Nelson's Travels

February 13 #42...l

2012-02-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

Today is our 42^nd wedding anniversary and who would have thought we would be spending it here under these circumstances…. Thinking of home in Cove seems like another lifetime and we are living this “Twilight Zone” existence here in Bothell.

Tonight we will dine with Denny and Candy, friends from Oregon.

February 10

2012-02-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Another week goes by… Managed to struggle through three more therapy sessions this week and determined to keep it up as long as possible.

Took a trip to Joann’s last Sunday for a new supply of yarn. Ended up using their wheelchair to get across the store since it is such a long distance. Once there I can walk around with the oxygen cart in the shopping basket and that works good.

On Monday after therapy we went to Dave’s Drive-up in Lynnwood for a burger and milkshake as recommended by Dee at therapy. It was really good and the price reasonable. It is a small drive-up and walk-up place.

Wednesday after therapy we went to UW for blood work, required for the new medication. Haven’t heard any results.

Had an eye exam at Costco yesterday and ordered new glasses! First time in three years and the prescription hadn’t changed dramatically but they added some magnification for up close since I’m doing so much reading, crafting, computing, etc. Those things are what keep me sane!!!

Getting in and out of Costco was a struggle on 15 liters but as long as I take it slow it works. Now we need to figure out where to get our teeth cleaned since it is not possible to go home. A dental office opened up right across from the new Safeway (really close to the RV park) so we might check them out.

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day next Tuesday

February 3, 2012

2012-02-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! I made it to 3 therapy days this week WooHoo!!!!! Some days I feel like the new meds are helping and other days not so much but I’ll take what I can get at this point. After 30 days the meds will be doubled assuming the blood work comes out OK. Can cause liver damage so they have to monitor the enzyme level. Will let you know…..

We are enjoying some beautiful but chilly weather this week. It is nice to have the sun out for days in a row instead of just an hour here or there. Violet had a bath at PetSmart yesterday and looks really good.

Bob did a modification to the bathroom fan. As in most rv’s, the power switch is on the fan and in the ceiling. Just out of Betsy’s reach. I ran some wire through a cabinet and installed a timer switch. Now it is within reach of all. 3 hour project. Hardest part was fishing the wires past all the ceiling insulation.

Weather is nice, Bob in shorts today.... 62 deg

Not much else new here. Just another day in paradise? Or another week at Lake Pleasant…..

January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thrill of this week was the right heart cath on Tuesday. The hospital was very busy and no oxygen bottles were available at the valet parking area. Only a few wheelchairs there and in the main lobby… The set of elevators we needed to take had one working out of three so the line was long and with a wheelchair you can’t just ‘squeeze in’! Arrived at our destination in plenty of time and discovered the heart cath lab was running behind schedule by about 2 hours so we spent the next 2 ½ hours in a room waiting.

They did take us right in to the room since I am on oxygen and would have run out and they treated us well, checking in at least every 20 minutes or so to see if we needed anything. I asked for something to calm my nerves and they gave me a Valium and then another one just before going in for the procedure. It helped!!!

The procedure itself only lasted about 15 minutes. They put a ‘line’ of some kind into the neck (jugular vein?) and feed it through to the heart to check the pressure between the heart and the lungs. This determines the level of pulmonary hypertension which is related to the IPF. I do have some pulmonary hypertension (already knew that) but the doctor said it was not as bad as Dr. Raghu had feared it was and that was good news. They did have a bit of trouble feeding the line in and had to press really hard. It didn’t actually hurt but was uncomfortable and my neck was sore for a few days! Said to rest for a few days so did not go to therapy on Wednesday. The bandage they put on the site was clear and thin, almost like skin and when I pulled it off it felt like ripping a layer of skin off. Ouch!!!! Bob enjoyed the last part as he got to pull the bandage…. ;-)

Enough of that!!!! The snow is almost gone except for some shady spots here in the park. It has been sunny but cold for the past few days.

Went to therapy this morning and we both got haircuts afterwards. I’m finding that I can’t do some of the lower extremity exercises with the leg weights on but am determined to keep going as long as I can. Just have to rest quite a bit between exercises…

I do think the new medication is helping somewhat. Not a major change but I’ll take any help I can get!!! The dosage will be doubled after the first month so we will see what that does. So far there haven’t been any side affects…..

While I was having the heart cath procedure done Bob went to the cafeteria and ran into someone he used to work with at the Employment Office in Salem many years ago!!! She was there with her husband who had a heart cath just ahead of me. What a small world it can be sometimes. They had a nice visit.

We are invited to Dan and Terri’s tomorrow for lunch. Decided to do lunch instead of dinner since I’m not as tired earlier in the day…

Broke down and ordered a satellite dish from DirecTV. Our little RV dish works great when the weather is nice but when it is raining hard or snowing we get very little reception (and in case you didn’t know it does rain in Seattle!!!) Also ordered a DVR so we can record programs to watch later. Had the service at home temporarily turned off and switched here so the payment should be about the same. I do tend to watch a lot of TV just because I can’t do much of anything else. Can only do so much reading and need something to do while I’m working on my knitting, crocheting, embroidery, etc. or when I can’t sleep at night which is often.

Violet and Bob are still finding mounds of snow to play with when they are out but it won’t be long before it is all gone. She will be sad….

Can’t believe it is almost February and we have been here over 10 months! Wondering how much longer we will have to wait……

January 20

2012-01-21T03:14:00.000-08:00

This has been an interesting week here in Bothell. It started snowing on Sunday and continued through Thursday accumulating to about 7 inches. Therapy was canceled all week and we decided it was a good idea to stay off the roads considering people in this area are not used to driving in snow!!! So I have been in the RV for an entire week (since last Friday) and Bob only ventured out one day to buy some groceries and get a prescription. Violet loves the snow and spent as much time as she could playing in it. It started warming up this morning and is slowly melting away, turning to slush. We are hoping not to experience any flooding…

The medication prescribed by Dr. Raghu for pulmonary hypertension arrived today by UPS. The insurance company was billed for $6,300 but we only had a $12 co-pay!!! That is a 30 day supply…. Sure hope it helps! This was for a half tab dosage. If till on it after 30 days, then the dosage doubles, as does the cost.

A heart cath has been scheduled for next Tuesday so that will be a long day at UWMC. Can’t have anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before and the procedure isn’t until 1:00 so I will be very hungry by then!!! The heart cath should determine the severity of the pulmonary hypertension which is part of the IPF disease.

Bob has been cooking meals for us and doing a good job. I try to come up with simple ideas that require little preparation. Sure wish I could be doing the cooking myself though!!! (Bob agrees).

Well, hope all is well out there! We are hoping to get this show on the road so we can go home!!!! Never dreamed we would be here this long waiting. A year ago this month we were here for a week of testing to get on the list!

January 13, 2012 (Friday!)

2012-01-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

We are hoping for a call on this Friday the 13^th…. We were married on Friday the 13^th and our son was born on the 13^th so it is our ‘lucky’ number for sure.

We had a nice dinner with Mike and Kathy from Post Falls on Monday. They were here for Mike’s check-up and he is doing well after a double lung transplant last May.

Tuesday was the Lung Transplant Support Group meeting at UWMC. It is always well attended with 40+ people and new faces every month. Only 43 transplants were done in 2011, down from 53 the previous year, due to lack of donors.

Wednesday was another day at UWMC for tests and doctor appointment. Confirmed what we already knew that the disease is progressing… Dr. Raghu wants another heart cath done and he is wanting to try another drug to see if he can slow the disease process. It is quite expensive so it has to be preauthorized through the insurance and that can take several weeks. He says I am at the top of the list and the only thing going against me is the fact that I’m short and will need a short donor.

Last night we woke up to the sounds of a cat fight. A few minutes later we heard howling up in the woods sounding like coyotes. Bob went out with a flashlight and shined it towards the sound and they stopped howling. He talked to several people today who confirmed it was the sound of coyotes! Amazing….

Bob is trying to get some pics of the otter in the lake, but otter is not cooperating… patience.

January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

This is the year some folks say the world is coming to an end… I just want a new lung.

Had a bit of a meltdown again in the last day or two but have convinced myself to concentrate on the things I can do and not on the things I can’t… It is easy to feel sorry for myself and wish things were as they used to be but that is not the reality. Better to face it and be happy with what I have including wonderful family and friends for love and support, a nice dog to snuggle with and a spouse who loves me and sees to my needs! Thankful I am not in pain and can still do my hobbies which keep me busy most of the time.

We are into the 10^th month living here at the RV park and it is amazing how fast the time has gone. At the same time, it seems forever since we were living at home and we do miss it. We appreciate our neighbors who are keeping an eye on the place and taking care of our mail. Don’t know what we would do without them!

Thanks for all the phone calls, cards, e-mails, texts, etc. It helps keep us ‘in the loop’ with life outside ourselves.

Dec 30, 2011, almost new years eve

2011-12-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

On Monday afternoon (26^th), Bob was ‘attacked’ by a huge dog… Violet… was running around and would come right at him, very close and fast. Bob moved the wrong way at the wrong time, and a 60 lb dog did a full block at knee level. Put the old guy down hard and he stayed on the ground for about 4-5 minutes. Knocked the wind out of him. Some minor blood, a bruised rib cage, and a very sore arm.. Violet understood there was an issue and she stayed by him the whole time. Good dog.. Just strong. The old guy will be more careful in the future.

Ok, off to Beaverton. Bob packed us up on Wed afternoon, and had 13 bottles of Oxygen loaded. We left early Thursday morning and stopped at the Tacoma Mall to meet our friends Bill and Mary from Gig Harbor. They had offered to finish a quilt I had started over 10 years ago! The top of the guilt was done but it needed backing, binding and quilting. The work they did was fantastic! I love the backing they picked out and they used their new computerized quilting machine to quilt fantastic woodsy shapes (trees, moose, elk, etc.) to go with the quilt theme. It looks so awesome!! Not only did I think I would never see it finished, I could not have imagined it turning out so wonderful. Many thanks to them from the heart!

On Friday morning, Bob relented on the rib pain and made a visit to the VA Emergency Room. Xrays and dr visit… nothing broken, but it may be very sore for a few months. Portland VA Hosp was great, but I got there at 7:15 am. Must have been a slow time.

We had a great Christmas in Beaverton with Jim, Marci and Cassie. They could not have done more to make this Christmas any better! Lots of great food, decorations and a fire in the fireplace to enjoy, and quality time spent together (not necessarily in that order!). Violet was so excited to see Cassie and of course spent hours harassing the cat.
We also met our friends, Mike & Susie, at Olive Garden on Friday for lunch and had a nice visit with them. They brought a bag of goodies that we are still enjoying!

Cindy & Ron stopped by on Christmas afternoon on their way to the coast for a few days. It was so nice to see them.
Now we are back in Bothell settling in. Thinking positive thoughts about getting a lung soon and starting the recovery portion of this adventure… I have been on the list over 8 months now and feel it is getting nearer to the time when we ‘get the call’… Have an appointment with Dr. Raghu on the 11^th and continue to work at therapy. It is a struggle but I do the best I can and try to keep at the same level as long as possible.

Wishing a Happy New Year to all and hope it is a good one! Hard to believe we are finally going into 2012 and it will be another interesting year I’m sure!

Dec 17

2011-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

We have decided to drive to Beaverton for Christmas. Plan to leave here on Thursday, Dec. 22, and drive back the following Monday or Tuesday. I will be able to stay on the transplant list during that time and they will try to give us enough time to travel back if a lung becomes available. Have to spend time with our granddaughter!!!
Trying to stay healthy but sometimes it is difficult. Felt like a cold coming on this week so didn’t go to therapy on Wednesday. Felt better on Thursday so Terri came by and we spent time knitting and chatting. It was great to visit….

On our way to Beaverton we will make a quick stop in Tacoma to meet with Mary and Bill. They completed the quilt so we plan to pick it up.

Tomorrow, Violet goes to the beauty parlor at PetSmart for a groom and then a pic with the Santa Claws guy. They take donations for the local animal shelter. Will try to post a picture if we get a good one!

A few weeks ago I was thinking that I am living every woman’s nightmare! Being in a place that has unlimited shopping with everything you could ever want just around the corner and I don’t have enough breath in me to shop! Is that sad or what??? Of course we are saving money so there is a bright side I guess… After surgery look out!

I know we keep saying this but it is amazing how quickly the weeks fly by!!! Soon it will be 2012 and I am counting on getting a lung early in the year!!!! We just have to get going on this so we can come home.

We probably won’t post a blog next week since we will be visiting in Beaverton. Want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and thanks again for your support and encouragement. Couldn’t get through this without it!

Dec 9

2011-12-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

Another busy week in Bothell….
Enjoyed a great dinner with Dan and Terri on Sunday evening. On Monday Libby, Richard and Bell arrived in the afternoon. We had a nice visit and played some Pegs & Jokes (the girl’s rule!!!).

Monday during the night the concentrator was cutting out and both dogs alerted to something being wrong. Bob was ready to call Lincare but decided to check out the circuit breaker first and discovered that was the problem. He put me on an oxygen bottle while he investigated and temporarily plugged the concentrator into another circuit. An hour later I woke up to no air!!! He had forgotten to put me back on the concentrator and the oxygen bottle had gone empty. Of course I accused him of trying to kill me again!

Tuesday morning we went to the Maltby Café for breakfast and then Libby and Richard left for home. Poor Violet whined and howled when they left, she was so sad. She loves spending time with her friend Bell.

Thursday, one of the transplant team nurses called to say the transplant committee had met to discuss my ‘case’ and that I am still listed. They have a plan in place to start me on IV antibiotics as soon as I show up at the hospital for transplant. This is due to the low level bacteria that they have been unable to treat. The team went over all the tests and doctor reports from the past few months. I will need to see Dr. Raghu again in January and schedule an echocardiogram too.

Due to freezing fog in the Willamette Valley, Mike and Suzie canceled their visit on Thursday. Hope to see them in the next few weeks though. It is not worth taking chances with bad weather!!!

Friday morning found us saying goodbye to Mark and Kathy as they leave for Wasilla, Alaska… Mark is driving the motor coach up and Kathy is following in a new pickup. Mark is post lung transplant 3+ years. For those who have seen the UW video on transplants, they are the stars of the video. We wish them a safe journey north…

Friday afternoon found Rick and Katie here for a quick visit. Katie’s sister Betsy and family live in the area.

Saturday we spent the day helping Santa by wrapping presents and finishing up this blog note.

Dec 3

2011-12-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Good morning…. Bacon is on the Traeger smoking.. Started just before 6 this morning. About 10ish, the flank steak will go on for dinner tonight. It’s a slow cook BBQ day.

Hard to believe that December is here and Christmas is just around the corner. We have been in Bothell just shy of 8 months. Still no lung yet, but UW is progressing at an average of one a week. Finding donors that have undamaged lungs is the biggest issue. For Bets, it is finding a shorter donor. Just have to wait.

