A Christmas Card 2024

I did not make or mail Christmas cards for the first time in at least 20 years.  It simply got away from me this year.  Mo and I wrote a Christmas letter together and she mailed many cards and was kind enough to sign my name to some of them. I worried about this, wondered what to do, and finally decided that a Christmas blog post would have to do this year.  I couldn't quite let go entirely and learned my lesson.  No matter how outdated the cards may be, I will start making them in July, and send them at the end of November.  So, here for your reading pleasure is our Christmas letter for 2024.

In January we traveled to Catalina RV Resort, where we spent much time in the hot spring pool and spa.  It is a winter tradition that we have enjoyed for many years and this time we stayed two full weeks.

Sue and Mo in the hot tub at Catalina Spa

Our friends Jimmy and Nickie, who live in Nevada City, California also spent a week there as well, and the four of us had a great time walking the streets, and eating good food, and soaking up the warm winter sunshine in nearby Palm Springs.

Nickie and Jimmy enjoying sunny downtown Palm Springs

We then traveled south to a favorite boondocking spot in the desert west of Yuma, Arizona for an incredibly quiet and beautiful night all alone in the middle of nowhere.  

Camped in the middle of nowhere on Ogilby Road

Continuing south and west toward Tucson, we camped once again at the Davis-Monthan AFB Military Campground. During our stay in Tucson, we visited friends Wes and Gayle at their lovely home.  They took us to visit the beautiful and historic San Xavier Mission just north of their home which in all our years visiting Tucson we had somehow neglected to visit.

Gayle, Mo, and We, in their kitchen in Arizona

We turned the MoHo toward home in mid-February, visiting with friend Gaelyn on the way to the wild and beautiful Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. 

Enjoying a campfire in Kofa NWR with Gaelyn

Our route north was the one we often travel, with a night in Tehachapi and another night in Lodi.  Lodi is home to one of our favorite wineries, specializing in old vine zinfandel, and we arrived in time for a short and fruitful visit to the family-owned Klinker Brick Winery.

Mo on her birthday under the Rogue River Bridge

Sharon (Mo), loves to plan a special trip for her birthday in March each year.  This year the trip was local, and we visited several ghost towns and historic sites in our part of Southern Oregon. The day was sunny and gorgeous, and we enjoyed seeing sites we have often bypassed.  Sue’s favorite was the historic bridge we often use to cross the Rogue River, this time viewed from below and reading about how it was built. We ended the day with a visit to our favorite local winery, Schmidt Family Winery, where Sue’s daughter Deborah met us to treat Mo to wine, snacks, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Sue and Deb on a gorgeous day at Harris Beach in March

In late March, Deborah also joined us for a coast trip to Brookings in the MoHo.  It was spring break, and we were there on Easter morning when a group of people woke us at sunrise with music and singing by the beach wall in front of our RV.

April was a quiet month of home maintenance, cleaning up the property, and preparing for the growing season to come with lots of trimming, raking, and readying the sprinkler system. By May, we were ready for another trip in the MoHo, We met Sue’s long-time friends from her years living in Northern Idaho, Phil and Joanne, and Harvey and Colleen for a couple of days at Honeyman State Park on the Oregon Coast.  In addition to shared campfire suppers and walks, Sue and Mo launched the kayaks for some wonderful paddling on nearby lakes where we had never been before.

A sunny day kayaking a lake at Honeyman State Park

The end of May in Grants Pass includes the famous Memorial Day Boatnik celebration with a parade and a big carnival in the park.  We opted to skip all the festivities except for the magnificent flyover of the F-15s coming from Klamath Falls for a noisy, fast moment low over the Rogue River.  The two of us parked where we could have a perfect view from one of the three bridges that cross the Rogue in our town.

Wynn, Dan, Mo, Don, and Chere at Don and Wynn's place in Washington state

June included a trip to Northeastern Washington for a visit to Sharon’s (Mo’s) brother Don and his wife Wynn’s property close to the Spokane River. Mo’s brother Dan and his wife Chere joined the family for the campout.  We visited, shared meals, and spent time on the Spokane River and on another beautiful inlet of Lake Roosevelt for kayaking.  Don took all of us out for a fast spin in his motorboat on the lake.

