Vacation Prep

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Jerrie Cate

What! Another vacation? You barely got over the last one. Gotta go, though, because it’s on the calendar.

First there’s an injury report I must share.

Prepping for this trip involved replacing static shelves in the pantry for ones that conveniently move. During this process I purchased a small job site table saw so I could make sawdust. It works just great and I can actually pick it up to move it around.

That leads me to the first injury. No, I didn’t saw my fingers off. Instead of moving the saw out of my way I attempted to carry a bunch of stuff around it and got all tangled up in power cords and a 5-gallon bucket. The end result was me falliing to the cement floor, scraping my right shin bone on the bucket, and slowing down the bulk of my descending body with my left arm (the bad one). The end result was a reinjury of my left shoulder and a sprain to my left wrist. Kinda minor, really, but it hurt. Not enough to keep me from finishing the job, but it hurt.

The next injury occurred yesterday when I was trying to un-wind Max from the mess he made with his tie-out cable. Unfortunately, I had him tethered at the front of the car port which gives him access to the side yard, accessible via a wonky set of stone stairs. There are only, like 3 steps, but missing just one of them can cause damage. Check it out.

When I landed, it was face first, or at least a very close second for my face plants this year. The injury report I initially received from my body was a broken nose because it was that kind of pain. Struggling to my hands and knees, before Diane could see me at my worst, there was a considerable amount of blood escaping from a few places that stopped my fall. So, I chose “broken nose” to report that as the cause of what happened when my body made contact. Diane heard me hit the ground and, as she’s prone to do upon hearing unfamiliar thuds, asked “what happened?” Not being fully in charge of my senses at this point resulted in me reporting, “I think I broke my nose.”

She found me quickly, but without panic, and asked if I needed a doctor. I waitied to see if I might start spurting blood from some other area of my body. I didn’t, so deemed that I was fine. “No doctor needed.”

I found it interesting that she thought it would be a good idea to take a couple of photos before I cleaned myself up. Her only request was for me to brush the yard debris off my front side. I was a mess. I had to lean back as far as I could, as I walked to the bathroom, so blood wouldn’t drip on the floor. In hindsight, I could just as easily pulled up my t-shirt to staunch the flow, but that was not one of the possibilities provided as I headed to the bathroom.

I was thankful for my glasses, which blocked yard stuff from plowing into my eyes, but they bit the dust and will no longer be useful to see properly. So they will be retired with honors, replaced by an older prescription that were handy.

After that last paragraph our journey had begun and we are now well into it. Last night we stayed at the county fair grounds in John Day, Oregon. Prior to that we’ve spent a couple of days at the Peyton Dam RV Park near Madras, then a couple at the Wheeler County Fair Grounds in Fossil, then last night in the Grant County Fair Grounds in John Day. We’d like to stay a couple more days here, but all the sights are reserved through the weekend. We were lucky to get a site last night.

More later as the journey progresses.

Until then, here’s a sunset from Fossil for you;

Family Day – April

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Jerrie Cate

Today is May 18th. the day Diane, and other branches of the family who have opinions, and decision-making authority. decided that it’s time for another family get together. Another factor, overriding all opinions is that this is the 3rd Sunday of the month. It’s become a tradition that Diane started. We all eat together on the 3rd Sunday every month. That makes it easy for me to remember.

I’m not aware of any celebrations that are planned. Yet. I just took Max for his first walk of the day at noon. In his honor, it rained cats and dogs. We got pretty wet but I at least had a raincoat to protect most of me, but Max forgot his. I don’t think he even knows where his might be. I also don’t think he really gives a rip because he’s just fine walking in mud puddles. He seeks them out. He likes being wet because getting that way normally results in someone vigorously dries him off so he won’t get water everywhere he goes. He loves that part.

The date has changed since I started this. Today is now May 31st. Since I’ve ignored this for the past 13 days you can readily see that I’m a little lazy. Actually. I prefer to view it as a profound demonstration of my procrastinating skills. I’m really good at that.

During that 13 day delay many things have happened. If it wasn’t for my inability to remember ‘stuff’, I’d share it all with you. The best I can do is do start typing and see what happens. My upfront disclaimer is that, if you read this, and disagree with something I share, please feel free to point out the errors. Doing that will do no good because we’re dealing with my reality here and everyone knows it’s sketchy. Most of my lucid moments are spent in an alternate universe.

