Whew, nice day but tiring

Well, the girls finally rolled out of bed about 9:30 this morning…that’s a tad early for them but I promised them a drive out to the lake so they made the effort!!  We are trying so hard to keep Poppy healthy for as long as we can and any walking helps to control her diabetes.  We try to take her to places she enjoys so she will get some exercise.

We visited Fern Ridge Reservoir today, locally known as Fern Ditch.  It is a large, shallow lake and the water is nowhere near as clear as the other bodies of water in the area.  The wind blew yesterday and the waves on the shallow water really stirred up the dirt on the bottom.


Yup, that’s the lake water, ankle deep and almost can’t see anything!!


It is a popular lake for boating though and this year they have a rental concession.

Photo by Bekah.

Anna took this shot of a kayak against the backdrop of some of the many large sailboats in the marina.


What a gorgeous day, blue skies, sunshine and just a few puffy clouds.

The girls paused on the footbridge long enough to pose for a picture.


Grandpa and Poppy were bringing up the rear.


Teenagers or not, these girls enjoy swings.  Secretly, I do too!!











Russ went and picked up the boys while I took the girls shopping for jeans at St. Vinnys (thrift store).

This used to be the swimming area for little tykes but over the last couple of years it has been let go and has become overgrown with weeds.



But all the weeds and Queen Anne’s Lace, brings lots of ladybugs and the girls had fun playing with them.



That’s Russ’s cane on the right trying to steady the bush so I can get a picture.  We’re very professional when it comes to nature photography!!

The windstorm yesterday blew junk all over the pool cover but Anna sprayed it off and Corbin scooped the leaves.


Bekah and Brendan enjoyed swimming…


…while Anna, enjoyed her iPod!


Ya know, that pool is just a homemade concrete covered hole in the ground, but after looking at Fern Ditch this morning I am so glad we have it.  It may not be much but every kid in this family has spent time in that pool and every one of my grandkids can swim.  Keeps them outside and moving (most of the time!) and it’s a lot cleaner and warmer than the lake, and much safer than the rivers.

Tomorrow, two more girls get dropped off and then the fun really begins!!

Rusty has Wheels and I’ve Got a Cold

If you are a regular reader, you know the ongoing saga of my aging dog, Rusty, and his increasing lack of mobility.  Poor guy, he does his best but his hind legs just keep getting crossed up and tangled then he falls and he cannot keep up.  There are spots on the top of his rear feet where the hair has been rubbed off and the top of his nails are all worn down.  This is from dragging his feet and not being able to always walk on his pads.  It’s something like walking on your knuckles.  I bought him some booties but they just cause his feet to tangle more than they already do and make it harder for him to get around.

When I had my little Chihuahua years ago, she used to love to ride in a stroller.  I had thought about it for Rusty but he is so fiercely independent and also over 40lbs. so I didn’t think it would work for him.


  Yesterday we went to the lake and, after letting him out to sniff and pee for a bit and get his feet wet, I hoisted him into the stroller.  I expected a big struggle from him but to my surprise, he sat there like a good dog and seemed to enjoy the ride.  So here’s a picture of Rusty in his new-to-him wheels.


I kept him on a short leash in case he got any ideas but he never tried to jump out or acted like he didn’t like it.  Those red things hanging off the stroller handle are his booties.  He wore them in the water and was just barely managing to stay upright.  I took them off and hung them on the stroller to dry.  Miss Poppy, who is a tad lazy, was eyeing the stroller like, “Geez, mom, how does he rate?”!!!  So finally, we were able to take a good walk along the lake, rather than the few yards that we have been walking lately.

Last time I posted pictures of the sailboats in the marina Judy mentioned that all the sail covers were blue and thought a red one would be nice.  Well, here ya go Judy, Russ found one!!


There were also some guys out on paddle boards.  It was a great day for it as the lake was smooth and the weather warm and sunny.  I just don’t get the fun of standing on a board paddling around in the water though!!




Russ was also lucky enough to spot another Oregon alligator.  This species is not as rare as one might imagine, but you do have to look carefully to see them.


We also made a return visit to Hendricks Park.  This is a beautiful rhododendron and azalea garden and we wanted one last look before all the blooms had faded.  Most of the blossoms are already spent but we did find a few blooms left, along with some other flowers. 


This is a beautiful place to walk but, unfortunately, no dogs are allowed in the garden area. The paths and the dappled sunlight in this park make it a perfect place to take a stroll or just relax on the grass with a good book.



