Just got my hair done and need an opinion about the style. I think it’s a little too curly for my rugged nature.
Found a new series on Paramount + that you might like. I plan to binge watch it the next time I’m left alone for a while. Of course, one of my humans will have to dial it up before they leave because I have a real problem with remotes – there are three of them. Maybe if I hold a pencil in my teeth, I could push just one button at a time. Yeah! That might work!
I can do this all day. She’ll cave and put the plate on the floor eventually.
I got to meet some new humans the other day, Brian, Kelly, and Annie. I think they’re related to my primaries in some way. They just showed up in our driveway the other day. I don’t know why, and no one told me they were coming. I’m apparently out of the loop about this stuff.
This is Brian, Kelly, and Me.
And this is Annie, and Diane. You already know Diane. She’s the other primary human I live with.
Sadly, my other primary human, who takes all the photos, didn’t put a lot of thought into getting a photo of all three of them together. How dumb is that? I think he’s getting really old. I heard the other day that he’s like 560 years old in dog years.
We have a trailer so it’s really not ‘camping’. It’s more like RVing. Camping requires a tent. That’s my belief, anyway. Could be wrong, but I’ll stick with that belief until someone gives me empirical proof that I might be mistaken.
So, after getting home from our last getaway, I got a little eager about getting things put away and violated a prime directive about opening the refrigerator too quickly.
Yeah. That happened to me. Seventeen eggs fell and only two survived. Yup. Just two of them. All of that happened in slow motion for me. Kinda like when you fall? Time slows down so you can anticipate the impending pain longer.
This can also happen with cherry tomatoes. I have a photo of that one somewhere but can’t find it.
One thing I failed to mention while sharing Lydia’s birthday … Bob, Steffani, and Berke were visiting us so they also attended the party. This is them with Max.
Somewhere in there we also had a hail storm. I think ‘hail’ is an Indian word that means ‘bouncing rain’.
We also went to a concert by this guy. Luke Yates. Look him up. He tours the USA playing in small venues like our humble church in Warren, Oregon. The group he toured with was New Legacy Project, but they disbanded recently and Luke chose to honor his commitment for venues already scheduled by going solo. He is without a doubt the best piano player I’ve ever seen. He’s amazing.
I guess I kinda wandered off the title topic, huh? That’s just the way my mind works as most of you already know.
Better quit while I can. Is anyone watching the NCAA Ladies basketball games? I’m pulling for Iowa. Just watch UCONN take down USC. So, The final four should be lots of fun.
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.
We left Beatty about 1030, right on time. Not the time we planned to leave, but it is what it is. Getting to NAS Fallon was an uphill drive the entire way. Seems like every direction in this part of the world is uphill, all the way. NAS, by the way, is an abbreviation for Naval Air Station. This particular NAS is a Top Gun training facility. Fighter jets are flying around every day, and they are loud. Diane calls all that noise “the sound of freedom.” I agree.
I didn’t get photos of the fighters during the day but did visit the flight line museum which is a static display of many aircraft, including Russian MIGs. But first, here’s an old COG plane that used to be on the USS Nimitz.
And lastly, here’s an American jet with the Super Moon in the background.
Actually, sometimes we went downhill, but not as often as uphill. During one of the downhill legs, I had to stop for a nap and some food prior to tackling the next uphill battle.
We got to the Fallon back gate at about 1500 and discovered it was closed. Nifty, right? Tried to turn around and got in a pickle. That means I was jackknifed and stuck. A Navy policeman magically appeared at my window and tried to help. Apparently, he and another sailor were manning the gate so they could open it when people like me showed up. Sadly, they didn’t get to the gate before I made a hasty decision to turn around without disconnecting the truck. As we worked, a local farmer stopped and also helped. He offered to go home and bring back one of his tractors so he could lift the back end of the truck and move it in line with the RV.
I couldn’t disconnect the tow bars so I disconnected the entire hitch but we couldn’t get it out of the receiver due to the pressure it was under. I had farmer get in truck and put it in reverse while I backed up the RV and the hitch came right out once we got to less than a 90 angle.
I’m sure you’re sad, like me, that no one took any photos of all that commotion so you’ll have to just let your imagination run wild.
We happily got on base, found the RV park, found the MWR office purely by luck and checked in. We found our space and I drove over the space marker while parking on the gravel which was next to a really nice patio. After some discussion, and observation Diane determined the RV was supposed to be on the patio, not the gravel. I reparked in the proper place, straightened up the space marker, and only had to adjust 4 times to allow room for electric, water, and sewer. What a day.
