A Dog Laying on the Floor

           “When did we get this dog rug?” Roland asks for the umpteenth time as we all step over Bonnie to exit dad’s office.

Bonnie is a Saffordshire Terrier mixed – mostly with the appearance of Pit Bull – a fat one at that.  She is definitely a sweet dog. She’s also a bit insecure.

Jenna loves dogs.  She will go out of her way to look at them and ask if she can “pet your dog.”   

She’ll ask the owner the dog’s name and thank the owner and be on her way.  Jenna prefers dogs to humans. Bonnie is opposite.  She LOVES people.  Given a choice of encountering and barking at the ten dogs down the street or spotting one human in the distance going the other direction – she will pick the human every time.  After all, isn’t the entire reason the person is standing outside in the first place is because they want to pet the Bonnie? 

There are many who seem to love Bonnie just as much as we do and will comment on her waggling tail and do their best to spoil her rotten.  There are others who seem fearful or angered because she is a Pit and shouldn’t be allowed to exist.  I do think she appears to be a threat to small dogs.  Any small dog owner may think that Bonnie has already swallowed more than her share of small dogs.  The truth is, she just wants their owners to take notice of her and love her as much as they seem to have for their small rat-sized animals.

Roland went to the mailbox the other day, and when he returned Bonnie got out of the house and ran into the street.  She wasn’t barking at the man or his dog.  I didn’t see it happen.  I just heard Roland say “No, Bonnie!  Come Back!” as though that is really going to work.  I personally think Bonnie has ADD – or something like it.  She is definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer. 

Roland says that a dog will find his master and lay at his feet in order to protect his master.  In Bonnie’s case I believe it’s more to cater to her own insecurities.  Bonnie does not like being alone.  The more people, the better.  She LOVES human attention.  She does not love the chickens in the backyard.  I don’t know why she feels intimidated by them.  She never wants to go out the backdoor.

We decided that we would get a gate for our front deck.  That way if she gets out of the house, she will still be unable to go out to the street. I told Roland to get something that we could push open and NOT a temporary gate that has to be removed or climbed over by the owner. Roland took Jenna to the big city of Roseburg and purchased a gate.  It was the very kind that I had told him NOT to purchase.

I suppose I should not become upset with him.  After all we are both aging and seem to be losing perspective of things that we were told only moments ago.  I had to go with him on Saturday to return the gate and find an OUTDOOR gate that we could use over the stairs.  When we couldn’t find what we wanted at Petco an employee suggested we try Coastal. When we couldn’t find what we wanted at Coastal, an employee suggested baby gates at Walmart.  Wouldn’t you know it, Roland gravitated to a baby gate that was so similar to the dog gate we had returned to Petco.  No.  No.  NO.  I made him return home and ordered a gate online.  We received two of them yesterday.  What prompt and duplicated service.  Wow.

Roland has taken Jenna to seminary and Bonnie is snoring away on my rug – even though she does have her own dog bed.  She prefers to be in the same room as a human than in the room where her bed is.

Wooden Eggs for School – Killing Two Birds With One Stone.

               My mind is so full right now.  I fear the ideas that are in my head may not make it to a post for this blog so let me start with the most recent . . .

          Myrtle Creek Visitors Association had posted to facebook about an upcoming Easter Egg hunt – which Jenna has been looking forward since our “business activity” on St. Patrick’s Day.  This time 12 specific businesses hiding a wooden egg.  And Jenna has been determined to find them all.  Though we physically entered more than half of the businesses, we had only hunted in five – well – she had hunted.  I am not great at picking out items when they are in my face let alone having to physically look for them. 

          This morning Jenna was at her photograph class and learned she had to pick an assignment to do.  There were at least three choices.  One of them was community activity.  So Jenna decided that since we would be exploring downtown anyway, she might as well take pictures of the activity.  

from MCVA facebook page

            I had forgotten how many businesses are NOT open on Monday. We had gone to 8 of the participating businesses though we will have to return for seven of them.   We learned that not all businesses received all the needed information to fully participate.   Jenna says she took several pictures – some by accident.  She took most with her borrowed Google Chrome book as the transfer from cell phone will no longer work for school assignment and vice versa – but she did take some with her phone.  Unless I harp on her she doesn’t generally send them over until after the fact. 

           So let me start at the beginning.  Leaving the house.  When we got to the corner Jenna noticed all of the flags set up over the bridge and asked what holiday it is.  I couldn’t remember the exact holiday but guessed either Korea or Vietnam.  I was reminded when I looked for this post that I had created exactly four years ago. But now I am getting ahead of myself. 

