I have pictures of Jaycup to share with everyone but Jack keeps taking the camera to work with him and I forget to download them in the evening... they will get posted...eventually. He is working out well. Maya put it the best when she said he looks smarter than he is. He is desperate for Shiloh's attention and will bark at her, jump on her, take toys from her to get it. Typical boy! Shiloh, used to Mike's more mature affection (benignly ignoring her unless she seemed to be having a problem), is getting a bit grumpy with this younger man. Actually they are supposedly the same age - but maybe girl dogs mature quicker than boy dogs too. Several people have suggested to Jaycup that if he were to learn how to throw the ball he could have the undivided attention from her that he desires. I on the other hand am acting as the pack leader and jumping on him when I see him being a bully to her. It's a process...


Licorice on the other hand is having absolutally nothing to do with the new comer. She is either in our bedroom or in the study. He is far to intense with his interest in her for her comfort. I have seen her sitting in the hallway a couple of times in the past day or two so maybe she is warming up to the idea of sharing the house with Jaycup. We will see.




BRETT and MAYA were here for the best part of 4 days this week! I finally got to meet the bride-to-be! I could not be happier with her. She is genuine, fun loving, outdoorsy, easy going, intelligent, opinionated, physically bueatiful and self-confident! I may have hugged her to much and plied her with too many questions but she was gracious about it all. I also hugged Brett alot but he is kind of used to it. He is also not very talkative and she is! Yeah!


We discussed wedding plans, Thailand, good books, men, dogs, future plans for them, cooking mexican and thai food, the state of the United States from other countries points of view, the dangers of standing on rim edges, rock climbing, riding motor scooters on Thailand's country roads but not in Bangkok, jewelry, clothes, shopping......

We spent a day going to Crater Lake, The Big Obsidian Flow, and Paulina Peak at the Newberry Monument. It was a sunny, relatively warm day and the pictures turned out pretty great. I posted a bunch of them on Facebook.














This is the only picture of Maya and I that we thought to take. We were just busy doing stuff I guess. They have one picture taken just before they left on Thursday of the three of us that is on their camera. I hope to get a copy of it when they get back to Thailand.

Jack is ready to be done working for this year. Each day he is telling himself that he is working now so he can have fun in Florida! Fun in Florida! Fun in Florida!

I have my clothes picked out for our Florida stay and am just waiting for the end date of his job to start packing them and the snorkeling gear we will be sending ahead of us. The baggage charges make Fed Ex or any of the others rates reasonable!

Enough for now... have to get out in the sunshine for a bit!

Alot has happened in one short week!

Monday was my 53rd birthday and someone hit my little red car in the grocery store parking lot! Not a great birthday present but the car is still drivable. It just has a bit to a black eye! The estimate on it's repair came very close to our deductible - of course! It was a hit and run so it will be us that foots the cost.

Wednesday I stopped by the vet's with Mr. Mike, my 15 year old chocolate lab, to have him checked out...I thought his bad breath was indicative of an abcessed tooth. It was much more serious than that. The bad breath was a result of his kidneys and liver shutting down. He also had water building up in his lungs which would be pnemonia shortly. I had to make the difficult decision to have him given the shot to put him to sleep. It was very peaceful. He simply went "to sleep" with his big head in my lap. He wasn't freaked out or nervous. It was very sad for me to loose my companion of the past 10 years but I didn't want him to go through a long slow deterioration, I loved him to much to watch that.

Thursday I was surprised with a call from the Census Department! I took the test last spring and missed several calls soon after so thought that was a dead deal. Evidently not! I will be in Portland for the week after Labor Day for training and then work for about 8 weeks for them doing the same kind of work Jack did. That will be really nice for filling out the travel budget!

Friday we were all tired in our household. Shiloh is at a total loss without another dog in the house. She wandered all night last night. It's surprising how much noise those little tags make on her dog collar!