OK, here goes. I’m pretty sure that Diane and I had a visit from our Winnebago friend recently. They stayed at the St. Helens Elks’ lodge RV Park. We had a great visit and enjoyed a couple of excellent meals at the lodge. One was a steak; the other was clam chowder. I have photos somewhere.

While our friends were visiting, two guys installed Diane’s new bathtub. It has a door so she doesn’t have to make that high step over the side. The old tub was working OK but I’m at the point in my life where bending and picking her up is beyond my ability. We discussed the tub at great length before making our decision, so we were ready to make the change. It didn’t take long for the bank to pony up some 2nd mortgage money so we could pay cash for it. Those two guys did the job in one day, just like the guy on TV said they would. We just stayed out of their way and let them have at it. We took a peek once in a while just for fun to see how things were going, but we didn’t talk with them for fear of derailing their progress.

I’ve spent the last day or so looking for photos to share that relate to whatever I’m writing about, but they just aren’t on this computer. So, in order to put this post to rest, I’m just going to find photos that has nothing to do with this post. Then I’m posting it.

This is me with a beard from 2019.

Here’s a photo from somewhere in Nevada (I think). Maybe it’s from New Mexico. That’s probably not true because I don’t think we’ve ever been to New Mexico for vacation.

Birthdays and Other Stuff

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Jerrie Cate

Greetings. it’s been a while since I fired up the old laptop so forgive me in advance for making mystakes. There re bound to be many.

So, whzt’s been going on? I tried to check my calendar but can’t seem to find it so I’m stuck with relying on my memory to conjur up something to share.

Diane just got back from shopping so I took a few minutes to help tote her purchases into the house. We’re a real pair about doing that because she’s concerned about my torn rotator cuffs and I’m a bit worried about her ankles, knees, and hips. so, we just worry about each other about stuff like that.

She worries about me falling down, too. Regarding that I’ve begun taking my cane when Max gets his walk around the block. Apparently it’s true that have that extra contact with the ground makes for a sturdier stance and keeps one from making turns too quick for ones brain to keep up. In this small way, not falling down, makes my bride happy. So, my goal each day is to remain vertical at all times when I’m not reclined in my chair. So far, so good.

We had plans to take a trip to Fort Stevens for Mother’s Day Weekend but in my effort to ensure my rotator cuffs could deal with the task of hooking up the trailer backfired a bit. I took two Tylenol with sleep aid Thursday nite and was useless all day Friday, the planned departure day. So, I kinda ruined that plan but I don’t think she was overly upset about it. By staying home we had the pleasure of visits from all the kids on Sunday instead of being stuck in a trailer, at the beach, rain or shine. I turned out to be a wonderful time for all of us.

A big highlight was Baylee’s birthday. We celebrated on April 30th. I know that’s true because I took photos.

She is now officially 16 years old. Time has flown. Seems like only 11 years ago she was only this big.

Daniel also had a birthday, on May 1st. His was the big 50 and Jennifer had an open house for him. It was a really busy day. Diane and I participated for a while but I failed to take copious photos like I normally do. The party was on May 4th so everyone could tell him “may the 4th be with you”. The party had a 50’s theme as well as a Star Wars feel. It was a lot of fun.

The bushes are exploding all around the house. They are pretty, but they are not Diane’s friends.

This is a typical dinner photo. We do most of our meals in our recliners. Max is in his best position to act like he’s not paying attention to every bite Diane takes. He’s counting on a plate to lick when she’s done. He’s really not very subtle.

Not long ago the shredder got full so I emptied it.

What a mess that was.I

I think it’s pretty evident that my mind is wandering around so I’m calling this one. Hope all is well with all of you.

The Dalles, Oregon

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Jerrie Cate

The Dalles is where we’ve lingered for the past couple of days. We’re here to visit with our Winnebago Group who are staying in their rigs at the local Eagle’s Lodge. We didn’t bring our trailer because Diane didn’t want me to aggravate my poor pitiful shoulders any more than necessary. I was, of course, all in for that relief.