After all that was done, I hooked up the satellite dish and it wouldn’t work. don’t know the problem. I didn’t really care right then so did a search for over the air channels and got a bunch, but the signal wasn’t very good. Diane watched them anyway. We were just happy to be there.
The next day I found a screwdriver and dismantled the satellite antenna to see if something fell apart inside. I was curious what it looked like anyway, so it didn’t really matter if it was OK. I also checked the cable using a continuity check with my little handy meter. About the time I was ready to go out and get a replacement system, I did one more check on the small cable that connects the Satellite receiver to the internal line from the antenna and found it to be faulty. I replaced it and the system worked perfectly. All the while I was working on this, Diane was nearby doing laundry. It was hard to pass it up because it was free. She was a happy camper. Happier, even, when she learned that the satellite worked again. She got even happier, if possible, when I drove into town, all by myself, to get a haircut.
Life is good when you can be happy over small things like that.
I’ve made numerous attempts to sit myself down and greet everyone, to bring you up to date on what’s happening in my vicinity. Every time I move this direction, something of extreme importance pulls me away, then I forget. In my defense, please note that it was a distraction that prompted the forgetfullness. Had the distraction not happened, there’s a very strong possibility that I could have remembered all on my own, sooner than how I did that just now. Yes, there was no distraction today. I must, however, say what’s on my mind before I leave the computer because it’s possible I might not come back right away. Especially if the bathroom is the reason I might have to leave.
I take Max out back, when he asks, so he can go lay in the yard and listen to the creek rolling slowly past us. He’s also out there so he can keep a close eye on any strange deer that dare to wander close to his yard. He kind of sits there, daring them to invade his space. While on guard duty, this guy was bouncing into the ground about 3 inches in front of Max’s nose. He was fascinated. He could have easily chomped it in two, but he just watched. The reason for his bouncing was because he was dying of some dreaded dragon fly disease as he promptly ceased fluttering as soon as I gently placed him in an open mason jar in a vain attempt to save him. It took me a while to figure out that it was some sort of extinct Dragon Fly. A scary looking dude, for sure. To give you a sense of size, he was laying in the bottom of a quart jar for this photo.
On another eventful day, I moved the RV out of our driveway in anticipation of receipt of our tonneau cover for the truck. It was to be a freight delivery and I wanted it in the carport which was blocked by the RV. All I had to do was back it into the street, then place it in the public area next to our property. Unfortunately, someone erected the mail boxes right in the perfect spot where I couldn’t see them. I was more concerned about not running in to one of the six cars parked in our neighbor’s driveway. I was about 2 seconds too late in putting on the brakes to halt my progress. So, I knocked the structure over and didn’t feel a thing. But I knew it was done.
After parking the RV I dragged the structure across the street to the car port and dismantled it. After looking in the wood shed for a viable 4×4 to replace the vertical post, I gave up and called Jeff who just happened to have one about 5 feet long. Perfect. I told him there was no hurry as I had to dig out the old post, and whatever held it in place. As I chipped away I discovered that I was apparently the 4th person to knock it over as the remains of two installs still existed next to the one I broke. Learning this made my involvement in the mishap more tolerable. Kind of like a right of passage for the neighborhood. I guess I can mark this task done on my list of things to do.
Yesterday, while walking around the block with Max, I came upon an elderly lady who was retrieving groceries from her car. I thought, “I can help do that”. I my effort to move toward the car I had get myself from the street onto the sidewalk. This is when I discovered that when moving to a higher elevation, even 6 inches, one is required to lift both feet, one at a time, at least as high the desired destination. In the past, doing this was second nature. Something I didn’t need to think about at all and it seemed reasonable that I didn’t need to think about it then. Balance and gravity defied my efforts and my attempt to give this lady a hand resulted in a spectacular tuck and roll tumble leaving me laying on my back near the back of the lady’s car. There was a silent moment, as she looked down on me, when I was tempted to ask if she could use a hand. Then reality took over and I thought a better idea would be for me to regain a vertical position and see about recovering a little dignity. Yes, I fell down in public. A few people inquired about how was I, and did I need help. I knew nothing was broken because I’m an expert tuck and roller. I just skinned my right elbow and right knee in the process.
Max insisted that we return home immediately to seek medical attention. I agreed. By the time we made it to the house my elbow was bleeding quite nicely but the knee not so much. Since I didn’t think about it, and Diane is all business when it comes to stopping someone from bleeding, we have no photographic evidence that this event ever happened. So, I just found a skinned knee on the internet. Mine is worse than this.
