate need of rain. We are currently 18" below normal, and our rainy season ended much sooner than usual. Today, as I look at my office window, I see a smoky haze from the fires that are burning in central Oregon. The fire situation this year is heartbreaking, and it feels as if we're living in apocalyptic times. It's time, once again, to make sure our "Go Bags" are in order.
Enough with the doom and gloom.
We had family visiting for a few days in the middle of the month, but I didn't get any photos. Shocking, I know! I was probably distracted with all the attention I was giving to a big change in our lives. We decided to trade in our Class C motorhome for a Class B camper van! We (I should say Rod) did a lot of research on which would suit us best, searched dealerships near and far for the model we liked (and could afford), and set up negotiations for the purchase. We had our RV detailed and prepped for the trade-in, booked a campground near the dealership, unloaded the RV of 99% of the items we'd accumulated in the past 8 years of ownership, and headed out to Medford, Oregon to pickup our new rig! We're very happy with the van, which handles much better than our tank of an RV. We've gone from 26 to 21 feet, so we're definitely downsizing, but we'll be able to travel longer distances in a day, get better gas mileage, and fit into smaller campsites. It's a new adventure! We spent a couple of days on a "shakedown" trip, and we're still speaking to each other, so that's a win. :)
Meanwhile, I had a very good month of reading. I read five novels and re-read one memoir, winding up with very good ratings. Most were 4-star reads, but two were exceptional, earning 4.5 and 5 stars. No complaints here!
Books Read (click on the title for my review):
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (4/5)
The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth (4/5)
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (4/5)
I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O'Farrell (4/5)
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (4.5/5)
Whistler by Ann Patchett (5/5)
Gave Up On:
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
Movies & TV Series:
Dead of Winter - Good, but not great. Emma Thompson is worth watching, though.
The Good Shepherd - Great cast. Good film.
Red Joan - I enjoyed this one, but didn't care for the younger Joan. Either the actress was not very good, or the characterization of Joan was too immature.
Ride or Die - We gave up after 4 episodes. Too silly.
Visitors:
Our neighborhood deer
The New RV/Van:
2026 Entegra Ethos
I hope you all are staying safe during this terrible fire season.
I grew up going camping with the Brownies, Girl Scouts and my family in a camper and loved it. Then when I was a teenager they bought a cabin at a lake that we went to one weekends and stayed there during summer vacation when school was on break. I loved every second of camping. When I was married we bought a used school bus and turned it into a motor hom and I loved that too. I tried to get my son that I live with to buy a motor home or small camper but he just is not interested in camping. So once in a while my daughter and I take trips, she loves fishing.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I camped a little bit with my parents and brothers, but it wasn't until Rod & I started dreaming about getting a travel trailer that I really got bit by the RV bug. We've had a 19' trailer, a Class C 26' motorhome, and now this 21' camper van. We've seen a lot of "schoolies" that look so cool on the inside, but we're not that handy to convert one ourselves. I'm glad you're able to take trips with your daughter. You can always rent a van if you want to have that experience again.
DeleteLove the new travel van! Better gas milage these days is surely a must.
ReplyDeleteI just watched Helen Mirren in the Thursday Murder Club movie and enjoyed it (my second time and my daughter's first).
Helen, the van should get about twice the gas mileage as the motorhome! Plus, so much easier to maneuver in towns and parking lots.
DeleteHelen Mirren is a great actress, isn't she?
I know that you will love the good things about the new van. I think you might use it more often since it's less expensive to drive and easier to move around.
ReplyDeleteDeb, we're super excited about the new van. Heading out on a week-long trip soon, followed by another longer one in September! Lots of positives about the van, as you mentioned.
DeleteCongratulations on downsizing, although at 21 feet, that is still a whopper in my book! Enjoy your new camping digs.
ReplyDeleteYou did have a wonderful reading month--so many excellent books. I love being part of the book-blogging community because that means I am reading mostly 4- and 5-star books these days, based on others' recommendations.
I decided to forego seeing Hamnet because I knew it just couldn't be as good as the book for me.
I'm keeping my eye on the fires in your state as our trip to the PacNW gets closer. Hopefully you will get rain soon and that will slow down the fires. Take care.
Jane, I've been thinking about you and your upcoming trip to the PNW. I hope the fire situation isn't so grim by the time you head out here. We have no rain in sight for the next 10 days, other than a small chance of showers on the 19th. It's SO dry!