My 9 am appointment at the Health Department for my travel vaccinations went really well. I didn't hardly even feel the needles. Two in each arm. Thyphoid, tetnus, Hepititus A & B and a polio booster. I'll get the Japanese Encephilitis shots when I get to Bangkok.

I felt to well Michelle and I went out to the Humane Society and found Shiloh a companion! His name is Jaycup and he is a yellow lab/golden retriever mix. He is the same age and size as Shiloh with almost as sweet a disposition!

Today the impact of the shots hit. I can't hardly move my shoulders, my head aches, etc... but I'm willing to go through it! Jaycup is fitting right in the family and all is well in general. Hope it is the same with everyone out there!

Camp Hosting is done for awhile now. I had all my illusions of what it would be like shattered and if I go to do it again I will do so with more realistic expectations AND I will ask a few more questions!

Chatting with a few others that have done hosting I guess Michelle and I got in with a pretty demanding outfit and not all places are as unsettling. There was definately no 'peace' with the crew there. Sucked the joy right out of being in the woods on a high mountain lake, they did. Oh well. It's done.

I'm really enjoying carpeted floors, a full sized shower, my flower garden, seeing friends and high speed cable connections!

Although I don't have to get up at 6:30 am to walk Shiloh before I go clean 7 latrines I still have to get up at 6:30 am (or 5:30 am) to walk Shiloh because she thinks it's time and wakes me up! I think being in town has knocked her internal clock off - we never got up at 5:30 am at Willow Lake!



















Jack is up that early though and preparing to go to work! He's inspecting for BPA for a couple of months. So I'm being the home support person now! It's pretty cool the way God is working this all out for us. We'll have the funds to play this winter!!!

I'm loving the flower gardens this year!They have taken off like it is supposed to...without attention from me! I love the cottage garden look!

Ha! I just read my own blog and see that I posted repeats of my favorite pictures! I am definately going tooooo fast. But that is drawing to a conclusion. Sunday is the last day of Camp Hosting at Willow Lake for me. And I am ready to be home until we leave for Florida in the Fall.

This is so nice to come home to since our camp site has become a powder dry dust bowl and getting into the lake is a challenge due to the writing schedule I have developed in addition to my hosting duties. It has ended up being how it is when you are working two part time jobs - grueling. But I have a great winter to look forward to and continue to try to find something great in each day.

Early morning walks along the lake shore with Shiloh are a great start to each day. Watching the Bald Eagles soar and fish the lake is awesome. Osprey are always over head too. Riding around in a noisy gas golf cart nicknamed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is entertaining and always is an easy segway into chatting with campers (as I wait for it to decide it is ready to go again!)

Sis posted some great pictures of her awesome garden and that reminded me we took some snapshots of Jack and I in the corn patch last time I was home so here's our latest picture!

The garden isn't producing much this year...the really late spring that ran into the end of June it what I am putting it to. My pumpkins aren't even in flower yet and I haven't seen a zuchinni either! The corn has but on ears though!

With not being home I didn't replant lettuce so once the early crop was gone I decided to let the garden rest! And me too. With only 48 hours out of the woods I just find it hard to get out in the garden!

Well, it's time to pack up, go grocery shopping and head back to the resort for my last four shifts.

The camp hosting at Willow Lake adventure is drawing to a close. I suppose I may miss it later.

But my new role is housewife! Jack started working for Bonneville Power Administration as an inspector this past Monday. He'll be working 4 10's and 2 8's so I'm needed at home as the support staff! And glad to do it!

Cheers!

Such are the images I've been able to enjoy this summer as a camp host in Oregon.

And tonight I booked my flight to Thailand for February 22, 2010! The airfare was great and Jack said "Do it" so I DID! I'm smiling so big may cheeks hurt! I didn't make it to Japan while Brett was there but I am going to see Thailand and parts there abouts with Brett and Maya!