The shoulder (left) is actually getting better after giving me a ton of grief for about three weeks. It was damaged a bit on my last tumble to the asphalt a few weeks ago. That happened just when I thought I was on the mend. Silly me, right? The fall is just now revealing its true damage in the form of a bruise on my left shoulder. When I first fell, I thought the main damage was to my left wrist which hit mother earth first. But that turned out to be the pivot point for me to rotate forward and bang both my head and shoulder on the ground, along with everything else.

It took more than a week for the shoulder to produce a bruise, a sign of its displeasure for being treated so badly. I’ve mentioned before about the beatings I’ve taken over time that failed to produce bruises like everyone else. I feel kind of cheated for that. Seems like I should get bruises just like normal people do.

So, here in The Dalles, we are living in an AIRBNB unit that is pretty much in the heart of the city. The old part of the city. Our travelling friends paid us a visit so I took this photo;

Historically, this house was part of the church you see in the back and was called the nunnery. This porch services the one unit we rented as well as the main house that fronts Fourth Street.

This is our room. It’s a studio with a fridge and micro.

The view out our side window.

Here’s a view of our side windows, all three of them.

Here’s a look from the courtyard.

Today we had lunch in the courtyard. Simple fare from Burger King.

It’s been a fun trip except for last night when I was dealing with high blood sugar because I chose to eat an entire serving of lo mein too late in the evening. It wasn’t a good night.

Tomorrow we return home. Max will miss his time in the sun.

What’s Next?

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Jerrie Cate

If I was still counting days, this would be 175. Yes, it’s been a week since my last post and I have to admit that I feel like I’m falling down on my job. But, the journey is over for a while so I can relax a little, right? The problem with that is that I need something to write about. To do that requires me to contribute a little brain power to these efforts. Let’s see what happens.

First, there’s Max, who doesn’t have a problem with moving around a lot. Any time he gets outside, he plants himself close to his next possible ride. Close enough that he’s hard to ignore. It works, and he gets in his trips around town in addition to his walks around the block, so he knows we see him.

As you can see, there’s a travel trailer parked under the car port and, as far as I know, it hasn’t leaked. I haven’t had the courage to unlock the door and stick my head inside to find out. Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.

While taking stuff out of the RV Max assumed one of his favorite positions. I think he was channeling Laurie and Pat, hoping they would show up. We explained to him that they aren’t here, but they think about him a lot. He sat on the back of that couch for an hour or so until we closed it up. Funny guy.

Monday I used my air compressor to blow off 6 months of dust that collected on the air cleaner filters on the furnace. It was pretty fuzzy so I did it when Diane was not here. Actually, it was part of the instructions that I do the cleaning after Diane exited the premises and wouldn’t be back for a while. Max doesn’t care about stuff like that so he was allowed to stay with me and watch the fun.

Also on Monday, Max had a bath. A shower, really. He’s not fond of getting clean, but he loves the part about buffing him off with a towel. He must have heard about the need for a bath because he escaped for a little while and came back partially covered in mud. My first impression was that he found some deer poop and had a good time smearing it all over himself. But, it ws just dirt and it came off easily with the shower wand. That made Jerrie happy.

On Tuesday, I think, Diane drove herself to town (Portland) for her CT Scan to see how things are looking with her lungs. I thought she had an appointment scheduled with her doctor but can’t find it on the calendar so will have to find out when that is. We both want to know if we’re going to be visiting Arizona again this year, or if we’re going to get a sauna instead. Might just do both. You will hear about it as soon as I know..

Diane got her hair cut a little bit on Wednesday. The last trim she got was in Coronado, I think, and I did a pretty good job. Made me proud. I offered to do it again, but she nixed that very quickly. That’s OK because Tracey is her friend and they get to talk which is good. Sometimes I go there and just sit in the waiting area and listen to them. They know I’m there because there’s no way to sneak into the shop. Most of the time they just let me stay as long as I want and sometimes I even get a haicut, too.

On Thursday Diane had a meeting with the church ladies, and Friday she had an eye appointment.

