Me and Pop

Now if this isn't an example of doing nothing, I don't know what is!

Me and Pop - a poem by T. Waugh

We arrived on a day when the cook was away, and the butler had gone on vacation.

I said to my father, “It's really a bother, and no one was there at the station.”

“Oh, it isn't so bad,” said my dear old Dad, “in fact it could even be worse.

Suppose for example, that nuclear sample had fallen from inside your purse!

And think if that vial from the nuclear pile had split and its contents had spilt.

If the lack of a ride your patience has tried, just think about that kind of guilt.”

Of course, he was right, and with all of my might I repented of my apprehension.

After all, I had reasoned, a platform all seasoned with uranium might bring attention

To the fact that we had, both me and my Dad, just purloined that powerful potion,

From the local reactor, and it now was a factor, in our most diabolical notion.

So, now, at the house of the surviving spouse of the late and great J. Glowplug Smith,

Both I and my Daddy, (Oh! He was a baddy) could start on our project forthwith.

We got out of the cab and went straight to the lab, which of course, it was down in the cellar.

It was really outrageous, with all kinds of gauges and dials and a great big propellor.

So we set to the task, using beaker and flask, of brewing our sneaky concoction.

Like two bees in a hive, with U 235, we began to prepare for the auction.

An anonymous party, no not Holmes' Moriarty, but another and equally vile,

Had pledged a king's ransom, a fortune quite handsome, even though he himself was on trial,

To the man or the team who'd put life in his dream of creating a powerful mixture

Of thises and thats or the wings of some bats and contained in a secretive fixture.

The use he proposed for the goop so enclosed was something he never divulged,

But Daddy and I decided to try, imagining pocketbooks bulged,

To be those two guys, to win that big prize by creating a wonderful something

By using uranium and thoughts from Pop's cranium, which seems odd but is not such a dumb thing.

It took sev'ral weeks for the two of us geeks to find just the right combination,

But with trial and error and a trifle of terror, and of course there was lots of frustration,

We mixed and we stirred, with nary a word, our fluid without no compunction.

'Twas hard you might guess, to mix up this mess because we did not know its function.

But at last it was done, and although it was fun, we mainly just wanted the money.

For you see Dad and me just wanted to be in a clime that was more warm and sunny.

Well, the guy was acquitted, which factor just fitted our pleasure as you might surmise.

So the auction took place, in a small secret place with just us and a few other guys.

The anonymous party (no, not Moriarty) was ready with all of that loot.

Tho' no one could say, on that most fateful day, if he kept it inside of his boot.

Now each preparation on that most grim occasion was brought to this vile little man.

And out of the room, with each one he'd zoom, reminiscent of old Peter Pan.

When he came to our stuff, he'd had nearly enough of sadness and great disappointment

For none of the others, not sisters or brothers, created a salve or an ointment

That suited the needs of the man in the tweeds whose fortune for which we all vied.

In fact I would say, on that special day, he was just about fit to be tied.

When at last he took ours (it smelled like some flowers) and out of the room he did hie,

He returned in a nonce, said, “It's just what I wants. Got the gravy stain out of my tie!”

More of same

Okay, so following up on my previous post, I have been doing sumpthin'.  I did some more reading. I took a nap. We walked the dogs.  We had dinner.  During the day, I may have overextended by recording a movie of a sailboat going by:

All in all, it has been a stressful day, as you can see. I just can't seem to take care of all the nothing that needs doing.

Oh, I almost forgot!  I took a photo of my favorite gal:

I got plenty of nuthin'...

Here we are in day three of our stay at Columbia River Front RV park.  What I have discovered is that I am not doing my share of nothing.  There is a lot of nothing to be done, and I am not doing enough of it, because every time I look, there is more nothing to be done.

