Monday, July 16 to Wednesday, July 31: Heading Home, Being Home, and Enjoying Life

We left Bend around 9:30 a.m. It was a long day to Bordertown Casino and RV Resort. But, for the most part, it was a pretty drive through farmland and river valleys. We arrived at this Reno park around 5:30 p.m. We stayed at this resort last year. It is nice and tidy.

Tom and I had dinner at the Casino restaurant. It was very convenient, as we did not have to unhook the truck from the trailer.

The next morning, we left around 9:30 a.m. Our original plan was to stay at an RV park in Beatty, Nevada. We had a picnic lunch at a rest stop near Tonopah. It was hot, but the tree shade helped.

As we neared Beatty, we decided to keep going. I made a reservation at Preferred RV Resort in Pahrump, and I simultaneously cancelled the Beatty RV Park reservation.

We arrived in Pahrump around 5:00 p.m. Richard and I used to stay at this park. We even bought a membership in March, 2015. It is centrally located and has a lot of dog parks. After Richard died, I relinquished the membership.

We were assigned a perfect pull-thru site --- again, not having to unhook the truck from the trailer. It was 102 degrees. The poor dogs were so hot. I wish there was a way to drive between Bend and Williams without going through Nevada!  Instead of going out for dinner, or ordering Pizza, we cooked hamburgers.

The next morning, I got the dogs up early and we made our walk time before 8:00 a.m. I had some of Richard's ashes and Ramsey's ashes. I place ashes several places around the park. It was a nice, relaxed park that Richard and Ramsey enjoyed a lot.

We left Preferred RV Resort at about 9:00 a.m. We had less than 300 miles to get home. That was a very reasonable commute.

We arrived home around 3 p.m. We left the trailer in front of the house. It is easier to unpack from that position. First, we unpacked the refrigerator. Then the clothes, etc. I had already made an appointment with Camping World on Tuesday to have them look at two items --- the humming refrigerator and the iffy electric awning. So, we parked the trailer back in the side yard.

Thursday morning, I joined Libby Beatty for an estate sale on Pine Street near downtown Williams. Edith Pouquette was almost 93 and lived in Williams forever. Unfortunately, the house was stuffed full of "old lady" things. Maybe I should take Tom up on his offer to have a garage sale at my home!

Pickleball was in the Rodeo Barn at 10:00 a.m. Tom and I had not played in 2 1/2 weeks. That evening, I treated Tom to dinner at Rod's Steakhouse. He had been such a champ on our trip to Bend. We both had very rare prime rib.

Friday morning, I headed to Flagstaff for an appointment with my chiropractor, Brent Moseng. I only see him every six weeks or so --- for a tune-up. Friday was also the beginning of my Keto Diet. Weight-wise, I had packed on an extra 8-10 pounds over the past seven months. I decided that enough was enough!

Jon and I took advantage of the Amazon Prime sale on July 15-16. The goodies were starting to roll in. One of the first items was Jon and Tom's power washer.

While visiting my sisters, I decided that we needed the "Alexa" Echo. I also got the smaller Echo Dot.

On a weekend walk with Libby and Kelsey, I took the container with Ramsey's ashes and the three of us spread a good portion of ashes and deposited it on a Cataract Lake walkway that Ramsey loved to take.

I received my Fire Table from Amazon. Jon and Tom worked on putting it together. The manual said that one person, in 30 minutes, could assemble the unit. Not a chance!

On Saturday morning, Jon and I went over to the Beatty home to help load furniture for Libby's Prescott Valley place.

While in Flagstaff, Jon went to the Lowell Observatory and found that they sell large telescopes to the public. With a military discount, he got a good price. Late Saturday afternoon, Jon and Tom set up the telescope at my home.

Later in the evening, we were able to see Saturn and Jupitor. Jon decided that he needed to get a set of more powerful lenses through Amazon. That he did!

There was a large fire that developed near Flagstaff. It was called The Museum Fire, because of its proximity to the Northern Arizona Museum up highway 180. It was ferocious!

Fortunately, most of the burned areas were national forest land and not homes.

I had an appointment at Camping World to take in my trailer for some extended warranty work. The refrigerator has been humming in an unusual way. The electric awning has not been working properly. Bernie, the service associate, prepared the paperwork.

