Finley NWR

Woke up to a chilly, overcast morning so we decided it would be a good day to do something outdoors.  I have been wanting to visit the Finley National Wildlife Refuge for some time so today was the day.  The refuge is located about 35 miles from our house, near Corvallis, Or.  

Passing through the small town of Monroe on our way to the refuge, we spied this old Lazy Daze motorhome sitting along the curb.  Maybe some of my fellow LD people can help me out but it looks to be a late 70s or early 80s model.  Was back when they had real opening windows in the cabover.






While going around the block to get a better look at the Lazy Daze, we saw this beautiful old house.  Monroe is kind of a poor area and a very small town, so I didn’t expect to see something like this.




The refuge is located down a gravel road.  While it was a bit wash-boardy, it wasn’t too bad.  It cut through some picturesque farmland.  Here was a field of mint, getting a much need sprinkling.



We crossed a railroad track and used the utmost caution as the warning sign requested.  Somehow, I don’t think we were ever in any real danger of being crushed by a passing train!



“The refuge was named for William L. Finley, an early conservationist who persuaded President Theodore Roosevelt to set aside the first national wildlife refuge west of the Mississippi River.”  (from website)  That refuge is Three Arch Rocks NWR and is off the northern coast of Oregon near Oceanside.  It’s one I definitely want to visit in the not too distant future.

The Finley refuge was set aside mainly for migrating birds, specifically several sub-species of Canada Geese.  To be honest, there was not too much to see today as it was not the right time of year.  From November to April is when the refuge is most active. 

One of the first viewing areas upon entering the park is Prairie Overlook.  It overlooks a Prairie, yes it does!!!  This is a composite of several shots I took.  This is a great viewing area and plenty of benches on which to rest and just enjoy the out doors.


This is also a trail head but it was too hot by now to do much walking out across the prairie.  Boy am I glad I didn’t have to cross Kansas in a covered wagon!

There are many miles of trails within the refuge and most are short and doable even by slugs like us!  Most of the walking trails are closed from Nov. 1 to April 1 so that the nesting birds are not disturbed.  The gravel road circumnavigates the refuge and is open all year.  There are lots of pull outs allowing for viewing the various areas.

From prairie to marshland to deep forest, the refuge provides many different types of habitat.





We spent some time walking around the Fiechter House, completed in 1857, and thought to be the oldest house in Benton County.  Although it is not open to inside tours, we enjoyed the view and the trees and just imagining what it would have been like to live in that house over 150 years ago.



I imagine they farmed the land as there were no Safeways or Costcos close by!  Their apple trees in the back yard were still producing fruit, as was a plum tree out front.



A picnic table provided a great lunch spot but it was still too early for us.


Although we were here at the wrong time of the year to observe the wildlife, I did see a robin and a dragonfly at the visitor’s center!!


And at one of the marshy areas we spied yet another Oregon Alligator.  These critters can be deadly and this one looked hungry so we didn’t linger.


A stop at Avery Park in Corvallis to enjoy our Sub sandwiches and we were ready to call it a day.  Poppy is not looking at her food (in the container with the red lid).  She wanted my sandwich but I am not as generous as Al is with Pheebs, and ate one half and saved the other half for dinner.


Tomorrow we are going to try and beat the heat with a trip to Winchester Bay via Elkton.  Haven’t been over that way for quite some time so we’re looking forward to it.  The temps only reached the low 80s today so that’s more bearable.  The End – sorry no picture !

It’s Not Oklahoma But the Wind is Sure Sweeping Down the Plain

We said goodbye to Kim and Don this morning under partly cloudy skies and no breeze to speak of.  We had such a nice time with them and we sincerely hope we see them again sometime.  They are headed back to their lot on beautiful Lake Shuswap in BC.  Safe travels to you Don and Kim.  We had the privilege to visit a different part of Shuswap Lake in 2009, and I can tell you it is a beautiful area.

Poppy is doing well and had her chill pill last night and then the thunder never came.  But she got a good night’s rest and so did we.  I admit we spoil her but she is Princess Poppy however.  We got her a new dish for this trip and it is deeper than what she is used to.  While she will eat her kibble out of it, she really does not like sticking her muzzle into a deep dish of canned dog food.  We have come up with a solution.


She will very delicately eat her breakfast off the fork as long as we will feed it to her.  Put the food down and she walks away.  It’s just too hard to pick it up from the bottom of the dish.  I know, if she gets hungry enough she will eat but with her diabetes, we try and keep her on a regular schedule and she needs to eat when it is time to eat.  We don’t mind and she is such a lady about the whole process, that we kind of enjoy feeding her.  At night she gets kibble and meat and she eats it just fine on her own.   Isn’t she just a little Princess?