On Friday I also got to do something for Jennifer using the truck. I drove way the heck and gone into the woods above our house, but not far enough to encounter snow. We loaded up a free freezer and took it back to her house and got it installed in her garage. Jeran came along to do the heavy lifting while Diane stayed at Jen’s to watch cartoons with the Little’s. We all had a good time and I only got in trouble a couple of times for trying to help move that thing. To facilitate the transfer, we got a trailer from Don’s Rental. There was no way we were going to get an upright freezer high enough to get it safely into the truck. The trailer worked nicely. It turns out that when someone else does the heavy lifting, it’s pretty easy to get stuff like this done.

This morning Pastor Ingrid cooked pancakes at the church for whoever wanted to walk through the church door, so I went about 9-ish and had breakfast with a few people we haven’t seen in a while. It was a good visit, the pancakes were awesome. Thanks, Pastor.

When I got back Diane convinced me to take Max around the block once more, then I drove her and the truck to Scappoose so we could fill the truck’s gas tank, and she could get her Spring Rolls at Simms Restaurant. She’s been craving those things for many months and couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Sunday, after church is when we usually make that trip. It’s a ‘thing’ with us. I usually get Lomein with shrimp but having just eaten a late breakfast, I settled on tempura shrimp. They were really good.

Oh, and we also had egg flower soup. And tea.

That’s pretty much up-to-date as I can get so I’m going to quit.

See you next time.

Day 134 – Sunday – Peoria, AZ

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Jerrie Cate

This morning I turned on the new heater because it was so cold. The fake fireplace heater was already running but I was curious to see how much quicker the bus warmed up with both of them running. What I learned was that they worked well together until I turned on the coffee pot and popped the circuit. I actually found the problem quickly and fixed it. It was the circuit breakers on the inverter which is located in the outside aft starboard cubby. I reset them and went back inside just as Diane did the same thing. So, I went back out and reset them again.

Then the coffee pot wouldn’t start. I fiddled with it a bit and convinced it start like normal, then everything was OK, but I can’t deny there was just a little moment of panic when the pot wouldn’t brew and much joy when it was resurrected.

Can’t have two heaters running and make coffee at the same time. I might need to make a sign.

This morning, Diane went to the commissary, which is literally right next to the Fam Camp we’re in, so it was a short trip. While she was gone, I took Max for a long walk because he was assigned guard duty for the bus while we went to visit Julie & David in Peoria. Julie is Diane’s cousin, and she grew up in Warren, Oregon, just like Diane did. Kinda handy, right?

The drive over was nice. It was about 10 miles away and many of the roads in and around Phoenix are long and straight, so we only had to make about 6 turns to get there. You could almost take a nap between turns.

This is Julie and David.

They live in a 55+ community and it’s pretty nice. They actually have grass in the neighborhood which is a treat. Their home is beautiful and there is one entire wall of mirrors that is quite stunning.

One of my favorite features were a couple of windows. This is looking out.

This is from outside.

We had a wonderful visit and got to know David a little better. Previous visits have been short. This time we had time to actually visit and learn stuff about each other. The fun thing I learned about David is he has a very large family. Here’s proof.

His mother is in it on the left side, row 12, 26 to the right. He put his finger on her briefly so I’m really guessing about her position. She had dark hair in the photo. She doesn’t have it anymore because she’s 90. I know that’s true because we got to meet her.

Max was alone for about 4 hours and he did his best to make us feel really bad about it, but he was OK. He generally sleeps while we’re gone. He gets over our absence quicker when he’s given a treat, a good back scratching, and a long walk.

That’s it.

Day 122 – Tuesday – Happy New Year

Posted on December 31, 2024 by Jerrie Cate

I’m getting that out of the way up front, because I’m old and won’t be awake when the ball drops. Here in Tucson, they have a Taco Drop. I suspect that’s downtown where we won’t be going.

A lot of fireworks have been going off for the last couple of hours and I assume it will build to an astounding climax at the stroke of midnight. Can’t wait.

Max is really distressed by all the noise which enforces our belief that he was subjected to violence in his past. I offered him a trip outside, and he refused. So, he’s inside till it’s over.

Today was a busy one for me. My one and only task was to fix the bus door so it will open easily. I’ve done this in the past and it seemed to be fairly simple and I actually remembered how to do it. Unfortunately, my experience the first time involved only the bottom strike plate but this time I had to also include the top one. This was new territory for me.