Michelle and I went from Camp Hosting in a high altitude coniferous forest next to the swiftly moving waters of the Upper Rogue River and numberous waterfalls to the lower, dryer area next to the still lake waters of Willow Lake below Mount McLoughlin within the month of June!
We went from leasurely strolls along the shaded half mile streach along the Rogue River pulling a little green garden cart with all our cleaning supplies and paper work to having a work uniform, a golf cart to zip around the campground in and a work routine that has us up early in the morning to get our rounds done before the campers are up and wanting to use the beach, bathrooms and day use areas!

The 4th of July every one of the campsites were rented and there were hundreds of people to keep up with and clean up after so we were pretty exhusted by July 6th when the resort cleared out. My friends Caron and Steve came up and spent the weekend here. Caron cooked Michelle and I breakfast and Steve cooked dinner each day for all of us. Michelle and I often just skip dinner... neither one of us is really in to cooking.

Jack and Mr. Mike went to Nancy and Ed's for hamburger's for the 4th and had a good time out there. I heard that he was asking around to see if anyone had seen his wife lately....I'm getting the reputation of being a gypsy amoung Jack's friends. But we will be wandering the highways together this winter and spending months in Florida!

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July and is getting settled into their summer routines!

CHANGE is constant in my life! My stint at Campground at Natural Bridge drew to an end on Monday. Jack pulled the trailer to my new assignment Tuesday morning and I'll be starting as a one of 6 camp hosts at Willow Lake this coming Friday!



So instead of the rush and roar of the Rogue River in the coniferous forrest I will be beside the still waters of a bueatiful high mountain lake looking at Mt. McLoughlin! That is when I get to sit and look!

http://www.southernoregon.com/willowlake/index.html

At the interview I was told, " You pay money to loose weight with Jenny Craig but with us you'll loose weight and we'll pay you!"

HEY! Turn's out there are several Natural Bridges right here in Oregon!

Here are some links on where I'll be.... maybe some of you would like to join me for a day or so this summer!

http://www.twoatlarge.com/camping/campbest.html

http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2008/07/camping_oregon_top_10_tent_sit.html

A YouTube video of the natural bridge and trail - see the river coming out of the cave and where it disappears underground!

http://www.southernoregon.org/out_about/about_roguenaturalbridge.html

Includes good Driving directions:


Review of the history of the Rogue River and Prospect area (which includes the Natural Bridge)

http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2008/08/oregon_offtrack_a_fine_prospec.html

http://www.ohwy.com/or/n/nabrpro.htm

Info on the rafting/kayaking run - Class 3-4:

http://oregonpaddling.northwest-rivers.com/natural%20bridge.htm

Mellower run - alittle down river - Class 3

http://www.riverfacts.com/rivers/12704.html

Well that should give you some idea of where I am and what I'm doing until October!

Union Creek, and Becky's Cafe, are only 3 miles away!

See ya!

HERE'S THE LATEST - I have a been called to go to work at my second most dream job (the first being paid to write)! Tomorrow I start at the National Park Service Natural Bridge Campground as a paid Camp Host! They will be paying me to be in one of our most bueatiful campgrounds along the upper Rogue River in the Rogue Umpqua Recreation Area! I can hardly believe it. I started wanting to be a camp host about 18 years ago but didn't have the trailer....

So I will be pretty much out of reach...unless you come visit me at the campground except for my two days off.

The campground is very basic....firepits and pit toliets.....but the sites are large and almost all of them have river frontage! I will be writing after I make my twice a day rounds and taking in the local hikes - so I can be good camp host and be able to answer questions about the trails. Union Creek is only 4 miles away so Betsy's Cafe will be getting to know me! I'll be broadcasting from there when I do!

So I'm off to pack up the trailer!!! Cheers!

ALMOST JUNE! Wow, Spring has gone quickly. Just recently Jack pointed out to me that I have been on the go since January and with a little reflection I see that he is correct!

January was Arizona with Dad, which was also a trip to Mexico and San Diego!