I couldn’t find a suitable photo of a skinned elbow so most of you will have to recall one from your childhood.
Max, though a little dog, right at 20 lbs, has made it known that we need a king size bed. Before he showed up, the queen bed seemed like the proper size, and we already had one, so that’s what we’ve been sleeping on. Then along comes Max.
The photo is deceptive because he’s lined up properly but when the lights go out he lays crosswise, making both of us move out of his way.
When you look at the next photo you can help but wonder how he can sleep with his head jammed against a table leg, next to a paper shredder …
… or like this …
… and still find it necessary to make sure everyone in the bed with him knows you’re there. I know, we could banish him from the bed but it’s really difficult to do when he looks at you like this…
It’s been a while since my computer called to me so let me first apologize to those of you who find it hard to get through a day without something from me to get you going. Or, maybe it’s called to me when I wasn’t wearing my hearing aids. That’s probably more likely. As for you who suffer minor withdrawal pains due to my neglect, you seriously need to get a life. Or, read an old post from 2012.
During my absence we did things. As soon as I figure out what they were I will share with you. Until then, I’ll ramble on. Perhaps doing that will release the lock my mind has on significant events that you are dying to hear about.
Max, our dog, has a weight loss program that works perfectly for me. I didn’t know dogs could do that. I suspect that all dogs can if their adult friends just pay attention. For me, it’s around the block at least twice a day that amounts to about 1/2 a mile or 3000 steps. Sometimes we take adventurous routes that require many extra steps. Max doesn’t care and it’s good for me. I’ve lost 20 lbs somewhere along those streets. That loss worked out to a loss of four inches around my waist. I can pull my belt tighter to indicate a 5″ loss but it’s a bit uncomfortable. We keep looking for those lost lbs but apparently someone else needed them more than I did. Truthfully, I’m not looking very hard for them and I’m pretty sure Max could care less. He’s not looking for lbs. He’s looking for places to pee. So far he’s pretty much staked his claim to the entire block by anointing every telephone pole, power pole, fence post, bush, and garbage can near the sidewalk. He wears me out.
Once we get back to our house I let him off the leash and he leisurely strolls to the creek and wades in until the water is halfway up his side, then lays down to cool off. It’s been very warm lately so can’t blame him. The excessive heat is helping algae/moss grow like gang busters. After his cool-off period, he wades out to the long strings of moss, sticks his head in the water to get a mouthful then he pulls it up and shakes it like he’s trying to get rid of it. Very strange. Sadly, all this wading in the creek and trying to kill the moss causes him to smell like an Everglades swamp monster of some sort. He doesn’t mind, but Diane gets a bit testy when he jumps in her lap to share.
Last Sunday we drove to Albany to support Jeran as he gave the sermon at his church, North Albany Community Church. He’s been serving an internship there since graduating from Corban University. He did an excellent job and it was very satisfying to witness the growth in his faith. Max had to stay home but he would have enjoyed it, too. It was outside in the church amphitheater.
After a nice lunch at one of Jeran’s favorite places …
… we headed back up the freeway to release Max. We were gone about 6 hours and Jeff took him out for a run at noon so he wasn’t abandoned. He’s just got a way of making me feel like I’m abusing him, the way he hangs his head and looks over his glasses at me. He’s very convincing.
Diane’s busy studying maps, and making reservations on what’s going to be a marathon trip in the RV. Making it more interesting is that we traded the Equinox, our tow car, for a large truck. So, now the truck needs to be set up to tow. We haven’t decided if the RV is going to to the truck or vice versa. Maybe we’ll just switch it around randomly as we travel. Wouldn’t that be fun? Actually, no it wouldn’t.
Watching the news is pretty sad lately what with all the hot weather. Most of that is happening along the route Diane is plotting for us through Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. Things can change quickly, however, and we’ve got a ways to go before we head out. Still, plans need be made and that’s one of main things Diane loves about traveling: studying maps and making reservations. She’s really good at planning for us.
On the way back from Albany this guy passed us. Looks like he’s pretty serious about his squirt guns …
Now I must stop and do something productive. Diane said.
Interesting name, right? I think so. The most common meaning for this name, that I could find, is “The Lord exists.” Last Friday I had an opportunity to spend most of the morning with him because his Mom, my daughter, had to keep him home because he was banned from day care due to a fever on Thursday.
Oh ya, he’s only 1. A little over I guess, and he’s getting new teeth as we speak. Hence the fever.
