To Those Who Serve

Thank you.  It's a simple two words but it is sincere.

Among my possessions is a letter from the American Red Cross dated October 31, 1944.  This was sent to my grandmother regarding her son Joseph Heber Cutler.

This was before the days of internet connections, email, and instant replay on CNN.  Family often went for months without knowing if their loved ones were dead or alive or where they were.  And yet they endured and for the most part did not complain, knowing that their loved one was doing what must be done.  I also have the purple heart that was later awarded to my uncle Cutler. 

I am thankful for all the men and women who serve.  Politics aside, these brave individuals endure great personal risk to keep us safe and their families who are left behind, likewise endure hardship.

I want to take a moment and thank those of my own family who have served over the years.

My husband Russ:

Son John (Red)

Son-in-law Bob (still serving)

And to the rest of my family who have served:  Fred Krecklow, Brian Hood, Jim King, Zachary King, Tony Fritsche, Johnny Fritsche...I don't have pictures of you but I thank you just the same.  If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize but know that we are grateful for your service.

And for all those who have fallen in the service of their country, may God Bless you and may we never forget.

Now get out there and celebrate the life and the freedom these brave troops have fought to secure for us.  Have fun and enjoy your memorial day.  And when the games are over and the food is served, take the time to say a quick prayer for all that have served and are still serving.

SAD!!

This is not what I planned to write about today but sometimes life throws you a curve.

I was sitting here reading blogs when my sister called asking for if I had any words of advice for keeping a baby kitty alive.  Seems their neighbor has a whole herd of  cats and does nothing for them.  My brother-in-law went out to collect the mail this afternoon and there in their driveway was a tiny, tiny kitten, soaking wet and very weak.  He brought it in the house and my sister dried it off and then called me.

She was going to give it some warm cow's milk and I told I knew of something that might work better.  I hurried as fast as I could to the grocery store and got some kitty formula and took it back to my sister.  I was too late.  The kitten had died in her arms.  At least it did not die alone and it was warm and dry at the end.  My sister was beside herself but she had done all that she could do.

What makes me sad, and yes mad too, is people who do not take care of animals.  That helpless little kitten sat out in the rain and the cold and nobody cared until my brother-in-law found it.  People who do not take care of their animals and allow indiscriminate breeding are not worth the powder to blow 'em to Hell!  If the cats are feral, they can always be live- trapped and taken to the shelter where they will be spayed or neutered and at least have a chance at a normal life.  I do not understand people who are cruel and neglectful of innocent animals.

My sister is going to call the county animal control on Tuesday and see if anything can be done about this situation.  Unfortunately, even if the cats are rounded up and hauled off, it is people like this who will just end up with more animals to abuse or neglect.

So my soapbox for today is please spay and neuter your pets - and I know I am preaching to the choir here.  There are so many unwanted and uncared for animals out there and seeing that tiny dead kitten today just really underscored the need to limit breeding whenever possible.

I Made This!

I’m not very good at a lot of things!!  I can sew a little, crochet a little, cook a little, and take pictures (a little!).  I might even be able to write…a little.  The point is, I do a lot of things, but I do none of them well.

But you know what?  That’s okay.  Because when I get tired of doing one thing, I can always go do something else.  I rarely get bored, and by doing a lot of things in a mediocre manner, and nothing really “Well”, I am never asked to do anything of any real importance...like sew a wedding dress or cater an important dinner.  Come to think of it, no one ever asks me to sing or play the ukulele either!!

I remember one year I wanted to make something for everyone for Christmas.  The doll clothes I made for the girls turned out pretty good..
















…but the fizzy bath salts I made for my daughter-in-law were clearly an epic FAIL!



But still I cannot let go of that urge to create.  So yesterday I got the urge again and I decided to cut out an apron.  I had some really old fashioned looking material and I made a completely reversible apron.  It’s for my sister as the last one I made her frayed itself to death!!  So it’s not like I sew beautiful quilts or anything but I did have fun with this apron and now I can turn my creative urges to something else – like maybe making a good dinner!