April was Florida with Diane and Keith at their wonderful home in Vero Beach, with a few touristy things, like the McLarty Treasure Museum at Sebastian Inlet State Park, scuba diving in the Atlantic Ocean off West Palm Beach, lunching with an old working buddy of Jack's who now lives in Florida, and two visits to the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. Jack and I went the first day (the day he flew back to Oregon to start his job as a quality control person for the 2010 census) and the second day Diane and I drove up and took in the parts that Jack and I didn't have time or energy for!

April also contained a week long trip to Utah with Mike to check out Zion National Park for Brett and Maya's wedding next Memorial Day Weekend. Not only did we check out the town of Springdale, Utah for reception options etc... we took some time to explore some of Zion Canyon. Mike and I hiked 6 of the 11 hikes listed in the Welcome Newspaper they had out at the Park Entrance. The first picture is of the mouth of the Hidden Canyon - a one mile trail that goes 875 feet straight up! The second picture is of Mike in one of the water washouts in Refrigerator Canyon on the Angels Landing Trail. The rest are all Angels Landing Trail pictures. It was the best! We climbed 5700 feet to the peak of Angels Landing! We both bought the t-shirt - WE EARNED IT!

There is no way pictures can do the Zion Canyon justice! You have to see and experience it for yourself. It is more accessable to the average person than the Grand Canyon!

And after those outings were little jaunts... bike riding with girlfriends on the Oregon & California Bike Trail on a bright and warm Sunday afternoon. We rode 19 miles!

Camped and white water kayaked on the Klamath River with other friends on Memorial Day Weekend. We started with 7 on the upper streach and it wittled down to 5 for the second section

to Gottville Boat Ramp. Mike joined us on the second half. He and Caron took the waterfall route I've been avoiding for all the years I've been going down the Trees of Heaven to Gottville section! They said it was a blast!

Between those activities I've been getting my flower gardens in order and planting things in the vegetable garden. We have lettuce of 4 kinds already!

I also have been interviewing for jobs as a camp host! My friend Michelle and I are hoping to get put on at the Natural Bridge in the Rogue Umpqua Forrest. We've interviewed for two places and are hoping one will come through.

And I'm continuing to write my own articles, do hired out content writing, and working with Maya on developing their wedding website http://brettandmayagetmarrried.wetpaint.com/

So there you are, that is why I haven't been posting very many blogs! I'm to tired by the time I get home!

I hope everyone is enjoying Spring in ways that make them happy!

The family has been in motion and now everyone is settling down again.  Diane has made it back to Coos Bay after a scenic road trip through the state of California.  Brett and Maya are currently making their way back to Bangkok, Thailand after what sounds like a culunary delight of a visit in Austin, Texas and some beach time in Tulum, Mexico.

The footloose wanderer I usually am, I have been staying home. Closely tied to my computer at times and puttering around in the garden and yard at other times.  I heard from several friends that Jack had been making noises about 'grounding' me after the Utah trip.  No need, I was tired of travel and ready to be home for a bit.  But now Memorial Day Weekend is fast approaching and the first river trip of the year!  I'm winding up for take off!

It's looking like the count will be about 12 people for our get-away.  Most are rafters and the main focus will be doing the two runs connected to the Trees of Heaven Campground but I'm taking the domino's too.

Yesterday I mixed pleasure with work. I spent the day traveling to interview for a Camp Host position. On the way I stopped to walk along the Rogue River Gorge (Brett's favorite spot) in Union Creek and then turned off Hwy 62 just a little further down the road and took the Natural Bridge trail. In all my years here I had never stopped and viewed where the Rogue River goes underground for 200 yards. Seeing it gushing out of the lava tube is awesome.

The interview in Prospect took about an hour and was very pleasant. So different than interviewing for IT positions! Mike and Shiloh were interviewed also, as they would be with me if I happen to be asked to host a campground for the summer.