Violet spent a morning in the beauty parlor for a bath and brushing. On the 18^th of Dec, she has another appointment for grooming, then she gets in line to see Santa Claws and have some pictures. We will post one of those eventually.

Betsy here… Managed to make it to therapy 3 days this week and felt good about that! One of the women that I met at therapy got a ‘new’ lung last Sunday and is doing well. Have to confess I went through many emotions when I heard she had her transplant. She had only been on the list 7 weeks and using half the oxygen I do. I am very happy for her but was feeling a bit sorry for myself for a day or two… Managed to work through it though and back to my positive attitude once again. What a roller coaster ride this has been!!!

Invited to Dan and Terri’s for dinner on Sunday and we are looking forward to that. Libby might visit next week and Mike and Susie (long time friends from Salem) are planning a visit on Thursday.

Have a great week everyone!!!

Nov 25

2011-11-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

We survived Turkey Day. Had a nice dinner with other RV folks in the yurt here at the park. There were about 25 of us and plenty of food and socializing.

The week was uneventful except for an unexpected trip to UWMC for a procedure to look inside my bladder. There is still a small amount of bacteria even after the latest round of antibiotics and the Urologist wanted to see inside to make sure there wasn’t a place where bacteria could be lurking. She said it looked great and she couldn’t find anything wrong. The procedure wasn’t bad, especially after the two valium they gave me!!! She will send results to Dr. Raghu and recommend that nothing further be done so we will see.

I did use an electric shopping cart for the first time at Costco on Monday and didn’t run into anything or anyone…. It was great! Tried to shop at Barnes & Noble and Pier 1 but they were both a real struggle. Dan & Terri have loaned me a walker that I will try next time so I can sit down when I need to.

We had quite a storm for a few days this week with heavy rain and wind. No major problems here in the park and we were comfy in the RV. Violet now has a bright yellow raincoat!!!

The new Safeway store across the road is open and Bob has been there several times already. I will check it out sometime next week and maybe use one of their electric carts….

We want to wish Kathy and Ric a great trip south and then on to Nebraska. Drive safe. Please stay in touch.

Hope everyone is enjoying the long week-end. More to come next week!

Nov 19

2011-11-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

Another week has come and gone.

Sunday, Mary and Bill from Gig Harbor paid us a visit, we had lunch at the Country Café right up the road, and shared a few stories. Bill helped Bob measure the side of the RV to identify some frames because we had an issue with the awning anchor coming away from the wall. We really enjoyed the time with them.

Not a lot of changes. Therapy and shopping were a struggle this week but at least I’m still breathing.

Missed therapy on Friday, and spent the time at a Super Wal-Mart in Marysville, about 20 miles north of us. Took the scenic route home and drove past the Naval Station in Everett. Carrier and 4 smaller vessels in port. Nice place, but Bob really does not miss it..

Tonight should be the coldest yet, but then a heat wave will hit. Might get some temps in the 50’s. Snow was predicted, but the weather people are rarely correct.

Again, a quiet week. Can’t believe it is almost Thanksgiving already! Who would have thought we would still be waiting here…. Wishing everyone a great turkey day and be sure to count your blessings!!!!

November 11, 2011 Veterans Day

2011-11-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

This has been a great week! Last week-end we had a visit from Jim, Marci, Cassie and their friend Sarah. Marci fixed a great breakfast Saturday morning and then the girls had pedicures in the afternoon. Bob and Jim went to the pier and dreamed of Yachts and winning the lottery. Saturday evening we went to Bonefish Grill for an awesome dinner including wine and dessert! It was wonderful.
We came home after dinner and ‘the kids’ went partying at a local bar that has live music. They were a little concerned about being Oregonians since the Ducks had just tromped the Huskies so they made a point of telling people they were Beaver’s!

Monday evening we got together with Kathy and Mike from Post Falls, ID for dinner at Applebee’s. Mike is doing well and they were just here for a routine doctor visit. He has had a few bumps in the road but looks really good. It was great to see them.

I had a doctor visit on Monday with the Urology Clinic. They can’t find any problems except for the low level bacteria that I can’t seem to get rid of. They have once again put me on an antibiotic for 10 days and I’m hoping this will do the trick.

Tuesday was the Lung Transplant Support Group meeting. Always a good thing because it gives me hope seeing all of those who have received ‘new’ lungs and hearing how they are doing. A recent recipient was on the list for over 3 years. Yes, there are sometimes issues but usually not anything they can’t deal with. Being able to breath without thinking about it would be worth the hurdles.

Wednesday at Pulmonary Rehab was the best effort I have been able to do in about a month! Managed to do all of the machines and all of the exercises so that gave me hope. Of course, I won’t ever get better but I just don’t want to keep getting worse!

Jon & Ched came for a visit on Thursday and it was great to spend some time with them. Ched brought Pilipino food for us (we are having it for dinner tonight) and they took us to lunch at Applebee’s. It was great. Bob and Jon shared stories (not lies) of their past... ;-)

I received so many birthday cards and wishes (internet, Face Book, etc.) and feel so loved! Thank you all for your support and for thinking of me! I played the Beatles song “When I’m Sixty-Four” since that is what I am and I have been looking forward to that for awhile. Not being 64 but playing the song!!!! Jim, Marci and Cassie gave me a large box of Moonstruck Chocolates and they are fantastic! Have to be careful I don’t eat too many all at once.

Cassie turned 13 yesterday and is at Disneyland celebrating! Jim & Marci’s friend Andrea offered to take her again (they have been 2 or 3 times together) and we know they are having a fantastic time!

It looks like we have a quiet week ahead of and no visitors. Probably good considering the weather ahead of us this week.

We had a young couple visit us that are considering a rv model like ours. We were able to give them a tour and they had a lot of questions. They had a Nash trailer a few years ago and want to make a move up in the world.

November 4

2011-11-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just completed a much better week!!! Feeling better both physically and emotionally thanks to all the good vibes from everyone!!!

Libby and Irene were here for a couple of days and we had a great time visiting. Libby, Bob and I went to Elizabeth & Alexander’s “tea room” for lunch and that was quite the experience. Very fancy and expensive but we had fun. Not exactly a ‘guy’ place but Bob was a good sport about it!

Sunday Mark & Nancy came to visit and that was nice too. We went to Applebee’s for lunch and enjoyed our time together.

Then we spent Halloween eve with Dan and Teri for a great dinner and conversation. They are a strong support for us.

Thursday Sheri & Peggy were here and we took them to the Maltby Café. It was so good to see them and they drove all the way from Baker City just to see me (us). What a treat!

Found out who gave me the ‘courage’ stone and it was Jan K. from Cove! She also sent a box full of little birthday gifts that I am anxious to open as I’m sure it will be entertaining! What wonderful friends we have….

Got flowers from Cindy, Ron, Cathy, Ray and the boys today. Tomorrow I am 64 and I have received so many nice cards. Jim, Marci, Cassie and their friend Sarah will be here this evening for the week-end. The girls have a pedicure appointment tomorrow at 2:00 and Jim made dinner reservations for tomorrow night at Bone Fish Grill. It will be fun. Marci has breakfast planned for tomorrow and maybe we will go to the Maltby Café on Sunday morning. Looking forward to spending some time with them.

Sunday afternoon Kathy and Mike will be returning for a doctor visit on Monday. We are hoping to get together with them while they are here. Anxious to hear how Mike is doing…

Well, thanks again everyone for your words of encouragement and helping us get through this. We honestly couldn’t do it without your support!

This coming week will have a doctor appointment on Monday, Lung Transplant support group on Tues and more of the Pulmonary Rehab workouts.

October 28

2011-10-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Bob writing this time. Interesting week so far… Monday noon’ish until dinner time was spent in the UW Emerg Dept. Betsy was not feeling good combined with some ‘fluttering” in the chest. Lot of testing including EKG, and more blood drawn… They decided no issues. Interesting part was a decision by the ER Dr to seek advice from the Pulmonary group… 5 minutes later and three of them were in the room. It got their attention.. Again… ultimately it was decided that it was probably related to a cold or similar.. Home for dinner..

Betsy is still not feeling well but trying to get back to the rehab group to stay on top of the physical fitness end of it.

Then the week got worse, but ended well.

Bets had a melt down on Tuesday, and we spent some time questioning what we are doing in Seattle, then the full gambit of consequences and the ramifications of leaving. We briefly discussed ‘what if’ they cannot find an appropriate donor, working with hospice, and a lot of other stuff. Neither of us has been sleeping well for the past few weeks. But, the week got better. Visitors arrived, moral improved, and then Betsy and Libby went shopping. She must be feeling better. They spent over an hour in Jo-Ann Fabrics.

Her oxygen consumption still is still increasing. Showers and morning dressing are still challenges and are probably the most difficult time of the day. It is difficult from a caregiver / spouse viewpoint to watch her decline physically. In February, we will have been married for 42 yrs. We started dating just over 49 years ago. We are getting a little older

More visitors expected in the next few days and a dinner engagement with Teri and Dan. Promises to be a better week.

Saturday, October 22

2011-10-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems they never really took me off the list this last time. The Doctors are still at odds about the infection, but at least I’m still on the list for now and they will have to make the evaluation if a lung becomes available. Have an appointment with a urologist on the 7^th and not sure what that is all about. Time will tell.

Much slower week but that is about to change for the next two weeks. Libby and Reno, then Nancy, then Sheri and Peggy, then Jim/Marci/Cassie and their friend Sara. Maybe in the middle somewhere a lung will come along.

Violet spent Saturday morning at the beauty parlor (PetSmart) and got a bath and groom. She looks good, but appears to be glad to be home with us.

Had a nice visit with Dan and Carlyn who are making their way back to Kansas after spending several months with family on Vashon Island. It as good to see them again and glad they are able to make use of our place in Cove on their journey. They had a ‘problem’ with some debris on the road near Pendleton, so will spend a few extra days in Cove awaiting repairs.

Bob bought a nice notebook size computer with lap desk so I can sit on the couch and write my life story, something I have been wanting to do for Cassie. It is wonderful and good therapy for me. Guess you could say this was a high priority item on my bucket list!

To whoever left a polished stone with the word ‘courage’ on it on the front seat of our truck before we left home in April, thank you so much! I keep it with me always and would love to know who was so thoughtful. It means a lot to me….

My sister broke her ankle in 3 places while visiting her daughter in Tacoma and had to go home to have surgery. She now has screws in her ankle and we hope for a quick recovery! Bob hopes her screws aren’t very loose..

Thursday, October 13

2011-10-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

On again, off again, on again, ‘off again’…. Saw Dr. Raghu today and he said I cannot have a lung transplant until this infection (bacteria) is completely gone so it appears I am off again for now. Met with an infectious disease doctor who requested another urine test and is scheduling an ultra sound, possibly tomorrow. They want to rule out any kidney stones and such even though I don’t have symptoms. Once that is done they will determine the next course of treatment, possibly IV antibiotics for a couple of weeks. Had a PFT (pulmonary function test) and it was the hardest one yet. Thought I was going to pass out right there but managed to get through it. Function has gone down since the last test which was only a month ago and I’m not surprised. It is getting harder and harder to take a shower and dress in the morning. I put it off as long as I can!!!! Unfortunately, (or maybe it’s a good thing) most days we have somewhere to be and I have to get moving earlier than I would like!

We really enjoyed our visit with Mary Jo & Jerry. Visited, ate good food and played some cards! Even made a shopping trip to Joann’s for more yarn and that was fun. Had lunch with John Reed (a friend of Mary Jo & Jerry’s who we met on our trip north) who had a kidney transplant about a month ago and it was good to see him also. He is here from Alaska and hoping to go home soon.

We will post another blog as soon as we hear what the next step will be. Dr. Raghu is doing everything possible to make things happen so I can get back on the list. He had the infectious disease doctors come to his clinic to see me and they are all working towards one goal: getting me ready for a transplant. I think Dr. Raghu is getting a bit concerned that I am declining at a faster pace and he wants to make sure I get a chance for a transplant. More to come……

Bob’s watering / flower job is quickly coming to an end. Weather / season changes are doing in the flowers. They are sort of dying on the vine? No more breakfast or potlucks to keep him busy Gotta figure something else for him to do.. J

Thanks again to all of you. Your support means a lot.

Saturday, Oct 8

2011-10-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

As of today I have been reinstated on the lung transplant list. The pre-lung transplant nurse, Kim, says I am ‘right up there’ on the list and ‘in a good spot’, whatever that means…. She says they have been busy the past 3 weeks but didn’t indicate how many transplants have been done.

I will need to follow up with several doctor appointments regarding the low count bacteria that is still indicated by the tests. Also need to have a urine test every Monday until this issue is resolved. Whatever it takes…..

Nephew Rick and wife Katie came to visit yesterday and it was great to see them. Katie’s sister and family live fairly close and they are visiting them this week-end. Found out Katie’s brother-in-law works right across the road from the Maltby Café!!!

Mary Jo and Jerry will be here tomorrow for a few days. It will be great to see them too and spend some time together. They are bringing their motor home and will stay in the park here. While they are here, we will go with them to visit our friend John from Alaska, who just had a kidney transplant

Our granddaughter Cassie auditioned for Honor Choir and was accepted so that was exciting news! We are very proud grandparents….

Tomorrow is the monthly pancake breakfast in the park. Of course Bob will be helping with that and he does enjoy himself. The staff appreciate him too.

Thanks to everyone for your love and support during this ‘interesting’ segment of our lives. Family and friends are what keeps us going and we couldn’t get through it without you all.

Sunday Oct 2.

2011-10-03T10:15:00.001-07:00

We made it back from Cove. We took a full car load home, and returned with another full car load. ?? Not sure how that happened, but hopefully the return load will be better used than the previous.

It was good to be home, somewhat. Not knowing when we will return was difficult. Seeing our great neighbors was great. Violet was really curious about the mules, horses, and cows. The deer really had her attention. She had an evening play with Bell. The trip back here must have been exhausting because she slept all night.

Bets had quite a bit of difficulty in breathing at the higher altitude (3500’). The concentrator would not put out full capacity for some reason and that hampered movement around the house.

Betsy here…. Home was bittersweet for me. It was great to be home in our great surroundings but I couldn’t do anything and it was difficult just moving from place to place. Have determined that I will be unable to go home again until I get a ‘new’ lung. It is just too difficult. We did get into the dentist to have our teeth cleaned thanks to the wonderful staff at SeaBrite Dental. It was very short notice but they managed to fit us in. We also had haircuts by our favorite hair person, Ginger. Had dinner with Richard and Libby at Mamacita’s and saw our neighbors/friends, Wayne & Rosemary and Ken & Crystal who have been watching our house for us. We appreciate everything our friends do for us while we are gone! It makes being here easier. Didn’t get a chance to see many people since it was so difficult for me to get around and we are sorry about that.

Have a doctor appointment this afternoon and hoping to be back on the list soon. I will go back on the list at the same place I was. It is not a first come, first served kind of thing, it has to do with lots of other factors relating to your condition. Will post another blog when I’m back on the list or next week-end, whichever comes first…..

