Apropos of Nothing v.21

There was a period when we couldn't see our oldest granddaughter for a while. I compensated by painting a portrait of her!

Said Bon Voyage to my boy today. He didn't have to check his backpack, wait in a long line to check in or to go through security, breezed through security without being felt up or exposed to unknown amounts of radiation, and left from a gate really close to the security line. An auspicious beginning, to be sure. His sister went with us to the airport and we all three hugged him with tears streaming down our cheeks. We're happy for him, sad to see him go for us. He'll have a terrific time.

Judy, it's hard to be focused on our lives when we sit with the enormity of Japan, or New Zealand, or any of the other places that have suffered enormous tragedy in the past years. I have to minimize my exposure to the news or I perseverate on it too much. I've been spending way too much time reading about the uprisings in the Middle East, and now the earthquake, etc in Japan. I'm going to limit myself to once a day to keep abreast and then go about my business as much as possible. And take solace in the garden this year.

My daughter went to England on her first trip all alone for three weeks. No plans for where she was going. Got stuck out at Stonehenge after the last bus left and had to walk miles before finding a place she could stay. Years later she and two friends went on a tour of Europe. Got off a train in the middle of the night with no place to stay in East Germany (after the wall came down). No one spoke german but they finally found a place to stay. Almost drove off a cliff in southern Spain a couple of years ago. So even daughters aren't safe. She travels every year now. Since I gave her my car and sent her off to Monmouth OR to college thirty-some yers ago, I just let it be.

Ah, this is a woman who travels like I used to. No plans, just go. I'm a little better than that now, but not much. When my daughter was young, we used to camp a lot (that was before you had to have reservations at all the parks). We'd just get in the car and go. I probably wouldn't do that now just because I like to know I have a bed to sleep in, and have a reasonable idea that the bed will be clean and comfortable. I think that's one reason I like our boat so much. We can almost always find a place to anchor without any kind of reservation, and the bed is mine so I know it well.

When the boys were young we used to camp on an alternating basis - one night in a campground, the next in the hills somewhere. The dang green gates have put a stop to that, and we don't/can't plan ahead long enough for reservations. Hence our little 8' camper rather than tenting it anymore. We can still 'make do' or utilize an RV park (my least favorite). We don't care about hookups and prefer tent sites if we are lucky enough to get in to an actual campground. I understand the convenience of reservations but wish the Washington parks would leave more spots available on a first-come basis for the vagabond travelers. Our latest approach is to go camping in the off season and/or midweek. This is in December out near Sequim - pretty crowded.

We are of one mind on this. I know people who make reservations up to a year in advance to get a spot. Bah. Forget it. Sounds like your attitude with the camper is just like ours with the boat. Just go and trust that the spot will happen. And it generally does. It's sad that we don't have the access to the forests that we used to have.

The one and only time we made a camping reservation was in August about 10 years ago. This was shortly before our son's too-extravagant wedding and we just wanted a break from all the craziness. So, we reserved one of our favorite lake-side camp sites for the weekend. As luck would have it, it was an absolute downpour. We stuck it out in the rain, in our tent - I read a couple good books swaddled in blankets atop a blow-up mattress, with water running all around me. Still good memories, although not what I was hoping for.

My family used to go camping, staying in any likely pasture or woods off the road, with our sleeping bags laid out on a canvas tarpaulin. I loved midnight storytyelling while gazing up at the stars.

You can still do that kind of camping down in Utah on the Bureau of Land Management lands. Miles of lovely dirt roads through the desert with lots of little spots available for tents. It's completely 'primitive', and the stars are incredible.

I know certain areas of the Arizona desert like that also. Once, on a a solo bicycle tour I camped alongside a dirt road and a full moon came up. It turned all the desert flora and landscape an erie and beautiful silver color.

So good to hear there are still spots available on the planet without fees, rules, or rude neighbors. Let's share information but at the same time keep this under our hats...

My first memory of camping was in 1948 my family took a car trip back to Indiana to see the relatives. I was nine. All the old highways across the country at that time were amazing. We stopped in the Rockies by a roaring river and had breakfast by a campfire. My mom and dad both drove day and night but we ate meals under some trees by the side of the roads. Grand memories.