Here is my resident super-model showing off my latest creation.


















Really the only reason I sew these things is to see Russ model them!!  So that is what I did today and other than that I am just watching the rain come down.  Now, about dinner….I’M GOING ALREADY!!

Strawberry Shortcake

During my recent illness, I had a hard time finding anything that tempted my appetite.  I tried, and rejected, a number of items that I thought sounded good such as scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, and even popsicles.  One bite and my stomach would revolt!

One day, I decided that strawberry shortcake would be just the thing and so I set about making some.  I like the old fashioned biscuit-type shortcake.  Now you can be sure this is a biscuit and not a scone even though it does contain some extra sugar!

I mixed up the dough.




And baked those biscuits to a golden brown.



Since I was sick I didn’t really care what shape the biscuits were in so I cut two out with the biscuit cutter and just gathered up all the scraps for a third.

When it was all done and assembled it look and smelled sooooo good.



I took two bites and that was it…couldn’t do anymore.  So now I am EXTRA hungry for strawberry shortcake but I don’t have any strawberries.  With the cold, wet weather we are having, I am concerned about the Oregon crop – I may NEVER get my strawberry shortcake! (Guess I could go buy some at Costco!)

But the best thing about the whole experience was hearing Russ retell his favorite strawberry shortcake story.  It happened when he was a hungry young man still serving in the National Guard.  It was his drill weekend so he was late to a family gathering at his brother’s house.

When he arrived, all that was left to eat were bits and pieces, but there was enough fixings for a big serving of strawberry shortcake.  He felt he deserved it so he fixed ALL that was left and slathered it with whipped cream from a spray can.  He took and HUGE bite, anticipating the squish of the ripe berries and the sweetness of the smooth cream making a happy melody in his mouth.  Instead he tasted the vilest thing he ever had and began to spit the whole big mouthful into the trash.  Seems what he had topped off his shortcake with was NOT whipped cream but Glory Rug Shampoo!!  Since he had taken the last of the leftovers – that was it for strawberry shortcake for Russ.  If only I had been there….

Making the Most of the Day

May 24, 2011

I’ve been watching the weather for a break in the rain and finally found one!  It’s only supposed to last for one day so we decided we had better take advantage of it. 
So off we went to Florence, OR to the state park that is closet to our home, Jesse M. Honeyman.  This park is right in the middle of the Oregon dunes and in better weather, is filled mainly with ATVs and their owners.  In the off season, you can ride your OHV right onto the dunes from the campground.



This access is only open October thru April which is a good thing since we are camped two spots down from this access road.  From May thru September, the OHV must be trucked to a nearby access point.  I did hear a little noise from the vehicles for a while but it wasn’t bad at all.

The campground itself is a mix of tent and RV sites.  All sites have water and electric and some have sewer.  It’s very strange though.  The sewer connection is halfway up the driveway so unless you have a really long hose (which we don’t) it is impossible to connect.  The water and power are clear at the back of the lot so pulling too far forward then poses a problem for those hook-ups.  I walked around and looked at some other sites and they are all configured pretty much the same.  Go figure.
The sites are roomy and have a lot of shrubbery between sites providing good privacy and separation of space.




What’s camping without a campfire?  My intrepid fire maker got busy and got a nice fire going right away.



And what’s a campfire without hot dogs???


That’s doing things the easy way.

Florence is famed for its wild rhododendrons and last week was the annual Rhododendron Festival.  There are many of these beautiful shrubs growing wild in the park and this one is right on the back perimeter of our site.

     
Some of you know I have been sick for over a week.  One of the reasons to come to the coast was to see if some fresh air and sunshine would help.  I am feeling better but I just can’t seem to get any strength back.  That’s very frustrating for me as I am not one to lay around and do nothing.  I haven’t felt like writing – not that I had anything to say anyway!  I have barely felt like reading, and commenting just seemed to be too big of a task. 

