Laundry and Electric Communication

 We left the hotel just after 4:00 a.m. on Saturday.  Jaime likes getting breakfast at Denny's and so we went there for food.  Richard and I don't care for Denny's and were each disappointed with our meal - though we had not expected much to begin with. I would rather have McDonald's than Denny's. Jaime said it could be our last time for going to Denny's.  

We drove by way of Boise.  Though we hit almost every rest stop between Salt Lake and Myrtle Creek we seemed to make good timing.  I think it was after 5:00 when we drove passed the sign that indicated we were in Douglas County, but then it took another two hours before we arrived in Roseburg. (I have mentioned how incredibly large our county is) We could see the smoke before we arrived in Glide.

For the most part I don’t check my facebook or email while on vacation.  I’m on vacation.  This is how things looked when I returned

 

Before our backroom was built Richard had hung two clothes lines that came down in 2019 and were never replaced.  I could use the lines 2-4 months of the year.  I could hang about three loads.  Richard has since replaced one line but it is much shorter and holds only one load at best. 

I was able to take in a few more classes of the water fitness before the pool closed for the season.  The last day was August 25th although we had scheduled a pool party for the 26th.  Open swim and party were both cancelled due to the poor air quality.  We had worse in 2017.

When I returned home I had used the dryer as the skies were filled with smoke.  The rain has since chased the smoke away.  It seems pointless to hang the laundry with a chance of rain. 

Fires Continue

 

The air quality was down this morning. 

I forgot to see what rating  - moderate. 

I went to the Church to pick up Jenna. 

I took the dog and had her out of the

car when the kids came out of the

building from seminary. 

They all gave the dog attention. 

Today is the last day that they

will visit as three of them will start

at the high school tomorrow.

 

I know that Jenna feels bad that she

won’t be returning with them. 

She is frustrated with the online classes. 

But flu season is coming up in addition

to Corona.  The air quality hasn’t been great

I just checked it and it’s worse than it was

yesterday.  How can that be? 

I had drawn back the curtains and could

see the hills better than just the outline that

was provided yesterday. 

I can feel and see the thick smoke again. 

The air quality report has us back up to

hazardous.  My curtains are closed again.

 

Returning to school will not be the same

for anybody.  I am anxious to hear what

Jenna learns from her seminary classmates. 

She may feel like she has it better. 

I told her if her situation doesn’t improve by

Christmas break or if there are no

problems with her former school

 I will return her to the high school she

was attending. 

I hope there are no problems between

now and Christmas break

but I foresee the schools shutting down again

before the end of November. 

I hope I am wrong.

The Elements and Aftermath of 2020 (thus far)

 

The air is thick and white where I live.  

*abc - Portland

Other parts of Oregon are yellow and orange – like San Francisco.  

share from facebook

I doubt there is any blue sky that can be seen on the entire west coast.  

*abc news

*abc - California

Forget COVID.  Forget politics and presidential candidates.  People have lost their homes in more way than one. They’ve either been burnt to the ground or criminals have come to ransack and destroy their houses in other ways.  Aside from material possessions which can be replaced are sentiments that are lost.

# AP Photo/Paula Bronstein

I was watching abc news that provided the following:

 I remember the air quality in 2017 not being so great – and according to this chart 2018 was even worse and 2020 is the worst year yet.  I had heard about how bad it was but did not share in bad air quality until after Labor Day.  I feel blessed that this is the worse it has gotten for me personally as much of the rest of the state suffers with an air quality more hazardous than ours.  And it is hazardous than ours.  

This hazardous air quality did not exist for us until after Labor Day and then descended quickly.

They had set up for an evacuation for those that live in Glide – only that became hazardous as well.  Now they are at the Douglas Fair Grounds.  There has been such a great out pour of generosity to those who have been evacuated and don’t know if they will even be able to return to once was their.  community. Neighborhood are gone – just as neighborhoods have been destroyed by Hurricane Laura.  

