To Glue or Not to Glue . . . More Puzzle Pics

When we were looking at permanent housing while living in the first house we had rented when we first came out to Oregon I thought it would be great to find one with a room we could use as a game room.  It would be nice to have that extra room for putting puzzles together.

The house that we live in does not have the extra room that some of the other housing may have offered.  We talked about turning the back porch into our game room.  Since then Roland has thought it necessary to glue puzzles together so that we can hang them in the game room.  I don’t think it’s necessary to glue them – especially when there is no back room.  And with this COVID thing, other expenses are created and the game room doesn’t even seem to appear on the horizon anymore.  Hey, but we have three puzzles to hang. 

also the pic from this post https://beneaththewraps.blogspot.com/2020/04/charles-wysocki.html

I found some puzzle pictures that I had forgotten about.  Jenna had also sent some over from her tablet.  Some I have posted already, but many I have not.  This one was completed before my birthday

We completed this one just before our trip to New York. 

But let me back up a moment to a panoramic puzzle we had attempted before the one with the bicycle and surf board. 

We started to put it together on the card table but learned that it was just a tad too wide, so did not attempt until later after either Jenna or Roland came across a long board which was laid across the coffee table and we worked on it.

Jenna and I have named many of the shapes to make it easier:  I need a buff man with a club foot, or a pinwheel shape or whatever.  These are some examples:

This is just four examples

Occassionally we would name a piece according to the picture though “Jerry’s caterpillar” is the only example I can think of: 

  We worked on the Panorific sometime between my birthday and two days before we went to New York 

It turned out that Jerry’s caterpillar were two or three paws of two dogs and the space between them. 

certainly not the greatest pic, but the puzzle piece fits in circled area

I think Roland would have glued it if the pieces had been there but two pieces were missing.  Seriously though, we do not have enough wall space for every puzzle that we put together – nor do I wish every puzzle be glued.  

I took several pictures of it trying to capture it all:

Jenna attempted to take this shot of its entirety

I saved my Disney.  Yes, it would be a fun puzzle to look at, and would grow less tired than the other three.  But I would like another opportunity of putting it together.

Jenna took this one

The puffin puzzle was also a fun one because of its crazy shapes. 

We started the project two days before we left for New York.  Roland had also wanted to glue that one, but again, something I would like to put together again. Besides there was a piece missing which both Roland and Jenna said could be fixed, but let us put it together a few times more.  Geez!

I don’t know why Jenna felt impressed to start this puzzle shortly after we returned.

She started at the bottom border and finished only that.  I don’t think she even looked at the puzzle after that.  I think I did most of it.  I know I did all four palm trees, the caption, I started the woman’s dress and face.  Roland hooked her together and I fastened the basket to her head and did most of the housing  and mountains and sky. 

The finished puzzle reminded Roland of a poster that he remembered hanging in his home.  And so we glued that.  Just last night we brought some frames that we can put two of the puzzles in.  I don’t know what we will do with the pictures that came with the frames.  I rather like them.

We were told that the two pictures were from a hotel

This is my favorite of the two

Maybe Jenna will hang them in her room without frames

What Do You Mean Our Flight is Cancelled?

               Quite recently I found this link on friend’s facebook post. 

“Oh, great!” I thought.  Guess which airline carrier we used? We were supposed to come back by way of Atlanta, but Delta isn’t even flying into Atlanta right now.  We stopped in Detroit both coming and going.

          We left the house between 3:30 and 4:00 three weeks ago on Wednesday morning.  I don’t know what time we arrived at Medford.  Roland dropped Jenna and I off while he went and parked.  We sat down in a chair and waited as I thought he would have  to be present when we checked in the luggage.  Too bad.  There was no line when we had initially gone in.  When Roland walked through the doors a line had formed.  Where had all the people come from?  And why had they picked that time to get on a plane?  Perhaps they hadn’t chosen that early to leave.  Perhaps the airline had – which had been the case with us.

          We had initially picked a later flight so that we wouldn’t have to leave the house so early.  It is 90 minutes to an hour drive.  We had left the house before 4:00 a.m. We were at the airport for almost as long as we had spent in the car.  I took this picture of Jenna as I don’t recall ever having seen a rocking chair in any airport before. 

Medford June 10

I think we spent more time in the car getting to Medford and also in the airport itself than we had on the plane to our first destination which was Seattle.

          We weren’t in Seattle all too long before catching the plane to Detroit.  The longest leg of the trip.  Also the most cramped.  It was tighter than our car!  Would have loved to ride the train in Detroit, but it was not running due to COVID I am sure.  There wasn’t enough air traffic that the “S” gates were needed.  Apparently that is where the Detroit airport train takes passengers. 

Landing at Detroit airport June 10

          My favorite airport was in Buffalo.  Not crowded at all.  In fact it had the appearance of closing both coming and going.  New York had just started phase one shortly before we arrived.  The play areas and conveyor sidewalks were closed and there was blue tape across every other seat.  It had kind of a ghost town feel to it. 

Buffalo airport

          Randy met us outside after we called him to tell him where we were.  As I recall he made us move so that he could park.  The next day he informed us that our return flight had been cancelled.  Say what, now?  I didn't know what to believe.  Randy likes joking and so I didn't even know if it was real or not. I had tried calling the airline before we had even gone out, but it’s been the same routine as every other business I have called

“We are experiencing high volume due to COVID19.  Please try calling back at a later time.”

I never did talk to a human.  Randy left a number for them to return call back in nine hours.  But they never did.  I don’t know how many days we were there before a new schedule was created.  We would leave Buffalo to fly to Detroit, but instead of Seattle or Atlanta (which was originally included as part of the agenda for the return) we were routed back through Salt Lake. 

Salt Lake was one busy airport.  Let me tell you.  Randy had suggested to us that since we had to stop there anyway we ought to look into taking a later flight and stay in town for a couple of days.  Roland said he couldn’t take the time because he had not brought enough medication for another couple of days.  I thought that if we had made arrangements, we could leave Jenna.  I could put her on a train and have my sister meet her in West Valley.  But that didn’t come to pass. 

Salt Lake

20-30 minutes after the plane had landed we were still waiting to disembark.  The plane was waiting for its turn at the gate.  We barely made the connecting flight – no time for other arrangements.  Of course Jenna was upset – but it turned out to be a fortunate thing for us not have to return to Medford as there is construction between the airport and the ramp to I5.  Though Medford may have other options of getting us from point A to point B, we are not familiar enough with the city – especially in the dark. 

Medford

Meanwhile here are some pictures for you to enjoy (or not) of our flight activity.

Mt. St. Helen's taken from plane

Detroit airport

closed play area Buffalo NY

Salt Lake City

Shadow of plane in Salt Lake City

waiting on runway in salt Lake City

Great Salt Lake

on our way to Medford

Day 6: Lakeview and Olcott Beach

On our last full day we took two cars to the ”beach”.  I had purchased a pair of jelly shoes to wear in the sand.  I could have worn my sneakers and been okay.  Jenna wouldn’t have.  She definitely needed the flipflops we purchased.

I don’t know how long we were at the lake.  I think we spent just as much time on the grounds across from the lake.  It was a nice day to end our vacation.

Carrie said that (prior to Covid) that this area would be open each summer
as a fair run by volunteers; it was fortunate that there were some places open

funny how these viewers were open at the lake but not at Niagara Falls

Jenna had no idea that a large would be that large