An update finally......

Nelsons Travels Journal 2014

A new year and resolutions to do lots of stuff.  Little things like losing a few pounds, exercise, clean up the office desk, finish all the projects we started, lose a few more pounds, but also to keep this blog up to date.  In that effort, January is here.  Only measurable snow and we need lots more.

Early Jan found us back in Beaverton for a week and another donate life presentation to a Rotary Club.   Shopping in the big city.  Home and one more Donate presentation to the La Grande Soroptimist Club…  Nice people.   This might be our last for a while. 

 We attended the Union County Search and Rescue annual banquet.  Always fun. 

Bob escaped for a night and drove back to Portland.  For some foolish reason, he agreed to a third term as Rotary Club President and needed to attend a training.  Heads out again in Feb for a follow up training in Seattle. 

Our truck has had some problems over the past few months and is eating money.   But, heck…. It’s just money.  Too bad it’s not a tax deduction. 

Will load up the camper on Friday for a quick camping trip to some property north of La Grande (a party of course). 

 

February 2014

Other than celebrating 44 years together, Feb was pretty boring.  Spent most of the time at home just working on stuff.  The truck had some mental and physical issues so it visited the mechanic.  In the past 4 months, we have invested close to 10k on the truck.  But considering a new one would cost over 65k, we could say we saved 55k.  Live rich, die poor. 

 

March 2014

Christmas Trees in March….   We took the camper /trailer and tracker over to the wet-side of Oregon and did some shopping..  First stop was in Brooks, just north of Salem and we bought 100 seedling Christmas trees and 25 Washington Ash.  This was two weeks before spring break. 

Most farmers have a back 40 (acres)..  We just have a back one.  It now contains some Christmas trees which we hope to sell when we are in our 80’s and become millionaires.   At least we got a few nights of camping in, even if it was in the city. 

April 2014  We drove up to the Fraiser-Winom OHV park and checked out that campground and a few other camping spots…  We intend to do some local camping this year.  Still lots of snow in the lower elevations.. Quick trip back to Seattle for Betsy’s 2 year check up.  All is well.  We are scheduled to go back up in August for some additional testing.  

Downstairs bathroom is undergoing a minor remodel.

Betsy had a minor issue, but not lung related… slipped and fell getting into the hot tub.  Spent the rest of the eve in ER…  Broken wrist..  Surgery the following week, plate and a few screws and back home for rest.  Cast is now off and she is hard at work on the honey-do list I created for her. 

Friends Richard and Libby are goofing off in Hawaii so we have their dog Bell.  Bob is spoiling Bell so that R&L will have extra work to do when they get home.  He has been teaching her to get up at 3:30 am to P. 

Bob had to finish the bathroom painting that Betsy had started prior to her wrist issue.

We have two camping trips scheduled for May and more events in June.   

May showers.

Betsy is healing well after wrist surgery.  Bob did some work for United Way Donation Campaign. 

And then we went camping..  For some reason we chose a campground up high in elevation and fairly remote…  Had to drive over a couple of small snow berms to get there, but found a nice camp at the USFS North Fork John Day River.  About a hundred miles from home.  Spent a few minutes setting up camp before the first nap…  Gotta have the nap time built in for every camping trip. After the first nap is a glass of wine or two, or?, then a great camp fire. About 7 PM two ladies came into our camp. They had been walking all day (about 8 miles) because their car was stuck in the snow.  They had stayed with the car the first night, but decided to get some help.

 

We invited them into our camp gave them water, food, and blankets around the fire. We eventually took them into the camper for dinner and a place to sleep for the night. Sometime around 10 o’clock the younger one Stella, age 73 indicated she was having angina attack and her heart was in a-fib..   Bob put her in the car and we headed for the hospital in Baker City.  It was a 76 mile trip over back roads and he encountered no other human being along the route. About halfway through the trip Stella died in the front seat of the car. She was confirmed dead at the Baker City Hospital.  After consulting with law enforcement, it was determined that Bob would go back and notify the 81-year-old sister that the younger sister had died. At first light the next morning we got the car unstuck from the snow, wished Sue safe travels, and she drove back to Baker city to take care of the arrangements.  24 hours later, that snow had cleared enough for us to pass through the spot she was stuck in..