So, I am resigned to doing something.  I did the dishes. I took a shower. Yesterday, I read a book and watched the ships go by:

We took the dogs for a walk by the river's edge.  Then I watched the sunset through the dust cloud from China:

As you can plainly see, I have failed miserably at doing nuthin'.

Happy wife, happy life...

Sometimes, in the course of human events, it is incumbent upon a man to say good-bye to the world of everyday and GO CAMPING! This is especially true when the man's wife says, "Let's go camping." (Can you say, "Happy wife, happy life?")

Accordingly, we set out yesterday for a few days of R&R at Columbia Riverfront RV Park in beautiful Woodland, WA.  This is one of our favorite parks, with a frontal view (although we are backed into our space, so perhaps, it is a backal view) of the Columbia River across a 3 acre expanse of lawn, which the dogs think is doggy heaven. (Shhh! Don't let on. They need their fantasies, too.)

Arriving at the office around 1 pm, we were greeted by a friendly lady who was able to extend our stay an extra day, which we had decided on the drive up that we needed to do.  Somewhere in the conversation (perhaps, it was while Jill was perusing the DVD offerings in the office lending library) she (the lady, not Jill) recommended "Secondhand Lions," a film starring Michael Caine (who brilliantly doffed his British accent in favor of a Texas one), Robert Duval and Haley Joel Osment. 

It is unusual for us to watch a movie that is fewer than 50 years old, but last evening we thoroughly enjoyed this sweet film about two retired bachelors reluctantly taking charge of their adolescent great-nephew for the summer. It is a kind of a romantic, coming of age/redemption adventure/comedy. Well worth a view. I only counted two cuss words. There is no overt sexual innuendo and only mild stylized violence. Not bad for a movie made in this century!

The weather has been gorgeous, with yesterday's high temperature around 70 and the temps for the next 3 days forecast to climb into the low 80s.  There has been a consistent breeze, but it is tolerable. The skies are cloudless. 

A new neighbor pulled in next to us in a Class C motor home yesterday and immediately announced that this was her first campground experience ever in an RV and that she "might" need some help. Ever the model of chivalry, I began helping her get her rig hooked up to the park amenities. 

This morning, as we went out to walk the dogs, Laura was right there to announce that she had "overloaded the circuits" and "blown a fuse." I went over after the girls had their morning constitutional and learned that Laura had plugged in a huge space heater and the waffle iron simultaneously, a bit much for her 30A service. We looked and looked for the breaker panel, but in the end, she had to call the owner of her rented motor home and ask where it is.  Of course, it was located at the foot of the bed...where else would one install the electrical panel???

This morning has been consumed with lounging, coffee consumption, breakfast, combing the snarls out of Lulu's fur and other highly taxing activities.  If you can stand the sheer adrenaline-pumping pace of our existence, come back soon for more adventures of Topper and the Red Ryder.

And so it ends...

I wasn't able to post last evening, because we were in Sisters again. The park is stunning and so handy to downtown, but alas, there is no wi-fi.  So, I will try to bring you up to date.

Yesterday was our last day at Crystal Crane Hot Springs.  We arose to cloudy skies, which kind of matched our mood about leaving this incredible place.  We had our coffee and took the girls out for a walk.  That was followed by our daily Bible reading.  At last, it was time to take a soak.  We walked over to the spring and waded in.  The water was not as hot as it had been the night before. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant soak. We met a couple from Pennsylvania who were about to head for home so they could be ready to go to Florida and prepare their rental property for the next renter. Then they will be off to somewhere (I forget) in their motor home. I felt really sorry for them.

We had a lovely chat about kids and grandkids and military service (he was a Marine; I was Navy), and then it was time to go. We returned to Topper and made final preparations for leaving. We were only about 6 minutes past check out time when we got away.

The drive to Sisters was "interesting."   We stopped in Burns for gas. Then we headed west on Hwy 20.  I have mentioned the wind in this area of the state. Well, it was blowing an estimated 15-20 MPH directly in our face for 90% of the drive. At times I wondered if Topper and Red Ryder were going to part company (adding our average speed of 55 to the 15-20, perhaps, you can understand my concern).