Tom has been hinting that he was going to shave his head. I really liked the hair cut that he received before we left for Bend. This female barber only works in Williams on Wednesdays. So, Thursday afternoon, I saw that Tom's head was hidden by a baseball cap. Yes, Tom sheared his head --- leaving only 1/8 inch of hair on his scalp!

That afternoon, I had a 90 minute massage with Natanya Nagy. It is so nice to schedule these every four to five weeks. I like it!

My sister Carrie texted us that her mother-in-law, Jo Ann Carroll, passed away on Friday, July 26. Jo Mama, what we called her, has been in an Alzheimer's unit for several years. She was a sweet lady, inside and out.

Friday brought us also a visit from Mark Burson, his daughter Kelly, and their three Australian Shepherds. The Burson clan were heading back to Oxford, Mississippi from Malibu. We invited Jon to dinner. With Tom's hair cut, he blended in well with Jon's and Mark's shaved heads.

Kelly's mother, Ellen, asked to have a photo of us texted to her.

Jon has been very successful finding Elk and Deer shed/antlers. My sister Carrie is buying a set from him. I decided to adorn our dining room table with several Elk antlers too. Thank you, Jon!

I made a baked chicken dinner for the five of us. Tom prepared the vegetables. The five dogs enjoyed getting together as well!

Mark, Kelly, and the dogs left early Saturday morning. They still had 1,100 miles to go!

Sunday was pickleball on the tennis courts.

Tom and I volunteered to bring food. Tom made pulled pork, and Jon brought buns and barbecue sauce.

Several of us suggested that we only do the food preparation and picnic outing once an month. Everyone agreed. It was getting a little overboard by having it one or two times a week! Going forward, just last Sunday of every month.

Early Monday morning, Kelsey and Libby got into a tiff. Kelsey started it. I couldn't separate them, and Tom came to help. It was weird. Both had small cuts below their ears. They promptly forgot about it --- as dogs do --- but Tom was fairly alarmed.

Unfortunately, I got my hands in the way of the doggy tiff and needed to soak my wounds in epsom salt and clean with rubbing alcohol.

On Tuesday morning, I joined the Highland Meadows ladies for a visit to Bearizona and a lunch at Canyonlands Restaurant. We took the Wild Ride bus tour at 10:00 a.m. and then we watched the Bird Show.

After the Bird Show, we walked to the restaurant. After our lunch, one of the Jaguars was particularly cute.

On Wednesday, our new mattress arrived. While Tom and I were on our RV trip, we agreed that we needed a new mattress for our bedroom. When I bought my home, it came with a Sleep Number King bed. The mattress was purchased in 2013 by the original owners who made my house a vacation rental for a year. The Sleep Number was cranked up to 100%, but it was not firm enough. Tom vacuumed around and under the bed frame.

On the Internet, I researched the best mattresses. The best rated for 2019 was Puffy. They were also having a sale. The mattress came with a 101 day trial with a money-back guarantee. So, FedEx made the delivery. Hope it works out!

The Fire Table has been assembled and put in the back yard. It has such a nice glow!

 The two metal chairs and the one metal love seat we got from Zion Lodge now surround the table for seating comfort.

Saturday, June 29 through Sunday, July 15: Road Trip to Bend, Family and Friends

With dogs and trailer, we left Williams at about 9:30 am. We had a long day --- over 350 miles --- to Tonopah. The trip was uneventful, except we lost one of the end caps for the sewer storage bumper. Last year, we stayed at this RV park. It is like a parking lot, but perfectly located on Highway 95.

Earlier in the week, Tom made a great suggestion to bring pre-made dinner supplies. So that night, we had a Safeway precooked chicken and a side of broccoli with cheese sauce.

The next morning, we left Tonopah for the Nevada/Oregon border town of McDermitt. Lots and lots of desert in Nevada! But, we arrived at Mitchell's RV Park around 5:00 pm.

McDermitt is a tiny town, but we could walk to a casino for dinner. The owner of the RV park said that the food was good.

We liked the food, and it was fun losing a few dollars in the slot machines.