September 28 Mid week

2011-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Mid-week update! As of Monday Betsy was temporarily taken off the transplant list due to the persistent UTI which has been resistant to most of the antibiotics. Hoping the newest one works…. Anyway, we have decided to take a very quick trip home for a few days since this might be our only opportunity for awhile. Plan to leave this afternoon (Wed) and return Sunday. Making a doctor appointment for Monday to be retested for the infection and hoping to be back on the list after that. Not sure we will have much opportunity to see many people since we won’t be home long and limited on oxygen bottles. If we miss you, we are sorry….

Sept 23

2011-09-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Still waiting and waiting. The UTI came back (or never fully went away) and now waiting on some test results so they can get the right antibiotic. With some of the medications taken, some antibiotics are not only useless, but potentially harmful. Hopefully it will all be cleared up next week. If the infection cannot be contained, a surgery for transplant might have to be postponed (assuming a correct size donor lung becomes available).
Changes, again.   Bob will not be going to Cove this weekend. Libby is sick enough that she should not be a caregiver for Betsy. The trip will wait a few days. Cove stuff is minor.  Keeping Betsy as healthy as possible is where we need to be.

Violet made a trip to the beauty parlor..   got a good bath, brushing and tail trimmed. Her tail was really matted and they had to cut most of the fur off. She now really looks like a poodle with a little pom-pom on the end.

It appears we are enjoying the last few days of summer! According to the weather outlook it is supposed to start raining on Sunday and continue all next week… It was nice while it lasted!!!!

September 17

2011-09-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

One more week of waiting. The increase in oxygen has made daily activities a little more bearable. The urinary infection seems to be gone, and one less pill to take. Back to the pulmonary rehab routine after missing it for a week…

Ron and Cindy paid us a visit on Saturday and it was good to see them. Got a quick update on Lacey family happenings in Oregon. They brought beautiful, fragrant flowers from Pike’s market, some home canned tuna (yum!) and a beautiful dish Cindy had made.

Bob has the truck packed for the quick trip to Cove next weekend. This trip is more about exchanging summer stuff we have accumulated and retrieving some fall and winter items. Minimal winterizing stuff at home. Violet will be able to play in the back yard and run. Libby is coming to stay with Betsy for a few days of crafting, movies, etc.

Sept 9

2011-09-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

A bump. Actually a pretty big one. Bets started talking about it being another nose-dive, but Bob was concerned that someone would think he was tripping her.

Over the past few weeks, she has been exhausted and apparently in need of more oxygen. Unfortunately, the prescription limited that action. She had a urinary tract infection, and that also took her down a little. Made an appointment with Dr. Raghu, the lead pulmonary Prof. at UW. He was surprised at the results of the breathing and walk test by the Respiratory therapist.

April Oxy needs were 2 ltrs resting and 4 walking. That recently moved to 3-4 resting and 6 walking. Reality found that she often needed 5 resting and 8 walking. New prescription is 5-6 resting and up to 15 when walking or moving around the rv.

Dr. Raghu also sent her immediately to the ultra sound unit to get her legs tested for blood clots, because her oxy levels often dropped below the 75% level. They are also looking at schedules for the UW heart unit for a possible heart cath since the last was done in January in Spokane. This might happen next week.

Of course Bets took all of this in stride, and Bob was in panic mode. Normal.

Lincare has been great. Called within 15 min of our arriving back at the rv and asking if we need the new stuff that night. We agreed to the next morning. Friday am they showed up with a new (and quiet) concentrator that will go up to 10 ltrs, and a new portable valve for the tanks that can get up to 15 ltrs. They are looking for a double tank cart so that when she walks, there is less chance of running out of oxygen.

What does all this mean for the immediate future? Not sure. But, Violet is sure snuggling close to Bets. We think she might sense an issue. Life is sure full of challenges.

September 3

2011-09-03T12:27:00.001-07:00

Well, we are all settled in our new space. It is #54 (not 94 as previously mentioned…). Violet was a bit traumatized with all the activity but seems to be adjusting fine now, although she doesn’t have her view of all the people walking their dogs right outside her door! We are a bit more isolated or private, depending on how you look at it.

Noticing trees with leaves changing color recently. Can’t believe it is September already when we just had a taste of summer. Bob is planning a trip home in a couple of weeks to take care of some things. Libby is coming to stay with me for a few days and we will be doing some crafting and movie watching. It will be a nice change for both Bob and I and Violet too as she gets to go home… I considered going but decided it wasn’t worth the risk of missing out on a lung if one became available….

We are invited to Dan and Terri’s on Monday for a BBQ and that will be nice. They have a beautiful backyard and the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny.

August 27

2011-08-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Another busy week has quickly passed by. Getting ready to move from space 225 to space 94 next week (September 1). It is actually just across the ‘street’ from where we are now but a little higher so we won’t have all the rainwater accumulating at our door this winter!!!

We do like our current spot but it does become a swamp and it does rain in Seattle (UNDERSTATEMENT of the year!!!!). The ground will still get really wet, but at least it will not be standing water.

The monthly RV Park pot luck is this evening and it is expected to be a big turnout. An assistant manager couple are leaving in a few weeks for New Mexico to live with her Dad who needs some help. They are well liked here and will be missed. This is their farewell ‘dinner’. Bob has accepted a ‘job’ with the park, driving the golf cart around 3 days a week to water plants! They do understand that a phone call could change everything but in the mean time it will keep him busy and feeling useful. Hope he is more consistent with their plants than he has been with mine… My poor tomato looks so pathetic although I have eaten quite a few cherry tomatoes from it and he has managed to keep my fuchsia alive! I’m not complaining cause he does laundry good….

Still living in the moment and waiting for ‘the call’…..

August 20

2011-08-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

We are once again alone here in the RV. Cassie went home on Wednesday and poor Violet is really missing her! They had been together for a month; 2 weeks in Beaverton and 2 weeks in Bothell.

Went to Theo’s Chocolates on Monday. Hoped to schedule a tour but they were booked for the week so we just sampled their delicious variety of chocolates and of course bought a few to bring home. Cassie picked out some to take home to Mom and Dad.

Libby and Richard came to visit on Thursday. We had a great time playing Pegs & Jokers, drinking a little wine and visiting. Cooked chicken on the Traeger too. They spent the night in a motel but Bell had a ‘sleepover’ with Violet. They hadn’t seen each other for several months. We then went to the Maltby Café for another great breakfast.

Today we are just relaxing and Bob is doing a few projects on the RV. No news to speak of….

August 13

2011-08-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Cassie and Bob did the Space Needle tour to the Observation Deck. Great views, but the great elevator ride up rivaled some of the best amusement park rides. Grandma waited in the gift shop at the bottom….

We then ventured to what is considered in many literary circles as Seattle’s best burger at The Red Mill. Bun was much bigger than the burger. Bacon on the burger was superb. Overall it was ok, but I think Maltby Café is better. Fries were at the Burger King level and the onion rings were also tasteless. (burger would have been filling enough) This is a place we will visit again for a second chance.

Cannon update… Started building one from 2” abs… need some minor parts so will hold for a few days for testing. Using the ¾” barrel, I have sent cherry tomatoes well beyond the 150 yard mark. Most remain whole. I charged the cannon to 50 lbs and the tomato sort of disintegrated. I could try freezing them? ;-)… I will be in Cove sometime during the month of September so will have to take them home and try them out at full pressure (90 lbs+).

Cassie and Grandma had pedicures on Tuesday morning and it was very relaxing, a fun activity for us. Grandpa and Cassie had massages on Friday much to their enjoyment! We all three attended the Lung Transplant Support Group meeting on Tuesday. Weather has been good this week so lots of time for Cassie on her scooter and Gpa on the bicycle, with Violet happily going along. Violet has met a couple of new friends, one being a 3 yr old female boxer. They chased a ball and ran so hard they eventually collapsed in a bundle together at the end of play time.

August 06

2011-08-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe how fast the weeks go by! We picked up Violet and Cassie on Wednesday evening in Chehalis. Cassie will be with us for a couple of weeks and it is great. We needed some granddaughter time and it’s a nice diversion from our daily routine. She rides her scooter around the park with Violet in tow (or the other way around!!!)… We have a marathon game of Skip-Bo going too and currently we are tied.

Our neighbors, Kathy and Mike, are leaving for home on Monday. It will be sad to see them go but glad Mike has recovered enough to be released. We did meet another couple a few sites down that are here from Alaska and he had a transplant about 3 or 4 years ago. In fact, they were featured in the transplant DVD that we have. He is here for something unrelated to the transplant and we aren’t sure how long they are staying.

We are considering moving to another space just because when it rains we have a big mud bog right outside our door. Violet will miss being able to sit in the doorway and watch the people and dogs go by though.

Summer in Seattle is interesting….

Bob's Cannon Project update… Shot a few balls and cans this week. Learned some things. I had cut down on the overall volume of the larger of the guns, and it showed when launching the cans. While the can it self weighs very little, I had been adding about 3oz of water to it so that it would maintain some momentum. Not enough air volume to move it as far. Most cans barely made it to the 200’ mark (300’previously). The tennis balls however, shot well beyond the 350’ mark. Attached are a couple of photos of the two project guns. The larger of the two is of 4” ABS schedule 40 and the smaller is of 3”. A 1” electric sprinkler valve is the actuator. I used a ¼ “ pipe thread valve and a pressure gauge, both tapped into the ABS.

For those of you considering duplicating this project, make sure you pressure test the stuff in a remote location first and watch out for shrapnel. My Bro (retired diver) indicated it might be safer to fill the devices with water prior to the test, to reduce shrapnel. I have not yet tried that method. Max pressure I have used so far is about 30lbs. This could be on of those moments where the phrase “hold my beer and watch this” could be most appropriate

July 31

2011-07-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is August and we are still waiting…. Had a few days of feeling a little down and some homesickness but think I am past that now, at least for the time being. Have to stay positive and know that we will get through this someday. I keep at the exercise routins, but breathing is often a real challenge.

Violet was not impressed with the water, although she seemed to be fine on the boat. Didn’t appreciate sand on her ball…. She is having a good time with Cassie and they seem to be enjoying having her there. We will meet in Chehalis on Wednesday evening and bring Violet and Cassie back. Cassie is planning to stay here in the RV with us for a week or two so that will be a nice change and a good distraction from our daily routine. It rained this morning but has since cleared up and supposed to be nice the rest of the week!!!

We love our iphones!!!! Went to a class at the Verizon store this morning and learned more about it. We now have apps and feel like we are getting up to speed with the rest of the world. Cassie will be able to show us more when she is here….

Bob has no cannon updates. Just tooooo many rv’s here right now and all seem to be in the line of fire.

I don’t know where this quote came from but I like it: “Faith is not about everything turning out OK; Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out."

July 23

2011-07-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Bob’s brother Jon, sister-in-law Ched, and sister Rochelle came to visit last Sunday and we had a nice visit. It had been many years since we last saw Rochelle. We also had dinner with another ‘soon to be listed’ lung transplant hopeful and her spouse this week. It is always good to compare notes and they fixed a fantastic meal!!! Enjoyed getting to know them.

Had a bunch of testing and an appointment with Dr. Raghu on Wednesday. It seems my condition hasn’t changed a great deal so that is good news. He said his job is to keep me alive until a donor lung can be found and so far so good…

Violet got a haircut on Monday and looks like a different dog!! Had the poodle hair trimmed off her face. We met Jim and Cassie in Chehalis yesterday so they could take Violet home for a few weeks. Cassie is out of school and it is a good opportunity for Violet to bond with the rest of her family. We really miss her though!! They are planning to go boating this week-end and it will be interesting to hear how Violet likes being on a boat and water!!! We have not had the opportunity to get here to a beach or creek since the weather changed.

Supposed to have a couple of warm days here and we are ready for it. There is a potluck at the yurt tonight at 6:30 so Bob has decided to do a couple of pork tenderloins on the Traeger. He and Mike went to Costco and Home Depot this morning…

No updates on the cannon project. Weather has not been conducive to construction or testing.

July 16

2011-07-16T18:31:00.001-07:00

Just finished week 12 on the list.

Betsy got a letter to report for Jury Duty in Pendleton! Notified them that it was not possible and they were very nice about it… Second time in the last 3 years for jury duty notification…

We each got new I-Phones today and anxious to learn how to use them. The guy at the Verizon store was very helpful and we will probably attend a 45 minute class next Sunday if we have questions, which is likely. Plan to download some tunes for the hospital stay.

Scheduled doctor appointment and tests on Wednesday. If the disease has progressed then I will probably move up on the list. It is just a matter of time before a donor that is a match and the right size comes along. Could be days, weeks, months or years! Who knows…. We have heard that there is another guy awaiting transplant in the park from Alaska. No details yet on that. Mike (our neighbor) has been released by the surgeon and he and Kathy will probably be headed home to Idaho the end of this month. It will be hard to see them go but we are so happy that he has had such a good recovery. It has been amazing to watch!!!

Cannon Project::: I plan to pressure test the cannon pressure chambers this weekend. Will take a generator and the air compressor onto the woods above the camp, run the pressure up to the 100 lb mark to make sure these things will not explode like a grenade when standing next to it. I have a 100’ pressure hose to get it away from everything. Still concerned potential about damage to the half million dollar plus coaches in the park. Built a smaller compact cannon. Will test this weekend.

July 9

2011-07-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

Another week gone by and I’m reflecting on my life and my many blessings. I feel fortunate to have a fighting chance at this disease. Unlike a friend and coworker who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died 2 months later with no hope of a cure or treatment. She didn’t have the chance to retire and do the things she had planned. We were the same age and planned to retire about the same time. OK, so maybe I am currently tied to oxygen and things are more difficult than I would like them to be. I’m not in pain and can look forward to each day and make plans, at least in the short term.

We enjoyed a ‘quiet’ 4th here in the RV park. BBQ’d some chicken with our RV neighbors and did S’mores on the BBQ too. They didn’t allow fireworks in the park but you wouldn’t have known it for the noise! Lasted until about midnight! Violet did well with the fireworks noise. She was aware, but no panic noticed.

Our tomato plant has tiny little tomatoes on it! It was quite warm yesterday, in the 80’s, but today only in the high 60’s, low 70’s and cloudy/rainy. The weather here changes frequently.

Violet met another golden-doodle and was so excited. The woman was with an RV repair service and just happened to be across from us in the park. She says she has to find a home for this 1 year old female named Muffin. Wish we could take her but it just isn’t possible right now. She is a ‘very’ mellow dog and looks a lot like Violet except her fur is not quite as curly. Same color. So…., if you know of someone with a few hundred to spare, that wants a spayed/chipped G-D, let us know.

Bob made an offer on an 800cc Honda from another rv’r. A couple of problems… Owner didn’t want to sell and Bob’s offer was to store it for him…. ;-) Oh, well. We meet a lot of nice people in this park.