What a glorious day! Have been enyoying the day in what is left of my rose garden. Lost 4 roses this year. I have that crown gall on some of mine. It seems to weaken the plant and then with the cold temps. in the winter they die. Still have the other half to prune.

I think I will be moving away from roses. Way to many other plants out there that I love. Some of these roses were my dads from when he lived in this house. Funny it seems to be the newer roses that die.
Anybody else get to enjoy the day in the garden?

I haven't had a lot of time to read through all the posts so I have some catching up to do. Between listening to the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster news, Libya, and going through orientation for my new job at the jail, I am exhausted. I can hardly wait until I can change to part time after orientation.

It is windy and cold, and has been raining here for days. But things are starting to pop up in the garden! It always amazes me to see how the plants all keep going, year after year. I need to do some serious pruning when the weather is a bit nicer. The last few months I keep fighting off viruses without really getting sick so I'm not going to brave the damp and rain.

Pix, I hope you are not worrying too much about your son. It's hard not to worry! He will have all sorts of adventures, just like we all did when we were that age.

Been up in AK so hard to blog. I too felt the pressure to go camping years ago when I could go anywhere and just pull into sites and camp. Then in the 80's and 90's the Seattle area got too crowded and I moved to kayaking to any beachead and could pitch a tent anywhere in puget sound. There were many state parks that were available only to boats. South sound was full of them. Who knows now? I often camped at the base of high cliffs and only stayed one night to move on to any other site that caught my eye. Canada is nice because no one owns the tidelands and it is open to anyone to pitch a tent. My favorite camping areas were on Vancouver Island and Barkley sound has a road for cars to access right in the heart of the sound. Many islands there to camp in absolutely private (except sea lions) locations. Another good location is on Spada Lake Hwy 2, Darrington Robe and Verlot, Glacier Park wilderness, the eastern side of the Olympics, Toandos pennisula, Deer Park near Squiim, my secret place is where the Trumpeters nest on Skagit flats near LaConner there is a small island out there where you can camp and nobody is there, Strawberry island near Anacortes, Goat Lake near Darrington, going along the west side of Okanogan R is Entiat R, Casland on the Teanaway R, near Lake Wenachee take the Clearwater R and it is better than the mountain scenes of Sound of Music with wildflowers. I could go on and on.

Sofer, you remind me of one of my favorite quotes -

"When you hitch your wagon to that of a dreamer, you're in for a wild ride."
Dr Seuss

I have worn out one wife, scared the next to death, and my current wife is strong to keep out of my adventures. Wild ride, yes. My first wife on the trail along the Clearwater was awakened by a bear outside of our tent while I was doing a hike in a full moon to a Glacier she didn't want to go to so I went alone. She had to sit in the tent shaking while the bear pushed on the sides and door sniffing the contents. Fortunately I returned to scare him off the tent when I ran in his direction. She did not camp anymore with me. My current wife and I were aroused with a Grizzly on our second night camping in Great Bear Wilderness. The Bear made a lot of noise trying to push over the snag I hung the food in. I jumped out of the tent screaming and firing my pistol in the air he/she left running not to bother us anymore that night. She never camped with me again either. Come to think of it nobody does? LOL

And you have a question, here, Steve?

I went camping in a tent at Lake Tahoe last year. In the middle of the night, something came up snuffing against the side of the tent. I was in my sleeping bag - it snuffed at my hair. I froze. I had used the worst-smelling shampoo - not flowery or fruity, just medicinal-smelling. It went on,

I had a couple of pots and pans in the tent to clang together to scare a bear off, but it all happened so fast that I forgot about them. I was asleep, then suddenly something big was leaning against the tent, snuffing my hair.

It went on an "attacked" the bear box, but it couldn't get it open. When it got through making a racket, it left.

I"m not going to sleep in a tent in bear country again.