The other thing that made the drive "interesting" was that the terrain is so incredibly "the same."  For miles and miles we saw sage brush and other high desert plants and not much else.  There is an eerie beauty about the landscape, but it is, nonetheless, what I would call desolate. The drizzle of occasional rain showers helped to increase that perception, I think.

There were some fun features about the landscape, too.  Jill spotted this canyon or arroyo or whatever the proper term is. It was deeper than it looks and quite seemed like the work of some gigantic cosmic plow. 

At last, we began to descend.  The elevation had been pretty constant at around 4,100 feet.  Then we came over a hill and started down.  The landscape began to change rather abruptly.  

By the time we arrived in Sisters, the sky was partly cloudy; there were trees; the temperature was in the upper 60s; and we enjoyed seeing some sunshine. 

Our first order of business was to determine whether the Sisters Bakery would be open this morning, Sunday.  If not, we were prepared to buy our bear claws on the spot and save them for morning.  It turns out they are open at 5AM  on Sunday!

We walked over to the Three Creeks Brewing Co. for an early dinner.  Sisters is such a charming town and the Pub is equally so.  It is family friendly and exudes what I call "Mountain Culture." We had a delicious dinner at what we considered to be a very reasonable price.  When we were finished, we walked back to the park where Topper (and Lulu and Pogo) were awaiting our return.

The dogs were ready for their evening constitutional, so we took them for a long walk in the park.  When we returned to Topper, we were tired and decided to watch a movie.  I hadn't bothered to put up the TV antenna, so we popped a DVD in the machine and settled in to watch Mr. Smith once again taking on the graft and corruption in Washington.  He always wins, and as Jill commented during the film, "Everyone should watch this movie once in a while."

This morning we found sunshine awaiting us, although the temperature was just under 50 degrees.  After our morning reading and coffee, we walked over to the bakery and picked up the last two bear claws in the place. Whew! From there it was a short hike to the Sisters Coffee Company, where we shared a large vanilla latte, checked email and reveled in our bear claws.

After a stop at the local Ace Hardware (Jill's favorite place to visit in any town), we strolled hand-in-hand back to Topper and the girls.  It didn't take long for us to make final preparations to leave.  But not before we spoke with the gent next door about his lovely little motor home. I asked him how long it is, and he replied that he was not sure. A FRIEND HAD LOANED IT TO HIM!  He said it is brand new (no, duh!) and has only 2,800 miles on the odometer.  I asked if he would introduce me to his friend!

At last we left the park and made a stop at the gas station.  Then we headed west on Hwy 20. What a difference, compared to yesterday.   There was no wind, the road went up and down as well as left and right.  There were multiple species of evergreens to admire, and the sun was out. We climbed to the summit (about 4,800 ft. as I recall) and then started down the west side of the Cascade Range.

At some time in the past, there was an extensive burn in this area.  It was important enough that there is an interpretive center dedicated to it. We didn't stop, but we were awed by how much timber burned...and by the capricious way in which the fire had apparently just skipped over certain trees.

The Ponderosa Pine forests of Central Oregon, with their sparse undergrowth giving the feeling you could stop anywhere and camp,  gave way to the more familiar mixed conifers and deciduous trees of the rain forests, with their dense undergrowth, on the west slope.

We passed by Detroit Lake, which is always beautiful, and made a mental note to plan another camping trip there in the spring.

As we neared Dallas, and home, we were greeted by clear, blue skies and temperatures in the seventies.  Although we were sad that our vacation trip was over, we felt completely blessed to live in such a beautiful valley.

When we got Topper and Red Ryder safely tucked away in the garage and unloaded all the vacation gear, laundry, etc., we were treated to a neatly manicured lawn (thank you TJ) and a neat and tidy home inside (thank you, daughter Tara).  As Jill always says, "It's hard to end a wonderful vacation, but we have such a lovely home to come home to, that it makes it all OK."  We are so grateful to be blessed beyond measure by our Lord above.