*abc Philidelphia

the atlantic

# photos cropped from KVAL 

photographer Austin Johnson

Bizarre whether in Wyoming too – though I don’t know if anyone has had to evacuate due to an early snow.

*recording abc facebook page

 What a nightmare 2020 has been

Photos retrieved from facebook,  *screenshots from abc facebook page  

# AP Photo/Paula Bronstein here and KVAL's Austin Johnson here

My Heart Was Not There

          I don't recall ever having attended a leadership meeting on a stake level, but it seemed as though I had been invited - although I don't know who had told me.  I asked Roland if we were going.  He said that he would but not the adult session as he says he never gets much out of it.  I on the other hand, have always preferred the adult stake meeting as I rarely have ever gotten anything out of the Sunday meeting - especially since we have moved to Oregon.

          I had volunteered to work a shift at the Annex, but wore my dress so that Roland and I could just leave as soon as I returned home.  I returned home before he did and guessed that he probably wouldn't want to return to Roseburg.  I was right.  I should have just called around to see who else was going and if I would be able to catch a ride.  Instead I finished my homework for the week.  Only one other time since starting my online schooling have I not turned all my work in by Friday afternoon - which in itself is rare as most of my work is finished by Thursday and would be this week as well if my instructor's lectures did not take place in the middle of the week.  I hate that!

          So I did not make it to the leadership meeting or adult meeting - though it was actually light enough that I could have driven myself - I just would not have been able to safely drive myself back - nor did I want to deal with driving the Saturn up there.  Earlier this year we purchased a car with more horse power as the Saturn has been under a huge amount of stress with climbing these Oregon hills. 

          I haven't been feeling well in the morning as it has been so dry.  The reason we moved to Oregon was for the moisture which seems to be null right now.  I see the fog each day, but I don't  feel any moisture.  The river beds and ponds look much the same as they did in summer.  November is halfway over!  The water should be soaring!

          Roland purchased a humidifier - something I didn't believe I would never need in Oregon.  What is the deal?

          Marva and Shelly attended our church last week and Roland mentioned to them that we would not be holding our regular services today. We had them invited to come with us to conference, but Marva said that she was not feeling well.  I'm almost glad that they didn't come with us as it was majorly uncomfortable.  I don't mean the topics, but the set up itself.  In years past, I have made the comparison to feeling like a sardine.  Perhaps it's my imagination, but each year feels tighter than the last.  This year it appeared that the chairs had been set up to serve 8,000 people.

                                    I retrieved the above picture from this site: https://www.callfamily.org/2016/04/ -                                                                                             imagine sitting on these for two hours.  Notice the distance from the chapel.

          This year the doors on the stage were closed, though I think all the chairs that are normally used there were still set up which made for less leg room and near lap sitting in generic folding chairs.  So in addition to my already dry throat, I was experiencing leg cramps and wounded body parts unable to breathe.  After Roland stood up, I asked him if he wanted to leave and as none of us were getting anything out of the meeting other than earshot of the same old, same old . . . we left and came home.

          I have been skimming through conference talks and articles trying to feel inspired.  Thus far I haven't been.  It's my own fault, I suppose.

The Dryness is Going to Kill Me

          October is normally my favorite month, all the fall leaves and crisp air.  Facebook memories indicate that there has often been a sickness within the family.  It doesn't last as long as what I've seemed to experience this year.  It was bad enough before we set our clocks to standard.  Setting the clocks back seemed to say to the sun, "you have permission to take a long nap.  Perhaps you can make an appearance every now and then - just so we know you're up there."

          The air has been so dry.  It's horrible.  I came to Oregon for moisture.  The fog hasn't seemed to carry much moisture to it this year nor has it rained often.  We're not currently hooked up to natural gas, and thus the only source of heating we have had has been electrical and feels drier than the gas somehow.  At least my lungs and throat believe they are.  I haven't had a sinus infection, but am getting tired of a dry throat each morning and the few hours it takes me to unclog all of my breathing passages.  I do well in the daylight, but when the sun starts to set - shortly after 3:00 pm - which is so wrong! - It gets cold and frosty and my body temperature has a hard time adjusting to the air around me.