Great Grandson Theron, Grandson Steven, and Great Gransfdon Matthew

Sue’s grandson lived nearby and met us for a visit with his two sons Steven and Matthew, at a great little hamburger joint just minutes away from Don’s property. When we left Don’s property, we traveled just a few miles south to spend a couple of days at Sue’s daughter Deanna’s home where we had a great BBQed steak dinner cooked by Deanna’s husband Keith.  Sue’s great-grandson Orion was visiting from his home in Wenatchee.  Deanna and Keith have a fishing boat and they took us out on the southern portion of Lake Roosevelt to see the top of the Grand Coulee Dam.

Great Grandson Orion on the left, Deanna, and Keith on the right on Roosevelt Lake

July in Grants Pass is often hot, but this year was even more so.  We planned a family picnic for the Fourth of July with Sue’s daughter Melody and her husband Robert, Sue’s daughter Deborah and grandson Matthew, and the two of us.  Our outdoor pans were nixed that day when the temperature reached 116 F, and we enjoyed our picnic and Sue’s famous potato salad indoors at the dining table. The long shared weekend was spent visiting indoors, doing a puzzle together, and watching Melody and Robert knit and crochet with incredible speed and skill.

Sue, Robert and Melody at the indoor picnic for July 4th

In late July we once again traveled to the Oregon Coast for a MoHo trip shared with Mo’s family, including Dan and Chere, Don and Wynn, and Mo’s brother Roger’s widow Nancy, and her relatives at Nehalem State Park. We spent time at the campfire eating and visiting, mornings kayaking on Nehalem Bay, and driving around the area looking for other possible kayak launch locations.

Don, Nancy, Mo, and Mattie sharing campfire time at Nehalem Bay

August was typical for summer in Grants Pass with record heat accompanying most of our excursions.  Our friends Wes and Gayle from Arizona stopped in for a short visit and Sue drove north mid-month to spend time with her daughter Melody for her birthday.  We spent a magnificent afternoon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland seeing the play Macbeth.  

Ready to launch on Recreation Creek

On another day we traveled over the mountains to our old home base in Rocky Point for a day kayaking on Recreation Creek.

Birthday Dinner with Mo and Sue at River's Edge in Grants Pass

In September, for Sue’s birthday, we had a wonderful dinner with Deborah at River’s Edge, decidedly one of the best restaurants in the area, with a table overlooking the Rogue River.  The next day we traveled to Northern California for a 4 day MoHo trip to Eagle Lake, an area we had never visited before.  We were treated to days of kayaking, and more white pelicans than we have ever seen in one place.

Mo kayaking with the pelicans on Eagle Lake in Northern California

Daughter Deborah bought a home this year and Daughter Deanna and husband Keith traveled from Northeastern Washington in early October to see her home and spend a short weekend visiting and sharing meals with us.

Sue's friend Laura with her sister-in-law at Harris Beach

In late October we traveled once again to Harris Beach on the Oregon Coast for a camping trip.  Sue’s friend Laura from Northern Idaho traveled the Oregon Coast with her sister-in-law, and we met for a couple of nights at the beach, and they followed us home to spend a night here at Sunset House.

Thanksgiving Table

What we lovingly called the Kid's Table with Deb at the counter and Matthew and Katty at the table

Our Thanksgiving celebration this year was here at home.  We hosted Deborah and Matthew and his sweetie Katty, Melody and Robert from Brownsville, and our friends Maryruth and Gerald who live here in Grants Pass. With only 9 people it was a simple and beautiful dinner that was completely stress-free thanks to everyone’s help in preparing the meal,

Christmas will be quiet for us this year.  With Melody and Robert in Paris over the holiday, the celebration will be a small one.  The size of the celebration has nothing to do with how much effort Sue puts into decorating the house and yard.  We will also celebrate with a visit to the beautiful light show in Brookings with a short camping trip to Harris Beach with Deborah, returning home on Christmas Eve. 

It has been a good year, with both of us in good health overall, Sue’s disease holding steady with very slow progression, and our happy, and healthy dog Mattie, in her tenth year.

Thanks for sticking with us for one more year of blogging, and to those of you who noticed I didn't send cards, I do hope this makes up for that a tiny bit.

 

11-30-2024 Nifty November

 This monthly thing is getting to be a pleasant habit. I no longer feel guilty for not writing about every single thing that we did on a day-to-day basis. The only problem is that I am feeling a need to come up with monthly adjectives for the title. Nifty seemed quite nice after almost choosing numinous, but I discovered that in addition to "a spiritual quality", numinous could indicate religious significance. Not so much. I must say, however, that the brilliant colors of November were definitely spiritual.