Jesiah is the happiest little guy you might never meet. He’s always smiling and he doesn’t cry at all. Ever. His Mom may disagree, but I can only speak from my experience.
So, Jennifer arrives with him at 0700 Friday morning, gives me his car seat, just in case, his diaper bag and medicine bag, then takes off to go to work. Normally Diane would be the preferred choice to care for Jesiah but she had something to do. I’d tell you what it was, but there’s nothing on our calendar that justifies her absence. Could be, also, that she really wasn’t busy elsewhere, but with me all along and I didn’t notice because she was there with me all along.
I was, as you can imagine, concerned. The last time I can remember baby sitting was somewhere between 1999 and 2003. That’s a pretty big gap between engagements of this nature. But, I shouldn’t have worried because we got along just great … as long as I did exactly what he wanted me to do. Apparently I passed that test. I found out that he was far more interested in catching flys than watching Disney. Can’t say I blame him. It’s kinda fun.
That, and it turns out he’s more interested in HGTV which works great for Diane.
He got infatuated with Diane’s neck pillow that looks a lot like a cat.
He was also very interested in Diane’s collection of cats
Now, even though Jesiah has a pretty mellow demeanor, he loves to throw things. What makes that OK is that he smiles the entire time he’s in motion with stuff flying from his tiny little hands. We learned, too, that things just sitting on an end table are fair game. He would walk up to, say, a glass of water, look at you until he made eye contact, then swipe his arm sideways so fast that no one has time to react and catch the glass before it drenches you. Then, with his smile still in place, he’d march off in search of something else to dislodge. Needless to say, he quickly trained us to move all items in danger to locations above 3′.
Toward the end of his short visit, his cousin, Jerrie appeared and kept him busy until it was time to take him to someone more qualified than me to tend to him.
It’s that time of year again where the sun came out for a while and caused pretty much every green thing in the area to spring forth with pollen. Because of that, Diane finds it necessary to spend most of her time indoors so she can breath. It’s really sad that the sound of a lawnmower anywhere in the neighborhood causes her to hurry inside and make her rounds to ensure all the windows are closed. It’s that serious because the fragrance of mown grass pretty much shuts down her ability to breath comfortably. I really didn’t know it was so severe when I bought her that new riding lawnmower but I got a really good deal and couldn’t take it back. So, I’ll mow the grass.
Now that the worst is over she is on a mission to replant all the pots that have been gathering dust in Mom’s garage all winter long. I know this was going to happen when Diane showed up with bags of dirt in the car when she picked me up yesterday.
There were 3 each of these bags but I left 1 each at our hill house the remainder were transported to Mom’s creek house.
This is why I call it the Creek House. It has a creek running through the back yard. Milton Creek to be more specific. It’s very peaceful.
This is Diane hard at work with one of her dirt bags. Doesn’t she look great?
There were 3 each of these bags but I left 1 each at our hill house the remainder were transported to Mom’s creek house. Before we could get the bags into the Hill House we had to navigate our way around Gabby, our neighbor’s guard goat. Our garage door was left open, for some reason, and she came in to get out of the rain. She’s pretty crafty. Actually, she’ll go through any unguarded door she encounters, including the one to our RV. So, we generally keep doors closed.
Last Sunday, Mother’s Day, The entire Walters Clan came to visit. We are thankful to be close enough, geographically, that visits are simple and often. This time they brought Jessiah, a Grand Nephew on Daniel’s side of things. Jessie is about the most calm baby (8 months) I’ve ever encountered. Mr. Mellow. It was a treat, too, to see Pastor Jeran who is home from school (Corban University) for the summer. He’s going to be the Youth Pastor for the family’s church all summer. He was surprised that they plan to pay him to do it. I have no doubt he would have done it for free. He’s that kind of guy. So, he’s going to be getting a lot of experience in a church he’s been going to for a lot of years. The congregation was overjoyed with the announcement that one of their flock was coming home to teach. We heard there was a standing ovation for him. We’re happy for him.
Now I have to get busy jacking up the RV so we can remove the rear wheels and, with the help of some savvy friends, figure out a way to release the brakes so we can use the rig. As it sits, it’s not going anywhere.
I’ve been in a bit of a daze over the last eleven days since my last post. Some of you may think that’s normal for me, and perhaps you’re correct. I readily admit that my thoughts are easily scattered making it difficult for me to distinguish fact and fiction. Since fiction is my favorite form of reading material I tend to lean heavily in the direction. Continuing with the scattered theme, that’s kinda what this post will be about.