Stella and Sue seemed like really nice people and we wish we had known them earlier in life. The story was picked up in the news media and eventually on Channel 12 news in Portland.

The following week found us boating on Jim and Marci’s yacht on the Columbia. Cassie was along and this was a great family outing. It was also fun to be on the water

June 2014

This month we did some local exploring and drove up to look at the Northwest Union County. Had a chance to try out the winch and then eventually drove to Troy and Flora in Wallowa County. This was a very long day trip and violet was glad to get home.

As we were getting ready to attend the annual Northwood RV owners Association rally, Jim, Marci and Cassie were vacationing in France and had fun.

The rally was good and it gives us a chance to spend time many friends.  Betsy spent many hours with the sewing ladies and Bob spent the time with stories and lies.

On the last day of the rally the first of what we hope to be an annual Eastern Oregon beer fest was being held at the fair grounds. Bob was a volunteer at this event.

The month of July brought in some unique changes for us. Good friend Richard had a heart attack in Boise Idaho. We had planned to travel to Portland with them for some boating time. Instead, we spent that time taking care of their dog Bell. They were away from home for about two weeks while Richard got a quadruple bypass. Bell has spent many days in our house and this was probably the most comfortable place for her to be. Richard is home now and doing well.

We spent the rest of the month getting ready for our annual beach party on July 19. Small crowd, great music, and good friends. A highlight of this event was a chance to meet Marci’s father and stepmother. It was amazing how much alike the grandparents are.

Bob installed a lift kit on the tracker and raised the suspension about 2 inches.

Late July also brought renewed friendship with a couple from Abbotsford, BC, who were touring the area on their motorcycles. Great conversation, some good wine, with Carol and Sheldon. Wish Sandy and Andy could have been here also.

Granddaughter Cassie is here and learning to drive. Doing well even with grandpa slightly yelling at her. Of course with each raised voice incident, we have to get an ice cream cone. Grandpa and grandma are confident she will be a great driver.

November 5 we purchased a new truck,  2015 GMC Sierra, dual rear wheel, long bed, crew cab.  It was time to trade in the old one which had over 200,000 miles and was 14 years old.  Got tired of investing more and more money into it. 

Our granddaughter turned 16, has her driver’s license and a blue PT Cruiser.  She will be a Junior in the fall.  So proud of her….

Christmas in Cove with snow.  Turned out it was the only snow we had all winter! 

2015

Did some camping in February at Wallow Lake and Minam State Park.  Cold but beautiful weather!  In fact the only winter weather we had was a spell of below 0 temps in November and a bit of snow in December and that was it.  Making for a very dry summer and concerns about fires.   Have been working on getting well water to our trees since the irrigation ditch will probably be dry sooner than usual which means mid August… 

Took a trip to Seattle in April for my 3 year check-up.  All was well and I don’t have to return for a year.  We then spent some time with our friends Bill & Mary Zawlocki in Gig Harbor and on to the Olympic National Park for some camping and sightseeing.  Also spent a few days in Astoria so Violet could play on the beach. 

No beach party this summer.  It was a lot of work and we aren’t as young as we used to be!  Did attend my 50^th class reunion in Aumsville/Turner area and that was fun.  Bob spent time in the peanut gallery with some of the other old pharts, commenting on all the hot 68 year old HS babes...Had a great visit with cousin Betty and she spent a few days here in Cove on her way to Montana to visit her sister.

Looking forward to seeing our friends, Sue and Russell, from New Zealand next week.  They purchased a small used motor home that they will store here to use when they visit. 

 

Still have not lost those few pounds.   Gotta keep trying...

Planning a trip to the east coast mid-August for about 2 months so we will be posting more on our blog then.