Last night I tried to comment on some blogs and Google was doing funny things to my comments.  I am not a computer novice even though this is going to sound like one! I would make a comment and it would disappear when I hit enter.  Or Google would ask me to log in and when I logged in and tried to comment it would show me as anonymous and ask me to log in again.  I couldn’t get anything to work.  I am wondering if it was just me or did anyone else have problems?  I finally decided it was more than I could deal with and did not even try and find a solution…I just packed it in and went to bed.

So, even after a day of at least partial sunshine, I am feeling down and gloomy and like I am never going to feel good again and the sun is never going to shine.  Woe is me!!!  I think I need a good swift kick in the pants or a road trip to a sunny location.  How does one make it through a dry spell of no travel??

We have no internet signal here but Russ saw what looked like a Wi-Fi logo in “B” loop so we may mosey on over there and see if I can get this blog to post.  If not…well you’ll be reading this on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.  Thanks for stopping by and listening to the complaints and ramblings of a feverish mind.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Okay, I could have just deleted the last paragraph above or just left it as is and you would never know the difference.  However, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to add the following explanation.  We did go back to “B” loop looking for the elusive Wi-Fi signal but it was not to be found.  This is the sign Russ saw.


Now, honestly, doesn’t that look like a little broadcasting doogadget?  Alas, we discovered to our chagrin, it is not the State of Oregon’s attempt at experimental Wi-Fi in state campgrounds…it is nothing more than a symbol telling campers that the amphitheatre is that way!  SIGH!!  

We went out to breakfast in Florence before taking off for home this morning.  Amid the rain and dark clouds, we found an oasis of warmth and great food.  It’s called The Brown Hen and it is a small cafe on the west side of Hwy. 101 at the south end of Florence.  The coffee was great and the food was hot, well prepared and more than plentiful.  The cafe is being remodeled and the windows have been replaced with absolutely gorgeous stained glass images of scenes around Florence.  It is worth the visit just to see the windows.  The prices were a little steep, but with the portions they serve, a breakfast entree could easily be shared by two people.  I highly recommend The Brown Hen if you are traveling near Florence, OR.

Just for Today

I am going to appreciate today.  That “corner” that I thought I turned yesterday with my illness, seemed to have led me into a blind alley when I awoke this morning.  After having no fever almost all day on Wednesday, the fever was back and the headache was worse.  I felt LOUSY.  However, I made myself get some breakfast so I could take some Tylenol and try to reduce the fever.  Today’s fever topped out at only 101.7 so I was very grateful after fighting fevers of close to 104 on Saturday thru Tuesday.

After a couple of doses of Tylenol and a nap, I finally began to feel better.  The sun was shining, it was warm and just a hint of a gentle breeze was flowing through the house.  I don’t know about you, but I much prefer God’s A/C to that provided by the electric company.  Whenever I can, the windows are open and my house is almost like one giant screen room. 

Of course my first thought was, gotta get busy and get some things done that I should have done earlier in the week.  I was already feeling bad about missing our Lazy Daze NW outing but not much could be done about that.  Then my private duty nurse, otherwise known as Russ, suggested that we just take some time and sit outside…and so we did.

Just for today I am going to sit in the sun and enjoy the yard and not worry about the patio that needs a good power washing, or the herb garden that has gone totally to seed.  I am going to enjoy sitting with my dog and my husband and just relax.


Just for today I am not going to think about the snail climbing on the little white fence or the fact that the fence itself is badly in need of replacement.  I am going to feast my eyes on the purple Columbine and the emerging lupine and enjoy the colors of spring.


Just for today I am not going to look at all the empty Shepherd’s hooks and wish I had hanging baskets.  That decision has been made and I won’t break my promise.  I will look instead at the other colorful plants and be happy with those.  I won’t look at the base of the Sweet Gum tree that is normally filled with Impatiens by now, nor will I worry about the winter detritus still needing to be raked from the corner flower bed.  I will enjoy what I have.