For day three, we had 260 miles to Bend. It has become evident that the compass in my truck dashboard is not working. This interferes with the GPS system. So, when we left McDermitt, the GPS said that we were going the wrong way. I unplugged my phone from the truck system and used the phone Google Maps program.

We arrived at Scandia RV Park around 2:30 pm. The weather was iffy --- with thunder storms and rain. Fortunately, there was a break in the rain as we pulled into our Cascade section site #329.

Richard and I stayed in this park in August, 2015. It is in the city of Bend, and it is centrally located.

For dinner, we returned to our trailer and had lasagna and a tossed green salad.

The next day, Tom and I went to the Bend Visitor Center to get brochures for biking and hiking. We then drove up to a National Forest Visitor Center on the way to Mt Bachelor. They had some great recommendations for hiking in the forest area.

Later in the afternoon, we rendezvoused with my two sisters, Wendy and Carrie. Wendy and Carrie both have second homes in Bend. Carrie's is being rented, so she and Brent are staying with the Kuwatas. Kai and Brent had plans to play golf, so Tom and I loaded our bikes on our bike rack and drove over to Wendy's home. It was only a six minute drive. There, we began our two-hour ride.

We had a nice ride along the Deschutes River and into historic Bend neighborhoods.

Tom has been very happy with his recumbent bike. My bike was recently tuned up, so it was easy once again to change gears, etc.

Before turning around, we rode our bikes around Drake Park.

We got back to Wendy's home around cocktail hour. Kai and Brent returned a few minutes later. So, we enjoyed the Kuwata backyard.

After adult beverages, Tom and I grabbed a take-out dinner from a local restaurant. Easy, peasy!

The next day, Tom and I drove to Tumalo Falls. I had never been there and it was a top Bend area attraction. The last several miles to the trailhead was several miles of dirt/gravel road. Parking is somewhat limited, but we found a perfect spot.

It is only 1/4 mile up to the top of the falls.

We also hiked to the bottom of the falls.

After leaving Tumalo Falls, we decided to go to downtown Bend. Kai and Wendy talked about the Wednesday afternoon Farmers Market and a delicious Taco Stand. We were getting hungry. Tom lucked out on a nearby parking space. And, we found the tacos.

While there, I mailed a package of John Shelton Estate documents to my brother Peter. Tom and I decided to then stop at the Bend Brewery for a beer. We sat at a table on the lawn near the Deschutes River.

It was a very picturesque way to end the afternoon.

The next day was the 4th of July. We made plans to connect with the Kuwatas and the Carrolls at 4:00 pm.

I made an early visit to Safeway. For the backyard barbecue, Wendy asked me to bring some bottles of Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay. I forgot that there was a 4th of July Pet Parade at 9:00 a.m. My two sisters attended it with their husbands. Wendy posted a 4th of July photo on Instagram.

So did my other sister Carrie.

I later found out that there were several Dalmatians in the parade. My brother Peter and his family attended a Dodger game in Los Angeles. They sent a "Happy 4th of July" text and photo.

The Kuwata 4th of July barbecue was in full swing when we arrived. My niece Katelyn and her boyfriend Dan flew in from Los Angeles that afternoon. Once again, we enjoyed the Kuwata backyard.

Brent was the primary barbecue specialist. We are having hamburgers and hot dogs.

It is always nice to snap a photo of the three Shelton sisters.

The city of Bend had fireworks at Pilot Butte, but not until 10:00 pm. I thought that I would not see the display, but it was easy viewing right from our RV Park!

On Friday, July 5, Tom and I took the dogs to Drake Park. It was a beautiful day and the dogs liked walking on the park walk-ways and grass.

Coming back from the Kuwata 4th of July dinner, the adapter for our portable Dometic electric cooler/freezer fell on the asphalt and was no longer working. Tom and I each researched how to replace it. We decided to bite the bullet and order one on Amazon. It will arrive next week.

That evening, we picked up a Flat Iron Steak at nearby Fred Myer. We both love steak cooked rare and Tom did not disappoint!

Daughter Donna and her family are on an Alaskan cruise celebrating the 70th anniversary of David's parents, Barbara and Leonard. It was nice to see their smiling faces and photo on Instagram!