 

          First stop: Valley Tire Co Point S

          Jenna found the egg right away and took her first picture which I believe were of the directions on what was to be done.  I didn’t see all what she did as I was talking to Dan who had spotted me.  I went to say “Hi” to him and saw a long Chihuahua shivering in his arms.  Jenna was filling out a slip for the drawing and walked over to us and took a picture of Dan and his dog and then we left.

           I parked at the park behind Gooddog Bakery and made that our second stop.  Jenna found the egg within the matter of seconds and filled out another ticket for the drawing and asked Jeri if she could get a picture of her holding the egg.  We asked her where the Ole West Trading Post was.  She pointed it out to us but said it hadn’t opened.  That was okay.  We could just get it on our return to the car.

           Third stop: AG Market is across the street from Gooddog and so we go there and Jaime takes a picture of the masked worker behind the counter.  We then headed toward Trudy’s Treasures and learned it would not be open until 12:00.  We passed by the vacant building that had housed the Library Annex for just a short time. 

pic from four years ago this day

 Forth stop: MSK True Value Hardware store.  That egg took a little longer to find.  The person who helped us did not want his picture taken and so Jenna took a picture of the two of us outside the hardware store.  She took at least one on the laptop and at least one on her phone.

outside MSK

We crossed the street to St. Vincent de Paul which was closed.  Understandable.  It is run by volunteers and so is only open three or four times a week.  So will have to return tomorrow (or maybe Wednesday after we get our haircuts).  Hey!  

            Jenna spotted a broken frame on Main Street and retrieved a bubbled craft pic of a butterfly

She returned for the broken glass so drivers would pop their tires or create more glass shard.  And I went back for the broken frame not knowing if there were nails or not.  So we did a great community deed.  No pictures though.  Too busy watching out for cars.

         Fifth stop: Learned Homestead Furniture and Ole West Trading Post are the same building but were told there will be two eggs – one for each side.  They were not set up but we have to Return for St. Vincent and Trudy’s anyway and so continue on down the road and passed the park to

 Sixth stop: Myrtle Creek Saw Shop.

Jenna seemed to find that easily, but the shop was busy and I am in favor of the real customers to be helped first.  We took another selfie at the saw shop because they were busy.

The selfie she took at the Saw Shop is on the Google Chrome but this is one she
 took of herself eating the treasured candy that was given to her at the saw shop

 Return to the car before we catch another two (should have been three but I’d forgotten about Smith’s Feed Company – which ironically is the closest participating business to where we live) but I did remember Red Barn Garden Supply

Seventh Stop: Serena had not hidden the egg because she doesn’t have all the necessary paperwork to proceed and asked us if we would post that to facebook.  So we didn’t search for the egg or fill out for drawing but Jenna did take her picture and then we continued our drive to

Eighth Stop: Treasures of the Heart.  She also has another customer and has not hidden her egg for the same reason as Serena.  We will return tomorrow.  Perhaps tomorrow and Wednesday.  Jenna needs twelve pictures. I don’t know if she has that many currently.  Or if they’re usable.  I think she said ten were.

This is not from today, but I thought it was a good pic

Where Did You Come From?

        Another member joined the fowl menagerie team. Well, no.  Not quite.  Joining would imply that he would travel in their pack – which he does not.  He seems to keep to himself.  There also appears to be a puzzled look on his face – but perhaps it’s just the mask he wears that is throwing me off.  I wouldn't have even known it was a pheasant if Roland hadn't said anything (He was the first one to spot the pheasant and then Jenna.)  If Roland hadn't said anything I would have thought that he was a rooster trying to disguise himself.   It wasn't long ago when Jenna and I watched a goose imitate a flamingo.

 

The goose standing on one leg

        The pheasant stands by himself – sometimes observing the other chickens.  His cry is worse than Mitch’s. I don’t know what he’s thinking.  I can only guess.

 

Jenna took this one with her cell phone

        “Where is my family?”

        “Who are all these birds?”

        “Who are those people?  Why are they throwing things at the birds?”

        “Why do the birds flock to what the people are throwing?”

        “Where is my family?  Where are my pals?”

        “I think I’m lost.”

 

        I don’t know why there’s a pheasant in our yard.  Or why he continues to hang around.  The entire fowl group is weird to me.

The Land Never Dies Though Appearance Constantly Changes

                “The land never dies” is the last line spoken Lynn Redgrave’s character, Charlotte to her grandson in the 1978 mini-series “Centennial”.  The series is a time period piece about settlers in Colorado during the 1700’s.  Roland had watched the movie shortly after watching a documentary featuring the rise and fall of Blockbuster video. 

https://www.netflix.com/title/81354557 

I remember Blockbuster.  I remember going to the video store to find videos when they were available on both VHS and Beta.  I remember the days long before Redbox and Nextflix.  I had never thought of the details or evolution.  I remember going for VHS – I don’t remember ever having checked out DVDs.  But there is still evidently one location in which renting DVDs is still a commodity.  

https://www.businessinsider.com/blockbuster-survives-in-bend-oregon-2018-8

Bend, Oregon is home to the very last Blockbusters.  Wow. 