November for us was a beautifully quiet month, dominated by the spectacular colors of the oaks here at home and the many varieties of hardwood trees that are part of our city. Grants Pass is a "River City", but it is also designated as a "Tree City USA" by the Arbor Day Foundation. As one of more than 3,400 cities in the country, these cities must meet certain standards There must be a Tree Board or Department legally responsible for the care of all trees on city-owned property, a Public Tree Care Ordinance, a Community Forestry Program, and an Arbor Day Observance.

I didn't know any of this when I first moved here. I was awed by the trees that are planted here. Our native slopes surrounding the city are a mix of conifers and oaks, with color limited to muted oranges and tans, and maybe a bit of bright yellow for the cottonwoods.

But in town, the brilliant reds, pinks, and hot orange colors are dominated by sweet gums, maples, and red oaks. Every spring I think maybe I love the warmth and colors of the spring the best, but this fall I knew that nope, it is fall that is my favorite season.

Fall lasts a long time here, with the leaves beginning to change in mid-October and reaching their peak color in early November. The last of the leaves hold on until December.

This year it rained so much during leaf season that Mo and I had to wait for somewhat dry days to get all those leaves raked, loaded, and hauled to the local compost facility. It is always a big job, and every year I look up at those 170-year-old oaks on our property and say, Thank You. Thank you for the wonderful shade and protection you give to our home in the hot summers, the brilliance of opening leaves in spring, and most of all the gorgeous warmth of fall.

A few other simple joys filled the early days of November, including a visit from a long-time friend from Northern Idaho. Joan and her husband Gordon finally decided to give up their summer life on Lake Pend Oreille near Sandpoint and move permanently to Moro Bay, California. She wrote to me asking if she could spend a night with us here on her way south. It was a sweet visit, made even more special because Daughter Deborah knew Joan from the years she shared in the women's group that Joan and I were part of for almost 15 years. Sweet times, and sweet memories.

On November 11, Deborah joined us for the traditional Veteran's Day dinner at Applebee's to honor Mo's military service. It is a tradition Mo and I have followed ever since the day more than 12 years ago when we stopped at an Applebee's in Ukiah, California on our way home from a trip south. We had no clue Mo was eligible for a free meal that day, and since then we have managed to find an Applebee's to enjoy almost every year.

Mo and I spent a lovely afternoon at the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center thrilling to a wonderful rendition of a violin solo of the Lark Ascending and Brahm's First Symphony. Our conductor often chooses interesting music and at each concert that we attend as part of our subscription, I learn much about music that I didn't know. Even though I played Brahms and Beethoven on the piano, I never knew that Brahms was intimidated by Beethoven and spent 26 years writing music before he attempted this first symphony.

from left: Gerald, Maryruth, Mo, Melody, and Robert

Of course, the big event every November is Thanksgiving. We were excited to once again have the chance to host the holiday here at home. My grandkids living in Albany weren't able to come, but Daughter Melody and Robert drove from Brownsville to spend the day and the night, Daughter Deborah and Grandson Matthew and Matthew's sweetheart joined us, and best friends Maryruth and Gerald rounded out the party.

As always, I had fun creating an interesting Thanksgiving table. I have too many dishes, and too much stuff, and am always attempting to downsize a bit. Instead, I needed some new placemats, a few seasonal plates and amber goblets to add to the atmosphere. Yes, decorating is an addiction that I fully admit.

Maryruth, Mo, and Melody waiting for dinner to be ready

Gerald did the honors carving the turkey

Katty and Matthew got the "kid's table with Deborah at the counter

We had a traditional dinner, with roast turkey, dressing, and gravy. I made the orange-brandied yams I have made for 4 decades but added the tiny marshmallows to the top for old-time sake. Deb made her classic creamed vegetables and Melody contributed her famous apple pie with the most perfect crust ever. Robert contributed his famous deviled eggs for our before-dinner appetizer and his also famous potato casserole. It was a perfect dinner.

Robert repairing the dropped stitched on my sweater

Melody and Robert are still knitting and crocheting with speeds that I can barely believe. I have been working on a sweater and managed to drop a bunch of stitches that I couldn't pick up. I was devastated. Melody said on the phone to me, "Don't worry, Mom, Robert can fix it". And fix it he did. My sweater is once again on track and when December slows down a bit I can get back to knitting again. Robert would have it finished in days, and I think I might take a few months. I have had the yarn since I first started knitting in 2004, so maybe I will finish the sweater in 2025. Is 21 years a bit too long for knitting a sweater?