After the interview a picnic lunch proceeded a walk along the trail that runs by Pearson Falls and to the gorge that Mike, Caleb, and I "discovered" about 15 years ago. The rocky gorge we climbed through to connect to the trail on the other side is a thundering rush of white water right now. I failed to take a camera! I remembered our Cub Scout outing where the water had risen enough from our original scouting hike that we had to carefully get everyone over the streams of water coursing through the boulders. If it had been flowing like it was yesterday that would not have been possible! Lots of good memories passed through my mind on the short hike!

Time has certainly passed quickly.

Sunshine and raindrops! It's warm either way! I think a person can live here without a single coat!

This morning Diane and I did a walking tour of the community. I know where the camper will be parked and where the dog park is that I can play frisbe with Shiloh at this fall! I also got to meet a few more people and their dogs here!

Jack has safely returned to Klamath Falls and was joyfully greeted by our two fur kids.

I have been talking about looking for work and my willingness to do any kind of job... so when I got to Vero Beach Sis let me know that she had something for me. There was an Easter Weekend Breakfast at the community center and an Easter Bunny was needed. Being one of the newest residents I was asked if I would be willing.....

It was fun to be a bunny for a little bit.

Hopping around the club house to distribute candies and get pictures taken was equal to an hour workout in a sauna! The kids, young and old, seemed to enjoy my antics.

My First Florida Weather Watch

It's 11 am - check out time at the Holiday Inn Select near the Orlando International Airport and the TV screens in the lobby are repeating Tornado Warnings over and over with doppler screens showing the storm front as it is moving across the state. Currently the thunder, rain and winds are hitting this area but the 'high wind cell' is behind that and coming this way. Hmmm a whole bunch of new terminalogy to learn and dechipher!

The advisory is to stay in and do not drive if you do not have to so I believe I will have breakfast here at the Holiday Inn and watch the screens a bit longer. The storm warning extends to Melbourne Beach... about half way to Vero Beach... my destination.

Jack flew out at 6 am this morning and should be in Portland, Oregon in a few more hours. Mike will pick him up there and then he'll be on his way across the state to our home. He may be dealing with snow and ice issues! Every area has it's "issues"!

Yesterday we spent a great day at the Kennedy Space Center before checking in to the Holiday Inn. Jack was asleep almost immediately! The Shuttle Experience was interesting but not as good as the space shuttle ride Diane and I did at Disney World a few years ago. Touching a real moon rock was cool, seeing the Land Rover and the emmensity of the rockets was awe inspiring.

I planned to return today and see the IMAX shows and the Hall of Fame but think that will have to keep for another day. Since I got the tickets signed I can go back within the next 7 days. Maybe Diane and I will drive up one day. It's only an hour away.

Thunder is rolling and lightening striking! I think I'll go eat something! Comfort food!

And of all times my cell phone battery has run out! Darn!

Vero Beach Vacation is well underway! We've been here since Wednesday the 8th and have managed to do a FEW things! Wednesday it's self was mostly jet lag day but Keith, Diane and I did make it to the Wednesday night dinner, gospel music hour that evening.

Thursday Jack and I took a driving tour of Hwy 1A1 from the Causeway Bridge (SR 60) to Fort Pierce. We stopped at the local dive shop, Deep 6, first and discussed local beach dive sites and how to tell if it's a good dive day off the Vero Beach sites. Then went and scoped out Pepper State Park where the lobster are enormous. Lobster season ended in March so we will have to wait until our return in the fall months to get to go after those big boys! When we returned home Diane, Jack and I took a refreshing swim in the pool and then had a great BBQ chicken dinner.

Friday was scuba dive day! We went out on the Deep Obsession with Jim Abernathy's Scuba Adventures for a two-tank dive off West Palm Beach. It was everything advertised. Lots of sealife, including a sea turtle, a romoria companion for Jack, and several moray eels The seas were to big for my sea bands to compete with and Jack and I were both very sea sick. The currents worked against us and we had to work hard to stay with the reef along the Flower Garden Reef so much so Jack was exhusted after the 1st dive and did not do the second one. I would have skipped the second one but I was to sick to stay on the boat - I had to get back in the water to get any relief. The crew was great and got me rigged up for the second dive and then got be launched into the water. At 55 feet deep I was fine! I didn't take the camera on the second dive, which was at the Breakers Reef - named after the famous West Palm Beach Breakers Hotel that the reef is directly infront of. I wasn't feeling up to finding it, so there are no pictures of the hawksbeak turtle that swam through our school of divers or the batfish that came up out of the sand and "flew" away. While I was diving Jack got a really good start on his suntan.