Dinner on Fri eve with Dan and Terri. Dan is 1 yr post transplant and they have connections to La Grande. Nice dinner with nice people.

This coming Sunday is the monthly RV Park breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausage, and good company.

If the weather is nice, Bob and Mike will be back at the cannon engineering this weekend.

July 2

2011-07-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Just finished week 10 on the waiting list.

Enjoying a beautiful, warm day today and hoping for more to come. Went to a few stores earlier and it was a zoo out there so we will be hunkering down here for the next few days! Park is almost full this long week-end.

Enjoyed our week of visitors! It was fun and a good distraction for us.

Yesterday we went to a cemetery in Kirkland to see the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Found our high school friend Art Waldorf’s name on it. The display was very nicely done and the volunteers were helpful. Heartbreaking that so many died so young and politics….

Bought some fresh corn, green beans, strawberries and melon at the local produce market. Makes it easier to eat healthy when there is fresh fruits and vegetables available and cheap. Mike smoked some small salmon and now has a brisket on the smoker. Might be a late dinner tonight.

Cannon update. No Change. Still too dangerous to fire in the rv park. Doing some experiments in water cannon technology. Time will tell. Will work on a new prototype next week when some of the weekend campers move on.

June 26

2011-06-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Still here waiting, but we had a lot of visitors this week so time passed quickly.

Betsy’s sister Mary Jo and Jerry came on Monday and left Thursday. We ate out quite a bit and had a good visit. Visited Flower World and ate at the Maltby Café which was fabulous! Also shopped at the Country Village just down the road from us. Jim, Marci and Cassie arrived Friday night and stayed until today (Sunday afternoon). We did steaks and corn on the Traeger and I made Jim a birthday cake (Grandma’s famous chocolate recipe). Had a great time and Violet loved it. She and Cassie played most of the time so she was exhausted last night! We again ate at the Maltby Café this morning for breakfast. There was a line but it didn’t take long to get seated (about 15 minutes). The food is definitely worth waiting for.

The sun was out until about 4 this afternoon. It is still warm but cloudy now. Expecting Libby to arrive in about an hour. She was in Portland for a concert and is driving up for a couple of days. Will be nice to see her.

Air cannon update. First can, empty, went out about 30’. Second can, third full of water, made it about 75 yards at 30 lbs of pressure. Subsequent cans hit the 100 yard mark, still at 30 lbs pressure. Fired a few mini tennis (dog toy) balls, and easy 100+ yards. We can’t take the risk of increasing the pressure here. A couple of spendy motor coaches are just beyond the 150 yard mark. I cannot afford the potential damage. Wish I could find an unused airfield…. ;-) Will work on the design a little. I still think I can get a can to the ¼ mile mark. Maybe some competition down the road.

We also missed the Northwood Owners Association Rally at Hot Lakes RV Park. Next year.

Not much more to tell. Need to get back on our diets soon and quit eating out so much!

June 19, 2011

2011-06-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Father’s Day, 2011, at Lake Pleasant RV Park. Pretty uneventful! “Father” did laundry first thing this morning and we did a bit of grocery shopping. It started out to be rainy but this evening it is just cloudy and they are predicting nice weather for the next 10 days. Our front yard here is a swamp…

The park had a pot luck yesterday evening and ‘we’ did beer brats on the Traeger. They were a hit and the gathering was small but nice.

A few weeks ago I used my debit card at Michael’s Craft store and consequently we lost $1,000 from our checking account due to someone using an ATM in California. My debit card never left my possession but they must have created a card somehow using my card number and pin. Anyway, I had to complete an affidavit stating this and have it notarized to send to our bank so they can investigate. Hope they catch the bastards! Stealing from a little old lady with bad lungs! How dare them…. The reason we believe it was Michael’s is that it was on the news that some debit card information had been compromised from their stores.

Mary Jo & Jerry will be here tomorrow for a few days with their motor home. It will be nice to spend some time with them and we are hoping the weather is nice.

Bob and our neighbor Mike have moved back into their childhood and are working on a beer/pop can cannon using compressed air. First firing will be tomorrow. Mike thinks we can launch a can at least 100’….. Bob is hoping for a quarter mile. Hopefully we won’t blow ourselves up.

Next weekend is the UCSAR summer camp/training session. Bob wants to go, but knows it cannot be. Next year.

June 10

2011-06-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Another week gone already! 7 weeks on the list…

Violet had ‘the works’ done yesterday at PetSmart; haircut, bath with skin treatment, teeth cleaning, ear cleaning and nails clipped. She looks really good (and smells better too!) Will probably take her every two months while we are here. Bob thinks they cut the hair on her ears a little short, but looks good.

I had a pedicure at Blooming Nails on Main Street in Bothell this morning. It was a very nice, relaxing place and I plan to go there again sometime. Found them on the Internet.

Bob decided to buy a mini Traeger at Costco. We really miss ours at home and the price was good. Makes for easy meals with meat and a salad or other veggies. Healthy too if you leave out the potatoes/pasta and bread.

The pancake breakfast on Sunday was nice. A good turnout and they had sausages, eggs, fruit and juice too. Fortunately the sun was out!!! Had a bit of rain Tuesday and Wednesday but now it is supposed to be dry for 5 or 6 days. We will see…..

We are doing well although I am using a bit more oxygen than I was a few weeks ago. Besides that I feel good and trying to stay in shape. Just have to turn up the oxygen a notch or two and I’m OK.

Miss everyone! Hope you are all having a good start of summer.

June 4

2011-06-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

Some entertainment (expensive for someone) here today. A 40’ coach backed off the end of its pad and is up to the axle / frame in mud. Two tow trucks have tried. Didn’t even budge it. Will watch the events unfold this evening. (two tried again, together. Lucky coach owner. No apparent damage. Good Sam Tow Service paid for this one.

Turned out to be a beautiful day, in the 80’s, and we actually have the air conditioner running in the RV! Planted a cherry tomato plant in a pot outside and Bob/Violet have been around the park 4 times with the bicycle (4 miles).

I walked with Mike and Kathy for a bit in the shade. Mike is doing well and he showed me his scar (it is healing nicely). He had a steel plate ‘installed’ on Wednesday because his sternum wasn’t healing as it should and he seems to have made a fairly quick recovery from that.

I’m finishing up a big x-stitch project and anxious to get it done so I can start something else. The pancake breakfast that was supposed to happen (according to Bob) on Monday didn’t and it was a great disappointment…. But, they are having one tomorrow and I double checked this time to make sure of the day. I am down another 2 lbs. (for a total of 22) so feel I can splurge and have some pancakes!

Violet is in need of a bath and haircut so we will probably make that happen this coming week. Need to keep her coat short during the warm weather. I’m hoping to have a pedicure sometime and Bob would like a massage…. Have to pamper ourselves a bit during this long wait…

Jim/Marci/Cassie are at Detroit Lake this week-end, their first outing with their new ‘outfit’ (truck/camper/boat). Hope they are enjoying the nice weather and just wish we could join them. Someday!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-28T18:49:00.001-07:00

Another week has come and gone (5 weeks on the transplant list). It was fairly nice today and we are expecting two more days of sun before the rain returns….Will just be glad for some WARM weather if that ever happens here. Guess we should be careful what we wish for. Violet wishes it would snow.

Yesterday’s pulmonary rehab was a bit challenging and I’m not sure why. Took a walk around the RV park this afternoon and it went OK although it does require all the strength I have to get motivated to do it sometimes.

The RV park is hosting a pancake breakfast on Monday morning which we will probably attend since it is held in the yurt right near our RV site. They had a potluck a few week-ends ago but Libby and I were busy crafting and didn’t feel like cooking a dish to take…. There will be many more of those during the summer I’m sure.

Mike (our RV neighbor) is doing well and healing nicely. It is great to see him out and about with no oxygen and his color is good. He is now 3 ½ weeks post double lung transplant.

May 20

2011-05-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

Didn’t blog last week… Bob and Violet took a trip home, leaving Friday and returning on Monday (750 miles RT). My friend, Libby, spent those days with me and we had a great ‘girl’ week-end; shopping, crafting, watching movies and eating. It was a nice break from our routine for all of us. Violet loved being home and RUNNING all over the yard. She is pretty confined here and has to be on a leash at all times so she misses her freedom. Bob got some necessary chores done and had dinner at Mamacita’s with Richard.

We are finally experiencing some warm sunny weather!!! Hope it will last a few days at least. Have therapy tomorrow morning and maybe do a little shopping. Violet (Bob) has training on Saturday. Seems like there is always something to do which makes the days go by fairly fast. Have hope that our wait will not be too long. I have only been on the list 4 weeks and the average wait time is 3 months… We try not to think too much about it and just live our life in the moment. Sometimes I feel like I have stepped out of one life into another with the only constant being Bob and Violet. A strange feeling…. Everyone we see and talk to on a daily basis we have only just met and nothing is familiar except for the personal items in the RV. Even the RV is new!

Bob keeps busy with various little ‘projects’ and I keep busy with knitting, x-stitch and reading. We watch movies too.

May 6:

2011-05-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Had my first pulmonary rehab. session today and it was quite extensive. An hour of weight exercises and then an hour of machines. They want you in the best shape possible going into surgery so I will be going 3 times a week to the NW Therapy Center. Came home today and had a nap and sure I will be sore in the morning!
Jim, Marci and Cassie are coming to visit tomorrow and will stay through Sunday. It will be great to see them and Violet needs a good romp with one of her favorite people (Cassie). Supposed to continue to rain until onday….

Bob is going to build some wooden steps for the RV next door. Mike got ‘new’ lungs on Tuesday of this week and will be coming ‘home’ in about 10 days. He will need something more substantial than the metal steps that come with the RV… Bob is planning to build some for me also. The construction work will keep him busy. Mike is doing well and learning to breath all over again. He is 44 and has cystic fibrosis and was in much worse shape than I am. We were very excited when he got the call!

Our RV is comfortable, we keep busy and the days just go by… Bob is attending Rotary meetings in Monroe. Noon club with great lunches and nice people. Atmosphere reminds him of the La Grande Sunrise Club.

April 29

2011-04-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Another week of waiting. Attended two support groups for both lung transplant and then one specifically for IPF. Then Bob attended a third one that is just for caregivers. All were very educational. Biggest issue fot attending any kind of event at UW Med Center is 'parking'. Seems like for anything it is $9-15. We can easily spend $40+ a week just on parking.

Spent some time getting to know our neighbors. He is also awaiting transplant and needs two lungs. They are from Idaho.

We had dinner with a couple who had lived in La Grande several years ago and he was a transplant recipient last fall. Great evening with them and we learned a lot. One issue is Violet. We need to make better short term arrangements for her.

Betsy is starting pulmonary rehab next week, probably 3 times a week, which includes a treadmill and other exercise equipment at the Northwest Therapy Center. Need to be in the best shape possible going into the transplant. It appears that women are on the waiting list longer than men. Not sure why that is unless it has to do with lung size….

Purchased a cheap BBQ at Wal-Mart so if the weather EVER gets decent we can cook outside for variety. Bob had fun putting it together, all 400 pieces!!! The days seem to be going by fast and we do keep busy. Sun is shining as we send this but no telling for how long. Might grill some brats tonight.

April 22

2011-04-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

As of this afternoon I’m LISTED. … The RN in the transplant office said I am fairly high on the list and that my compatibility level is at 15% which means I am only NOT compatible with 15% of the population. She said 15% is VERY low and almost to a point of not mattering. They will do another blood draw in a month and do additional testing.
The sun is out today and Grandpa has shorts on. He was washing the RV! Still a bit cold to my liking but I’m planning to walk soon. Grandpa and Violet have signed up for training at PetSmart starting tomorrow afternoon. It is once a week for 6 weeks for beginner training and it will be good for both of them. Bob really needs the training..

Apr 15

2011-04-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Bothell, WA. Lake Pleasant site 225. Settling in.

No word yet from “the list”. It seems that the hold up is TriCare. They simply have dropped the ball. UW faxed them the docs two weeks ago and TriCare cannot find them or say they have not received them. TriCare also seems to have ‘phone’ problems and failed to call back after repeated calls to them. For some reason TriCare does not have the ability to contact UW, even though they have all the appropriate phone numbers. While it is difficult, we still have positive expectations of the process. Maybe it will improve next week. Will start the phone calls again to TriCare on Monday morning.

Jim/Marci/Cassie will be here on Sat and will be bringing up the Durango. Will be nice to drive a slightly smaller vehicle. They are bringing up their new camper. Violet will be happy to see Cassie.

Violet is adapting well. Using the bike to exercise her. She runs well, and usually stops half way around the lake to ‘poop’. Of course, Bob gets the crappy job of cleaning up the ‘poop’.

Today we bought her some more ‘Frosty Paws”. She smelled the bagk and just went wild in anticipation. She really likes them. For those with dogs who are only slightly spoiled, make the trip to Safeway, dog food isle, and check the freezer for them. Your dog will love you. ;-)

More next week.

April 10

2011-04-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

It’s Saturday night and we are in Beaverton. Plan to leave here tomorrow afternoon and head for

Bothell, WA. Jim and Marci will bring the Durango up next week-end and have a chance to spend the night in their new Wolf Creek camper for the first time.

Haven’t heard anything from the insurance company or the pre-transplant nurse regarding the authorization for transplant. Hope to hear something on Monday…. Will post something as soon as we hear.

Bob had some mods done to the RV when we were in La Grande. New awning arms and topper awnings for over the slides. Good changes. Now we just hope that the mods for Betsy work just as well.

April 4

2011-04-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it appears that I am now close to being added to the transplant list. Had a call from Kim this morning, the RN with the pre-transplant team, and she said I am good to go except for getting confirmation from our insurance that they are authorizing a lung transplant. Once they receive that authorization then I can be added to the list. I do have an appointment with Dr. Raghu on Thursday and a couple of tests (pulmonary function test, blood work and ‘weighing in’ with the dietitian. We are planning to have the RV in Bothell sometime Sunday afternoon and hopefully I will be on the list sometime Monday!!!! Then it is a waiting game….

Thanks to everyone for your support. Couldn’t go through this without the love and encouragement of family and friends. We try to post something on Fridays. Of course, we will also have our cell phones and can be reached by e-mail.

This is an exciting, frightening, unbelievable time and we are just anxious to get on with it. We are trying to stay positive and looking forward to a good outcome.

April 2

2011-04-02T18:14:00.001-07:00

It appears that the doctor’s haven’t been able to determine if I need the acid reflux surgery before or after the transplant. We have decided to pack as if we are making the temporary move to Bothell, drive to Jim and Marci’s on Wednesday next week and leave the RV there. Drive to Seattle and back on Thursday for the appointments and then maybe we will know what the next step will be. If they decide I can get on the list and do the transplant first then we will already be as far as Beaverton with the RV and can just go to Bothell from there. I am down 18 lbs. and continue to strive for another 10 at the very least. Have had a cold this week which is not a good thing when you are on oxygen!!

