Bits & Pieces...

I've been looking for a place to land in the PNW and finding that they are just as expensive up there as down here. Maybe a travel trailer on a piece of ground will fit my limited budget. Til I find a place, I have been invited to camp out at MySean's. He has a five bedroom house, with only one of the kids still home.

Granddaughter Miss B, caught her first salmon out of Astoria this last weekend. 

One more family wedding this summer! I get to ride up with my BIL & SIL to that one, in Powell Butte. It should be great fun, as most all the family will be there. 

"Sam's" barn

Amy, MySean's wife, has been texting me that "Sam" has been asking about me, and wanted to know when I will be up there again. Sean calls me and says he has had a little talk with Amy about pushing this, and then said, "Mom! I never saw you even talking to "Sam" at the wedding!"  "Well that's because, I only said about two words to him."  LOL, at least my SILs have backed off for the moment...

The house/estate is keeping me busy:
Government: Dad had a death benefit coming from CalPERS. They have been very slow to respond to the repeated requests by the estate's attorney. Finally they called to tell me, they had decided to pay out to my brother and I as next of kin. They went on to say that unless each of us have a specific IRA to roll it into, we will each be charged a 20% TAX on our share. Neither of us have that specific IRA, so we are looking at estate attorney time, and a 40% TAX on $350. The state government needs fix'n.

The power to Dad's shop has gone out. I trouble shooted it as much as I could, but no luck, have an electrician coming next week to figure it out. 
Getting more things sorted, donated to the local Hope Chest. Have setup the online auction house to sell all the furniture, paintings, collections, china, wheel chair, walker, tools, compressor, etc.  I'm only taking the things that I moved up here with, the small hall tree and rolling tool chest that Dad gave me before he passed away.  My timeline is in a state of flux, if I sell all that stuff before I get moved, I will be camping out on the floor.  Oh well, I have good camping gear so it's not really a problem, just another part of the journey.

Fish'n & Fry'n...

Monday morning, loaded up Dad and headed to Lake Shasta to spend the day on the Oregon brother & sis-in-law's houseboat. Another BIL & SIL where staying with them, so plenty of help with Dad.

The BILs met us at the marina and away we went to a beautiful cove they had tied up the houseboat in.  

It has been awhile since I've been on the lake when it was this high. There weren't many other boats in the area, and the water was perfect. 

While the guys got the poles rigged, I slathered Dad in sunscreen and had him cinch down his lucky fish'n hat. I really need to find a new feather for his hat, cause the mangy look'n goose feather it has does not befit a fisherman of Dad's caliber.

Away they went to fish the day away. All my BIL's are super about taking Dad fishing, they like having him along. He has stories.

two of my six SILs

While the guys where fishing, my SILs and I put together the makings for an early dinner, filled our wine glasses, blew up the floats, and hit the water. None of us are as young as we used to be... I got catywampus on the boat ladder, and had to swim for my float, didn't spill a drop of wine.  Getting on the float in open water, holding a glass of wine was a tiny bit dicey, berserker skills were called into play.  No wine was lost, and we spent most of the day floating around the wine cooler, laughing and telling stories about, well never mind...
 I got a tad sunburned, but I'm old enough to know better, so no excuses.

The guys came in for dinner. Dad was a little tired, but in good spirits as he had caught fish! 

After a great dinner of BBQ'd tri-tip, salad, tomatoes,  & sweet corn, and a few tall tales, we hugged goodbyes. The guys took us back to the marina, helped me load up Dad, and we were on our way home.

It was a perfect day on the water, with family. 

Today, I'm taking Dad to Sunday breakfast at the airport cafe so we can eat pancakes and drool over planes.

Travel Log: part 2

Fish Camp, Wyoming

We were on the road bright and early each day, as we had many miles to cover in order to be at the family gathering in Dakota territory on time.

Either memory failed me or I had simply forgotten how utterly beautiful it is in that part of Wyoming.  Everything was green and all the creeks were running full. Damn, I should have taken a rod & reel. We stopped for a jogging (me, not Dad) break on the Madison, and watched a guy fishing with what looked like a PMD fly. 

 Madison River, Wyoming

 Was he catching any, Yep.  Was he a local, No. Newly retired, on vacation, fishing his way across Wyoming. Geez, I envied him that... From San Jose, Calif. I didn't envy him that...

Our next stop was the Museum of the West in Cody, WY.  It has expanded a great deal since the last time either of us was there. Well worth the time. 

(the LL special)

The firearms gallery was awesome, and I could have spent days in there studying and reading the histories...

Back on the road, the beauty of mother natures work is stunning.

 (to be continued)

miss'n mass...

For some time I have been trying to understand why men give up things they like, or cherish, or enjoy. Things like boats, guns, motorcycles, pickups, hunting, and the list goes on. All at the request of a wife, or girlfriend, who doesn't care to boat, fish, hunt, golf, camp, etc*.  Fine, she doesn't like to do those things, but why must the guy give them up because the babe requested (or demanded) he do so?  And it seems that after he has given it up he is miserable, although it does give the rest of us access to great bargains on C List & other sites.

I simply don't get it, I don't ever remember asking the Cowman to give up something like that. Neither do I remember him asking me to do so. (And we had a fair amount of different interests.)  Things like that were discussed, and if it was something you really cared about, you found a way, and you were supported by your partner. I thought that was what partners did.
I honestly don't understand, and have no idea why I'm miss'n mass to do this post...   

    

Pray'n... update

Dad is 91 today... and is now on the river with C fish'n for salmon.  (I didn't get to go this time due to a repairman coming to the house, damn it.)  C and I loaded up Ol Ugly and away they went. Thank goodness C got back from DC in time to take Dad. 

Happy Birthday, Catch a big one Dad!

UPDATE:

Dad and his fav Twinkie snack

They got back in one piece, but no fish.  Dad enjoys C so much that he seemed okay with that.  After dad had headed inside for his chair, C and I put the cover back on ol Ugly and had a little pow wow about Dad's fishing.  Result, I've gotten Dad a guided fishing boat trip for next week, and hopefully that will end his dry spell. 
Thank you all for the great birthday wishes for Dad, I will be sure to pass them on to him!