To access the area I needed to adjust required me to remove the front panel and the piece of metal that holds it in place. Seems simple enough, right? It is, and I quickly got to the proper 7/16″ nut I needed to tighten. After doing so, I checked to ensure it still seemed to work like it should.

Then I shut the door. And then it wouldn’t open.

Diane was still inside but she couldn’t open it either.

With the door closed it was extremely difficult for me to access the inside portion of the door. Thankfully, I had the driver’s window open so could Max visit with the neighbors when they come and go. I got the ladder I purchased somewhere in California, after losing it in the Valley of the Rogue RV Park when I went over an exceptionally tall speed bump, and used it to climb in the window.

Getting in was easier than I thought it would be. I attacked the door with the screwdrivers I brought with me but they didn’t help. So I had to crawl back out the window to get different tools. That was the tough part. Getting out. I fit through the window OK but getting onto the ladder was tricky and I almost fell a couple of times. With more tools in hand, I went back in. I wasn’t as easy as the first time. The neighbors were keeping an eye on me in case an ambulance was necessary. I had to get in and out a few times and wound up with new hematomas on my arms and legs, but I didn’t fall.

Finally, I found a guy on Utube who had the same problem, but his door was open. Turns out there’s another 7/16″ nut on the top striker that needed a few turns, too. Getting to it was tricky because the window frame in the door had to be loosed to access it. Once there I was able to release the top latch and get the door opened.

Diane was happy because she could now go to the commissary and get us more food. That was important. Before she got back, I was able to get both nuts tightened and the door worked like brand new. I was very happy and enjoyed reinstalling the 35 screws that were still laying around. I found most of them and got most of empty holes filled and replaced some of them in the window frame with new shiny ones that I got from Harbor Freight last week for some reason. How handy was that?

Diane showed up shortly after my happy dance and I helped her restock the shelves with new food. By this time, I was pretty sore from all the banging around I did crawling in and out of the window and I’m sure I’ll find more bruises tomorrow. But it’s done. And it works.

Now we can go to bed because we watched the ball drop in New York. That makes it officially 2025.

Christmas is over and Diane’s snowmen have been packed away .

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Day 117 – Thursday – DVR & Toenails

Posted on December 29, 2024 by Jerrie Cate

This morning, I apparently, magically, fixed a DVR issue with our Dish. As you may know, we’ve been binge watching NCIS and last night watched season 9 episode 22 from 2012. At that point in the menu NCIS stopped and gave us SWAT. Up to this point all the episodes have been in sequence so it was perfect for lazy people to keep up. We needed episode 24, but it wasn’t showing on until Saturday. At 0700. That meant it needed to be recorded.

Any attempts to set the DVR to perform that duty failed because the DVR was not recognized. We knew that was only partly true because we could till watch shows that have already been recorded, but we couldn’t set new recordings. That meant today my primary objective was to make it work again.

I’d already reset the receiver a couple of times, but the results didn’t change so I got on my phone and started a chat session with Dish. I like doing the chat instead of phone calls because I can understand the written word better than the spoken word. That’s not always true, but statistically I have better results with chatting.

I got someone on the line before I gave it one more try. By the time I was all signed in I discovered that somehow the problem went away last night, and it now works perfectly. I thanked the chat person and ended the session. Then I gave the remote to Diane who promptly called up the desired date/time/show and set it to record. She did this from her seat at the dining table, a full 25 feet from the TV! That’s another win for me because until a few days ago the Dish remote barely worked from 5 feet away. Amazing what new batteries can do in situations like that.

Now that the DVR works again, Diane can add to the library of Hallmark Christmas movies that have been recorded previously. She’s a happy camper and will probably be smiling throughout the day.

Pretty much as soon as Diane got up this morning, around 0900 or so, her feet have been marinating in a solution of hot water and Epson salts. The purpose for this was to make her toenails soft enough for me to shorten then with the new wire cutter she got me. She will disagree, of course, because it came wrapped in a container that clearly marked it as a nail cutter, or trimmer. But, they look almost exactly like a small version of the wire cutters I have in my tool bag. She won’t let me use them, however, even though they are easier to hold and manipulate.