Violet went to the beauty parlor for a hair cut. She looks skinny, but it will be easier to manage now. Beautiful day here yesterday, almost up to 70. Today we had hail and a bit of snow and wind but the sun is out now.

Marci’s parents are on the mainland for some medical testing. It will be good to see and visit with them.

March 25th

2011-03-25T11:40:00.001-07:00

Had a call from UW on Wednesday and spoke with the nurse coordinator. She congratulated me on my weight loss and said I had done everything they had requested. She thinks the transplant team will meet next Wednesday, the 30th, and decide if I need the acid reflux surgery before or after transplant. If they determine it to be after, then I will hopefully be approved to be on the list!!! I am hoping to hear from her again next Thursday or Friday. We are proceeding with our plans for the temporary move to Bothell in the hopes that it will happen in a week or two. We are hard at work getting everything ready for that move.

We have enjoyed spending time with Cassie this week. She and Violet have spent many fun hours together and Grandpa has been teaching her firearms safety and let her shoot the 22 rifle in the backyard. We will meet Jim in The Dalles tomorrow around noon to send her back home. Plan to go to Mamacita’s tonight for dinner, one of her favorite places here. They have an awesome pepper steak with pasta that we usually get. Think I will treat myself tonight!!

March 19th:

2011-03-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Betsy here. Had an appointment in Walla Walla yesterday and weighed in at my upper weight goal!!!! Yoohoo!!! They will fax it to the nutritionist in Seattle and it will put me one step closer to getting on the transplant list. They want me to continue to lose weight but at least I have met the requirement to be listed as far as the weight is concerned. Have lost 14 ½ lbs. in two months…

After this appointment we drove to Beaverton and spent the night, then brought our granddaughter home with us today for spring break. She wanted to spend time here, she says with us but we know it is Violet she is interested in. They have a great time together!

Next appointment is April 7 in Seattle with Dr. Raghu. We are really hoping that the transplant committee meets soon and determines that I have met all the requirements to be listed. Will keep everyone posted on that.

March 11

2011-03-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

March 11. We are back in Beaverton and hit a hot wings place last night. Bets didn’t each much, but had heart burn all night. Bob slept like a baby. Not sure about Marci and Jim. Cassie refused to touch anything hot. ;-)

The support group session was great. Nice to see healthy transplant recipients and meet folks who are on the waiting list. Good support mechanism.

Betsy had her test, and then met with the dr. He said she has acid reflux issues and they will probably operate at some time, but not sure yet if it will be before or after transplant. She is now within a pound of her goal to get on the list. She has an appointment with her Dr. in Walla Walla at the end of next week, and she is hoping to be a few pounds below the magic number.

While up north we made a trip to visit friends (AF people) in Gig Harbor. Great dinner, excellent wine, and even better company. Dogs got along great. We promise to visit again if they let us.

Tomorrow we go to the Portland RV show, then on Sunday am, we head home so the next update will be from Cove. While home next week, we need to really get our ducks in row and be prepared to move to Bothell within a few days of notice. That includes having someone to mow the lawn and spray weeds. Gotta keep the weeds down in prep for the “End of the world” July 14 party at the Cove Nelson’s place in 2012.

First week of March

2011-03-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

This finds us in the Beaverton Nelson’s driveway spending time with the granddaughter and her parents and getting adjusted to where stuff goes in the new rv.

Bob got his shot and so far it is working great. Betsy is down another few pounds. Almost at her initial goal. She has adjusted to the Weight Watchers program very well.
On Thursday eve, Violets friend Bell came for a couple of sleep-overs’. Seems they are having fun (in dog terms of course).

Next Monday we move north to the Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell. Some education, testing, doctor appointment, and visiting with friends for a quick three days, then back to Beaverton for some more kick back time with granddaughter.

Last week of February

2011-02-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

Last week of February – On the snow covered road again. Friday we drive to Boardman (quick trip over and back) to meet with some folks from Hood River. They are buying the RZR. Since they are AFP’s (actually DFP’s), we know it is going to a good home. (Arctic / Desert Fox People)

We had another 6” of snow again last night so these trips should be interesting. 11 deg out right now.

New fifth wheel is packed and ready, so on Saturday we leave for Beaverton. Roads will be icy and snow covered. Next Wednesday, Bob has an appointment with the VA for another shot in the lower back. If the shot were any lower, it could be considered a pain in the ass.

Then on Monday the 7th of Mar, we head to Bothell, WA again for a few more days in this transplant process. Tuesday will find us at a meeting with other transplant recipient, then Wednesday, Bets has a procedure to test for acid reflux. On Thursday am, we meet with that doctor for results and next steps.

We both continue to Watch our Weight, and Bets is still just above her goal to get on the transplant list. Making progress, slow but sure.

Yesterday I was quietly chastised by my brother for not keeping updates on this blog. I promise to do better. I should probably put it on my calendar and make it a Friday update.

Most of you receiving email from us will see a slight change. Beginning to move our stuff over to gmail. We will still receiving EONI mail, but sending will be via gmail. I will probably do a mass eoni email notice of this change.

Early February

2011-02-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

Some delay in process. The weight loss window has been modified. From 15 lbs to 25 lbs, now to 40 lbs. Back to the drawing board. Now scheduled to see a Dr? second week in March for some testing, then back to Seattle second week of Apr to the Dr Rahgu again. Then??? Until that time, it is the weight watchers program. Some of this is a bit of a challenge since all the medication prescribed has a side effect of weight gain.

RV changes. Arctic Fox 25R is gone and we now have a 29’ Arctic Fox fifth wheel. Lots of room. Still in the moving in mode, and will be for a few more weeks. Lots of modifications to make to fit our needs. Violet visited the vet and got spayed. Also got a hair cut a few days prior to that surgery.

Late January

2011-01-27T02:39:00.000-08:00

We returned from Seattle on Tuesday late afternoon. Thought I would update a bit on what is happening.

I had 6 days of tests and appointments at the University of Washington Medical Center. We arrived on a Monday and finished up the following Monday. Stayed in an RV park in Bothell, WA about 40 to 60 minutes from the hospital depending on time of day and amount of traffic. It was a nice park and we will probably stay there when we return. They have a special rate long term stays and for people who are awaiting a transplant…

Won’t go into the gory details of the kinds of tests they did but lets just say they should know just about everything there is to know about my insides. I still have a few things to finish up here and then they will meet (everyone involved at the medical center) and determine when I will be placed on the list. Was told I needed to lose 20 to 25 lbs. before they would place me but I also know my lungs are really bad (functioning at 1/5 of normal). The surgeon said I would be fairly high on the list which is good but it also means I have a big problem. He said I could go with 1 transplanted lung or 2 and I think that will be determined when they have a donor.
So I am dieting as if my life depended on it, cause it does! It is amazing how that can motivate you. Besides being a bit overweight and not being able to breath, I am in good health otherwise so that is a plus.

We are probably going to trade in our Arctic Fox 25R travel trailer for a 295E 5th wheel just because it has so much more room and we will be living in it for quite a few months, both before and after transplant. Lots of things to think about and decisions to make.

Not sure of the timeline but I’m hoping we are back in Seattle by the first part of March if I can lose enough weight by then. Thank you all for your support. I/we really appreciate it and couldn’t make it through this without our family and friends.

2011-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

January 2011 started a little rough. Betsy’s lung disease took for a major nose dive. The dr’s now have her on oxygen 27/7. We took a quick trip to Spokane for a heart cath to make sure her heart is strong enough for a lung transplant. Her lung disease issue is now at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. Heart was good… Of course I and many others could have told them that. Betsy has a heart of gold.

Here is some stuff relating to the lung disease. We decided to post it here and just update on site vs email to lots of folks. No sense in repeating stuff. This started a few years back as an allergy to wood dust mold, RV related (we think). We really think it was a result of Bob putting a small hole in the roof and then a leak.

Betsy has been seeing a local Dr, a lung specialist is Walla Walla, WA, and more recently, one of the nations leading lung Dr’s in Seattle.

Enjoy life while you can … ‘Do Not’ wait for those ‘golden’ years. Most of us that are slightly older than the rest, will easily admit, they are not that golden. Maybe silver as it the color of hair. ;-)

Violet now weighs in at about 35 lbs. Doesn’t miss a meal.

June 2010 in Seattle.

2011-01-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

Betsy writing. It appears my lung problem is worse than I thought. They wanted me walk at a casual pace up and down the hallway for 6 minutes while they measured my oxygen level but stopped me after 4 minutes because it was down to 80% (saturation rate) and they don’t want it to drop below that level (it should be in the 90’s). I didn’t even get a chance to do the stair test… I didn’t feel out of breath so I didn’t think there was a problem! Dr. said that because of my history of sleep apnea my brain doesn’t recognize that my oxygen levels are dropping so it doesn’t “kick in” that I need to breath harder.

Anyway, after going over the tests, CT scan, etc. he is talking about a lung transplant. The next step is to make an appt. with the Walla Walla Dr. in about 2 weeks to go over my options regarding a lung biopsy and whether or not I want to do that. It would tell me if I have chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis with pulmonary fibrosis tendencies or if I have the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. There is really no treatment for either one although the life expectancy for the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is 2 to 4 years after diagnosis without the transplant. I also have to have a complete workup of my heart by a cardiologist because if you don’t have a strong heart they won’t even consider the transplant. I will need to go back to Seattle in December or January to discuss what happens next and to attend a 2 ½ hour ‘orientation’ regarding the transplant. Evidently they give these at least once a month so they must do quite a few!
I have to say this doctor visit was quite a shock to us and we are still trying to take it all in.

At the time of referral to Seattle, I was in denial that it would be something I would even need to consider. To be honest, right now I don’t like any of the options…
So, we spent the week-end with Jim, Marci and Cassie and Jim said he has been wanting to buy us a dog for a long time. Someone he works with had some golden doodle puppies, 8 weeks old. We went to see them and all fell in love with Violet!!! She is so sweet and VERY smart. Bob and I decided it was a good time since we both need a “therapy” dog to help us through the uncertainty ahead. We got her yesterday and brought her home to Cove today. We stopped by Libby and Richard’s on our way home to pick up Bell since they will be out of town and Bell is a bit put out about Violet! She will get used to her though and it will be good for Violet to have a friend.

The rest of 2110

2011-01-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

September brought a large home ‘to do’ list with some search and rescue stuff mixed in.

October took us to the Owahee Desert (pronounce the same as Hawaii) for some UTV riding and camping. We then drove to Seattle for a meeting with a lung specialist, Dr Raghu. The outcome of this meeting was a heads up on a potential lung transplant for Betsy. She has a serious lung issue and that will be a later post.

We stopped in Beaverton for some family time and our family grew by one. Violet has joined us. Golden Doodle and cute. 12 lbs at 2 months. We think she might grow a little.

Drove home for a few days and then to Garibaldi on the north coast for fish camp and good time with friends. Then south for a few days in the Newport area. Quick stops in Aumsville, Beaverton and then home.

November is Elk Camp time and it was different for all because of a visitor from England. One elk, one broken ankle (not us) and lots of good tequila. Fresh snow almost every day. Some more SAR rescue stuff and then turkey time in Cove. Did our first oil fried turkey, and then one on the Traeger BBQ. Taste test… Traeger won.

December found our son and family flying to Maui for Christmas, and we to the Salem area for time with that part of the family. We stayed in Aumsville (tornado city) and then on to Lincoln City for a few days. Stopped in Beaverton for two nights and then the icy drive to home (Cove).

Hot August evenings

2011-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

August found Granddaughter in Cove for a couple of weeks. She entered her first attempt at a counted cross stitch project and won a blue ribbon. She was pretty happy. Then we were off on another adventure, this time to Utah. The Lagoon Amusement Park in the Salt Lake area. 2 days and Cassie / Gpa rode almost every ride at least twice (especially the big ones). Cassie did ride two that Gpa would not get on. Gutsy kid. From there we drove to Marysvale, Utah for their second UTV Jamboree. Fun. Cassie and gpa took a long guided ride. Probably won’t do that again. It seemed like the ride leaders stopped every half mile to keep the group together. After the ride, I was able to go to the main area and see lots of RZR’s with modifications. Good ideas.

We left Marysvale a day early as it was hot and we had no power for ac. Decide to head west to

Great Basin National Park and did the cave tour. Cassie seemed to have fun exploring. We camped at 7000’ that night, and briefly drove to 10, 000’. That was a bit of an issue for Betsy. She requires oxygen when sleeping at night. Thin air was a challenge. As we left camp, the driver made a slight mistake. Forgot to put up the steps on the trailer (crunch). Was able to do some hammer adjustments and the steps worked again, sort of.

On to Wendover, UT for Bonneville Speed Week 2010. Spent the first night at the KOA. Swimming pool was yellow/green. Not something any of us will get into. Got some sleep. Cassie and Gpa were on the salt at 5:30 am. Cassie had watched some video of the event, including “Worlds Fastest Indian”. She seemed impressed. We spent about 3 hours at the start line. Cassie was impressed with the number of women drivers and crew members. We were able to see the Harris Family Roadster (Lincoln Harris driving) make a run. At over 230 mph, he had engine problems and had to shut down. Now to ship the car back to New Zealand.

We had a commitment back in Wendover to move the RV out of the KOA. Moved to a good camp on the sand area just off the salt (with 3000 of our very close friends), then the three of us drove back to the pit area. Bought some t-shirts and stuff. Just about then, we got a call from our other NZ friends (Newport’s) and they were setting up camp next to us. Back to camp for some reunion time and a good cold beer.

Back to the pit area for a tour. That evening, we had some more beverage, conversation, story telling (lies), and just a good time. Russell and Sue, with their friends John and Trish, were on a quick one month motor home vacation of the South Western USA.

One more trip to the race track at 5am. Sunsets out there are just beautiful. After a brief stop at the start line, we moved to the pit area. Cassie got to see some vehicles go by at 150, 250, and 400 mph. I think that last car really impressed her.

Time to say “see ya later” to our friends and get on the road towards home. Drove to Farewell Bend State Park that night and then on to Cove and home the next day.

Long trip, good times. Two days of rest, and we are off again. This time to Paulina Lake in Central Oregon for a family gathering. Once again, another good trip. Cassie headed back to Beaverton with her parents and a new school year. She had a busy summer.

May - Jun - July

2011-01-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

May, Deck/patio project – No travels

June brought the Annual Union County Stock Show Parade, for Search And Rescue and as always, a fun event. We started out at the Northwood Owners Association (Arctic Fox) at the Hot Lakes RV Park, then hit the road for the Grant Morrow OHV Park Poker run. This is a annual event and the proceeds go to the Grant County EMS services. A quick trip back to the AF Rally, then home for clean up. We traveled to Portland for a few days while Bob had some back pain issues addressed at the VA Medical Facility.

July brought a finish to the deck project and our annual ‘beach party’. Good times by all.

April Showers

2010-04-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

April is here and almost half gone, along with the early April snow… Time is flying.. We must be having fun.