          I've been filling in for instructor aides at various schools.  The instructor I have been with this week keeps her room so hot, it is unbearable - like certain buses that I would ride in Salt Lake.  The air is nearly the same as what I left behind.  I want to breathe again.  I would like to have moist clean air again.  (And I'm still ticked off about adjusting clocks every six months - that doesn't help anyone as far as health and productivity go)

I Should Have Recognized the Signs

            For a couple of weeks my right eye has been tearing up.  It's quite annoying as it will create a fogged up view through my glasses.  I have also felt somewhat dizzy and lightheaded at times.

            The air has been so dry which I'm sure has been a contributing factor to my health today.  I had thought it was all allergy related when both eyes went balistic last Tuesday but I may have a cold underneath - or worse - the dreaded sinus infection may have weaseled its way into my life again because the air in Oregon isn't providing the moisture which brought me out here.  We may need to move closer to the ocean.

            The fire levels are back to low and moderate - at least here, but there is still a hazy sky to the west of I5 between Grants Pass and Glendale.  Where is my rain?

            Before we had moved to Oregon, we had visited in April.  We had gone to Newport on Easter Sunday.  It had rained that day.  Hard.  It was cold and wet.  I was under the impression that is what Oregon would be.  I left behind my white coat with the bears and trees thinking it would not hold up in the moisture.  I also left behind some cute red boots for the same reason. 

            Turns out I could have brought them both and used them and they would have been fine.  Too late now.  Perhaps somebody else was able to use them.  I don't believe Rochelle did though.   

            I felt fine last week.  I felt fine on Saturday.  Yesterday my throat started hurting.  I went to church but did not sing.  My throat got worse.  I tried to doctor the hurt away.  I may have made things worse for myself.

            I won't be working this week.  I feel fine as long as I'm sitting down or reclining.  But I cannot stand.  And I don't wish to share my germs with others in the event that I am contagious.  I will have to look for a new doctor however as I am quite disappointed with the medical center in Myrtle Creek.  Perhaps I could go to the one in Tri City if they're still accepting patients.  It would be even nicer if it just went away on its own.  However, I am getting to the age where it would be wise to have a routine doctor.  I don't think I've ever had a regular doctor except for my pediatrician and then my OB/GYN when I was pregnant with Jenna.

          Drinking lots of liquid.  Mostly grape juice thus far.  I need to get better. I think a Z-pack would make me feel better. 

It's Almost October . . . What is Up With the Haze?

                The air quality has gone down again.  

                You would think I would have figured

.that out on Tuesday when I couldn't stop sneezing.  

 

                Yesterday morning I'd gotten behind

                some school buses and watched their red tail lights

flicker off and on.  When I neared the school,

I looked over the hill and appeared puzzle at the sight of

                what looked like the tail lights - but way too high in the sky. 

                       

                My view was through the trees until   

   

I stopped the car.  Blood red sun. 

                I knew that met the smoke came back.  

                Air quality has been going down again.

Noooooooooooooo.  The air is supposed to be producing

 a misty fog.  Why isn't fire season over?!?

                  Why are the river beds so dried up they

don't look like rivers anymore?  

                 And what is up with the temperature?

It shouldn't be this hot at the end of September.

I should never be this hot at all.

Back to the Basics

            Shortly after I started my schooling online, I made a list of all the required classes that I'd be taking.  Thus far there have been three assigned classes that were not on the list.  One of them is this one I'll be taking for the next four weeks.  I don't quite understand why it's been assigned to me - especially since I've already taken one that has a similar description.  I had received an email from the instructor on Sunday.  She is over the freshman and has presented a guideline for those who have never taken an online course before.  I am nearly a senior.  I think someone entered me into the wrong class as the description sounds very similar to one I recently just completed.  This is nuts.

            The wind has changed and pushed the haze back into the skies and pushed our green back to yellow air quality.  