Just for today I will look up at the beautiful blue sky and not worry that the gutters need cleaning and the patio roof need washed.  I will enjoy the sky and the trees and the sounds of the birds.


I will sit in my recliner and feel the sun on my face and let the wind ruffle my hair and rejoice in all that I have been given.  Tomorrow is time enough to get things worked on but just for today, I am going to enjoy.  For today is all we really have.

Sick

Been sick...but not DEAD!  More later...just wanted to let you all know, I'm still here.

Exit Strategy–part 2 (Final)

One poster yesterday asked if I could provide a copy of what is required for Medicaid application.  I present this here for informational purposes only.  Please bear in mind that Medicaid is a joint state/federal program and as such, the requirements can vary slightly from state to state.  Also, since this is a government program, the requirements can change at the whim of whomever is currently holding the reins of power.  I think this is a good place to start, but it may not be current when you, the reader, starts his or her application.  You may be one of the lucky ones and not ever need Medicaid.  There are income and asset limits that apply but regardless, you most likely will, at some point, require some type of care, whether it be Medicaid or private pay, and it is best to have important documents gathered ahead of time.


I think the most important thing to bear in mind is that you need to have a plan and you need to communicate that plan to someone.  You need to have a will and an advanced medical directive, at the very least.

One thing I failed to mention last night is always carrying a list of your current medications when you travel.  If you are a full-timer, you probably already have that somewhere in your RV, but for those of us who only travel part-time, you may not have thought about this.  I have three copies of our current medications and emergency notification contacts.  One stays in our briefcase in the motorhome, one is in my purse, and one is in the glove box of the toad.  That way, wherever we are, we have our medication list and emergency notification information with us.  It may be a bit of overkill, but given what we are now involved with, I think more information is better than less.

On the thumb drive I had for my sister, I also listed current bills that need to be paid and how to handle that, e.g. how we pay the mortgage, the lawn guy, etc.  Most of our bills are paid online but if we were incapacitated and in the hospital, someone would need to keep up with those obligations.  I also gave password information to our email, Face Book and Blogger accounts so those could be checked and managed if need be.

The situation that we now find ourselves involved in, could have been made much easier through just a little advanced planning.  It was not for lack of trying on our part, but some folks find it very threatening to admit they need help.  I don’t know if it is a lack of trust or just a fierce protection of their independence.  Whatever the reason, I am certain that our relative did not foresee that she would fall at church on Easter Sunday morning and break a hip.  And now it is too late for that advanced planning which would have made everything so much easier.  Now it is a mad scramble to try and fit all the pieces of the puzzle together in a limited amount of time and, rather than the best outcome, we will probably have to settle for a less than ideal situation.

I know I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be prepared for our declining years.  My own parents had pre-paid funeral plans and had given us access to their financial information long before we needed it.  Although there were still difficulties when my dad passed away, it was so much easier than what we are dealing with now.  I will say again, the greatest gift you can give to your children (or others who may be helping you out someday) is to be prepared and share as much information as you can ahead of time.  They will thank you for it.

I promise, this is my last sermon on the matter.  Tomorrow we go forth to help our sons clean the house and try to make it habitable for her release on Monday.  Yesterday we were told by the Social Worker that she would be released on Wednesday, the 18th.  Today, the insurance said she had to be released on Monday, the 16th.  Go figure!!  Wish us luck!!

P.S.  Heard from the Lazy Daze factory today.  They will be shipping us a tube of the caulk that they use around the openings on the roof.  Hopefully, we can get up there and get 'er fixed without falling off!!  All the other seals looks like they did a much better job on them so don't know what happened here, but it should be an easy fix.  Hope we can get it fixed before we leave for our GTG in Oakridge next Tuesday.

Exit Strategy???

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.  Mother’s Day seems to do that to me.  I think about my own mother, who has been gone now for over 20 years.   I remember how we took her into our home and cared for her after my dad died.  After I had to go to work full-time, Mother went to live with one of my sisters for over a year until she passed away.  We were lucky we had the resources and the living space at that time to deal with the situation. 