The signal for me to start working my way down to the floor to work on her toes is when the water gets cold. It got cold somewhere around 1030 or so. By then I was poised to work on the toes. First, I had to get back on my feet and dump the water in the toilet. Then I had to reassume my nail cutting position near the sofa. Before I started I remarked that I probably should have pulled the trash can a little closer and she agreed. So, I got back up, got it, then back on the floor. I suspect you’ve realized that doing Diane’s toenails is physically demanding on old bones. That’s OK. We’re saving $50 and she’s getting them trimmed exactly the way she wants them, not the way a paid whittler would do it. I suppose I could ask her to pay me but it’s really not necessary because she slips me a few dollars every once in a while, just for fun. That works. I hardly ever use real money, but it’s nice to have a cushion in my wallet in case I fall down. Again. I don’t know why I consider that a proper cushion because I never fall backwards. It’s always forward. I’d be better off wrapping my hands and arms in large pool noodles. On my knees would be good, too. Sadly, that’s the kind of things I consider as I’m falling. It’s been a while, so maybe I’ve advanced beyond that stage of my life.

I finished Diane’s toes successfully without even once making her bleed or yelp in pain. Except the one time I ventured too close to an ingrown nail. Other than that one foo-pah, I did good. She said so. I would have taken a photo but she’s very serious about keeping her toes anonymous. Even so, I’ve secretly named each one of them.

The only other things that happened today was a trip to the commissary for Diane, and a trip to Harbor Freight for me. I needed long screws for a repair project I can’t discuss and waited for Diane to return before venturing out on my own. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that but the commissary was fresh out of long screws. So, Diane drove me to HF. Max was delighted because he loves car rides. If we let him out of the bus and gave him the choice of running willy nilly all over the park, or going for a ride in the car, he takes the car every time.

By the time we returned home it was time to cook dinner, so my screw project was deferred to another day. It might have to wait until next year. I’ll explain once I’m done and have achieved success.

I broke out the handy-dandy George Forman cooker and paninied 4 hamburger patties. Two of them were for Pat and Laurie next door. They were very thankful that we included them in our meal planning. Diane brought home a platter of good-looking patties from the commissary, and we wanted to try them. They seemed to cook up OK, but Diane and I found them lacking in smash burger flavor, so we won’t get them again. Pat and Laurie thought they were really good which made me happy even though I’m sure they were just being nice. Still, we’ll take the win.

After supper Max got a long walk then we watched a Hallmark Christmas movie and called it a day. It was getting very cold outside, so we closed all the windows before retiring. Normally we leave at least one window open a little so the bus can breathe.

A gift from Pat, our neighbor, her task while recovering from COVID. It’s very pretty.

Now, I’ll stop.

Day 118 – Friday – Off to See Roberta

Posted on December 28, 2024 by Jerrie Cate

For this trip, we decided to leave Max home alone. We know he’ll be bored, but we’ll make it up when we return. I actually think he’s part bear, because he doesn’t really sleep, or play with his toys, he kind of hibernates. I’m guessing about that but intend to one day install a camera to see what he does when we leave him alone. We might be amazed to find out that he’s a super-hero who pretends to be a very nice dog when people look at him then becomes an unstoppable crime fighter when they look away. Quantum mechanics must be involved allowing him to shift back and forth as quickly as he does.

Before going on our trip to Green Valley I’m being forced to take my shower a day early. Actually, I’m a day late even though I was told I don’t smell bad. Yet. So, I’ll clean up and put on fresh underwear even though no one will see them unless I hurt myself badly enough that a trip to the doctor is necessary. Most people don’t know that any time you go to the emergency room, no matter what it’s for, they make you remove your clothes so they can confirm that you have clean underwear. There’s a check box on the intake form for that purpose. I looked.

When we left the bus, Max just sat on his pillow, hanging his head, looking as pitiful as he could, but he didn’t fool us. We knew he would shift to hero mode as soon as the crunch of our tires faded away.

We left a bit early to ensure we would arrive at the appointed time, so we took the long route. That means we stayed off I-19. I may have mentioned before that Interstate 19 is not really an “interstate” highway. It never leaves Arizona so it should be A-19. I won’t dwell on that but rest assured I’ll be thinking about it every time I look at a map.

