Hi! My name is Max and I’m the cutest dog in the world (according to my Humans). I suppose some of you might be surprised that a dog, such as I, can use a computer. Rest easy because I really can’t. I can’t type, because I don’t have opposing thumbs. Not having those limit me to mundane tasks like digging holes in the yard, holding treats awkwardly between my feet so I can take little bites instead of gobbling them like some critters do and that’s about it. I dig holes and hold treats. And walk. I walk a lot. So, in order to accomplish this amazing feat, I simply dictate what I’m thinking to Jerrie who can do all the hard stuff. In my spare time, I hunt squirrels.
At this moment in time I’m camping with my Humans, Diane and Jerrie, in the Keizer Elks Lodge RV park. We drove down a couple days ago. No, I didn’t get to drive. I wanted to but another deficiency nixed that … I’m too short. Can’t reach the pedals, can’t steer, and don’t understand the need for turn signals. If I want to turn, I turn. Pretty simple. But I understand that’s against the law. Oh, and I don’t have a license. Apparently, dogs aren’t allowed to drive vehicles on public roads. In a field, on a tractor, no problem.
Another limitation about not having opposable thumbs is that I can’t open a can of dog food. That’s really not a bad thing because canned dog food is disgusting. If you’ve ever taken a bite of that stuff, you know what I mean.
So far this has been a pretty relaxing trip. I get left alone in the trailer once in a while when the people go do things I can’t do. Like eat in a restaurant. I’d love to do that but they keep telling me I’m too short for that, too. And I can’t hold a fork. While I’m alone I practice holding a fork but it’s just beyond me. In frustration I usually wind up just licking all the utensils in the drawer. Yes, I can open the drawer. And until right now, they didn’t have a clue they were using tools covered in dried dog slobber.
I need to sign off on this post before I get into more trouble. Perhaps I’ll find a way to share more of my life with you when Jerrie’s not paying attention. Keep an eye out for me.
This young lady had a birthday party last Tuesday to commemorate her arrival at the Quarter Century point of her busy life. The family gathered at the Margarita Factory in a place called Beaverton. It’s rumored that the town was originally named Beavertown because there were Beavers everywhere but someone in the government got reckless with their typewriter and fumble-fingered the official document that locked the city’s name forever as Beaverton. It can’t be changed back to the original name because the government is ne3ver wrong. Right? Like I said. It’s a rumor.
There were 10 of us at the table. That’s Lydia in the green sweater. As you gaze upon the table you can see why the place is called Margarita Factory. They don’t serve small drinks. Perhaps you may be happy to know that I, Jerrie, did not partake of any alcohol. I drank water. That’s all I ever drink. I’m not bragging, it’s just my drink of choice. Alcohol and I just don’t get along very well.
The food was good. I think I ate a bunch of shrimp which, as I recall, were pretty good. But, they didn’t take the crunchy tails off of them. Once those were removed they were pretty good.
Now Lydia is working on her way toward the Half Century mark. We’ll be with her the entire way.
Here I am, sitting in my recliner, Max hanging out between my legs, watching an NCAA Men’s playoff game (Clemson vs. Alabama) while Diane watches a recorded episode of The Bachelor. Living the dream.
In case you missed it, Kelsey (sp) won and got a humungus ring. Also, Alabama won the game. I don’t know who they play next. The game I watched before that one was UCONN vs. Illinois. Quite an amazing game. When the score was tied 23-23 UCONN went on a 30-0 run which kinda sealed it for them.
Now I’m compelled to lean into the goofy side of my brain. You may stop reading at any time and use your time in a more constructive way. I won’t mind at all.
Recently, Diane and I, and Max, spent a few days at Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook where we didn’t even take one walk on the beach as a complete family. Max and I got out because he made it very clear that if I didn’t take him out he was going to crap in the trailer. That would not have made Diane happy. The weather was crappy so it really wouldn’t have been upset. But, we walked on the beach numerous times to avoid an unwanted nature call on the couch. He’s never done that but sometimes it’s difficult to deny physical needs that are ignored for too long. So, we walked and played.
The tide was out most of the times we walked making the beach appear to be enormous.
I tried to get him to run in the waves, and he did for about 30 seconds before dragging me back to the high tide mark that was littered with thousands of dead velella. They were odiferous and Max found them to be very appealing to his sensitive nose.
Left to his own devices he did his best to roll his little body in the sweet perfume of dead sea creatures but I won that tussle. He still needed a bath which he got when we returned to the trailer.
Those things were everywhere amongst the rocks.