In the afternoon, Tom and I went on a drive to see Tumalo State Park. It is primarily a campground on the Tumalo River. We then continued our drive to the city of Redmond. Redmond is where the closest airport is located.

For a Saturday, not much was happening there. On our way home, we stopped at my sister Wendy's favorite market --- Market of Choice. It is new and very high end. Tom and I picked up some Sockeye salmon for dinner that night.

Sunday morning, I got an early start and got gas for the truck. In Oregon, there is official staff that must pump the fuel for you. There were very few cars at the Fred Myer Gas Station, and I was in and out quickly.

My ten year old Dalmatian Libby has been having challenges on our RV trip. During the night, she has been wetting her doggy bed. Not good! So, I decided to go to PetSmart and buy some diapers. I will use them in the evenings and hopefully prevent the soiling.

And, the diaper worked perfectly. She was a little uncomfortable when I greeted her in the morning. But, no soiled doggy bed! Fingers crossed that this success continues.

Carol and Terry Thomas are friends of mine who live in nearby Sunriver. They built a home and retired there many years ago --- after living and working in Hong Kong for 40 years. Terry was a UCLA classmate of Richard's. I have known them for over 35 years. Tom and I saw them last year in Sunriver. This time, Carol and Terry came to Bend. We had lunch at McKay's Cottage Restaurant.

Terry turns 81 tomorrow. So, I brought him two helium birthday balloons. Happy Birthday, Terry!

Monday morning, Wendy, Carrie, and I went to Wells Fargo Bank in downtown Bend. We needed notary services for some of brother John's estate documents.

The banker was very friendly and very efficient. We were in and out in 30 minutes. Carrie and Brent had an appointment with their architect in the Old Mill District. I dropped her off there, and I dropped Wendy off at her home.

I decided that I needed an adventure day. So, we packed the dogs in the truck and drove over an hour west to Tamolitch Falls aka Blue Pool. I walked the dogs at the trailhead before putting them back in the truck. The hike to the Blue Pool was two miles. Most of the trail was along beautiful river.

We also crossed several bridges.

It took almost an hour to reach the falls and deep blue pool. But, it was spectacular!

Tom and I decided to head back home a different way. There was the a scenic highway that we could take to Sisters. It is the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. It was a very narrow road with beautiful wild flowers, huge lava fields, and majestic snow-covered mountains.

There is even a observatory made of lava rock that was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corp.

We arrived in Sisters at about 4:30 pm. We needed to stop for some bathrooms and I was hungry. I walked the dogs, Tom visited an antler furniture store, and I picked up a "take away" sandwich at a local meat and cheese market.

After our picnic sandwich, Tom captured a photo of me, Libby, and Kelsey with the Sisters Quilt Show banner.

The Sisters Quilt Show is this Saturday. My friend Barbara Coad is flying here tomorrow, July 10, for three days. She loves quilts and has always wanted to go to this show. It is the largest outdoor quilt show in the world.

On Tuesday morning, I took the dogs for a walk near my sister Wendy's home. It was a six minute drive, and I parked at the end of her street. We walked passed the Kuwata home.

It is a relatively short walk down to the Deschutes River.

Wendy, Carrie, and Brent took a field trip that day east to Camp Sherman and the Metolius River.

Tom and I had a low key evening at our RV Park. Tom's appetizer was salami and cheese.

Every other morning, I walk next door to get some sweets for Tom at Richard's Pastries and Donuts.
I usually pick up a bagel at Big-O-Bagel for myself. That afternoon, three RVs pulled into our park with trailers. Three gentlemen run the summer classic car circuit. They left Logan, Utah, and were heading to Roseburg, Oregon.

Tom and I went for a bike ride. We parked at the Cascades Lake Welcome Station on the way to Mt. Bachelor. It was only a 7 1/2 mile round-trip ride. But, it was fun!

I even caught Tom in my rear view mirror!

Libby and Kelsey are very comfortable in our travel trailer. They can be left alone for three or four hours. So after bike riding, Tom and I had lunch at a The Row at golf and vacation home community of Tetherow. It was very scenic.

That evening, we went over to the Kuwatas for dinner.  My friend Barbara Coad was flying in from Los Angeles. Her flight was delayed, so she missed a nice big salad dinner that my sister Carrie crafted.