Mattie loves having company and loves getting Thanksgiving treats. Once everyone left she pouted for part of a day before deciding that Mo and I weren't completely boring and we could go back to our regular routine.

10-31-2024 Oh October!

Even though fall technically begins on September 21, October opened with summer-like temperatures and clear skies. Except for a very few scattered showers on June 16 and again on August 16, there has been no real rain at our home since early May. This isn't unusual for Southern Oregon, but each year it seems like such a long dry spell and we wait impatiently for the winter rains to arrive. Once they do, we can turn off the sprinklers, quit worrying about having enough water to keep the trees flowers, and grass from frying in the dry heat, and relax into the next 6 to 7 months without stressing about the water situation.

October was completely dry until a beautiful midnight deluge dampened everything on October 21. By the time we woke up, it was gone, and by ten AM, the skies were a gorgeous clear blue. The good thing about this time of year is that the days are much shorter, the nights are much cooler, and the temperatures are usually below triple digits.

The plants respond accordingly, with roses blooming again and zinnias exploding with their early fall color. Zinnias are native to the grasslands of Mexico, Central America, and the southwestern United States and they love the heat. Still, the zinnias in my gardens don't come into full brilliant color until late in the summer when the temperatures begin to cool a bit.

Early in the month, we were treated with a visit from middle daughter Deanna and her husband Keith. It is more than 600 miles for them to drive to visit us, but they made the effort to come so that they could share the joy of daughter Deborah's new home. It was a short visit, just two nights, but we packed it with as much as we could. They stayed with Deb and spent much of the time with her, but came to our house on Saturday afternoon for drinks and flower walks before going out to a family dinner.

Mo Sue Deborah and Keith on the back deck

The Northwest Taprock Restaurant has always been a favorite here in Grants Pass in the past, but we heard some negative comments from folks visiting after it recently sold. Because of the location, we decided that even if the food was mediocre and the service less than stellar the setting was perfect to share with out-of-town guests. It was a perfect choice, with food that everyone loved and excellent service. As always, the view of the Rogue River was wonderful and a great spot for a late afternoon meal.

From left: Mo, Sue, Daughter Deborah, Deb's son Matthew, Deanna's husband Keith, Daughter Deanna

After we ate, the family walked down below the dining deck to be closer to the river and enjoyed the small park and grounds filled with lovely sculptures, murals, and water features. It was a precious afternoon and I was so happy that they made the trip south to visit us.

The following weekend Deb and Mo and I spent an afternoon in the gardens at a vineyard we hadn't visited often. Del Rio Vineyard is located near I-5 between Grants Pass and Medford and has thousands of acres of gorgeous vineyards extending up the slopes on the mountains east of the winery. Mo and I spent some time exploring the history of Del Rio on her birthday trip last March but we haven't been wine-tasting there before this.

Our purpose wasn't particularly wine-tasting as much as it was to enjoy the live music in the gardens at the winery. The duo that played were so much fun, with a repertoire of music mainly from the 60's and 70's. They both sang and played but woman was especially impressive with her ability to sing in French, Spanish, and her final Irish blessing song sounded exactly like music Mo and I heard in Ireland. A wonderful, warm and sunny afternoon.

I put up Halloween decorations and Mo and I finally finished a puzzle from hell that we thought would never end and started a gorgeous Halloween puzzle that was a delight to behold.

We enjoyed an evening with Deborah at the Toasted Barrel with whiskey flights and yummy foods before going to see a play at our local theater.

Barnstormers is a very small but very sweet venue and the play we saw was "Gaslight". Interesting choice for the theater people since "gaslighting" seems to be the word of choice during this election cycle and this play is where the term originated. There was a small warning that it could be upsetting for anyone who had been in an abusive relationship. Even though it was just a play, with a bit of silliness and melodramatic acting and language, I found the loud aggression on the part of the husband emotionally difficult.

Photo taken from the Barnstormer's Facebook Page

The following Saturday Mo and I enjoyed another treat as part of our season subscription to the Rogue Valley Symphony. What we love most about this local symphony company is the conductor, Martin from the Czech Republic, leading the symphony for the last 15 years. There were three separate musical choices for this performance, with a technically strong pianist playing Mozart which left me cold. Sometimes the tinkly perfection of Mozart is a bit much. But the last performance by the symphony was the symphony by the French composer Saint Seans, written specifically to include an organ.