To make the trip a little more enjoyable, we came upon some waterfalls that dribbled themselves onto the beach. They were very pretty and I did my best to get Max under them be he wasn’t having any of that.
Instead of choosing to rinse under one of the waterfalls he wandered toward the incoming tide, climbed on a rock and was promptly washed off into a roiling spin bath. I wish I had had some soap with me. I would have taken a photo but didn’t want to take a chance of dropping my phone into the water. Just trust me when I say he was thoroughly soaked when I managed to get him back to dry ground.
After many years of sticking around town we’re planning trips south for next fall. We’ve discussed doing this for years, but events and family ‘things’ prohibited such a trip. Now we actually have reservations to get it going.
First stop will be Fiddlers Coveon Naval Base Coronado, CA. Our plan is to be there for a month then we’ll move on to the Boneyard Vista Park on Davis-Monthan AFB in Tuscon, AZ. We’ve stayed on many bases during our various trips around the country but rarely with our RV. The exception is NAS Fallon, NV that was a topic of discussion not long ago.
One of the decisions we had to make was whether or not to use the motorhome or the travel trailer. When we bought the trailer, our intention was to sell the motorhome. Our pickup is rigged to be dingy towed, but the truck is more useful while towing the trailer. I think we’ve agreed to take the trailer so in case any of you are interested, the motorhome is for sale.
No, it doesn’t come with the tow car. Since this picture was taken the car was totaled when it got rear-ended at a crosswalk. If the Neptune piques your interest, let me know at Jerrie.cate@gmail.com and I send you particulars.
Today, March 1st, 2024, I took Max for a leisurely walk around the neighborhood like normal and we wound up walking in snow the entire way. Sadly, I didn’t take pictures, but everyone knows what snow looks like. It was just a surprise. We’ve had lots of rain all up and down the Left Coast and the remnants continue on across the country making life miserable for pretty much everyone in different ways. In general, everyone got wet everywhere. Some got more wet than others. For us it means the little crick in our backyard, that normally makes its way in a leisurely manner to the Columbia River turns into a muddy torrent. There’s no danger of water getting to our house, but sometimes it makes us wonder.
Max would like the creek a little lower and slower so he can go wading, one of his favorite things to do.
We’re on a short trip to lessen the sadness of forgoing a longer trip. The beach was selected because it’s Diane’s Happy Place. Even bad days at the beach are wonderful.
We left home yesterday around ‘noonish’ and drove almost straight through with only a short stop at Bradley State Park so Max could take a little walk. He’s a really good traveler buy why take chances, right? He was happy that we considered his needs.
There was a short discussion about getting fuel before checking in to our room at the Hillcrest Inn in Seaside but checking in first won the debate. According to the truck’s computer we could go another 70 miles or so, so we chose to wait until the next day. The afternoon was beautiful, even though it was gently raining, so we used the time wisely by walking on a windlass beach with just a few scattered people for Max to greet. Much better than filling the gas tank.
We checked in with Ruth, the owner and an ex-Marine, who we met years ago during our first visit to the Hillcrest Inn. Diane chose it because of the name; we lived on Hillcrest Road at the time. If you have lots of spare time to waste, you can search through my old posts because I know I’ve mentioned this place previously. I’d look it up for you but I’d rather not. I’m not much for doing research. Just trust me, if you wish. It’s really there somewhere.
After getting our key to one of the cabins, we took Max to the beach. There was no wind, it was almost warm out. It was a nicer walk. There were not many people on the beach so I let Max run free for a short time until he got too friendly with some folks he met. Specifically, there were 4 your girls laying in the sand covered with a blanket. Max, of course, took this as an invitation to snuggle and get some licks in. They didn’t seem to mind but I put him back on his leash and relieved them of his presence. He’s far too friendly for his own good.
Our walk took us to the Seaside Turnaround where, it’s reported, Lewis and Clark ended their journey to the Pacific Ocean. That’s a rendering of them, standing atop their pedestal, behind us, near my right eye.
Diane went out before lunch to snag a few things at Safeway. She really enjoys getting away from me when she can. Can’t say I blame her. There are times when I wouldn’t mind getting away from myself, too. While she was gone shopping Max and I lounged on the sofa while I read to him. He’s a fan of Lee Child and Isaac Asimov. Sometimes he likes Norah Roberts, too. I’ve tried reading him pet stories but he finds them too pedestrian for a dog of the world such as himself. So, I cater to his whims and read whatever he brings me.