GUESS WHAT??  The Fit is fit and ready to go!  They called late this afternoon and they also said they were going to deliver it to us here in the park tomorrow morning and pick up the rental car!  How cool is that?  Can hardly wait to see what the total will be.  State Farm has been less that a good neighbor and we will be exploring our options when we get home.

So we ran into town after dinner to get a few things at Wal-Mart so we will be ready to roll early tomorrow.  I had both hands on the wheel for sure as there was a bit of turbulence on the highway.   By the time we headed home, it was really blowing and it was definitely a two-hands-on-the-wheel type of drive.  As we turned into the park we noticed that is was at least half full and there were many more rigs parked in the boon-docking area.  Our speculation as to why so many folks were here tonight was answered when Russ tried to get out of the car and could hardly get the door open.  When he did get it open, it blew shut before he could get a foot out!  It is quite a blow out there.  I am so glad we are surrounded by grass instead of sand!

This shows the sustained winds – the gusts are much worse.  This is worse than we had in Desert Hot Springs.  We’re sitting here in the coach and the way it is swaying, you would swear you were riding the rails.  You’d love it Sam!!  I made a video but the internet is SO SLOW tonight I don’t think I’d be able to upload so you’ll just have to trust me on this – it’s windy!!  Poppy had her pill so she is chilling and not all agitated.  Weather report calls for calming by morning so hopefully we will get out of here and continue our Travels in Therapy.

Mixed Bag

This is what I would call a “Mixed Bag Blog” – a little of this and a little of that. 


We had a mixed bag of weather here today.  We had rain, wind, hail, and even a few sun breaks!  Right now it’s partly cloudy with a few sun rays shining through but I am told that won’t last.  I keep thinking spring weather will arrive any day but so far 'any day' hasn’t shown up.  Soon…


Poppy went to the vet this morning.  She had her foot re-bandaged and the doc said it looks good.  I only have to keep a sock on it to keep her from licking it but it is healing up nicely.  Her blood glucose was 80 and that is even a tad on the low side.  That was real good news.  It’s so hard to keep up with it with just the urine strips.  Doc encouraged us to have some patience and not be so concerned with testing her all the time and trying to get everything perfect.  He adjusted her insulin dosage and said don’t test her again for three days.  Her body needs time to adjust and we just need to relax a little and not worry so much.  He said we were doing fine for Poppy so that takes a lot of pressure off.  Only two more antibiotic capsules to go so we’re glad about that.  Whew!!

Poppy at Lone Pine’s Alabama Hills last April.

I was pleased to read that John was able to breathe on his own today.  It’s been a rough couple of weeks for John and Nan with the unexpected crisis with John’s health.  Stop on over and leave them some love.


Good news also from Shoeless Joe as he gets a positive report from the doctor.


Even more good news from the Princess and the Cowboy as Ron continues his treatments.   Sharon normally writes this blog but Ron took over for a post earlier in the week.  If you missed Ron’s post on “Playing the Front Nine” it is worth going back for the read. 


And if you want to see some great posts about the Wallace’s adventures in Costa Rica, hop on over to The Odd Essay.  Great pictures and stories.


I want to take a moment for a remembrance of my nephew.  Tomorrow is the anniversary of the loss of our nephew to complications of diabetes.  We were close to Scott and he lived with us for a while as an adult.  He was an accomplished chef and a gentle spirit.   He passed away in 2007 when he was still in his early forties.  I am feeling for my sister today as I think the loss of a child is the most devastating loss of all.  Laila, we will never forget and we are here for you. 

Scott as a senior in high school.

Take care everyone.  For those of you headed back to your summer digs, travel safe.  For those of you staying put for awhile, enjoy your adventures. 

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? 

Dogs

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes and it seems no matter what, there is a dog-shaped place in our hearts for each one of them.  My heart is heavy tonight for the loss of a member of the Bayfield Bunch.  My sincere condolences to Al, Kelly, and Pheebs on the loss of little Motormouse.  She kept us all entertained and I always loved seeing her share a breakfast burrito with Al.

We also got some bad news this week regarding our Poppy dog.  She was at the vet about a month ago and we were told she was pre-diabetic.  Doc thought we could get it under control by watching her diet and getting some weight off her.  We were so pleased when she had lost 7 pounds.  We thought we were doing everything right.  Unfortunately, it was full blown diabetes and not our careful diet that was causing her to lose weight.  Her blood sugar was over 400 and normal is 100, just like it is for a human.