Barbara arrived about 7:30 p.m. After greeting Barbara and having another glass of wine, Tom and I headed back to our park. I was going to meet my sisters and Barbara tomorrow morning for a walk and bike ride.

Our RV Park next door neighbors were from Boise, Idaho. Their two children, Adde (8) and Landon (5), loved to walk Libby and Kelsey. It was nice having their help!

At about 10:00 a.m., I arrived at Wendy's home. Wendy, Carrie, Barbara, and I walked one of the Kuwata dogs, Stanley, down to the river.

After the walk, we got on our bikes and headed to Historic Old Town Bend.

After arriving, we tethered our bikes, did some shopping, and then had lunch at the Pine Tavern Restaurant on the Deschutes River.

It was all so civilized! Wendy, Carrie, and I rode our bikes back to the Kuwata home. Barbara had had enough bike riding, so she grabbed at beer at the Bend Brewery. Carrie and Wendy drove back to get her.

Later that evening, we met for dinner at a Kuwata favorite, Zydeko Kitchen & Cocktails. Tom and I had never been to this restaurant. The food was good --- especially the barbecue shrimp and southern grit cake appetizer! Tom and I shared a 22 ounce porterhouse steak. Needless to say, we had leftovers!

The next morning, I invited Barbara, Wendy, and Carrie to our travel trailer for breakfast. When they arrived, we walked to the pastry shop and the bagel shop. We took the selection back to the RV site and had a picnic breakfast.

It was float day on the Deschutes. At Wendy's home, we loaded up three rafts into my truck and drove to the river.

The float trip was about 1 1/2 hours.

Wendy and Carrie carried my brother John's hat and deposited a shell in his memory.

Barbara had a nice float too!

The four of us got out of the river at Drake Park and took the shuttle back to my truck.

That evening, we went for dinner at the home of Pattie and Craig Apregan. Barbara and I have known Craig since our LA Junior Chamber of Commerce days from the late 1970s/early 1980s.

Craig and Pattie moved their family to Sisters,Oregon, thirteen years ago. They purchased the 138 acre Black Diamond Ranch and built a magnificent second home on the property.
The century old original home is now leased. For the Sisters Quilt Festival, Black Diamond Ranch participated in the Garden and Home Tour on Thursday. Pattie gave us a private tour Friday evening.

Craig barbecued thick steaks. Pattie and Craig were exceptional hosts.

It was a beautiful evening!

And, we witnessed a lovely sunset over Mt. Jefferson.

On Saturday morning, I picked Barbara off at Wendy's home. We headed to the Sisters Quilt Festival. Pattie Apregan told us how to take some forest roads to bypass all of the Highway 20 traffic. It worked perfectly!

It was Barbara's first show. We spent several hours there.

I liked one quilt with a Route 66 theme.

Another quilt also caught me eye.

After the show, Barbara and I drove to Sunriver Resort. The two of us had last been there together in 1998 --- for Richard's 60th birthday.

Sunriver Resort is in a gorgeous setting, with Mt. Bachelor in the background.

Over lunch, we worked on our plans for five days in Sydney, Australia, and the ten-day Ruby Princess Great Barrier Reef cruise in late October.

My sister Wendy told us about a store in Bend called Strictly CBD. I wanted to buy some more for Libby, and Tom wanted to try some for his perennial foot pain. So, we went to the store and had success. They offer mail order services for a minimal shipping fee.

That evening, Tom joined us for sushi dinner at Fusion Five. At about 8:30 p.m., the three of us stopped by the Kuwata home. There, we sat by their fire table and enjoyed adult beverages. It was going to be the last visit.

Barbara had a 10:50 a.m. Sunday flight out of Redmond.

Sunday morning, the two Boise, Idaho children came over in the morning to say "good-bye." It was so cute. Adde gave us a drawing she made of a forest with two Dalmatians.

Tom and I made a run to Costco. Then, as we headed to Pilot Butte for a view, we passed by a huge building set aside for pickleball. Now, that was impressive!

 The view of Bend from Pilot Butte was very nice.

This day concluded our visit to Bend this year.