After lunch, Diane departed on a longer journey to Warrenton to visit the Goodwill store, her favorite place. Then Max and I took as leisurely walk on the beach where we found untold numbers of dismembered Dungeness crabs. It’s hard to tell if the birds did it or if nocturnal beach people had their way with them. It looks a little like a sacrificial altar.
Max wanted to rearrange the display but I talked him out of it and we went back to our room. It was time because it was very windy and cold out there.
Early on in this narrative I stated that Diane likes to get away from me every chance she gets. That’s not totally accurate because we really enjoy each other’s company. But, she truly does love her alone time especially when she shops. I admit I tend to hover around her when I go too, and that can be annoying. So, it’s better that she goes alone. I’m afraid that if I don’t support her ‘time away’ we won’t reach our 60-year goal of wedded bliss.
I suspect it would be prudent if I terminate this before I start saying stuff I’ll regret. Cheers to you all. Stay safe and happy.
Thinking back about Diane’s tumble, bits of memory have been seeping into my tiny little brain. This is one of them. When Diane fell this is what she left behind as she thrashed in the snow waiting for me to get her up. I didn’t realize it at the time what she had done because it was dark. I went back yesterday and found this in the place she landed. Kinda cool. I’m lying, of course. She landed on ice and was temporarily fused to the driveway until help arrived to pry her free. If you’re wondering how she is, she’s doing OK. She can’t raise her right arm which confirms my belief that her right rotator cuff is hosed up. We may never know the extent of the damage to her shoulder because she won’t go to the doctor. If it was me who was injured, she’d make me go to the doctor for sure. Doesn’t seem fair that she doesn’t have to go if she doesn’t want to.
The gentleman scheduled to be terminated in Arkansas recently caused me to revisit my solution for the method used to accomplish the task. Some facilities in the past have used very expensive exotic chemical cocktails that didn’t always work and most recently Arkansas decided to use pure nitrogen. I haven’t heard any news about whether or not it was successful. Seems like the prisoner was previously subjected to a termination process that failed. I don’t understand why they don’t just give these people a large dose of fentanyl. Seems to work pretty good on kids who use it and I’m sure our government has a large stash of this stuff that they could share with any warden who wants it. For free!
Just a thought …
On a lighter note, here’s Max on a bad hair day. This is pretty much every day for him. He’s a hot mess. But he’s adorable. Right now he’s getting all that fixed by his hair stylist. He goes there about once a month. It’s called K9 Grooming and he loves going there.
The weather took a turn for the better yesterday and today and the temp got up to 60. It was nice to walk Max around the block without putting on a bunch of winter clothing and he didn’t have to wear his raincoat. He really doesn’t mind wearing it, he just doesn’t like the process of putting it on.
Soon it will be nice weather all the time and we’ll be able to take some trips. We’re looking forward to that.
Yes, we’re on day three since the snow arrived, but it’s scheduled to go away soon according to all the weather people everywhere. They nailed it with the snow arrival and even correctly determined how deep it would be. During the entire snowing event the temperature did not get above 20 degrees so it was very dry. It was very windy, too, so the snow was blown all over the place. It would have been easy for me to shovel the walks and driveway, but I didn’t do it because I’m old. I’m not a shoveler.
I started this a few days ago thinking I could stay current, but time got away from me, like normal and here I am, again, running late.
The freezing temps are gone for a moment, and the snow is almost gone from the roads so getting around is much easier now. Still, we needed to visit Jennie and family yesterday evening. Considering how the evening ended, we should have stayed home.
After a nice visit with the kids we bid our adieu and headed for the truck. The sidewalks were clear and we were doing real well until we got to the end of the garage wall. A that point we had to make a right turn to make a shorter trip to the truck. Diane was leading the way and made the turn just fine. Sadly, when I turned the corner I hit the ice, lost my balance, knocked Diane into Jennie’s Honda, I fell down and hit the ground shortly after Diane. She made it half way under the car but I managed to stay where I hit. Neither of us broke anything but Diane, I’m sure, messed up her right rotator cuff and she was terrible pain.
Going to urgent care right away for Diane wasn’t going to happen. Sitting in a small room populated with people ready to share their ailments isn’t her favorite thing to do. But, if the pain doesn’t get better, that’s where she’s going to go. I’ll let you know how that goes.
It’s morning now, it’s almost 41 degrees, and the sun is shining brightly, and the hazardous ice is dissipating. The snow will go away soon, too. When that happens I’ll wash the truck.