We were a little done when we got off the boat so we rescheduled getting together with the Tews until Saturday! Here's me after a rough day at sea!I'll post more later!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all o' ya!

We're having Colcannon for dinner with 10 of our best buddies. I don't think we'll be singing or dancing jigs but I watched a few people doing it on TV today.

Jack has manned the kitchen all day and the time is approaching for guests to arrive so I better close with wishing you the best of the luck of the Irish!

Pay it Forward - Web Style
I got this from Diane's SeaAmi site

The Rules:

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

So the challenge is out there to those that read my blog! I am interested to see who will comment on this post!!

The gardening article was inspired as Leo and I worked on our greenhouse gardening project. Although we both have been gardening for years neither of us have ever grown plants in a greenhouse so this is an adventure.

While putting all the little seeds in the containers we discussed all the ways that a person can make money from a garden with out all this meticulous attention to detail! A woman I worked with in Roseburg sold the starts from her Japanese Maples and I've bought wonderfully healthy perennials at garage sales! I'm thoroughly enjoying writing!

Jack is busy tumbling our sunstones from this past fall's trip. They are cleaning up nicely and Jack is going to design a necklace out of this batch for me. Sunstones and obsidian needles interspersed with beads. We are planning a trip to the bead shop for Friday afternoon.

Mike is scheduled for his "interview" at Klamath County Library Main Branch on Friday also. This interview is so he can be part of the "Read to a Canine" program at the library. I was in Arizona when the original orientation was held.

Here is a snapshot of one of the places Dad and I visited while traveling the highways between Bullhead City, Algodones, Yuma, and San Diego. We are a family of outlaws...

Hope everyone else is finding rewarding ways to get through this dead time of winter!

I've really been published! Maybe not a real big deal to some people but I'm pretty jazzed about it. It's always been said write about what you know so I wrote about Angels in Whiskers. Check it out! The link to the left will take you right to it!

Let me know what you think!!

Remember Angels In Whiskers I was blogging about in November and December 2008? Well, the website I created for them is now on the web! Check it out! http://www.angelsinwhiskers.com/
Mike and Shiloh can be seen under "Our Angels"! Now you can know what Angels In Whiskers in Klamath Falls is about!

Other than that I am now busy learning some ways to make money with my skills from home! I'm excited to be working with words, not computers, and have visions of writing creatively again.

Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day! I got to "chat" with Brett in Thailand on Instant Messenger ! Jack and I treated ourselves to a Valentines breakfast out and then later Jack put together a 3 course dinner! AND he gave me a wonderful card! I, on the other hand, didn't have a card, didn't cook, and was a very bad example! Jack was definitely the chief sweetie this year!

This time last year we were floating in the Caribbean on a cruise ship! Jack was enjoying all the variations of chocolate they supplied for Valentines Day and I was in bed sick! Jack brought several little delicacies to the cabin for me to try but I couldn't enjoy them. I did have a card and present for him that I'd bought before we left for the cruise and gave it to him that morning - so I'm not hopeless - just distracted this year!

Signe and I ran the 5K Winter Wings fun run this afternoon! It used to be called the Bald Eagle Run. It was the first fun run we did together in 1996! I have no idea how long it took us - I do know only one person was behind us! The strong head wind going out was the same as it was 13 years ago! We enjoyed ourselves and finished before all the goodies were gone at the finish line! Linkville Lopers did a good job hosting the run! Next month is the Run for the Music! I'm getting back in to it!!!!