I sent an email to The Director of Oregon Tourism today. In looking at their website, they have lots of information for people who ride a bicycle, but little for the OHV folks. Disparate treatment. I think the people who author that site mostly live on the wet side of the state and have forgotten what the rest of the state does. By doing this, the Oregon tourism industries could be missing out on some very big spenders. I will keep an update on this blog.

We will spend most of April getting ready to re-build the back porch.

Update... Tourism responded in a positive email. I am optimistic. and offered to get involved. Time will tell.

March and 'The Dunes'

2010-03-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Picked up Cassie after school for spring break and headed for Florence and the sand dunes. Had a great time with friends and met some new ones. The RZR ran well on the sand, but could have used some sand paddles on the back for some of the bigger hills. Only got stuck twice. Cassie spent some time behind the wheel and I think she is hooked on the ATV/UTV world. She also met some new friends her age down there.

Back to Cove to clean up and wash off the sand. Will probably spend most of the next month or two around home. Two new OHV parks in the area.

The Start of March

2010-03-03T12:39:00.001-08:00

February 27 found Bob attending a SAR training session in the snow. Goal of the session was to get some new members trained up for missions. We started from home about 7am and I was back in the driveway at 5. Showered and was just about to pour a wine, when the call came in that we had a overdue xc skier. Age 13. I was asked to go to our Emergency Ops Center to assist in the management team. Within an hour we moved the operations of the search up to the mountain, about 45 miles out. Arrived on scene as resources started to pour in. Mainly snowmobiles and a tracked vehicle. I was dark by then. Over the next two nights and the third day, I was tasked as the family liaison for the search. On Monday around noon, he was located, and I had the ugly task of notifying the family at the scene. About 110 people up there on Monday. We actually had to turn volunteers away because of control issues. They all just wanted to help. We got home about 6 that night after demobilization.

I have put a lot of effort into SAR and filled many roles. This by far was the hardest, but would do again tomorrow if asked.
Betsy was involved also. On Monday, she picked up 90 sack lunches and delivered them to us. She arrived about 10 after the find so people were already starting to leave. Still, about 80 of them disappeared.

So, now it is march and are starting spring projects. Betsy is cleaning house to get ready for a Bunco party on Sat night. I would rather hit the road. ;-(

Mid Feb

2010-02-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

After a few days in Beaverton, we headed to the Coast... Ft Stevens State Park. Nice city. We are just not used to camping with a bunch of other people. Oh well... we still had fun.

Now we are back home for spring projects.

Feb 2010

2010-02-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

We are about to hit the road again for a short trip to see granddaughter (and her parents) and then to the Northern Oregon Coast. Then back home for spring yard work.

I am about to become an activist. City/County Budgets are hurting and someone suggested we charge ATV folks to use the road system. I took the concept a bit further to suggest we actually welcome this group of folks since they spend money here. A link to the letter.

http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/Opinion/Letters/Letters-and-Comments-for-February-8-2010

Will see what happens.

Back to Cove for a while

2010-01-11T17:39:00.001-08:00

Had a good time in Beaverton helping on a remodel project. It was fun, but we will be glad to be home for a while… at least three weeks… Then we might take a short? trip to the coast. We have put up with each other for 40 years, and we want to celebrate that milestone… ;-)

Starting this week we get our rent-a-dog (Bell) for a week. Will be good to have her here. The longer we go ‘dog-less’, the more we feel the urge to get puppy and start the training.

We have some mods to make to the trailer. Each time out we see the need for a few changes. If the weather cooperates, will get them done this week.

2010 start

2010-01-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2010 finds us well, and sleeping in the RV again, This time we have traveled with our granddaughter to her home and parked in their driveway. For a campfire, we will be in the house in front of the fireplace. 2009 was a fantastic year for us and we hope that 2010 finds us traveling again to places that will bring new adventures for us.

However, we have a home project that needs our attention starting in March/April (once the snow stops). A new back porch/deck is in the plans. One of those “will only take a week” and will probably be two months. No rush. One of us might need to get a part-time job to pay for it.

New Years resolutions? Will be lucky if we keep the blog up to date.

RV Changes

2009-12-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

In November, we sold the Arctic Fox 1150 Camper (we will miss it) and bought an Arctic Fox 25R travel trailer..   A little, more room, lots of storage, bigger frig, 25" flat screen tv, DirecTV automatic sat system, and a comfy bed. Now we need to address the truck, maybe a newer one with single rear wheels and a flat bed... Still want to be able to haul the RZR and Portabote with us to play.

We spent three week living in it at Jim/Marci's place in Beaverton.   We worked out some storage details and were comfortable.   Next trip will be in early Feb, probably to the Oregon Coast, to celebrate our 40 years together.

Since Betsy Retired, 75% our nights have been in the RV.   And we still get along.   Good stuff.

December 2009

2009-12-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

This is a copy of our 09 Christmas letter. Some folks don't like them, some do, so we created it in both hard copy and here in the digital world.

Season’s greetings from the Nelson’s in Cove

There is a lot going on is this world we live in. We are thankful that our family is are safe and sound. Many of our country’s military are in harms way and we wish them well.

Back on the home front, 2009 was a fantastic year for us.. Betsy retired in March and we headed North in June for our long awaited Yukon / Alaska Adventure.. We saw lots of critters and had great views, met some really nice people, drove a bunch of miles, and overall had a great time. We got home in late September, stayed for two weeks and headed out again. This fall we traded in our camper for a travel trailer. Much more room and we have made good use of it.. Since Betsy retired we have spent 75% of our nights in an RV.

Are we ready to sell the home in Cove?? Not for a while. While we like to travel, we also like to have a more permanent place to land. Not sure when the next trip will be. 2010 will probably find us taking a bunch of one and two week adventures. We want to spend some time exploring Oregon State Parks, and then more of the Pacific NW.

Our UTV (Polaris RZR) will probably find us back in places like Wallace Idaho and Northern Montana. There are a lot of OHV parks in the west and we will try to explore a bunch of them.

Jim and Marci are doing fine in Beaverton. Cassie is 11 and now taller than Gma Betsy. She spent a month in Maui this summer with her other grandparents. Such a rough life she has.

We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a hope that 2010 will find you all healthy and happy.

Bob and Betsy
nelsonb@eoni.com

Home in Cove

2009-09-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Day 96, Monday, 9/21. This is it… Heading to Cove. 96 days and just over 10,000 miles. Averaged about 104 miles per day. Not bad for a couple of ‘middle age’ retiree’s. We had a lot of fun, saw a lot of stuff, but now we need to clean up and get ready for Fall and Winter in NE Oregon. A large box of mail (90% junk) to sort, laundry, start the unpack, take a nap, and recap the trip, take another nap.

We hope you have enjoyed Canada and Alaska as we traveled down a lot of roads.

Will start a new blog for the next trip. Hope to see you there!

Beaverton again

2009-09-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Day 92: Thursday, 9/17: Tammy was there for breakfast and she gave us wonderful vegetables from her garden! Left for Beaverton around noon, Jim Just got home from his trip east and we kicked back again. Jim, Marci and Cassie went to “Back to School” night at Cassie’s school.

Day 93: Friday, 9/18: We did some shopping and relaxed a bunch. Had a bit of a wine tasting after Jim & Marci got home from work. Some of the dessert wines from Silver Sage Winery in southern BC and they are great.

Day 94, Saturday, 9/19: Went to the Oktoberfest in Mt Angel. As always there was great music, good beverage, great company, and lots of people!!! It rained a bit at first but then the sun came out.

Day 95, Sunday, 9/20: Helped Jim and Marci with some projects. It is good to just spend some time with them.

On to Aumsville

2009-09-23T16:11:00.002-07:00

Day 91, Wednesday, 9/16: Awoke to rain, and more rain. Glad we basically packed up last night. Decided to drive into Pacific City for breakfast but didn’t find anything open. Ended up eating a very late brunch in Salem. Drove to Aumsville to visit Mary Jo and Jerry and it was good to see them. They had a covered patio built on the back of their new home and it is so nice. Lots of beautiful flowers in their yard too. Did some minor repairs to the hitch system and then had a great BBQ steak dinner.

Pacific City - Sand Lake Dunes

2009-09-23T16:11:00.001-07:00

Day 89, Monday, 9/14: Jim left early. Grandpa got up and saw Cassie get on the bus and Marci off to work. We did a load of laundry and then on to a grocery store for a few things. Then we were on our way to the coast, Tillamook area. Plan to spend two nights in a forest service campground at Sand Lake Dunes so we can ride the RZR on the dunes and along the beach. It is a large designated ATV area. After a short ride this afternoon we discovered that driving on the sand really eats gas!!!! The sun is out although there are clouds and it is kind of windy which is to be expected. Was in the 70’s today here and that is great. Hope it continues to be nice tomorrow.

Day 90, Tuesday, 9/15: Well, 90 days since we left home and it has gone by so fast. Several rides today and not many people out on the dunes which was nice. It is a blast to ride on the dunes and also drive up and down the beach. Sun is out and it got up to about 76 today. Fun…

Beaverton

2009-09-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Day 88, Sunday, 9/13: Left Fall City about 8:15 this morning and headed south to Lacey, WA where there is a new Cabela’s store. It is a great place and the first one we have ever been in. Bought a few things and were there about an hour. We’ve never seen so much outdoor gear in one place!

Arrived in Beaverton at Jim & Marci’s about 2:15 and it was great to see them! Cassie is as tall as I am now and that is a bit hard to take…. She is growing up too fast. We had a great afternoon and evening visiting and catching up on their summer and telling them about ours. Jim leaves for Pittsburgh in the morning for a few days.

Fall City / Sammamish

2009-09-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Day 87, Saturday, 9/12: Another beautiful morning. A few weeks ago I was quite surprised to hear from a friend I had lost touch with almost 35 years ago! She and her husband live in Sammamish and we plan to get together with them today. Looking forward to it….

Barbara and Tom picked us up here at the RV park this morning and took us to see Snoqualmie Falls. It is quite spectacular but evidently even more so in the spring when there is much more water flowing. Lots of people out and about here on a nice Saturday.

It was so wonderful to connect with Barbara again after all these years! We went to their very nice home in Sammamish and enjoyed catching up on 35 years worth of events in our lives! Tom grilled some chicken and we had a good afternoon meal with them. They have so many beautiful flowers in their yard, 2 cats and lots of birds feeding among the trees and shrubs. It was a pleasant way to spend the day. Barbara has a sewing room to die for and has made about 100 quilts. She has them in every room of the house and they are gorgeous. Might have to come and spend a week here so she can teach me and share her knowledge! We do plan to keep in touch now that we have found each other again.

Glad to have hook-ups so we can run the air conditioner in the camper. It is in the low 80’s which isn’t that hot but warmer than we are used to this summer. Plan to head to the Cabela’s store as soon as it opens tomorrow morning and then on the Beaverton….

Back in the US....

2009-09-12T08:46:00.002-07:00

Day 86, Friday, 9/11: Woke early this morning and had a campfire to finish up the wood. Bob cooked breakfast outside which was a treat and we had a pleasant morning, our last in Canada for this trip. This area is beautiful and we would like to come back here again someday and stay a little longer. We were packed up and on the road by 9:45. Another beautiful sunny day!!! Stopped in Hope for fuel and then on the Abbotsford to the border crossing. This was the 8th time we have crossed the US/Canada border and wouldn’t you know it, for the very first time they searched us!!!! Asked about fruit and veggies and of course I had to tell them I had a few tomatoes and two kiwi’s so the agriculture inspector had to look. He made us stay in the office and spent quite a bit of time looking in the truck, the camper and the trailer. We had declared the wine but they didn’t even question that! Didn’t ask to see the shotgun either. It’s kind of strange what they focus on. He asked about meat which we have some in the freezer, all purchased at grocery stores. Nothing wild. Made me nervous and I’m not sure why. Guess it is just their attitude as if they think you are guilty of something…. It was a relief when he finally gave us our passports back and said have a nice day! So we are back in the US once again. Continued driving to a place called Fall City, WA and staying at an RV park there. We are tired, hot and in need of showers.

E.C.Manning Provincial Park

2009-09-12T08:46:00.001-07:00

Day 85, Thursday, 9/10: Woke to beautiful sunshine this morning and it didn’t get below 64 all night. There was some wind as we are on a narrow spit that goes out into the lake. It’s called Haynes Point Provincial Park on Osoyoos Lake. We have decided to stay in Canada another day so we headed west from Osoyoos toward E. C. Manning Provincial Park. It is about a 3 1/2 hour drive (179 km). This area is huge and kind of like our National Forests back home. There are 4 campgrounds but we discovered that one had already closed for the season. There is a very large one that our friends visit in the winter for skiing and snowboarding. We are staying at Mule Deer, the smallest of the 4, and right on the Similkameen River. It is one of the best sites we have had so far and we can have a campfire! Big trees, lots of shrubs between campsites and the sound of the river. You can’t beat that! We had lunch and did some cleaning out of the truck/camper/trailer. We are commemorating our last night in Canada with some grilled tenderloin steaks for dinner, and some wine of course. It is rather sad that our adventure is coming to an end. This place is close enough that we could come here anytime so that makes us feel better. We are about 2 hours from the border crossing at Sumas, just south of Abbotsford, BC (to the west). Or 3 ½ from the crossing at Osoyoos (east). Have our flags out, US/Canadian/Oregon.

Osoyoos

2009-09-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Day 84, Wednesday, 9/9: Plan to leave here this morning and will only have a few more days left in Canada. Kind of sad to see this adventure end but we are getting a bit homesick and thinking of going home to get things ready for winter…

Ended up being kind of a long day. We stopped in Kelowna for lunch and further south to get fuel. The road follows many lakes in this area and it is a pretty drive although more traffic and people than we have been used to! Nice sunny day in the low 80’s. We had planned to visit several wineries in the area as there are MANY but ended up only going to one and that was Silver Sage because we wanted to buy some of their wine specifically and haven’t been able to find it in any of the liquor stores. They have fantastic dessert wines and we ended up buying 2 ½ cases of various kinds!!!! Plan to have some wine tasting parties when we get home…. They assured us that we won’t have a problem crossing the border as the tax is so petty that it isn’t worth the border guards filling out the paperwork. We will see if this is true!!!

Had some trouble finding a place to stop. It was after 4:00 when we left the winery and the 3 provincial parks that we drove through were full or we couldn’t fit. Finally, the last one said they had overflow parking in the day use area. It is right on the lake and we can hear the waves crashing on the shore. It will be fine for tonight. Haven’t yet decided if we will cross the border here or go west and spend another night in Canada. We have some firewood left that we would like to use or we need to find someone to give it to. Will see how we feel in the morning. Have a bit of money left to spend too! Of course we could exchange it for US money but that isn’t any fun.

Kamloops 2

2009-09-09T09:08:00.001-07:00

Day 83, Tuesday, 9/8: OK, so I slept in until 9:30 this morning…. Bob has been up for hours on the computer and working on breakfast. Also, put a small roast in the crock pot since we have decided to spend 2 nights here so we can do laundry and maybe visit the wildlife park. The sun is out and it looks like it is going to be a nice day.