Lots of it. That’s what’s happening in our backyard right this minute. It’s been going this for most of the minutes this morning. Just like Matt Zafino and Rod Hill said it would. They are Diane’s favorite weathermen on one of our local channels. I don’t remember which one but that’s not revalent. No, make that relevant. Something like that. Let’s pretend it’s channel 8. I think that’s KGW. That’s probably not prevalent either. It might have been channel 6.
The forecast is that the snowing in progress will continue throughout the day, into the night. The snow really isn’t a problem because it’s too cold to be actually slippery. I know this is true because I bundled up myself and Max and we took a hike around the block. We both survived the brutal cold (17 dergrees) and it was actually not too bad as long as we were going with the wind. Blowing directly on my face kinda froze my eyeballs making it hard to look at stuff. So, I just walked backwards when necessary.
When we got back to the house we did a walk around the perimeter of the yard to so Max might figure out what his boundaries are. Until recently he’s been turned loose to investigate stuff but with the crick running high and fast it’s risky. At least we think it’s risky. Max doesn’t see it as a problem. His only experience with falling in to fast flowing water, somewhere in Utah, must have made a lasting memory because he’s pretty careful at home.
At the creek we discovered that when most people have removed their Christmas decorations, Mother Nature was not done with the season, yet. Quite stunning.
Max, however, was oblivious to the beauty surrounding him unless you consider the intoxicating aroma of moss on a rock. He spends most of his time walking doing just that – smelling everything, for a long time. I think he’s adicted.
Diane’s almost done cleaning everything in the house so It’s time for me to stop this and offer my help. She will say my help isn’t needed, of course, because I’ll’ve timed it just right.
I just realized, like just now, really, that I’m on the verge of failing my 2024 resolution already. And it’s only the 8th! I suspect that some of you might disagree with the “on the verge” claim and, instead, believe I’ve already exceeded the self-imposed timeframe for failure. For those of you on that side I submit that whatever rule I imposed is subjective meaning that I can change it any time I want. So, I’m still OK here.
It’s cold out there. Wet, too. Because of that double whammy it’s an adventure to take Max for a walk. My raincoat actually keeps me dry but Max’s raincoat is more like a sponge. I think it’s more of a coat to keep him warm instead of dry. But, that’s all he has. Considering the weather, I think Diane should do a little shopping and get something that’s a little more waterproof for the little guy. Don’t you? Maybe after she reads this, she’ll do it.
It might be a good idea to get him one that serves as a life jacket, too, because the creek out back is getting pretty high, almost to the point of overflowing into the yard. Keeping Max dry is our problem, not Max’s. He likes the water and doesn’t care how high it gets.
It’ll go back to normal eventually. Thankfully, he hasn’t fallen in while it’s running this high and fast. He’s not afraid of it but he respects the potential disastrous results should he venture in for a swim. I’ve had talks with him about that and I think he gets it. If he falls in my only recourse would be to make a beeline to the point where Milton Creek joins the Columbia River. That’s only a couple of miles away. If I miss him there then he’s getting a trip all the way to Astoria, another 60 miles. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be dog-paddling that far. So, he keeps his distance.
We were going to make a trip to the coast later this week to watch the King Tides, and maybe see a couple of whales on their way south, but the rain, and the forecast for more rain isn’t encouraging. I know, we’re Oregonians and we love the rain. That’s true. But we don’t have to go out a play in it like we did when we were 7. Did I mention that it’s cold, too?
We’ve been dealing with RV woes for the past couple of months, trying to get new weather stripping around the slides and seal up a couple of leaky spots that annoy us. Nothing catastrophic, just annoying. I took the RV to a local dealer who recently moved to St. Helens from Gresham (I think) and explained what I was hoping to accomplish, and they gave me a quote for “about $700” which I thought wasn’t too bad. Labor’s the biggie at $159/hr. After they had it for about a week I was called and told the job is done and I could go get it.
I was happy to do that because there’s a huge mattress in the garage that needs to go back in it so we can park the truck inside. When I got there, I paid the bill, then I went to get in and take it home. First, however, I checked the items I had address to see how it was done and discovered that, gee, it wasn’t done. I know, should have checked first, right? True, but I’ve had other items fixed by them since they moved in and trusted them.
The Reader’s Digest version is that they addressed all the issues but didn’t finish any of them. The bill was over $900. I received assurance that all the discrepancies I pointed out while serving as their QC guy would be fixed at no additional cost to me.
Another week goes by and I get another call to come get the rig because the work was done. I paid them a visit and let them know I was going to check it out. The maintenance supervisor went with me. I checked all the items I’d previously address and found that it still hadn’t been addressed and the main leak in the driver’s area was worse than ever.