Diabetes in dogs cannot be regulated with a pill; They must have insulin.  She had her first two injections today and did not seem to mind but her blood sugar is still high.  Here are some of the considerations we are weighing in regards to Poppy’s situation.


It is almost impossible to monitor her glucose levels by testing her blood.  It is hard to get blood from a dog except from their footpads or their ears – neither is a good option.  So we have the old fashioned strips that test her urine.  These are not nearly as accurate as blood tests so we are playing a guessing game to some extent.

We will NEVER be able to leave her alone or even with a housesitter.  Insulin therapy carries the inherent risk of low blood glucose and that can be life threatening and needs immediate treatment.  Her food will always be the same, at the same time of day, and in the same amount.  We will need to adjust her insulin dosage based on her level of exercise and how well she is eating.  It will always be an estimate and risky.



The vet said it is pretty much inevitable that she will lose her vision.  With dogs it is not retinopathy that causes blindness, but cataracts.  He said the cataracts develop from high blood glucose and can totally eradicate their vision within a month.  It is not reversible.





At this point we are not ready to give up on Poppy.  We know she is elderly.  We are not sure how old she really is but we have had her for over twelve years and they said she was 2 or 3 when we got her.  We will see how she responds to treatment and how well we can manage her disease.  The vet said she also has some fused disks in her back and her lung function is not as good as it could be – just old age, not a disease process.  She also has an infected foot from licking it and I am concerned about the healing process there.  Diabetics do not heal as well as non-diabetics, and this sore is not yet healing as we had hoped.  She is on antibiotics for that. 


I was thinking back to the dogs we have had in almost forty years of marriage and it hasn’t been that many.  The only one we have had to put down was our first dog, Sheba.  She lived to a ripe old age but had cancer and it was the kindest thing to do.  Then we had Gidget who was also old, had a seizure and passed away at home.  Then there were Rusty and Poppy.  We tend to have dogs that live a long time I guess.  We already knew that Rusty was not going to last too much longer but I really thought we would have our Poppy dog for several more years yet.  She is the best travel dog ever and is always ready to go.  We are definitely going to go ahead with our planned trip later this month and she is going with us.  Rusty will stay at home where he is more comfortable. 



It may be that our decision to treat Poppy is a selfish one.   It has been obvious lately that she hasn’t felt well.  I just put it down to old age.  We will see how the insulin regimen goes and if it is not in Poppy’s best interest, then we will have to rethink our plan.  I know she has already had a long (in dog years) life and she has enjoyed that life to the fullest, but I can’t let her go yet.  I know all you pet lovers out there understand.

We are again kid-less!  Corbin went home last night and we took the grand girls home this morning.  Our daughter and SIL met us in Salem (half-way) so that was a blessing. Glad we didn’t have to make the round trip to Portland.  We also got a new battery for the Fit and it is starting just fine.  Now we just need to get some rest tomorrow then get busy on getting Therapy ready to roll and see if we can get Poppy regulated enough to go on a trip.

Poppy Dog and Why She Looks So Funny and Meeting Another Blogger

Our eldest son, John, doesn’t write often but when he does it’s because he has something to say.  He has a new post up today.  Check it out on Red’s Midlife Crisis.

I had several inquiries about the state of Poppy’s back in the last several days.  Since I did nothing more interesting than stay in bed and run to the little room today, I have nothing better to write about!!  (I know TMI, but that’s just the way of it).  I am feeling a bit better today – after four days of this I am about due.  Thanks Russ for running to the store early this morning for Gatorade.  I’ve been sipping it all day.  And thank you for the sweet get well card. 

Poppy has VERY heavy fur and a tendency towards hot spots.  The other name for hot spots is moist dermatitis.  She will get a hot spot and it will not heal properly because no air can penetrate that dense coat.  We were shaving little parts as we would find a hot spot but before it would heal another would break out.  We finally decided, back in June, to shave her entire back as that seems to be the only place she gets them. 


Well, the hot spots have healed up nicely and the vet said we did the right thing.  He says the spots are caused by food allergies but after spending about a million dollars on special foods that she won’t eat and didn’t make any difference anyway, we gave up and feed her good old Costco canned food.  Although she protests and would rather have People food, she has not had a new hot spot since we shaved her back. 

If you have seen pictures of Poppy in her Pretty Pink Polka-dot Princess Dress, you know we had to protect her from the sun until her hair started growing back.  It is growing back –ever so SLOWLY- but it is coming in in widely scattered tufts.  The vet said that’s normal so hopefully, someday, she will look like a real dog again.  We may have to keep her clipped to alleviate the return of the hot spots but we’ll just have to wait and see.


