Catch Up Time

It's  been a very long time since I posted, so in the interest of not making you read a small novels worth of information, I'll just hit the highlights of the past two months and then try and make an entry every week or two.

Part of the problem has been our lack of internet connection.  We use AT&T phones as a hotspot but the park we were staying in July did not have cell service for AT&T.  We do have a Verizon tracphone for emergencies but can't use it for a hotspot.

So...here's what's been happening.

July 1 we moved to Hilgard Junction State Park which was 20 miles south-east of Emigrant Springs.  It is a small park which is situated along the Grande-Ronde river.  It straddles Oregon Hwy 224 with a day use area on one side and camping sites on the other.  They are all primitive sites and on a first come first serve basis.  They have flush toilets but no showers.  The whole park is grass which is irrigated so it stays green all summer (we certainly wouldn't have that in California).

Our site faced due west which was brutal for afternoon sun.  We did borrow an awning sunshade from our host friend Kent which helped.  Unfortunately, the first two weeks there were unseasonable hot with highs over 100 most days.  The AC ran almost all day everyday.  We were glad we didn't have to pay for electricity.  We had a nice electric golf cart to take us around the park.

Our job was to sell firewood and set up the sprinklers for irrigation.  Sounds simple, but we had to haul hoses and sprinklers to all the campsites because the only ingrained irrigation was in the day use area.  There we had to put sprinkler heads into the water outlets and them remove them...not easy to do and stay dry!!  We also had to log all the license plates of the campers each nite; nice chance to talk to everyone while we made our rounds.

The nice thing was that we were close to the town of La Grande which was 7 miles from the campground.  They had a nice Walmart Supercenter and a very nice Safeway.  But I was beginning to have Costco and Target withdrawal and couldn't wait to get over toward Portland in August.

My mother, who is 96 and living in a residential care home back in Sacramento, became ill and it was apparent she was not going to be around much longer.  She has been on hospice due to heart failure since May but had been stable up until then.

I decided to go home, and made the 700 miles drive in one day.  I left at 5 in the morning and arrived at 6...just in time for dinner at my daughter and son-in-laws home.   I spent two weeks there, and it was nice to be able to spend a lot of time with her, as well as the grandkids, Dylan and Massi.  While I  was there, my daughter Erin and her family stopped to and from their vacation at Lake Tahoe, so we had a house full of grandkids and I got to spend special time with each of them.

Jenn had just started her new position as a staff Ob-Gyn at Kaiser and was still in orientation so she had the weekends and evenings off and we had a lot of time to spend together.  

While in Sacramento, I took my Mini in for service since the check engine light kept coming on but not staying on.  They replaced a faulty thermostat and gave me a new 2015 to drive while it was there...fun!!!  I picked the car up and the next morning headed up to see Mom.  I didn't get very far when the check engine light came on again, followed by the water overhead light, followed by the car making a horrible noise, loosing power and dying, right in the middle of a left turn lane.  Thankfully I wasn't in the intersection; just blocking the left turn lane.  I had to call the CHP to push me into a gas station and have the car towed back to the dealership (it's still under warranty).  They again gave me a new loaner, this time a 2015 Countryman, and I waited to hear from them.  Two days later I got the news that they couldn't figure out how to repair it and had to have a specialist come in to inspect it.  The result of that was that I needed a new engine..it could not be repaired.  I don't know engines but they said it was a faulty valve which wasn't seated properly.

Mom continued to be the same; she had stopped eating altogether but was still alert, drinking water, and while weak and bed bound,  was able to enjoy having all the family there to see her.  I made the very hard decision to return to Oregon after being there two weeks; it wasn't fair to leave John there to do the job of two people by himself, and he was getting really lonely by himself.  Mom said "go...we've had a great visit and I don't plan on being here much longer".  My brother lives just a few miles from her and he and his wife check in on her daily which is a huge relief.

My car wasn't ready to leave, but I was, and the dealership told me to take the loaner back to Oregon with me and they would send a driver to deliver my car and pick up the loaner when it was finished....WOW, that is amazing customer service.  If you are ever looking for a car in Sacramento, the Niello Company (Volvo, Mini, BMW, Audi, Porsche and Maserati) can't be topped for great customer care.

Meanwhile, John moved the Bighorn to Champoeg State Park in St. Paul, Oregon.  It is just south of Portland and a very popular and busy park. I was so happy to find out there are all my favorite shopping places nearby (Target, Costco, Fred Meyer).   We are one of two couples hosting one of the two campgrounds here, and are on duty Sun-Tues and every other Wed.   It's a lot busier here for the hosts.  We sell ice and firewood from 8-9am; clean empty Yurts (up to 6) before check-in at 4, clean empty campsites and fiercest, and then sell ice and firewood again from 5-8.  We have a gas engine golf cart which is horrible (noxious CO2, backfires, sputters etc.) which we share with the other hosts.  I complained to the rangers that they need to get this thing turned up or replace it.  I have had a headache everyday I have been driving it due to the CO2 coming into the cab.

So far, every place we've hosted, we've either had Satellite reception or cell service, but not both.  Here at Champoeg, we have great cell service but the trees once again block our roof mounted satellite so no TV this month.  We do have DVDs to watch and I have been streaming videos on Amazon Prime so it's not a big deal.  I'd rather have cell service than the TV, both having both would be nice.

I've now been back a week.  My daughter Kris and granddaughter Erin were in Portland looking at colleges and stopped by for dinner on Friday nite of last week.  She had brought a friend with her, and we had a really nice time visiting with the girls over a yummy dinner of grilled trip-tip, Chinese chicken salad, grilled bread and a huge fruit salad full of fresh summer fruit.   Apple pie and ice cream topped it off and they left for Eugene later that evening.

Mom is now in the final stages of her life....she is no longer waking up and appears comfortable and not in pain but it won't be long before she passes on.  I'm glad I had the time to spend with her and I know she appreciated my coming.

Here are a few pictures from July:

Selfie of me driving to our new assignment at Hilgard Junction

We had to go to a local park in La Grande to use our computers.

Massi and me at the movies on our "treat day with Grandma" after having Pizza for dinner.   Gummy bears are in the bag.

Dylan and me on our "treat day with Grandma" at Sunsplash Water Park.  Yes, I wore a bathing suit all day in public...the things we do for our grandkids.  We had a great time.

Mom on the day I arrived..she tried to smile.

My brother's grandkids, Nathan and Corey.  Corey and her parents, Heather and Andreas, came from London to visit.  They were playing in the yard of the care home where Mom lives.  Nathan lives in West Sacramento with my niece Laura.