Another week trickles by and I get another call to come check it out and find that the leaks have stopped, the floor was dry, but the gasket around the main slide was still in the “partially fixed” stage. The same stage it was in the first time I was called to claim my finished rig. I personally pointed it out to them 3 times what I figured should be done and was obviously ignored. The lead tech acknowledged the failure on their part claiming that the guy he had working on it was focused on the leaks, not the gaskets. I believe he might finally understand that Jerrie isn’t pleased as he headed for the exit.
That’s where I left this mess last week sometime and I’m waiting for them to call me again to report completion. Diane told me to be stern and “don’t pay them another dime” or else she’ll go talk with them and it won’t be pretty. So, to keep from having to scrape up some bail money for her, I need to follow this to the end all by myself.
Looking forward to the next phone call reporting completion of this project.
This is the rig, you may recall, that we took on that Utah trip, pulling a big Silverado. It worked great but I decided during that trip that I’m getting too old to drive something this big.
So, not long after returning home we bought a replacement that we can tow behind the Silverado. Makes more sense, right?
Now, on another note, did you know that the front glass on an iMac is held in place by magnets and that the LCD screen is secured with only 8 teeny, tiny, little screws.
I’ve always wondered what the insides of this thing looked like.
It’s official. 2024 is here to stay. I know that’s true because we made it through January 1st with no mishap. We were also invited to a friend’s home in Vancouver for brunch to start the year out properly. The first thing we had to do was pack a bag for the trip and find a sitter for Max because we were going to be gone for an extended time. Visiting Vancouver is like that. It’s really a long way away – 30-40-50 miles, or so. That’s just one way! Then we must go home. That makes it imperative that at least one of us stays sober so they can drive responsibly. Well, at least more responsible than those on the road that shouldn’t be there. It’s always a crapshoot in that regard but makes trips exciting no matter where we go because those guys are everywhere.
Talking like that makes me sound a little pompous, I know. Like I’m one of the most responsible drivers on the road and it’s true. I am. Just ask me. Diane makes that happen because she keeps me centered in whatever lane we’re in by letting me know when I’m crowding one line or the other. She, and Max, don’t like it when I make it all the way out to the rumble stips those road builder guys installed to wake people up when they start drifting. I think the rumble strips are there so those self-driving vehicles will know when to adjust their trajectory. We see on the news once in a while how well that’s going.
Rick & Jody, one of the participating couples in Vancouver, at Don & Linda’s abode, drove their Tesla all the way from Michigan and I was given a memorable ride by Rick. It was the first time I’ve ever been allowed inside a Tesla and it was quite pleasing. They can go very fast. It wasn’t Michigan. It was McMinnville, where Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose lives. That’s it. McMinnville. I knew it was an “M” word. It’s much closer than Michigan.
The group at this gathering was created 20 years ago when PT Cruisers were in vogue. All of us have one. Some had two. Throughout the PT craze, Diane owned 5 of them. They were fun little cars. We might get another one even though they quit making them in 2010, or somewhere around there.
Where was I? Somewhere in Vancouver, right?
I can’t remember the names of all the people at this gathering, but I recognized their faces. The fact that I couldn’t remember all their names didn’t keep me from hugging them, or from them letting me hug them.
That’s all of them. You would have thought I’d have taken more photos, wouldn’t you? But, I didn’t even take this one. It was magically done by a time one of the Jody’s activated from her wristwatch. I probably should have asked about that, but I didn’t. Pretty tricky. But, I didn’t even take of the vehicles in the parking lot. What a bummer.
I did, however, get a lead on a PT that might be for sale
We’ll see how that goes …
We had some great food at the party and we spent about 5 hours visiting with the gang, then Max called and suggested that we head home before everyone else in Oregon decided to clog up the roads. He was very insistent. It was really a surprise because neither of us knew Max could use the phone. It’s good to know that he can figure out stuff like that. I suppose next he’ll want a cell phone.
I was allowed to sleep until about 0730 this morning which is unusual. Normally my bladder gets me up about every 4 hours and I’ve given serious thought to getting a permanently installed catheter so I can extend my sleeping time. Diane, however, doesn’t think that would be a good idea. I’m sure she’s right. Doubling up a couple of depends might work. Haven’t tried that … yet.
Because Max is so good, I took him for a walk before getting my first coffee of the day. He was pretty happy about that and blessed me with two (2) partially filled hand warmers for the trash. Most times it’s only one.
Now we’re going to Lowe’s in Longview to get something. I’m not sure what it is but I’ll let you know later. Until then, Max the lap dog bids you adieu.
Temporary Sanity ... 