Oh sure, as soon as I say I have nothing to write about, Russ shows up with some pictures and news of what he has done today.  First he met fellow blogger Susan and her dog Angel this morning.  He didn’t get a picture but she did so maybe you’ll see something on her site later on.

Since I was holed up in bed most of the day, Russ made the rounds of the park and ran into some Bug Inspectors checking out this mess on the front of this fiver.  Must be time to get out The Solution!!



Well, I guess it’s not an official inspection, just Lolita, Allen, and Rick doing a body count.

The rest of the day, Russ lounged around outside with Poppy dog.  She made a nest under the motor home in the sand and rocks, even though we put a rug outside for her.  She seemed perfectly content.



And so another beautiful day comes to an end here in Desert Hot Springs.  I hope I don’t miss another one!

Good Night All.

Poor Poppy

Don’t be alarmed, Poppy is fine – but she has had a trying week!

Poppy is a sweet lovable WONDERFUL dog but she is like the proverbial Bull in a China Shop.  She is probably the most klutzy dog I have ever seen.  If there is a bowl of dry food left on the kitchen floor she will find a way to step in it and send kibble skittering all over the kitchen.  If there is an obstacle in her way she is more likely to plow right through rather than find a way around it.  She has even run full tilt into our patio door, not realizing the door was closed.

So, Poppy started her week with a trip to the lake for a nice walk.  Rusty loves to swim, but never ventures out very far.  Poppy is not so fond of water and only goes in up to her ankles.  It was a hot day and Poppy bravely waded out up to her “knees” .  We were so proud!  Then she steped in a hole and lost her balance and went clear over on her side.  She was not hurt but she was WET!  POOR POPPY!

Poppy loves to wrestle around on our bed in the morning.  She hops up there and I give her a morning “tickle” and she rolls around and smiles and just has a good time.  About a year ago she was having trouble jumping up on the bed so we removed our box springs to lower the bed for her.  We have a mattress on a board foundation but the dog is happy!!   Wednesday I had played with her and then walked away while she was still rolling around on the bed acting silly.  I looked at her just in time to see her rolling and wriggling towards the edge of the bed – NO POPPY! -  Couldn’t get to her in time and she rolled right off the edge of the bed – kerplop right onto the floor.  POOR POPPY!

We have firm foam blocks that we have put on the floor in the van to make a doggie area in the back seat.  There is now a solid area between the back seat and the front where they can sit, lie down, and be comfortable.  There is just a small wedge between this area and the door to give them room to get in and out of the van.  I was driving the other day and turned a corner just a little too quickly.  Poppy lost her balance and ended up face and front paws down in the empty area and no leverage to easily regain her position.  She scrabbled around and finally managed to right herself, none the worse for wear – just a little embarrassed.  POOR POPPY!

But the greatest insult to her dignity happened yesterday.  We went to Gresham to pick up our granddaughter, Bekah, and bring her home for a visit.  It is a 2 1/2 hour drive ONE WAY and not a fun drive.  We were going to our son's house where Poppy fell into the fish pond last time we took her there.  We decided the best decision was to leave the dogs home this time.  And so we did.  When we got home Rusty came running to greet us – so happy that we had returned and not left him FOREVER!  But where was Poppy?  I panicked and went running through the house calling her name.  What if she had somehow managed to get into the pool yard and drowned in the pool?

Then I heard Russ calling, “I found her”.  Now, if you have read my blogs about Poppy and thunder, you know she likes to hide in the bathtub when she is frightened.  However, this time she elected to hide in the VERY SMALL half bath off the laundry room.  It is TINY and you have to turn sideways to close the door.  How she got in there is a mystery, but she managed and then wriggled around and managed to CLOSE THE DOOR completely and she was trapped.  I don’t know how long after we left that she managed to find herself in this predicament but I can tell you the wooden door is in splinters all across the bottom, the toilet paper roller was dismantled, the trash was tipped over and Poppy was traumatized.  At least she had an emergency supply of water but given her delicate sensibilities, I doubt she would have used it.  No doggie messes on the floor but she was sure anxious to get outside to the grass!  POOR POPPY!

She’s okay but it sure makes me rethink leaving them home alone.  Normally I have my nephew come over and check on them if we are going to be gone all day.  Yesterday I didn’t call him and now I know better.  Poor old dogs just should not be left home alone.  They are so used to going with us everywhere we go and they are getting on in years and probably a little senile.  So lesson learned  - and at least Poppy is okay, even after a tough week.