After lunch we walked over to the Wildlife Park. It is right next door to this RV park so didn’t have far to go. The RV park gives you a 2 for 1 admission ticket if you stay here. It is a nice little park with bears wolves, moose, caribou, birds of prey and lots of smaller critters. We spent about 1 ½ hours walking around. Came back to the camper, Bob had a nap, I read, we had dinner and then played cribbage and Skip-bo. Pretty uneventful day but relaxing.

Day 84, Wednesday, 9/9: Plan to leave here this morning and will only have a few more days left in Canada. Kind of sad to see this adventure end but we are getting a bit homesick and thinking of going home to get things ready for winter…

Kamloops

2009-09-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

Day 82, Monday, 9/7: Well it rained all night and continued to pour after we got up so we have decided to head on down the road instead of trying to ride the RZR. Looks like most everyone camped here is packing up. It was a nice place to spend the night anyway. On down the highway to 100 Mile House where we got fuel and a few groceries. Ended up driving to Kamloops and after stopping at the visitor’s centre (nothing special after the last one!) we are in an RV park just east of town next to a wildlife park. The sun is shining and it has warmed up to low 70’s. Just relaxing, watching some TV, and catching up on email.

To Lac La Hache area

2009-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

Day 81, Sunday, 9/6: Rained a bit during the night but woke to sunshine. Everyone is packing up this morning, getting ready to head out. We thought about staying and taking the RZR out but decided to head down the road too. Stopped in Quesnel for fuel and then at a rest area for a picnic lunch. It was up to 70 degrees at this point but after we headed south a bit it started to rain really hard and the temperature dropped 20 degrees in a very short time! They have a fantastic visitor’s centre in Williams Lake so we stopped there for awhile and it has now topped our list of the best visitor’s centers’! Bob purchased book’s on how to speak Canadian, unusual Canadian laws, and a Canadian flag that we can fly when we have friends visit from the north…

Something to mention, Sheldon and Carol purchased their RV in the states and didn’t get a change to put out the awning before they bought it. When they did finally have the chance to put out the awning, much to their horror it had an American flag printed on it!!! We laughed so hard when they showed it to us! Buyers beware!!! But it was nice of them to greet us with our flag…..

We left our friends at Williams Lake, deciding to drive to a small lake called Helena as Andy told us there are lots of ATV trails in the area. We had a map and instructions from Andy but when we got to the turnoff we would have missed it completely but there was Andy, Sandy and Xander standing there waving their arms and pointing for us to turn! It was awesome!!!! What great people they are. At the first turn in the road there were 5 or 6 ATV’rs standing there so we stopped and asked about riding in the area. They were hilarious! Said we weren’t allowed to ride since we were from out of the province and that since we were from Oregon they would have to take our food, women and beer! Fun. The lake is about 8 kliks in on a gravel road and we are spending the night here at a forest campground, with quite a few others I might add, and hope to take the RZR out in the morning, depending on the weather. We have a nice view of the lake and the sunset.

Forest Rose - Barkerville area 3

2009-09-08T10:49:00.002-07:00

Day 80, Saturday, 9/5: Carol and Sheldon brought cinnamon buns to our camper door this morning and they immediately went to the top of our ratings list! Sticky, which is just how we like them! About 9:00 we all headed over to Barkerville, just a few kliks from the campground. Bought our tickets and decided which show we wanted to see at the theatre. Went through some old houses that are furnished with items from the 1860’s to 1890’s. There are shops up and down the street too. Our first ‘adventure’ was to take a ride in the stage coach. There were 7 of us inside and another 4 or 5 on top along with the driver. It was a little bumpy and we were commenting on how we could not stand to be in one a whole day, let alone 7 days which is how long it usually took to get to the next town. Quite an experience. After that we strolled farther up the street toward China town, then on up the hill to the courthouse. It was about 1 klik and ‘uphill’ so of course I was slow. Bob and I took our time and were almost late for the show but they were kind enough to wait for us as they knew we were on our way.

After that we took a ‘trail’ to the Chinese and Catholic cemetery. It was steep too for a ways but then it was all downhill from there! The cemetery isn’t much to see as all the headstones are gone and it is so overgrown. Walked the wagon road back into town and had just enough time to grab a bite to eat before our show started at 1:00. What a fantastic show it was! There were 6 performers and boy could they sing, dance and play musical instruments. They sang songs from the era and also did a ‘rap’ version of an old mining song which everyone loved! It was very entertaining and lasted about an hour. After that we visited more buildings, shops and houses along the street. Ended up at the gold panning area where each of us tried our hand at it and got a few tiny specks of gold to show for it! On to the water wheel demonstration and that was quite entertaining too. Barkerville is just such a fun place to visit and we could have spent much more time seeing everything but about 6:00 we were getting tired and decided to head back to camp. One last stop at the Candy Store and we were on our way….
Andy and Sandy treated us with moose steaks for dinner and I have to say they were quite good! Never thought I would be eating moose but glad we had the opportunity to try it. We ate dinner outside and then went into their RV for dessert. It was another great evening of food and spirits, and great conversation with friends

Forest Rose - Barkerville area 2

2009-09-08T10:49:00.001-07:00

Day 79, Friday, 9/4: Woke to some clearing in the sky. Decided to unhook the trailer and take the camper off the truck so we could have transportation in case it rains again. We drove back down the highway to the Cottonwood House which is an historic road house on the Cariboo Wagon Road. We had visited here before too but it has changed somewhat. The government decided they didn’t want to spend money to run it so the school district took it on and they have high schools kids doing everything. It is only open in the summer months anyway and gives them good experience. You can take a tour of the road house, visit the barns and there is a ‘general store’ that sells food (breakfast and lunch items and baked goods). The kids do all of the baking and cooking. They give the tours and sell things in the gift shop. It is quite an operation. On the way back to the campground we stopped at various pullouts with signage about the history of the area. Stopped in Wells to speak with the RCMP about where we can ride an ATV but the one and only RCMP officer was out. The office person said he might stop by our campsite later.
We had been back to camp about a ½ hour when our friends arrived. Andy, Sandy, and Xander and Sheldon, Carol and Christopher, plus Ulu and Tipper, their dogs. It was really great to see them again. Xander just graduated from high school and Christopher is going into Junior year. Both families have Arctic Fox RV’s, one a 5th wheel and one a trailer, and they had visited us about two summers ago in Cove. Some of the AFP’s (Arctic Fox People). We had some beer and wine and enjoyed the evening visiting and just having fun! Did a pot luck dinner but couldn’t have a campfire as there is currently a ban on them in southern BC. Didn’t matter though we still had a great time!

Forest Rose - Barkerville area

2009-09-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Day 78, Thursday, 9/3: Left camp about 8:30 and headed to Quesnel. Found Wal-Mart, Safeway, liquor store, bank and got fuel before heading east to Barkerville. Lots of history here relating to the gold rush in the 1860’s. We are staying at one of the Barkerville campgrounds (there are 3) called Forest Rose and it is a Provincial Park so no hook-ups but very clean. It started raining this morning and really dumped this afternoon. We took naps and waited for it to let up so we could make a tarp awning to sit under. We can now walk between the camper and the trailer without getting wet and we can use the picnic table too. The camp operator says it is supposed to clear up some tomorrow but we also heard it might rain again on Saturday. Whatever happens, we are here to stay for at least 3 nights. We can take the RZR on a side road over to the town of Barkerville which is like a theme park. They have shows, vendors and authentic buildings from the old days. We will probably go there on Saturday when our friends from Vancouver, BC are here. They should arrive sometime tomorrow and they have two campsites reserved just down from us. It is a beautiful forested campground and there is hardly anyone here as it is close to the end of the season. Barkerville is open May through September. When we were here 9 years ago it was the second week in September and it snowed! No accumulation but it was definitely cold. Plan to grill something for dinner (under the tarp!). Yesterday it was 85 and today it was 55…. Fall is definitely here and the trees along the highway today were changing color

South to Barkervile??

2009-09-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Day 77, Wednesday, 9/2: Woke to another beautiful sunny day! This RV park is one of the best and the couple who own it are very nice. We decided to do a load of laundry while we were here and didn’t head down the road until about 11:30. Possibly driving to Barkerville today so may not have Wi-Fi until next Monday. We should have cell service though since we are now in BC.

We got to Prince George just after noon and did a bit of shopping at the Canadian Tire Store. They have all kinds of things like camping equipment, sporting goods, house wares, automotive, etc. Had planned to find a grocery store but didn’t see one along the highway we were on and then we got into road construction… We finally stopped at an small RV park about 10 kliks north of Quesnel. The plan is to drive into town in the morning, buy a few groceries and then take the side road to Barkerville. It was quite warm today (mid-80’s) and a bit humid. The shelves that Bob built to hold the batteries in the trailer were coming apart so he has spent some time repairing.
We noticed that after we left Prince George going south the vegetation became very brown and dry. Learned there is a provincial-wide ban on campfires now in this area and we probably won’t be able to have one at the Barkerville campground either. Everyone says it has been an extremely dry summer and there are still some fires burning in the lower part of BC. We also heard it is supposed to rain which is OK since they obviously need it.

Vanderhoof

2009-09-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Day 76, Tuesday, 9/1: Can’t believe it is already September!!! Up early and on the road by 8:30. Headed east and listened to an audio book. Still another sunny day and in the low 70’s. Decided to take a side trip and visit Historic Fort St. James which is north of Vanderhoof. It was well worth the trip… For the most part it is a replica of how it was in the 1890’s and each building has someone there in period costume to describe what the building was used for and answer any questions you might have. This place was established in 1806 by the Hudson Bay Company and became a major trading center for fur trappers, both First Nation and European. It was quite interesting. Driving back to Vanderhoof we encountered a heavy rain storm. By the time we got to Dave’s RV Park it had stopped, except for a few drops here and there. Can’t see blue sky but it has stopped raining. Very nice RV park and we have Wi-Fi and cable TV, the luxuries of life! Did they ever bury Michael Jackson??? And do we care???

Seeley Lake

2009-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

Day 75, Monday, 8/31: Woke to more beautiful sunshine this morning! Left camp about 9:00 and headed to town. They have the best visitor’s center we have seen on this trip. It is along the waterfront and we didn’t have a problem with parking. Lots of brochures and maps of the entire northwest of Canada. We were impressed! Strolled along the waterfront area called Cow Bay. Obviously, everything is painted in a cow theme and it is a nice district with little shops and places to eat. After spending some time in the shops we decided to eat at Smiles Café. It has been around since the ‘30’s and served lots of troops during WWII, both Canadian and American. There were 2,000 American’s stationed here at that time. Bob had halibut fish and chips and I had a seafood basket, very good but too much to eat! After that, we headed out of town back toward the junction where we fueled before. Fueled again and headed east toward Prince George. Stopped at a provincial park called Seeley Lake, a small campground right off the busy road on the lake. Found a nice level spot and we had a great campfire. Quite a few people came in after us, small rigs mostly and some tents.
The traffic on the highway was a bit noisy but by the time we went to bed it had quieted down.

Prince Rupert

2009-08-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Day 74, Sunday, 8/30: It poured all night. We read somewhere that it rains an average of 14 FEET in Hyder/Stewart in a year! That is a lot of rain!!!! We were on the road by 8:30 and headed back to the junction with the Cassiar Hwy. Saw one black bear along the way, crossing the road. By the time we reached the junction turning off toward Prince Rupert we were about out of fuel but the price was right! Cheapest we have seen for awhile. It turned out to be quite warm today (in the 70’s) and the sun is shining. The drive to Prince Rupert is beautiful! Same steep rugged mountains, very green and you follow the Skeena River for most of the way. Lots of waterfalls, some eagles and some small glaciers too. Stopped in Terrace to make a Wal-Mart visit and a trip to Safeway for groceries. Then across the street to the liquor store for more wine…. Also, an ATM for cash. It is quite a large town, a little bigger than La Grande.
At Safeway, instead of a loonie to use a cart, they charge a quarter but you get the quarter back when you return the cart. While we were in the store, one of the checkers asked over the PA system for someone to bring in more buggies. We are not used to the carts being called buggies….

Prince Rupert is a beautiful seaside town and we hope to explore some of it tomorrow. Didn’t get to the RV park until almost 5:00 and had some cleaning up to do. There was a doe and a fawn grazing right here in the park and they didn’t seem to be afraid of anything or anyone. The sun is still shining and we are enjoying it!

No Griz... heading to Prince Rupert

2009-08-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Day 73, Saturday, 8/29: Got up late, headed to Stewart to do laundry…. $4 just for one load to wash. Decided that was too much!! On to Hyder to see the bears. It has changed dramatically since we were here 9 years ago. They have built a boardwalk from the parking area to the creek (a good thing). There is a gate on each end and sides all along so you are somewhat protected. They also charge now (US Forest Service) but we got in free with our Golden Access Pass. The regular price is $5 US or $6 Canadian. Lots of people with their cameras set up but no bears. We spoke with a Forest Service employee and she said the bear population has really gone down in the past few years. They had one bear sighting yesterday…. We watched the salmon in the stream for awhile and decided to leave. We have seen Grizzlies up close in the past so it’s OK.

Back to Hyder and stopped at a place we had halibut the last trip, Sealaska Inn. Right next door was a laundry and it was only $2 to wash so we started our laundry there… Went to the Sealaska Inn planning to have lunch but the restaurant doesn’t open until 2:00 (it was about 1:00). However, the bar was open so Bob had a beer and I had a diet Pepsi. They had a video camera of the Laundromat and we could watch from the bar! Not only was the restaurant not open but they only serve pizza now.

Decided to have lunch in the camper, finished our laundry and drove back to Stewart. It is not very far, maybe ½ mile between the two towns. No border check going in to Hyder but they do have a check going back into Canada.

Stopped at the visitor’s center and the young girl there wasn’t very friendly. In fact she was quite short with visitors having questions… Went in a few stores, didn’t purchase anything and headed back to the RV park. It was a beautiful day, blue sky and at least 70 degrees.
Had a nap and then downloaded pictures from the camera. Having dinner and plan to leave here in the morning.

Stewart / Hyder

2009-08-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

Day 72, Friday, 8/28: Woke early and were on the road by 7:30. Hoped to see some critters but no such luck… Certainly spent a lot of time looking though. Not much traffic at that hour, but then there is never what you would call traffic this far north! Stopped to get fuel at a First Nation community called Iskut and waited for about 5 minutes for someone to show up to turn the pump on. Guess they weren’t all that concerned about customers! Headed down the road to Bell II (the second crossing of the Bell-Irving River), and had breakfast at Tatogga Lake Resort. Nice restaurant with one person doing the cooking and everything else. It was a ‘help yourself’ kind of place. You ordered at the counter, got your own coffee, and when your food was ready you came back to the counter to pick it up. Very good food and huge portions! We have leftovers for tomorrow morning! I heard it mentioned that she was staying open until mid-October. A good portion of these places are closed for the winter months.
Bell I (the first crossing) was an interesting place and we got a picture. It is a big heli-skiing place in the winter and had a lodge, and lots of cabins. We thought of Bell when we were at these places (we miss her!).