On one of our off the side-road camping trips, somewhere in New Mexico, we had gone up into an area of woods and rolling pasture, with a stream running through to spend the night. My family was sleeping in several small 2-person tents. My sister and I shared one of them. In the middle of the night, we were awakened by a snuffling sound and a large animal tripping on the ropes attached to the tent and the stakes. The tent shook, and we shook with it. We grabbed our flashlights, waved them around wildly and yelled at the animal, but it wouldn't go away. Then we heard the sound.......

Moooooooooo.

LOL

We've had black bear adventures while camping in the Adirondacks in NY. We would hear pots and pans being banged across the lake then move on like a 'wave' at a stadium. That was their signal to go check things out. Once we heard a snuffling sound and our bed was raised as a bear walked under us in our 'pop-out' camper. Lots of times we would see eyes shining in the dark or watch them outsmart the 'bear-proof' garbage bins. Mostly these adventures started after the landfills were closed so the bears spread out looking for food.

I have an unreasonable fear of bears. I am totally convinced each and every one of them has one purpose in life - to eat me. My sister has the same irrational fear of earwigs, though, so I don't feel quite as silly. At least my fear has some basis to it.

I too have a fear of bears. That is why I have scared them off, charging in an adrenalin rush, screaming and making a rapid ruckus to send them shi..... blueberries. I have visited the sites of Nite of the Grizzly many times in my living near Glacier. One time hiking in with 2 friends we picked a bunch of griz hair off these strange barbwire collections. As we had our lunch a single hiker stopped to say Hi and we invited him along to lessen his risk in being attacked. Bear sign was everywhere and he said he was a bear specialist and felt comfortable hiking alone. We shrugged our shoulders thinking him stupid because we were near Trout Lake one of the places of the tragedies and finished our lunch. Starting down the trail we found him standing in a muddy spot surrounded by Griz track. He said maybe he would join us. LOL

I envy you, Sofer -- I just become paralyzed and stupid. Back in my 20s, while camping in a 2-man tent on Mount Rainier, we had a bear come and rampage our campsite. My husband told me to get my underwear on. I scrambled around, found my jeans, my shirt, my shoes -- all tossed aside because I was totally focused on underwear!!

I went out one time in our garden just after finishing a new garden bed for my dog that just died. There was a black bear that was rampaging my plantings and eating the bird seed spilled. Jumping out of bed I grabbed my red robe and launched outside to chase off the bear. Not grabbing anything else as I approached the bruin I realized that I had no weapons. So I did as they had taught in bear encounters and made myself as big as I could raising my robe to the top of my arms and loudly telling the bear to blankety blank blank, and he rapidly ran away. I proudly walked into the bedroom where my wife was watching telling her he was afraid of me when he saw that I too was a bruin! She laughed and gave me a hug. I had to go back out and chase him up the driveway this time with my camera. LOL

And... just seeing those photos terrifies me. I'm hopeless.

I have good news about my GD. Just wanted to post it.