I think of the job I did as a mother myself and wonder if the love I gave will ever outweigh the mistakes I made.  I think of other mothers out there who have no one left to care for them and wonder what my responsibility is and how much I can really do to solve those problems.  I am wondering about my own future as I age and am finally alone.

I’m wondering how many of you full or part timers have an exit strategy?  I know this has been alluded to a couple of times lately on other blogs.  In dealing with a situation we now have in our lives, I am really thinking about what older folks need to do to prepare for the inevitable.

We got a list today from the re-hab center of all the documents that need to be found before one can qualify for assistance from Medicaid.  It includes everything from a birth certificate to a current financial statement.  Many of the documents the certifiers need are going to be very difficult to trace down.  Unless you are very wealthy and can pay for in home care or for assisted living, you will need Medicaid.  Medicare does NOT pay for invalid care!

I have been considering this as it applies to our future.  Although we have many things already in place, I am not certain that we have everything that is on this list.  We will be making sure we have ALL that information together for ourselves.  Before we went on our journey last month, we put on a USB drive all of our financial records, passwords, bank account numbers, advanced directives, and information on where to locate our will and other important papers.  We left this information in a sealed envelope with my sister with instructions on what to do if we were incapacitated in any way…and yes, I would trust either of my sisters with my life!!  We have also talked to our kids about our last wishes.  About the only thing we still need to do is a pre-paid cremation plan.

This stuff may not be the easiest thing to talk about but it is a fact…we are all going to die or become incapacitated at some point in our lives.  It may be while we are out on the road or it may be when we are sitting in our living room at home.  But if you have loved ones who will be responsible for you at some point, the best gift you can give them is to have things laid out and easily accessible ahead of time. 

We are scrambling to ascertain where documents are kept, what assets and liabilities exist, and we have no authority to find any of it.  Yet, because of the unique situation we face with this elderly person,  we will have to do at least some of the legwork on getting things squared away.  And the biggest problem is the time factor.  All of this takes time, and after all the information is gathered, the application process also takes times.  Meanwhile, how do you help this person?  Discharge date is set for May 18 and as of now, we do not have an answer for what the housing situation will be.  It is very difficult, and trying to make decisions under these circumstances is stressful to say the least.

So, if you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to find someone you trust, even if you have to hire an attorney, and get things in order NOW, before it is needed.  Your loved ones will thank you for it! 

Sorry this is not a very uplifting or fun post, but it is something we all need to deal with at some point.

All in all, I would rather be in Therapy!!

Not much happening today.  Went for my MRI this morning and it wasn't too bad.  I do NOT like the old MRI machines where you feel like you are buried alive.  This was a newer machine, an open MRI.  Not bad at all.  So now just waiting for results.

Tomorrow we go to Salem again to visit our elderly relative.  Will be talking with the social worker to try and figure out her future care.  It's really hard, especially when you aren't really a relative and have no legal standing.  But we will do what we can to get things settled.

We had one call back from the factory about the leak but Russ was on the other line with the nursing home so missed the call.  He called back but then there was no one at the factory to talk to him so he left a message.  Never did get a call back.  This is NOT typical of Lazy Daze so I will continue to give them the benefit of the doubt until I learn otherwise.  Too much going on right now and we're kinda on edge about things.  But, things have a way of working out. 

Sometimes I think we definitely need to be in Therapy...and not the kind with wheels!!!

Night all...sleep well and dream of places you want to see down the road.

O.M.G., I'm rich!

Silver in the Hair

Gold in the Teeth

Crystals in the Kidneys

Sugar in the Blood

Lead in the Ass

Iron in the Arteries

And 
An inexhaustible supply of Natural Gas.

Happy Mother's Day and a Big Surprise

I'll start with the surprise first because it is something we NEVER expected...a LEAK in our brand new Lazy Daze!!!  To say I am disappointed would be a huge understatement.  I have been so impressed with the quality and construction of the Lazy Daze that I NEVER expected something like this.  It is a good thing we decided to take everything out of this cabinet or we would not have caught this until much later.