I was so enamored with the magnificent Steinway piano on the stage that I completely forgot to take a photo of the great pipe organ when they opened the wooden doors at the back of the stage for the performance.

This particular performance was held in Ashland and the Southern Oregon College Music Building because of the historic pipe organ located here. Our local performing arts center is almost identical except for one minor detail. The huge pipe organ at the SOU auditorium was the only way to fully experience the music as it was intended. Magnificent. When that organ hit those huge notes it was incredible. Needless to say it was a standing ovation that lasted a very long time. Martin was quite pleased with himself and his musicians, obvious from the huge smile on his face as the music came to an end.

Just two days later we were packed and loaded for a trip to the coast, with reservations at Harris Beach. My long-time friend from Coeur D Alene, Laura, just purchased a new-to-her Roadtrek, and she was excited for her first "big" trip to the Oregon coast. We camped next to each other at Harris Beach State Park, which as most of you readers know is a favorite for Mo and me.

From the left: Laura's sister-in-law Judy, Laura, Mo, and of course Mattie

Our first afternoon was a bit chilly, but it didn't rain and Mo built a nice fire for us after our shared taco supper.

The next day was gorgeous, and we did our best to show our friends the best parts of this beautiful portion of the southern coast of Oregon. Laura and Judy were at the end of a trip down the coast beginning at South Beach and camping at the various state parks along Highway 101 on the way to Brookings. Most disappointing to Laura, however, was learning that when camping on the Oregon Coast your site is never actually on the beach, or not even necessarily close to the beach.

First morning on Harris Beach for Laura and Judy

I explained about coastal weather, wind, rain, tides, and soft sand, all the factors that make camping right on the beach nearly impossible.

Mo and Mattie in their happy place at Harris Beach

We spent most of the next day taking our friends to some of our favorite spots in Brookings. It is always fun walking out from the sewage plant to Chetco Point and fun to watch someone's face when we say we are taking them to the "sewage plant".

The view to the south from the beginning of the Chetco Point Trail

We drove down to Harbor, the community adjacent to Brookings where there is a campground almost on the beach. Mo and I camped at Beachfront RV Park last March during Spring Break when there wasn't a space available at Harris Beach.

Beachside RV Park may be right on the water but isn't particularly picturesque

Later that afternoon we took advantage of the warm sunshine and had a delicious seafood meal in the outside dining area at Catalyst Seafood. Mo and I have been coming here since a good portion of fish and chips was only $8.00, but this time we paid $18.00 for the same delicious fish minus the cole slaw which used to be included in the price.

Laura and Judy enjoying outside dining at Catalyst Seafood in Harbor

After two days and nights at the beach, we returned home to Grants Pass by way of Highway 199 following the route of the spectacular Smith River. The road is winding and narrow, but Laura did a great job driving her motorhome on what some of our friends have said is a road they will never drive again.

On the way, we stopped for some time at Jedediah Smith State Park for a visit to the magnificent redwoods. Both women had memories of seeing the redwoods many years ago, but it was nice to share the park and have another chance to walk among the giants.

Friends since 1984

By the time we returned home, unloaded the MoHo, caught up on laundry and household chores, it was Halloween. With no trick-or-treaters visiting our home in the last 7 years since we have lived in this house, I decided I would spend Halloween with Daughter Deborah in her new home. She lives in a nice neighborhood, not fancy or overly expensive, but nice. We thought she might get a few people visiting her door.

Deb dressed up like a happy little bumble bee. The kids loved her costume.

She was prepared with chip bags instead of candy and a few lights to welcome kids to her doorway. At first things were a bit too quiet, but before the evening was over she said there were somewhere between 70 and 80 trick or treaters visiting before she shut it down around 8:30 when the visitors dwindled and the older teenagers started showing up.

It did look inviting on Halloween here at Sunset House

I called Mo on my way home to let her know I was coming, and she answered the phone in a tither. It seems that we got a mother and her two daughters at our door and Mo had nothing to give them. She was appalled and embarrassed and had to explain to them that we had nothing. I do get a bit carried away with the decorating, so with all the lights and decorations, it is no wonder they thought there might be treats. Since we live on a rural road with no sidewalks and no access I have given up on trick-or-treaters coming to our door. Never again. I will always be sure there is SOMETHING in the house to share, just in case.