The other day I was summoned to Daniel & Jennifer’s home to pick up some documents that needed to be scanned and some mail Jennifer wished me to mail. Oh, and deliver her water bill to the appropriate box at the water department.
When I arrived to accomplish these things, Jennifer took my photo.
She thought she’d have it to share with her friends to show them what a goofball I am. What she didn’t know was that I wound up at her door in this manner because her Mother expressly forbid me to leave the house looking like this. I admit I was flirting with danger doing this, but it’s tough for me to back away from a challenge like that. Plus, I had strong notions about going to Walmart while I was out. On the trip, however, I re-evaluated that course of action because it was daylight and it’s my understanding that people don’t usually go to Walmart dressed like this during the day. It’s evening garb. I could be wrong about that, but figured not going was erring on the side of caution.
I’ve been talking with Cedric a lot via email lately and that’s fun. He’s stationed aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), in case I haven’t mentioned that early. The ship has been deployed for almost a year now. That’s a long time at sea. With the COVID pandemic they don’t get port visits like a normal WESTPAC cruise. That, and with Iran playing games with missiles, the ship is always on alert. Just recently Iran planted one in the ocean abour a 100 miles from the Nimitz, just to say “Hi!”
Cedric is weathering the cruise nicely and is looking forward to getting back Stateside. He will be discharged not long after they return.
Today was a banner day for me. Diane drove me to the VA Hospital so I could get my 1st COVID vaccination shot. I made the appointment online and it was a very simple process. Here’s the shirt I wore…
The nurses all wanted one. Since I got it from Daniel, my son-in-law, I gave them all his email address and phone number so he could help them. Actually, that’s a lie. I didn’t do that, but it might have been fun to see how many of them would have called or emailed him. But I didn’t. Honest.
I spent a total of 25 minutes in the hospital rom the time I checked in to the auditorium until I left the building. That included filling out a form, getting the shot, then sitting in a chair for 15 minutes to see if I could do it without falling on the floor.
The nurse was great. Didn’t get her name so I’ll call her Ruby. That’s a fun name. The first thing I asked her was if the needle was really as huge as the ones the news has been showing us for weeks now. They just looked overly large, and they always showed the nurse pushing it into someone’s are really slow. Ruby and I talked about that a little bit and she assured me the needle was normal size and she would be quick about it. She even let me take a photo of her in action …
I found Diane parked pretty close to the front door and we had a nice ride home. When we got there., I fried up some pork chops for lunch …
They were really good. I marinated them in some Yoshidas teriyaki stuff that I found in the cupboard. It was brand new, never opened, and had an expiration date of October 2018. Looked good to me. Tasted good, too.
Now, many hours after the shot, my arm is really sore. I’m not sure if it’s all because of the shot, or partially because Diane had me help her scrub the little black dog. That, my friends, is a risky job. He’s pretty blind and isn’t really fond of water so his goes on high alert to protect himself and gets quite aggressive. Thankfully, I have some heavy duty leather gloves to wear during this evolution. I hold him while Diane does the scrubbing. It only took about an hour.
Now I’m going to go sit with Diane and watch news for a while.
Stay safe out there and don’t neglect to get your shot when given the opportunity.
Considering the state of our world, I submit that all of us have something to be thankful for not only on this special day, but on every day of our lives.
Me?
I’m thankful …
… for my family, wherever they may be. Some are near, some are far, but they are all with me in my heart, always.
… for all the folks who spend their days on guard protecting us in our hospitals, on the streets, at sea, and in foreign lands. They are all special people.
… for those folks who wear masks when it’s necessary for us to venture outside and be in their presence.
… that I still have all 6 of my senses, most of the time. There are some who will argue that, sure, I have the normal five, but the 6th, common, isn’t always fully engaged. Sadly, I cannot deny that.
… for Norris who keeps our septic system working properly.
… for all those people working at Oregon gas stations who fill my tank.
… for all the people who stock the shelves in our grocery stores.
… for the farmers and ranchers who produce pretty much everything I’m allowed to eat.
… for my friends for putting up with me even when I can’t remember their name.
… for the bagel lady.
… for Amazon Prime so I can shop in my pajamas.
… for all the Utility workers who ensure all our appliances work.
… for our pets, all of them, even cats. They were, and are, some of my favorite people.
… to mention just a few. For those I failed to mention, please forgive me. I appreciate whatever it is that you do. Honest.
Above all, I’m thankful to God who makes all this possible.
Temporary Sanity ... 