Granted, it rained REALLY hard here this afternoon but a brand new coach that was sealed properly should not leak.  It appears that the CB antenna in the upper right hand corner of the picture is the culprit. 

We sent an email to the factory and are awaiting their reply.  I am sure they will take care of it but the question is how.  They are in Southern California and we are in Oregon.  We can probably fix it ourselves but don't want to do anything to void the warranty.

This is where we think the problem is coming from.  It appears that the sealing job is less than perfect.  Maybe it was lunch time???

Looks like the caulk does not go all the way around.  So, time will tell on how we deal with this.

Wanted to wish all you Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day.  We had a nice time in Portland visiting with family.  Got to see all the kids and grand kids that live in that area. 

On Thursday we visited at our daughter's house.  Mike, our second grandson was there and we had a nice visit with him.  He had to leave as a friend was graduating form Bible College in Salem that evening and Mike was invited to attend.  Mike was such a skinny little kid and now that he is grown, he is a big guy!  I think he wears a size 14 shoe and has a 42 inch chest!  He's only 20 so I hope he stops growing soon...but I think he hopes he doesn't LOL!  This is Mike and his mom, Merry.

We had pizza at Merry's on Thursday night and were joined by DIL Joni and granddaughter, Bekah.  This is Red's family for those of you who follow his blog.  Red was still in Washington working.  The girl cousins thought it was funny that they both showed up wearing the Christmas t-shirts I gave them in December!

It's almost impossible to believe that Anna (left) will be going to high school next year and Bekah (right) will be starting Jr. High.  Where does the time go?  I can still remember when they were babies and now they are young ladies.


On Friday, our oldest grandson, Tim, took us out to authentic Chinese food, and spent most of the day with us.  Tim works at 7-11 and his boss and several of the employees are Chinese.  He has become good friends with these folks and as a result has become quite fond of Chinese food.  This place had about as many choices as I have ever seen in a restaurant....but I just couldn't let him talk me into trying the squid!

What we did order was delicious and Tim assures us it was authentic.  We has sesame chicken, green bean beef, special fried rice, and salt and pepper fish.  It was all good.  Tim ordered what he thought was a beverage his dad had ordered last week with tapioca and fruit.  I think he needs to brush up on his Chinese because that was not what he got!  Tim is an adventurous eater but even he had to finally  give up on this drink.

After lunch we went to an authentic Chinese supermarket.  It is inside a mall that is almost all of Asian influence.  They had gorgeous silk dresses and fabrics in one shop.  There was a jewelry store, and a Chinese bakery, and even a mortgage company that had a definite Asian influence.  There was a foot massage place that promised a 12 step foot massage! 

The grocery store was definitely interesting.  There were whole hanging smoked ducks...head and all and some other meat that I wasn't sure of.  There were tanks of live fish and also bins of live oysters and clams.  There were packages of fresh chicken feet and every kind of meat you can imagine.  I wanted to take pictures but I didn't want to offend anyone.  It was all so interesting.  And everything was SPOTLESSLY clean.  The checkers even wore plastic gloves.  I bought some papaya cookies that were like fig newtons and they were very good. 

In the mall there were many "rides" for the children.  Grandpa tried to talk Tim into a Buzz Lightyear ride but Tim insisted he was just a little old for that!!

Outside of the grocery store, there were large marble statues for sale for thousands of dollars.  this one was my favorite.

We also went to a Chinese bakery but again, no pictures for fear of offending.  But it all looked sooo good.


Red (John) made it back from Washington on Friday night so we spent most of Saturday with him and his family.  He has a new blog up about crawling into the oven!  My pictures didn't turn out but Bekah played guitar, drums, and piano for us (not all at the same time!) and we had grilled hot dogs and mac salad.  Then they came out to the campground and we went for a walk along the river.  Saw some people pulling in some pretty big salmon.  All in all an enjoyable weekend.  Bekah made me this rose pen (complete with scent) from colored duct tape.  Pretty creative.