On down the road toward the junction to Stewart/Hyder. The drive west from the junction is awesome! Huge mountains on both sides of the highway, with glaciers, fast moving rivers, and waterfalls. We were wishing they had more places to pull over for pictures. We did see a black bear crossing the road and got a few pictures of it. Arrived at the Bear River RV Park about 2:00. It is close to Stewart but not in town. We unhooked the trailer and will stay here two nights so we can do laundry and go see the grizzly feeding area in Hyder. This RV park recommends that you don’t walk around after dark as there are bears and wolves that visit! They don’t allow tents or soft-sided RV’s here.

Showers are a wonderful thing!! When we camp remote we try to conserve water so we don’t have the opportunity to shower every day. Lately, it has been every 3 days and that is pushing it! It feels absolutely wonderful to be clean again. Nice to have
Wi-Fi to check e-mails, do the blog and banking, etc. We love camping remote but after a week it is nice to have the amenities. Tomorrow we go to see the griz’s….

Boya to Gnat

2009-08-28T18:55:00.001-07:00

Day 71, Thursday, 8/27: Woke kind of late so we didn’t leave camp until almost 10:30. Had to finish loading up the boat, the RZR and the firewood… A bit chilly but no rain and no wind.

Someone we met at the RV park in Whitehorse (they had an Arctic Fox and a quad) told us about a trail/road to a microwave tower about 20 kliks down the road. He even drew a map for us. So, we found the place to pull over, unload the RZR, and the road/trail. The first part of the trip was through forest and a nice ride. We climbed quickly and were on top of mountains, winding our way up to the top! Kind of scary (for me) but not a bad ‘road’. The last mile was quite steep and shear drop-offs on one side. Once at the top (and my heart settled down a bit) we got out and took in the awesome view all around! It was cold due to the wind. If Dall sheep were there you could easily see them and probably be looking down at them! The guy that drew the map said they had seen sheep and Caribou but we didn’t see any. A few minutes after we got there a helicopter approached and landed at the tower!!! It was an incredible site to be on the top of a mountain and have a helicopter approach from below you… Got some pictures…. They stayed on the ground for about 5 minutes and then lifted off again. Not sure what they were doing there but it must have had something to do with the tower… We weren’t able to see if anyone got out as they were just over the ridge and we could only see the top portion of the chopper. Took lots of pictures and then headed down. Have to admit I closed my eyes in sections of the trip down. It was steep! Got back to the truck/camper, loaded the RZR and headed south…

Headed down the Cassiar Highway and just took our time, enjoying the remoteness, the mountains, etc.

Stopped at Upper Gnat Lake where there was a short side road to a nice spot to camp overlooking the lake. Not long after we were there a BC forest ranger came by to check. He was actually looking for someone but chatted a bit about whether we were hunting or fishing, which we are not. He didn’t have a problem with us camping there. We played some cribbage, some Skip-bo and had a wine or two. Listened to an audio book for awhile. Nice evening…

Boya Lake day 4

2009-08-28T18:54:00.001-07:00

Day 70, Wednesday, 8/26: The wind kept up until we went to bed so no campfire last night. Woke to beautiful blue sky with just a little wind this morning. Doing some clean-up of the trailer and plan to take the screen room down today and let it dry out before we pack it.

Took another spin around the lake, enjoying the gorgeous scenery. When we got back to camp we winched the boat up into the campsite for loading in the morning. Trying to get everything ready so it won’t take long to load up and get going.

Invited Bob and his dog Barnaby to sit with us by the campfire and visit. It was a very nice time… After he went back to his camper I started dinner and Bob continued to stoke the fire until a very noisy kid next door drove him crazy with whining so he gave it up and came in. Not really the kid’s fault as he was only about 2 but it was still annoying. Fortunately we couldn’t hear anything from inside the camper.

Boya Lake day 3

2009-08-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Day 69, Tuesday, 8/25: Rained most of the night and well into morning. Had a leisurely breakfast and did some reading in the camper. About 10:00 it started to clear up so we were able to move outside. The fresh snow is even lower on the mountains this morning!

The camp operators here are a very nice First Nation couple, Jack and Sue Chief, with their grandson helping out. He is probably about 10 and likes to drive the ATV that they use in camp. Anyway, they do anything they can to make your stay here enjoyable and we appreciated the information about the trail and the map of the lake. Bob spoke with Jack this morning about the weather and what it might do. He explained that the elders say if the wind is coming from a certain direction then it is supposed to turn cold but that his wife uses the stupid internet to get the forecast…. (Neither of which are probably very accurate but I’d probably go with the elders!) He thinks it will be more of the same. Some rain, some clearing.

We decided to venture out in the boat about 1:00 and had a nice leisurely trip along the shoreline and around the islands. Saw lots of trees that the beavers were working on and fresh cuts too. Saw a beaver lodge up close but no critters… Motored over to the beaver dam where the hiking trail ends and saw our campground neighbor, Bob from Bellingham, there talking to a retired wildlife biologist. We exchanged a few words and decided a storm was coming so we headed back to camp. Didn’t make it far before the rain came down in buckets and the wind was blowing hard. About half way back it started to hail!!!! Fortunately we had our rain gear with us but we still got a bit wet. Had a nice hot shower (much needed after 3 days), and spent some time in the screen enclosure. It is now about 6:30, the sun is out but the wind is strong. We may not have a campfire tonight unless the wind dies down a bit. Drinking a bottle of good Canadian wine and enjoying the beautiful view of the lake…

Boya Lake day 2 - Cougar Day

2009-08-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Day 68, Monday, 8/24: Woke to blue sky and sun!! Still a bit cold but no big deal…. We could see fresh snow on the mountain tops though! After breakfast we took the boat out on the lake and did some exploring. The water is such a beautiful color and we spotted some beaver dams and some loonies. This lake is huge with lots of arms and islands. Good thing for the map. Spent about 2 hours just putting around. When we came back to camp, the campground operator (the grandpa) came by to tell us about a trail that goes completely around the lake that we can take the RZR on so off we went! Not a well used trail but not too overgrown either. About 4.5 miles in we spotted a HUGE cougar run across the trail about 100 feet in front of us!!! We stopped to take a look but he stopped a ways off the trail and turned to look at us. Decided not to hang around for a picture!! Have to admit I spent some time looking in the rearview mirror after that! Bob thought it weighed in the 200 lb. category. It was well fed…. The trail around the lake was about 18 miles and we were back in camp by 3:30. Since the weather was still nice we decided to take the boat out again, in a different direction. Spent a couple of hours just putting around. The water was calm and beautiful. Took lots of pictures and hoping the color comes through. We haven’t downloaded pictures for awhile and might try to do that today. Back to camp, built a campfire and got out the BBQ grill. A couple moved into the campsite next door and they are from Bend! They teach man tracking and have a search dog (Golden Retriever). They have two dogs but only one is trained to search. They know Richard and Charity Henry who are in the Union County SAR group. Small world! Visited with them for awhile and started to cook dinner when the raindrops began. We were able to finish the grilling before it really started to come down.

Nugget City to Boya Lake

2009-08-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

Day 67, Sunday, 8/23: Got up early and drove to a place called Nugget City, about 42 kliks down the road. It is an RV park, store, café and some cabins. Very nice and we had breakfast there. On to the junction for fuel and then south on the Cassiar Highway. There were quite a few motor homes at the fueling station, part of a tour group, and they were also going south to Dease Lake. Some major road construction for awhile on this road, very muddy and potholes. It is still raining…. Pulled into one of our favorite spots from a previous trip, Boya Lake, and found a good campsite right on the lake. We think it is the same spot we camped in the last trip (9 years ago!) because we are on a peninsula with a place to pull the boat in. Unloaded the boat, the RZR, set up the screen tent and unloaded firewood. We are here for at least 3 days, maybe more, depending on weather, etc. It is a BC Provincial Park and is $15 a night but you have to buy firewood. Fortunately, we have plenty… The campground operator is very nice and has her grandson helping out. He is going to bring us a map of the lake to use when we take the boat out. The lake is a beautiful aqua color. Just wish it would stop raining!!!!!!! Not exactly warm either, high of 50 today. We did bring plenty of warm clothing and can sit in the screen room and not spend all our time in the camper. Did a major clean-up inside the trailer, repacking some of the bins. Had time for a nap too!

On to BC...

2009-08-22T09:48:00.001-07:00

Day 66, Saturday, 8/22: Rain, rain, go away!! Rained all night and still raining…. We are packing up and heading south to northern BC. Plan to stay in Provincial Parks for about a week so we won’t have WiFi or cell service for awhile. We will be going down the Cassiar Highway through BC. Plan to stay several days at Boya Lake but that all depends on the weather. It is a beautiful lake and we had hoped to put the boat in….

Probably no blog for at least a week….

Whitehorse Day 3

2009-08-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Day 65, Friday, 8/21: Rained all night and most of the day today! We left for Skagway about 7:00 and got there around 8:45. Some fog as we went over the pass…. Realized when we got there that we were back on Alaska time so it was only 7:45… Drove around town for a bit and then found a place to get a latte. The downtown area has wooden walkways on both sides of the street and all the buildings are as they were in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. Seems like every other store sold jewelry, probably to all the tourists who get off the cruise ships! There was a large cruise ship in the harbor and lots of people walking around. Bought a few things at a Christmas store, then continued walking the town. Ended up at a fabric/cross stitch/yarn store and spent some time there (and some money). About 11:00 we went back to the Skagway Brewery and had lunch (since it was 12:00 Pacific Time). Bob had a beer sampler and we both had halibut fish and chips. Very good! After that we headed back to Whitehorse. Saw a black bear along the side of the highway. We stopped to get pictures and he didn’t even look at us, just kept munching on something. Of course we didn’t get out of the vehicle… Went back and forth across the border for the 6th and 7th time! No problems, but then we only had the truck. Left the camper and cargo trailer here in Whitehorse at the RV park. They didn’t even ask if we made any purchases in Skagway, just if we had alcohol or tobacco products.

Bought a few groceries at NOT our favorite store (Extra Foods) but were told by our RV park neighbors that if we inserted a loonie to get a cart and then returned the cart we would get the loonie back so we did that. We are too stubborn to pay a loonie just to use a cart! It was packed and we waited at the checkout for about 20 minutes…. Still not our favorite store! We are doing a load of laundry since we will be camping remote for the next week and taking advantage of having WiFi too. Bob was hoping to take the ATV to the smallest desert located in Carcross but looks like 70% chance of rain tomorrow too so we may not do that. On the way back from Skagway we did stop at a wildlife museum there and it was fantastic.

Whitehorse Day 2

2009-08-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Day 64, Thursday, 8/20: Did some sightseeing in Whitehorse today. Discovered that parking is an issue downtown where the tourist places are… We finally found a spot and went to Tim Horton’s for breakfast (a breakfast sandwich similar to any other fast food place). On to McBride’s museum and it was very interesting, about what it was like living here a century ago. Those were hardy folks! After that we went to Baringia Interpretive Center which was about the ice age and how the original people got to North America across the land from Russia/Asia. It was interesting also. Then on to the Transportation Museum which was also very good. A lot about early life here in the Yukon and how they managed to survive and travel. Back to camp for some wine with the neighbors! They had wine from their area, Kamloops, BC and it was nice to visit. We will try to acquire some of the special wine they let us taste. The plan is to go to Skagway in the morning, a quick trip down and back.

Backtracking to Lake Creek

2009-08-19T18:27:00.002-07:00

Day 60, Sunday, 8/16: Out of camp late as usual. This section is very beautiful but remote. We noticed that quite a few of the RV parks/lodges (there aren’t many) are closed for the season already!! The Border… Confusing… The only thing they asked was where we were from and if we had firearms. We said yes to the firearm and Bob went into the office to register and pay the $25 (again). It is only good for 60 days and it has been almost that. Never asked what was in the trailer, what did we bring, etc. Noticed a pile of firewood nearby that they had evidently confiscated… Apparently you cannot bring firewood in from Alaska… Again, they never asked us about our firewood, or booze stash. Once across the border it was miles and miles of frost heaves and 30 mph. Not the best road!

Stayed at Lake Creek YT camp. Quiet and right next to a fast flowing creek. It was among the best. Of course, as soon as we got there Bob spotted an Arctic Fox RV and had to go visit. They were from Utah, an ‘older’ couple J who bought if from Thunder RV in La Grande. We had a great campfire and listened to a John Grisham audio book.

Backtracking to Tok (Day 59)

2009-08-19T18:27:00.001-07:00

Day 59, Saturday, 8/15: It rained pretty good during the night but we woke to sunshine! Didn’t leave camp until after 10 but it’s only a little over 200 miles to Tok. Nice drive with beautiful views but lots of frost heaves in spots. Didn’t see any critters today…. Arrived in Tok about 3:30 and staying in a nice RV park. You can sure tell it is the end of their season. Not many rigs here and they are preparing to close in a few weeks. This was, however, the most expensive site on the trip. Tok is only 90 miles from the Canadian border so we are spending this evening getting everything in order for the border crossing. Hope they don’t take my wine!!!

Whitehorse

2009-08-19T18:25:00.001-07:00

Day 63, Wednesday, 8/19: Woke early because we wanted to be on the road and back to Haines Junction by 10ish. Planned to go to Bear-ittos for a breakfast burrito but realized they didn’t open until 6 and we were still on Pacific time which was 5:30. It was OK though, because a very large cruise ship was docking as we got up and it was an awesome sight! It was lit up and just pulling up to the dock, very close to where we were camped. We drove around and got an even closer view. Spotted two bald eagles down by the waterline sitting on a rock and enjoyed seeing them too. Back to the café for the burritos, coffee and a Danish for the road. Nice drive back to Haines Junction with a little road construction along the way. No critters!! I think they sense us coming and hide….

Once back in Haines Junction, hooking up the cargo trailer, we discovered that we cannot find SPOT! We have searched everywhere and think maybe we left it at the Lake Creek Yukon Territorial park… Too far to go back… So to those who were getting our signal: SPOT IS MISSING!!!! Drove on to Whitehorse which was about 100 miles and staying at the High Country RV Park. Very nice and great WiFi here! We unhooked the trailer, unloaded the camper and plan to spend a couple of nights here. There is a lot to see here in Whitehorse so we will be doing some sightseeing tomorrow. Bob e-mailed the SPOT website informing them that we left the kennel door open and Spot is missing. They responded back saying they would suspend our account for the time being. So, if someone finds it they won’t be able to push the Help or 911 buttons and cause unnecessary concern. I’m hopeful that someone found it and it may turn up eventually. We are through the really remote places so we should be OK. Don’t worry! We are having a glass of wine, visiting with some Canadians next door and relaxing…