Poppy’s in the Fish Pond!!

Here I am again, home after being without internet for several days…now I have so much to tell I don’t know where to start or where to end.  Oh well, ya’ll already know I’m long-winded!  We’ve been at Clackamette Park for the last few days.  You can read about the park in an earlier blog by clicking on the link.

Wednesday we did a bit of sightseeing around Oregon City.  We went downtown and walked along the river and got some pictures of the falls.



There were not as many boats in the water as there were last month, but we still saw some salmon being caught.

Do you know what this is?

It’s the other end of THIS:

“MY, what big TEETH you have.”  “The better to steal your salmon with, my dear!”

We also saw an interesting tour boat.

“Sit down, lady.  There are NO restrooms on this boat.”

And another:


And another…

Now you’re talking!!


Russ found some ancient hieroglyphics:


And Rusty found a great place to get in the water:

“Sorry Rusty, the leash is just TOO short for you to reach that tree!!”

Wednesday evening we went to see Red and his family.  Red, incidentally, has a new blog up with a story I remember well from his younger days.  Sometimes I think it might be better not to remind the old folks of those days so long ago!! 

Anyway, Poppy and Rusty were SO happy to be off leash in a fenced yard that they ran around like dogs half their age!  Suddenly, we heard Bekah yelling, “Poppy’s in the fish pond.”  Now, John’s fish pond is not exactly a fish pond.  There have been no fish in there for quite some time but it is full of about 3-4 feet of scummy rainwater at the moment and not something Poppy would normally be drawn to.  I can only surmise that in her frenzied joy at being unleashed, she wasn’t paying any attention to where she was going and thus fell into the pond.  John ran out and rescued her (she was hanging onto the edge for dear life) and we dumped a bucket of warm water over her to get the yuk off and she is none the worse for wear.  She will get a proper bath now that we are home.  I should have taken a picture but I was too concerned with getting Poppy taken care of that I didn’t think of it.  She sure looked chagrined at the whole matter and tried to make us believe she went in on purpose, but we know better.

While we were there, Russ got tired and took his usual late afternoon nap.  He had a napping partner, Pita, John and Joni’s old kitty cat.


John and Joni adopted Pita from a shelter when she was around three years old.  That was about 12 years ago.  Pita has always been tiny but now she is old and has long term health problems and weighs less than 5 lbs.  She is still spunky though.  She held her ground against both of my dogs and they quickly learned that this was HER house and they backed off and deferred to Miss Pita.

The river at Clackamette Park was way up from when we visited just last month.  That’s the sidewalk all covered with water.  Rusty thought it was a great place to wade!  I’m not sure I would be brave enough to park where that motorhome is parked – that was the camp host!!


Thursday we went to see our daughter Merry and her family.  Our granddaughter, Anna, was graduating from Jr. High and so we celebrated with her.  Where did the years go?


Thursday evening we were relaxing at the park when I heard a sound I haven’t heard in a LONG time – the sound of an ice cream truck!  We all know those treats are over-priced but somehow, they just taste better when you buy them from the ice-cream man.  We saw him making his way through the park and rushed out to meet him.  There were more grown-ups lined up to sample his wares than there were kids!  Guess there’s a little kid in all of us.


We also were treated to a gorgeous sunset over the river that night.  We tried to get a photo but the little point and shoot just doesn’t do sunsets very well.  If we had taken the time to get out the tri-pod and set up the big camera the sunset would have been long gone so this is the best I could do.  Doesn’t do it justice but you get the idea.


This morning I was just too lazy to cook breakfast.  Truth be told, I am SICK TO DEATH of the smoke alarm going off!  No I do not burn everything but the smoke alarm is (in my humble opinion) way too close to the stove and no matter what I do the alarm goes off several times every time I cook.  It’s so bad that when I start getting out a pot or a pan, Poppy runs for the bedroom and wants to hide until it’s all over.  Russ took them for a walk yesterday morning when I cooked breakfast.

So anyway, this morning we decided to go out.  We followed the GPS directions to a Denny’s that was no longer there, then to an IHOP that was now for lease.  Finally we saw a place called simply “Hales”.  Now our daughter is married to a Hale and so we thought this might be a good choice.  Turns out we were right.  This is a little restaurant about two miles from the park.


The interior is nicely done with several different seating areas.

The breakfast was not cheap but it was delicious and definitely worth waiting for.  I would recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.













Well, if you have made it this far, I am surprised.  Sorry, just too much catching up to do.  So now you have come to the end so I shall say “Good-bye” for now” and I am going to go read YOUR blog…I’m kinda behind and missing it.