What a time we had, Rosie Old Girl!

 Today, we decided to do some exploring. We weren't sure what to expect, because this part of Oregon is like a foreign country to us. Nevertheless, we had heard that the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was a must see.  So, after a leisurely breakfast and a soak in the hot spring, we piled into Red Ryder and off we went to find the refuge. 

Now, I never claimed to be good at planning trips, so there were a few things I forgot:  1) to program the GPS (affectionately known as "Gerty," in phrases like, "Shut up, Gerty;" and "You screwed up, Gerty.") 2) To bring the binoculars, 3) To bring the map.  Otherwise, we were fully prepared. 

As we confidently drove along Princeton-Narrows Road, we came to a sign that said, "Malheur National Wildlife Refuge - Visitors' Center 13 miles."  "Good, we're on the right track," I said, as I proceeded to turn with the paved road.  It was about six miles later that I realized we should have gone straight onto the gravel road.

We found a place to turn around and headed back the way we came.  Finally, on the correct road, we found the Visitors' Center.  It was closed for lunch. If you have been following this trip with us, you will recognize a theme here.

We looked around and went up to the overlook.  There we saw the wide open spaces of the refuge looking to the east and the north toward Malheur Lake. 

 Here we are looking East. The dark line at the foot of the hills is the water of 

Malheur lake.  When it is filled with water, the lake extends much closer to our

vantage point. 

 This view is looking north. Again the water is the dark 

line, which is much receded from its banks.

We went back and waited for someone to show up at the Visitors' Center, but no joy.  So, we decided to press on.  Back in Red Ryder, we headed west on Sodhouse Rd. toward Narrows.  Narrows is at the junction of Sodhouse Rd. and Hwy 205.  It comprises a grocery story, cafe and gift shop.  Our new destination was the Buena Vista overlook, another section of the refuge. 

After a lovely drive, we found another overlook that provided some very nice views.

 Here is one of the Buena Vista ponds, which are filled year round and 

provide habitat for birds, deer, and other wild life.

 Here's part of what we saw along the highway.

 Looking southeast from Buena Vista, the mountain "range" on the horizon, 

is actually one mountain called Steens Mountain. 

At about 50 miles long it is essentially a monolith pushed up by seismic activity.

 If you click on the picture above, you can see some of the wildlife (birds) in this pond. 

Tom forgot the binoculars, so they could be egrets, swans, geese, or wads of discarded newspaper. 

 Another view of the wildlife ponds. 

 This is one of natures most beautiful formations. Oh, yeah. The rocks are nice, too.

 Did you ever see fluffier clouds?

 Our photography just doesn't do justice to the subtle pastels we saw looking across the plains.

When we left Buena Vista, we headed southeast toward Diamond. We had no idea what we might see. Well, the name of the road should have been a clue "Lava Beds Rd." Ya thank?? We passed through another national monument called Diamond Craters. The photo above is a mound that appears to have been lifted by volcanic forces and then as it cooled, it apparently cracked open .  There were lots of these things.

 Here is what appears to be a lava crust about 25 feet thick.  This must have been 

some kind of a hot bed (you should pardon the pun) of volcanic exuberance.

 Another lava topped hill.  Erosion has apparently removed the 

surrounding ground like a bas-relief carving.

 

Jill simply calls this one "Big Sky."

  

OK. So, another serendipitous find was the Peter French Round Barn. This baby is a marvel of ingenuity.  

Peter French at age 23 left California with 1,200 head of cattle, a cook and half a dozen hired cowboys.  They drove the cattle north to the (are you ready for the name of this river valley?) "Donner und Blitzen River!" They began ranching and eventually, according to the signage, "part" of French's ranch included the 200,000 acres that are visible from the vicinity of this barn.  

