Archive for October, 2013

It feels like home!

Thursday, October 31st, 2013

We made it into California after topping off the fuel near the border on Halloween.  This year we are moving so no trick or treat or costumes for us.   We arrived in Yuba City about 4 pm and it was about 78 degrees!  I had to get the flip flops and t-shirts out again!  My body is very confused.

 

Mt. Shasta from the north

Mt. Shasta from the north

Welcome home to me!  See you all soon.

 

Burrrrr…..

Wednesday, October 30th, 2013

Bend is a beautiful small town in Eastern Oregon with lots of fun stuff to do near by.  This is our second trip to Bend and the weather is amazing for the end of October.  Saturday we took a drive into the mountains and finished with a nice 3 mile hike near Tumalo Falls.  There was not much wildlife to see but we did pass a lot of mountain bikers that were very kind about giving us the right of way on the trail.

Tumalo Falls

Tumalo Falls

Tumalo Creek

Tumalo Creek

Tumalo Falls again!

Tumalo Falls again!

A really nice falls that you can get pretty close to and then the walk downstream was very nice.  Bend has lots of space for people to enjoy the out of doors with hiking, biking, off roading, skiing and lots of lakes and streams near by for fishing.  It is a great community and big enough to have real shopping and nature in one place – I love it, and the pine smell in the air is so refreshing!  It smells like Christmas everywhere.

After a spectacular weekend  Monday brought us a big dose of winter!

A dusting of the white stuff!

A dusting of the white stuff!

Only a dusting but it was cold!  Down to 20 overnight!  Burrr

Only a dusting but it was cold! Down to 20 overnight! Burrr

Snow doesn't stop Duke from playing Ball

Snow doesn’t stop Duke from playing Ball

So with the snow I spent Monday and Tuesday nearby the RV and got some quilting work done that I had been putting off! While I enjoy sewing when the weather warmed up on Wednesday Duke and I were back out walking and playing fetch while Paul worked.

 

 

 

Burrr, it’s cold outside!

Monday, October 21st, 2013

Arriving in Spokane from a very warm week in California I definitely needed to get the jacket out!  It gets down to about 32 at night with lots of sunshine during the day but barely breaking 60.  My first day back we took a little drive into apple country.  The orchards are not very big but the apples are excellent.  We bought a few and made a delicious apple crisp and a couple turnovers.

A little bit of Fall color

A little bit of Fall color

We don’t have very much time here as we have a deadline to be back in California by Halloween so only a couple short excursions and of course a hockey game.  We have been wanting to get to a game since we went to Canada and each time we got near a team they were out of town.  We got lucky in Spokane,  the Spokane Chiefs were playing at home and the best part was good seats were only $18.  My kind of sporting event.  Definitely not a professional team as they were moving at a pace I could keep up with where the puck actually was.  Between periods they had games like musical chairs on the ice – lots of fun!  They lost 4-1 against the Victoria team but no one seemed really bummed!

We did explore downtown Spokane a little, enjoying a local diner that had some pretty good BBQ, Chicken & MO!  and I got a little shopping done at Macy’s.  Outdoors is beautiful in downtown.  There pride is the Spokane Falls  on the Spokane River right through town.

Upper Falls

Upper Falls

SpokaneFalls1It really is quite beautiful and the riverfront park is an excellent place for a nice walk.   The air is cold but the sky is a beautiful blue.  Having this river run right through town is definitely a plus for this downtown.  There was not much activity downtown but I bet in the summer it is plenty busy.

Sunday was a day of rest!  I brought a slight cold home with me and Paul figured out how to get his Nascar race on the computer/TV so I napped and watched fast cars going 200 miles per hour bumper to bumper at Talladega Super Speedway.

Today we leave the great state of Washington and head into Oregon for our final stops before heading back to California for the holidays.  See a bunch of you real soon!

Everyday is a new day

Thursday, October 17th, 2013

For a very long time I have believed that everyday is a gift and you have to make the most of whatever is thrown your way. Not every day is amazing but there is something amazing every day! The past two months have been a lesson about that gift. In late August my brother was diagnosed with cancer of the Larynx. After lots of tests, it was decided in late September that he needed to have a complete Laryngectomy which meant that he would have his voice box removed and a new airway inserted in his neck.

On October 3, he was admitted to UCSF, Mt. Zion in San Francisco for a temporary Trach while waiting for the surgery to remove his Larynx. I flew home on Friday and was amazed when I arrived at the hospital. Mark was laying in a hospital bed, unable to speak, several tubes attached to him and he was smiling! He was feeling much better than before the procedure because now he could breathe. That weekend was lots of preparations for the long surgery and stay at the hospital. The reality of what he was going through slapped me in the face but when I looked at him I couldn’t help being sure this was a blessing! He was going to have the cancer removed and live.

On Monday, Oct. 7, his doctors performed a 9 hour surgery to remove the Larynx, all of the cancer and create a new airway for him to breathe. He was transfered to ICU about 9 pm and pretty out of it. Tuesday morning we returned to the hospital about 10 am to see him and he had already been up and walking. Again when I entered the room he was smiling and throughout his 10 days in the hospital after surgery he smiled throughout and kept us laughing everyday. Have you ever seen someone writing a note to you and laughing so hard they couldn’t write! Waiting for him to finish writing what was so funny was tough! He had lots of tubes, couldn’t eat for over 7 days, has no voice, his privacy was completely invaded and not once did he complain or even get grumpy. He did tell us everyday he wanted to eat! He is a guy that never did much writing and now he is making us laugh through his writings – I am amazed.

The whole staff was very impressed with his attitude and stamina to get moving so quickly. He was getting such praise from the nurses, infact the ICU nurses didn’t want to let him go! All of a sudden my baby brother is a star pupil! That gave us all a good laugh! When you put your mind to anything amazing stuff happens.

I left him on Monday, Oct 14 so I didn’t get to see him finally getting to eat or learning how to use his new voice. He sends me text messages and email and is still making me laugh! I’m told he is saying lots of stuff and he is so determined to speak again. He has a long road of recovery ahead as he endures 6 weeks of radiation and learns how to use the tools the speech therapist has given to him but there is no doubt he will win this battle and do it with gusto!

Cancer touches so many lives and this is the closest I have been and somehow my brother made it not seem so hard. I know he was really scared and is still probably but he never gave into the fear and made sure I didn’t either.

 

Paul and I are in Spokane Washington and working our way back to California. We will be back in the next 2 weeks.

I’m impressed

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

We made it into Washington where we stopped for gas at the Costco.  In Canada just before the border there was fuel for 1.33 per liter; at the Costco across the border (10 miles in) fuel was $3.44 a gallon.  We bought 50 gallons of fuel and spent $172.00.  In Canada, 14 miles away the same fuel would have cost us $251.00!  Quite a savings.  I guess that is why most of the cars in the Costco line were from British Columbia and they all had this…

Maximum 6 gallons in portable containers!

Maximum 6 gallons in portable containers!

Amazing, everyone was filling cans and putting them in the back of their vehicle. Paul says that is like driving with a bomb in your car if you get in an accident.