DeleteWe're very happy and excited about our new van. After driving a 26' RV for 8 years, this one feels much easier. (I do all of the driving, by the way.)
I agree about the book-blogging community. I very rarely read anything below 4-star ratings, thanks to all my pals vetting the books for me. And, I read books I'd never glance at in a bookstore, had I not read a glowing review for them.
I honestly don't think you're missing anything spectacular by skipping Hamnet. Sadly, it's so rare for a movie to be as good as the book.
I am ready to start a new book and contemplating Yesteryear but will go visit your review first. Congratulations on your new van. Ugh to our states being on fire. It is like hell has arrived.
ReplyDeleteAnne, I'll be interested in your thoughts on Yesteryear. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the print edition as well as the audio, so I'd go with the latter if I were you. Thanks for the congrats on the van. We're having fun getting it all fitted out for our upcoming trip. Oh, I hope we get some rain soon, but without lightning strikes. Our rainy season doesn't really begin again until November, though. We are currently 17 inches below average for the year.
DeleteLes, this was a fun and informative post. Love the look of your new van. Enjoy, enjoy! Great pictures, including the deer. Those fires - wow. Seems like each year the fires are in a different area. Hope all stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay! The van will be great for longer trips, such as to Tennessee to visit Amy, which would probably take us through Texas. Might be able to stop by and say hi to you! :) Yes, the fires get worse every year now. It's rather scary since we live in an old growth forest...
DeleteSummer ended after Labor Day for me as well, growing up. That's when the temps changed and we thought about starting school. Contrats on that great looking RV. It is a beauty! So much easier to drive and park I bet. Looking forward to seeing some camping trip pics with the new rig.
ReplyDeleteI've read three of your books and agree with the ratings. Whistler will go down as favorite for the year. Ann Patchett...can't go wrong with her.
Have not watched any of the shows you mentioned except Ride or Die and we liked it. It had silly moments for sure but we are hoping for a season two. Love both acrtress and liked Hannah in Ted Lasso and liked Octavia in Hidden Figures.
Ooo...anything with Matt Damon rocks my boat! Thanks for the roundup, it's always very informative and I will look at the other book and movie titles.
Tina, that's exactly how I think of the end of summer. Temps getting cooler so you can wear those fashionable sweaters that were featured in Seventeen magazine! :) When we moved to Nebraska in 1992, I couldn't get over the fact that the kids had to return to school in early August when everyone was sweltering from temps near or above 100! Crazy.
DeleteYep, the van is much easier to drive and park. I do all of the driving, so I'm very happy to have something a little smaller. It handles better in the crosswinds, too. Stay tuned for more pics, especially some interior shots (once I get everything organized!).
Yes, Ann Patchett is a gem, isn't she. I have yet to read a negative review of Whistler. Such a wonderful novel.
Glad you guys enjoyed Ride or Die. I probably would have continued, but I know my husband and my mom were not that interested after a few episodes.
Wow I like your new RV Van ... so cool and sleek. It's dynamite! Congrats on getting it. It looks easier to drive and get around. I hope you'll be on some new adventures. You had a good reading month in July. I guess I've read 4 of those and liked them. I've watched most of the movies you list and Golda was particularly compelling ... a lot of smoking in that film, lol. Enjoy your reads & rides in August! We are getting smoke here from Spokane area and BC fires ... hope you are clearer there ?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. We love our new van! It's a lot easier to drive, although I'm still learning just how fast (or slow) I should drive it down steep hills with curves. Don't want to be too cautious/old lady driver, but also don't want to roll it! ;) Yeah, Golda had A LOT of smoking in it, didn't it?! Our skies are now clear, but we did have some smoky air for three or four days a week or so ago. So sad about Spokane, the Okanagan Valley, and many, many areas. Last night I put a "Go Bag" list together just in case....
DeleteYour new van is so sleek! We had friends visit us in FL a couple of winters ago and they have a van that looks to be about the same size. Amazing to see how comfortable and easy to mange it is for them. I'm sure you love it already!
ReplyDeleteI've read three of your six books and our ratings align. Whistler will certainly be among my favorites this year.
It feels like August is getting away from me already. Our NYC daughter left a little while ago after being here nearly a week. We'll go see my parents in central NY later this week for along weekend, and we've made plans to be in NYC for the month of September!