Our granddaughter, Bekah, came to visit this weekend and I spent some time with her making a new summer top.  I only did a small portion of the work.  I would say she completed 90% of it on her own.  She was feeling pretty comfortable with the sewing machine by the time she was done and she did an excellent job.  Unfortunately, Bekah had a cold and all that working together allowed her germs to jump all over me.  Used to be, I would never get sick but it seems my immune system just isn’t what is once was.  Now I am putting all my chores on hold and trying desperately to get better quickly.  We have two blogger couples that we are scheduled to meet with – one on Saturday and another on Monday and I don’t want to mess that up.  Vitamin C, zinc, Echinacea, cold capsules, hot tea with lemon and honey – it’s all on board.  All I am missing is the chicken soup and I don’t have enough energy to make a pot.  Maybe later cuz I gotta be well by Saturday.  Wish me luck!!

I Think I Saw Noah Float By!

After the longest May dry spell in 20 years (17 days), the rain returned to Eugene, OR today with a vengeance.  It was a nice gentle showery kind of day until mid-afternoon when we got a sudden deluge that threatened to float us all away.  The rain is expected to last until Friday when the sun is scheduled to make it’s next appearance.  That’s okay – at least I don’t have to do the watering tonight!



Yesterday was a mild, partly cloudy day and so off we went on a short adventure with our mutts.  We went to another park on the lake that we don’t get to visit much during the winter.  That’s because it’s closed ha-ha!!  Unlike Orchard Point, which stays open all year, Richardson (panorama above) closes for the winter.  There is a day use area and a campground there and the crowds are usually non-existent.

This is a great spot for a picnic – trees, table, BBQ, boat dock, and restrooms just out of view. 



Rusty did so well!  He did his little “shuffle and drag” all the way down to the water and he even got in!  He thinks he is swimming but in truth his feet were always touching bottom.





He enjoyed himself, even if he was exhausted by the time he made it back to the car.  And this is what the parking lot looked like when we left.


We also hung up the feeder I got for Mother’s Day.  However our hanging job was not very sturdy and the feeder was on the ground before we knew it.  Didn’t seem to stop the local wildlife from enjoying its bounty however.


Checking to make sure the coast is clear.


Enjoying a snack.


The End!

An Unexpected Blessing

First of all I want to express my sincere thanks to all of you who left encouraging comments on my post about Poppy.  Many of you had little tidbits of advice as well.  I sure appreciate hearing from all of you and the tips from those who have dealt with this problem are so welcome.  Yesterday was a bad day and Poppy was extremely uncooperative and hard to handle.  Felt like giving up but of course we won’t.  Thank you all.


We woke up this morning to NOT rain, but sunshine peeking through our curtains.  It was not expected so that made it a double blessing, as well as an unexpected one.  MUCH too nice of a day to sit inside and do chores, especially since the rain is due to return tomorrow.


We wrestled with Poppy for a while trying to get her pill and shot taken care of and then we took her with us to run a few errands.  Her urine test was still showing extremely high levels of glucose so we gave her a larger shot of insulin and did not want to leave her home alone. 


Poppy has had a bad infection in her foot and the vet has kept it bandaged.  To keep it dry, he taped a rubber glove over it.  However, after Poppy’s insulin shot and having an antibiotic capsule shoved down her gullet, I think she had had enough.  Although she is not normally a rude dog, I assume she was making her feelings known here.  Draw your own conclusions.



Our most important errand today was to get our new Lane County Parks Pass.  We get one of these every year.  For those holding a senior America the Beautiful Federal parks pass, the Lane County pass is only $15.  That is one heck of a deal as it provides free day use to any Lane County park that charges a day use fee.  Our favorite park at Fern Ridge Lake is a fee area so we get our money’s worth early on with that pass.  You may have read my blog earlier in the year about Harbor Vista on the Oregon coast.  That is also a Lane County Park so we get free day use whenever we go to Florence. 

So after that errand and a couple of store stops, we loaded up some lunch, threw the dogs in Therapy, and went off to the lake to eat lunch and take a little walk.

We had to park in the trailer area and can’t see the lake from there but it sure felt good just to take a ride in the motorhome.   As we were parking, I noticed a guy walking across the earthen dam at the top of the picture.  Before we got out of Therapy, he was down to the sidewalk telling us how he used to have a Lazy Daze and how much he liked it.  Of course we invited him to come on in and have a look and he sure seemed to enjoy visiting.  He was a nice guy and after having a look inside, he was off to finish his walk.



Surprisingly, Rusty wanted to go too and with a little help he was able to get into and out of the motorhome just fine.   His first priority was to see the lake.  Fern Ridge is as full as I have ever seen it.  We have had so much rain lately that there is standing water and near flood conditions in many areas.  Normally you have to walk DOWN the gangplank to get to the pier, but today it seemed like the gangplank walk was slightly uphill.



There were a couple of boats being pulled out as we walked by.  The wind was picking up and it was too choppy to have a smooth ride.  The waves were breaking near the sidewalk as Rusty went to inspect the water.