Now if it would just stop raining....

Clackamette Park – Oregon City

May 4, 2011

It’s good that I’m okay with “Jell-O” plans cuz that’s what happened today.  We got a little later start than what we had anticipated and so decided to skip the casino part of the trip and just go relax by the river for an extra day. 

We arrived at the park about 1:30 and got set up in record time.   The sites are not completely level but they have a nice gravel base and it wasn’t too hard to level up.  Don’t know if I’ve mentioned that we do NOT have levelers on Therapy so we do it the old fashioned way with ramps and blocks.

There are water and electric hook-ups but no sewer or Wi-Fi.  There is a dump station on site with a $5 dump fee.  The cost for camping is $20 or $25 for the river front spaces.  They were doing some kind of work on the water front spaces so they were not open.  We took the largest spot and it has an unobstructed view of the river.  It’s a little crowded but not bad for $20.  There are tons of fishermen who come during the day but the gates are locked at 10pm so they all have to be out of the park by then.

 

These are a small portion of the boats upriver on the Willamette.  There are just as many down river where the Clackamas River flows into the Willamette.  I don’t know how they stay out of each other’s way.  In addition, there are people almost shoulder to shoulder on the bank with lines in the water.

 

This is where we are camped.  It’s close on one side but it’s a wide space on the other side.

 

The day use area is much prettier than the camp ground.  There is a nice walking path around the perimeter of the park and along the river.

 

Along the path we found where they have thinned some trees.

 

 

Russ shows how big some of these trees were.

 

 

This is the bridge over the Clackamas River.

 

 

We were enjoying our walk along the steep bank, watching the ducks, geese, and pigeons.  There were people who had scrambled down the bank to try and find the best fishing spot.  But something was wrong with the view along the river bank.

 

All along the bank we saw this type of litter.  WHY WHY WHY do people have to be so lazy and nasty and leave their trash all along the river.  I honestly do not understand how anyone can think this way.  I am not a tree hugging environmentalist but this type of behavior just makes me furious.  If you can pack it down to the river full, you can certainly pack it back out empty.   Unfortunately the bank was steep and slippery and no place for senior citizens or we would have been down there cleaning up after these slobs.

 

We did find the perfect boat to tow behind Therapy…that is if we wanted a boat.

Wouldn’t that be just perfect??

 

Here’s looking towards the camping area, from across the day use area.

 

At the park there is an area of many, many horseshoe pits and grandstands.  I think they have tournaments there.

There is also a really nice skate park here.  We watched these young people do their tricks for quite a while.  It was really fun and free entertainment.  There were fellas there with bikes, skateboards, and scooters with long handles.  They all performed amazingly.  I don’t know how they stayed out of each others’ way but there were no run-ins. 

 

Here’s a young man catching some air on his scooter.  He would jump up and turn the scooter around and then land it on the ground and keep going.

 

Only this time he didn’t seem to make the landing.

 

 

He was fine and got right back into the game.  His buddy tried the same trick and nailed it.

 

There were a couple of guys on bikes that were really good and we watched them for quite a while.

 

 

This fella rode up the steep incline and when his bike hit the top, he went up in the air, turned a 180 on the bike and kept going backwards.

 

 

 

We got back to camp just in time to see this stubby little tuggy going up river.

 

 

Nest door to us, these two little guys were keeping a close watch on us while their parents were away from home on a walk.

 

 

The little white one made sure I was aware that I was not to come any closer or he would eat me alive.  Even when I went inside, he continues to give me the evil eye.

 

These are the homes across the river.  Can you smell the money???

 

 

 

I probably won’t get this posted tonight.  There is no internet here, but there is a McDonald’s just at the top of the drive and a Best Western nearby.  I tried logging on from here but the signal is not strong enough.  Since they close the gates at 10 pm, I don’t think I will take a chance on going out tonight.  Take care all.