            I went to the pool this morning.  It was cold like it was in June and July when the heater was broken.   Carolyn thought it was fine, but the majority of class members seemed to be on my side.  Even the lifeguards agreed with me when some were required to get in when our class had ended as swimming classes start right after our class ends.

            I guess I'll start on my discussion.  I don't foresee any struggles for this current class.  No accounting involved!  Should be easy.  I'm thinking perhaps too easy.

Clearing Up the Sky to Blue, Yellow and Green

                The wind has been blowing each morning Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Carolyn said she had a surprise for the class for Wednesday morning, but I did not go.  Roland and I had gone to the Roseburg Cinema to see Dog Days - which I really liked. 

                 I had left my phone with Jenna in case she needed to get a hold of us.  She spent the day with her friend, Marie.  She reported to me that the dentist had called, but neglected to tell me about Coffenberry; she decided it was not important as she is no longer a student there.

               

                A couple of hours after Roland and I had returned to Tri-City, Jenna said there was word from the theatre to get there ASAP to be fitted for costumes.  Wednesday night was the dress rehearsal and I had invited my close friends from the water group to come and see the performance as I cannot afford to buy tickets for the regular productions.   

I asked how the "surprise" went for the morning class and was told that it was too windy and had to be postponed. Thursday morning seemed a bit windy also - although we did introduce Carolyn's surprise that day.  I wrote about that in my last post "Deceiving Skies" which they were.  Skies filled with smoke gave the appearance of an overcast sky with the promise of rainfall - but it never did.

                My friends all enjoyed the play very much.  I took pictures with my phone as Roland's phone and I don't seem to get along.  Too bad.  His produce better quality. 

Before rehearsal - Roland helped with the scenery

Jenna with the owners who play her mom and dad

Little John, Friar Tuck, Young Scarlett and Alan Adel

Jenna and Roland are not in many scenes together.

                                   This would be a better pic if Roland didn't look like just a shadow

Little John, King Richard, Friar Tuck and Salome outside theatre

My friends Dan and Sue hang in gallows outside the theatre

                You can see better quality in the photos in the News Review here.                

                Roland plays Friar Tuck and really got into character when he asked if I would shave a bald spot on his head.  It also shows bravery by allowing me to use a razor on his head.

This pic is horrible quality - worse than the haircut

                On Thursday night, I happened to check my phone while Jenna and Roland were on stage performing the opening show. I found my messages from the dentist (who I had called back as Jenna had mentioned it to me) and Coffenberry.  I had put in an application as an instructional assistant and was being contacted for a job interview for Friday morning.  Thanks, Jenna. 

 I contacted the school and left a facebook message for the principal to let her know that I'd be there - though neither message was received as I was contacted again on Friday morning, this time by the secretary who seemed excited about the possibility of my working at the school.

                The wind was a bit overpowering - nothing outrageous but enough to disturb an outdoor picnic.  It felt cool and blew away much of the smoke bringing back the blue sky - so much of Douglas County has gone from Yellow back to green (65 on my Thursday post to 38 right now) and even more surprising was cutting Medford form 161 (very red) to 70 (orange) though it started out green as we headed there this morning.  

 It was our day to go and pick pears.  I thought Alexa was wrong when I heard that the air quality was only 48 but maybe.  The air quality wasn't near as bad this year as it had been last year. 

                Last year Roland had purchased a box of 20 respiratory masks which Jenna and I had both used.  He may have also, though I don't remember.  I did post pictures of me and Jenna here.  

 I could have really used a respiratory mask last year but did not have;  this year we took the box and whatever contents were left but did not use.  Breathing has been challenging end of July to beginning September.  I'd rather have the 4-6 weeks of breathing irritation during Oregon's fire season than the 4-6 months of inversion and an additional 2 months of other breathing challenges in Utah. 

                Tonight I'm going to a charity dinner with my friends.  I am so touched that they wanted me there badly enough that they were willing to pay for my ticket to get in.  Fundraiser for our community pool.  Perhaps I will write about it tomorrow or later on next week.