He decided the water was too rough for wading and then Poppy had to check it out.



After a quick check she too decided Thanks, but no thanks, and edged away from the water.



It took a lot out of Rusty to walk as far as he did and he was really stumbling by the time we got back to the motorhome, but he was a happy dog.  The moon was already showing over the park – such a pretty sight.



After a little drive we arrived back home.  I am happy to report that Poppy FINALLY had a normal reading on her urine test!  Now I have to watch and make sure she does not go too low but at least I feel we are making progress.  If we can just get her dosage regulated to provide the maximum benefit, we will feel so much better about everything.  We have again placed all travel plans on hold until we get this thing figured out.

For the first time EVER, Poppy lost control of her bladder in the car yesterday.  She was so embarrassed.  We have noticed a couple of wet spots in on the bath rugs where she naps too so I think that is a problem with the high blood sugar.  She drinks excessive amounts of water and what goes in must come out and she doesn’t always make it outside.  We cannot travel with her having a problem like that so we will just wait until things are more regular.  Her foot looks better this evening too so we have some hope of progress.

And just to show that things are starting to bloom here is the chilly Pacific NW, here’s a dainty little flower we found blooming at the lake. 



Do you think spring might be just around the corner for us in the cold, cold north too? 

We Have Sunsets in Oregon Too!!

Okay, I admit it…I have sunset envy!!  There aren’t too many times during the gray dreary days of winter in the Pacific Northwest when the clouds part long enough to give us a colorful sky.  I have been viewing all the beautiful sunset pictures from Mellow Mike, Rick and Paulette, Al and Kelly, The Caves, and so many others too numerous to list.  They are from California, Texas, Florida, Arizona…seems like everywhere you look there are glorious, colorful sunsets.



However, today was dry and only partly cloudy so we headed out to the lake about 4:30 to see if we could find fire in the sky.  And find it we did.  It went from soft pink to blazing orange.  I would have loved to have a few more ripples in the clouds but you take what you can get.

There was lots of water in the lake from the recent heavy rains and the marina is being dismantled and the docks replaced or repaired.  Firewood, anyone? 



The walkways were all still in place, but the one that had been stripped was looking rather bleak.  BUT, we were starting to get some color!!

There are normally boat slips all along this pier.

The lake had only a gentle ripple on it and the reflections on the water doubled the color from the sky.  Just a few days ago this area was totally dry but water was let into the lake to prevent flooding upstream.







The geese were no doubt headed for their nighttime resting grounds as they passed almost directly overhead.  See the little sliver of moon up there?



Finally the sky filled with fire as the sun sought its own resting place for the night.



And so there you have it…the sun does show up once in a while in Oregon in the winter and sometimes it even puts on a nice show!  Now if it could just be as warm as it is in California or Arizona...

How Many Things Can Be Crammed Into ONE Day?

Quite a few if you work it right.  We had some chores and repairs scheduled for this week but somehow they all seemed to happen on the same day. 

I started the day early by baking pumpkin bread.  The electrician was scheduled to come and put in a plug for Therapy and plenty of hot pumpkin bread had somehow entered into the negotiations on the final price.  I’m not a great cook but I do make really yummy pumpkin bread.  The loaves are NOT flat as they appear in this picture!



The roofers were supposed to come on Tuesday for a minor repair on the carport roof but they got delayed and showed up about the same time as the electrician.  There goes another loaf of pumpkin bread! 

We had also scheduled Therapy to have her windshield replaced on Wednesday so we took her in and dropped her off.  Then we went for a drive while all the hubbub was happening around the old homestead.  We found a few things to take photos of out in the country.

First stop – no surprise – the lake to let the dogs walk and enjoy a bit of freedom.



From bright pumpkins to colorful old wrecks, there is always something to see in the country.



We enjoyed the look of this old barn…



… and the sentiment expressed on this entry gate.




We got back home to find the roof repair completed and the electrical plug in place.



So now Russ gets the bright idea to have some gravel delivered.  He calls the place and they say they can deliver it yet this afternoon so Russ completes the order.  Right about then the call comes from the glass place that Therapy is finished and we need to come pick her up.  So we left a sign for the gravel guys (dump gravel here), went by the yard and paid for the gravel and went to get our Therapy.




So Therapy is no longer cracked and the gravel is in the driveway.  Three yards sounded like a lot more than it turned out to be!!



We’ll se how far it goes once we start to spread it in the RV shed.

Got a lot accomplished on Wednesday…oh and it was also garbage day, the pool cleaner came, and the lawn guy showed up as well.  Busy day?  Yeah I guess you could say that.  Now it’s time to get the gravel spread, get Therapy cleaned up and loaded up and go on a trip…somewhere…anywhere…I don’t care…. I need Therapy!