Charlize's Updates
Back to updates Newer update | Older update
print friendlyHalfway There!!!
Posted 2 hours ago
We are at our halfway point and things continue to go well! We were admitted again on Sunday morning to prepare Charlize’s TPN delivery to be compressed to a 12 hour time frame, so she is able to receive it opposite of her Chemo throughout this week. This afternoon she was unhooked from her TPN and given a 45 minute brake until she was put on her fluids and prepped for Chemo. We had fun walking around visiting with everyone and getting movies and juice. The Doctors and Nurses have had a great time with her this stay already, as they have had the opportunity to see her as her true self. The past few months she has been so sick, that they have seen a totally different little girl then what we know her to be. She has given them small glimpses here and there, but now that she is feeling better she is cutting loose; giving everybody a good show yesterday as she ran out of her room and danced naked in the doorway.
On Saturday she had the best day she has had in months! She had a blast at the Seattle Science Center in Seattle with her cousins. Charlize did great with keeping her hands clean and listening to mommy. Leia told her prior to going in that she had to ask before touching anything and then had to sanitize after she touched it. Charlize asked every time before touching something and never complained about sanitizing afterward. She was so good and had a great time. She rounded out the night at her cousin’s house playing chase and wrestling.
Sunday morning came too quickly, but you cannot escape the inevitable. Even though she is feeling well, we never look forward to a five day stay. Charlize on the other hand was happy to see everyone. She kept asking to see different nurses, and was being silly with everyone. While she had her break from TPN last night and was unhooked from her tubes, she made several trips out to the nurses’ station making requests for ice chips and movies. Yesterday and today she has continued to eat better; we have had some high calorie juice boxes and a milk shake to help along the process as well.
Today we got her TPN compressed to a 12 hour delivery. She has tolerated the accelerated compression over the past two days, but her liver enzymes are still climbing. We are hoping we will see a drop in those levels by tomorrow, given that she will have two days with only 12 hours of delivery. This will give her liver a break from working around the clock, filtering and dispersing the nutrients continually has put some stress on it. Her least favorite part about the TPN is she gets her finger poked a couple times a day to test her blood sugar. She has maintained normal blood sugar levels through this past week, and she has cut her cry time in half after the finger poke – we are making progress.
This is day one of a pretty heavy cycle of Chemo. She has not vomited yet, and we are praying hard that she will be able to get through this week with as little as possible. Please pray that the chemo will do its full work at killing of the cancer, but that she will not experience the severe side effects that she has experienced in the past. We are really hopeful that we will be able to get through this week without losing the ground we have gained over this past week.
We are halfway there, still pressing on and pressing in!

Great news, and I hope her second half goes much easier on her little system.

Hooray that she has made it this far with her amazing spirit intact!! And I wish you all fortitude to get through the next round.

Sofer,you crack me up! Summers in Red River NM as a child,us girls put out bacon to bring the bears up. We were from Ft Worth Texas,no bears here! Scared the folks well! I just know your little Grandbaby will grow up to live a life as full as yours! God Bless!

Such good news Sofer. Wishing her a smooth round of chemo. I like the story of her dancing naked in the door of her hospital room! Sounds like she might have some of her grandpa's spirit.......

She is fully like her GP. She also is playfull like me and troublesome. LOL

And that what keeps Charlize going, genes from grandpa!

Well off to Mexico for a little sun and fun. Mazatlan here we come.

That looks nice. Have fun!!

Have a great trip. We will enjoy it virtually.

That is such great news about Charlize! Here's to prayers that this round is easier than the last, and that it will be over and she will be a well little girl. What a time of it she has had, and her parents, too.

I love bears. Now, having said that, I have to say that I've never had my tent attacked by one. But I've loved them since I was young. Weedlady, I was born in Ft. Worth. My parents both graduated from Baylor and used to take me there to see the Baylor Bears. I was trained young to love them.

Update on Andrew: he is having a fine time working hard in a garden! The family he is staying with took him to the ski slopes and he had a professional snowboard lesson. He loved it! (Of course. ) He'll be preparing for the next stage of his trip, which includes about 6 days where he's not sure what he's going to do yet. Ha! I should be so lucky. Portland, I'm not the least bit worried about him. I just miss him terribly.

He's the man. Mom happy that he's the man! Well done Melissa

I bow to you, Steve. Fortunately my husband is a good role model for how to love and revere one's mother without being tied to the proverbial apron strings.
Only my son could pull off going to France and in less than two weeks build a bamboo hut for a bunch of little girls, show them and their father how to make an atlatl out of bamboo and how to throw 'spears' with it, and then have a day shooting a recurve bow at the next place he is staying. I know this doesn't sound very exciting but considering that he spent most of his childhood doing just these things ALL THE TIME, it is hilarious to me that he traveled to France and is still doing the exact same things. If he starts building medieval siege engines in their backyards I will know he has found his place in the world. At least his hosts appreciate his knowledge about these things. Oh, and he was going to have about 6 days or so of 'free travel' time between place number 1 or number 2 and since he didn't have firm plans, his hosts arranged for him to go to some friends of theirs who own a bed and breakfast on the other side of town. They were happy to have someone to help out for a few days, and he has a beautiful room with a balcony, plus access to their hot tub, kitchen, etc. And they raised two boys so the mom 'knows' all about that. HA! He cannot escape!