The trip south once again took us through the vast pecan orchards that live in the valley south of the Tucson airport and north of E. Sahuarita Road. I’m guessing but believe I’m pretty close. Whatever the boundaries are, the orchards are composed of thousands and thousands of huge pecan trees. Maybe hundreds of thousands. There’s a lot of them. So many, I’m pretty sure there aren’t many available for planting anywhere else in the world. I’m pretty sure there’s a sign long one of the roads through the trees that has that written on it.

Once we got to Sahuarita, we had to turn left on A-19, heading toward Nogales. It wasn’t long before Veronica, our GPS, directed us to get off the freeway and establish a presence on the southbound Frontage Road on which we traveled until we made it to W. Placita de la Cotonia Street. That’s the street Roberta said she lives on. It has been about 70 years since we’ve seen each other, and we hadn’t communicated during that time, so we didn’t have any reason to not believe her. Surely after all this time she wouldn’t lead us astray, would she? No, she wouldn’t.

We found her home without any problem and drove in the driveway just as she was escorting two gentlemen out of the house. We were introduced to both of them but I only remember Ron. I think the other fellow was Bruce. That’s a guess.

As with most family members, Roberta greeted us as if we’d been missing for only a little while, not 70 years. It was a good reunion. Big hugs all round. Then we sat down a table on which she had her photo album displayed. Shortly, another person arrived, and we got to meet Jim whose grandfather was my uncle whom I have no memory of meeting. I knew the name, Knute, but to me he was just one of my Dad’s brothers who lived in California.

We sat around the table going through the photos, putting names to those we knew, and wondering about the ones we didn’t recognize. It was a great visit that went well into the afternoon until Max called and suggested that we return before he got a notion to chew on something. His call was a surprise because I didn’t know he had a phone. Huh.

Before leaving, i set up my tripod and took some photos from Roberta’s veranda to commemorate this joyous gathering.

This is me, Diane, Roberta, and Jim

Me, Roberta, and Jim

I didn’t get a photo of Ron because he left the party before I figured out how to get my phone hooked up to the tripod. I learned, from Roberta, that Ron came with the home when she bought it. Seems like they said he worked with the previous 2 owners, too. Kind of handy to have someone like Ron who’s been around long enough to know pretty much everything about the house and how to fix it.

After the visit we headed home using the same back roads that brought us here. Fortunately, we got home just about sun down, Max’s suggestion, and I took him for his walk right away. He’s about the best dog in the world. Really, he is.

It was a glorious day in Arizona.

Day 110 – Thursday – Christmas Concert

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Jerrie Cate

Tomorrow is Diane’s 78th birthday so we’re going to celebrate by decorating our tree and other stuff. It’s a small tree and it won’t take long to cover it with ornaments. Currently it’s outside letting the flocking odor escape. She wants to tweak the branches a bit before adding ornaments. When done, we will move it inside. This way there’s less chance of flock flying around inside where Max might decide to taste it. So, we’ll decorate it outside. The move should be interesting.

For this day, her chosen activity was to stay up late, drive do the heart of downtown Tucson, join a couple hundred strangers and enjoy a couple of hours listening to a string quartet Candlelite Christmas Concert.

According to Veronica (our GPS) the Scottish Rite Cathedral was only 15 minutes away, but we didn’t want to take any chance of being late. The doors closed at 2100 and would not be opened for late comers. We made it in time and surprisingly found a parking spot only a couple of blocks away.

There was a long line of people waiting to get in when we got there.

This is the Red Room of the Cathedral. For the concert, the floor was filled with chairs and chairs were also placed on the first level of the risers on either side. They were angled toward the stage. We were seated on the first riser on the right with a perfect view of the stage. Diane picked them and she made an excellent choice.

Here we are in our assigned seats. When Diane saw this photo she said, “you should smile more.” This is just the way I look when I’m concentrating, and I concentrate a lot.

These are the candles that littered the risers next to us.

This was our view of the stage.

In case you were wondering about the candles, they were all battery powered, but very realistic. I know they weren’t real but I had to stick my finger in the fake flame of the candle under my chair to make sure. It didn’t hurt at all.

When the music was finished, we sat while everyone else filed out. The candles were the only light in the room throughout the performance. There were hundreds of them around the room and it was quite stunning. A nice young lady took this photo and I’m smiling because I didn’t have to concentrate. I just had to stand there with the love of my life, right where I belong.