In order to manage all the cattle on the ranch, French and his men trained dozens of horses.  They kept them in several round barns, like the one pictured above.  The genius of these barns is that each one was made of stone walls made in a circle.  Outside of the stone wall was wooden wall, leaving a 20 foot wide paddock, where the horses could be run round and round for exercise and training. 

Here is a view of the "track" around the inner stone wall. 

Here is a picture of the center pole that holds up the roof.

 

We headed back to the Hot Springs. It was one of those days that always reminds me of a line that Humphrey Bogart spoke to Kathryn Hepburn in the movie "The African Queen."  After they had successfully navigated their 30' steamboat over several rapids and a waterfall, they found a quiet backwater,  where they tied up for the night. Kate looked on demurely as rough and rugged Bogie said, "What a time we had, Rosie old girl! What a time." 

All's well that ends well

Here we are at Crystal Crane Hot Springs.  What a treat. We had a new RVing experience today.  We discovered after we arrived here that there is no laundry facility for guests. So, today we unloaded Topper and drove Red Ryder into Burns. We did some shopping and went to the laundromat.  More specifically, we went to Jiffy Wash.  Laundromats have come a long way. We did a load of wash in 29 minutes and dried it in 28 minutes! Hardly time to really get into some reading material. No, this wasn't our new experience...

When we returned to Topper, in a heavy wind with driven rain, we discovered that the power had failed in the park.  That hasn't happened to us before.  We began making plans for conserving energy, but I assured Jill that with water and sewer hook-up and plenty of propane, we merely need to conserve battery power.  That was before I used the bathroom and found that there was no water for flushing.  Apparently, the park's water is well water that requires a pump.

God was kind, though, and we were without power for about an hour and half. It went off for about five minutes again later, but now we have had continuous power for several hours. I took the precaution of putting some water in the fresh water tank, just in case the AC power goes off. We can still flush with the fresh water and our pump.

OK, so that was the big excitement. The trip to Burns was fairly non-interesting, but we do have enough clean clothes to get home. 

Meanwhile, here are some shots taken at the park.  It is in the desert (or semi-desert), so there are few trees.  Nevertheless there is an awesome beauty about this place, especially when the light is at a sharp angle, like at sunset or sunrise.

 Here we are looking across the park from our campsite, last evening. The teepee is just one

of the many options for staying here. There are motel rooms, dry camp sites and full hookups. 

 This is a similar view taken just before sundown today looking east. 

 And about the same time looking west. 

I will try to upload some more photos tomorrow, but the bandwidth is just too little right now. 

We enjoyed two soaks in the hot springs today.  The first was this morning. The sun was out and the wind was fairly calm. It was lovely.  This afternoon, after our power outage, we decided to soak again.  Our campsite is about a hundred yards from the hot spring. The wind was blowing and the temperature was about 54 degrees.  Having had no heat in the camper because of the power outage, we looked forward to warming up in the spring. 

Well, sometimes what you expect and what happens are not in sync, if you know what I mean.  Being concerned about the security of our jackets and towels, I carefully stacked them so that the wind would not move them. We walked into the spring and were happy to immerse ourselves in the warm water...which wasn't quite as warm with cloudy skies and wind as it had been in the morning sunshine. 

We moved around, getting ever closer to the hot water inlet until we found just the right temperature. Just as we found the perfect spot, a big gust of wind blew my towel and both of our jackets into  the water.  The towel nearly sank. The jackets floated, but got plenty wet.  

Now our campsite is upwind from the spring, so the trek home was into the wind (mind you it was 54 degrees, wind about 15 mph) wrapped in sodden jackets carrying a wet towel that probably weighed in at 7 lbs.! Can you say, "Freezing?"

We got home, slipped into sweat clothes and turned the heater on.  It took awhile, but we finally warmed up about dinner time.  All's well that ends well.