I remember things in my childhood that Jenna will never experience or relate to.  Video rentals weren’t even part of my childhood but rather my teenage years.  Patrick had saved up his money to purchase a VCR.  Eight hundred dollars in cash.  Somewhere there exists a photo of Kayla wearing headphones and holding eight one-hundred dollar bills. Shocking! I know. First VCR and the remote was not even wireless.

My aunt and uncle had also purchased a VCR.  It was around Christmas time and they had gone to the video store to look for a family movie.  It was before Blockbusters and the selection was thin to start with – but especially during the holidays.  With little choice left (nothing Christmas themed at that) they settled on an early version of Gullivar’s Travels.  Oh, what a treat that must have been.  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076119/?ref_=tt_mv_close

I don’t remember renting so much as recording.  Patrick had recorded a televised copy of Capricorn One.  This scene had been cut  to make room for sponsers' ads.  

https://forgottenfilmcast.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/capricorn-one/

Though the scene may seem dull on its own, it’s a pretty crucial piece for the viewers to fully comprehend the scenes that follow, and thus Patrick would pause – holding the remote and wiring at a specific angle so that even with the wire intact, the VCR could read the remote signals.   

I honestly don't even remember the brand though
it probably wasn't this photo I found on pintrest

He would then explain the scene that had been cut out.  

Eventually we did join the novelty of going to the video store and looking at a huge assortment of shelves filled with movie titles.  We rented movies.  We physically left the house and loaded ourselves into the car to drive to a location which rented movies – now a nostalgic thing of the past.  Something that my children will never understand as they had grown up with cable and a variety of channels and not just the three that were available when I was a kid.

They don’t understand the inconvenience of the phone cord getting tangled as they are all younger than the cell phone.  They’ve grown up in an “instant gratification” society where as I was only introduced to the door not long before they came along.  I remember a world before cell phones, before ipods, cable, DVDs or even VCR.  My mom remembers when it was rare to have one TV – let alone one for each room.  I remember black and white TVs, huge monitors and TV repair.  Today is a “throw-away” society which has taken away the professions of so many who had learned the trade of repairing shoes, televisions, vacuums, cameras, etc.  

Today technological equipment is considered out dated the minute it’s purchased.  Anything over two years is considered a relic even if there’s no damage to said item.  Take my first Doro for instance.  I would still use it if the company would allow for it to connect to the towers – but maybe they really don’t have the control.  IT WAS A DECENT PHONE!   NONE of the replacements have been.  It’s as if when my Doro was disconnected so was my life (it was the beginning of 2020 after all)

It’s nice to know that somewhere out there the nostalgia is not completely gone.  Bend is nearly a four hour drive – not that we’d go there to rent movies.  It’s now a historic landmark.  People will take selfies in front of “the last Blockbusters on earth”.  When you come to Oregon you’ll want to visit Crater Lake – but hey, why not just pop over to Bend.  It’s not that far. 

https://www.mediapolisjournal.com/2018/11/old-tucson-overview/

The land may never die – but it certainly changes – though not on its own.  Men change the appearance.  They build empires and empires get torn down.  Evolution changes.  Landscape changes.  But the land is always there.

Neumann Developments

MC St Patty's Drawing

 Jenna won a prize!  She is so excited.

if all goes according to plan, they will reopen April 1
and we will go later that week for Jenna's birthday.

toothpick from cupcake and button from library

sugar cookie wrapper and indication

They're Still NOT Our Chickens

 On March 12 I posted the following to my facebook page

To which I received this comment:

“I think most towns’ chicken ordinances say NO roosters within the city limits.  Just because of the noise.”

My reply was that we just don’t seem to fit into that “most town” mold.  Two days later we received a knock on our door from a very angry homeowner that I didn’t even recognize.  She came here to complain about our chickens.  I told her the chickens are not ours.  She didn’t believe me.  I get it.  They do seem to spend far much more time in our yard than they do their own and will follow Roland around as though he is the Pied piper.  Roland is allergic to feathers.  Go figure.

I don’t think I even knew they were there until the end of July – perhaps just before.  It doesn’t appear I made mention of them in my blog until August 2 – though I refer to the pigs more than the chickens.  Jenna and I had walked around to the house where the chickens live to let the owners aware that two or three chickens were in our yard.  We didn’t understand the term free-range chicken and neither of us seemed to be bothered that they were in our yard. 

I don’t remember when two or three chickens at the top of the hill became 15 chickens plus roosters invading our front yard as well as the back.  My problem is having them soil the deck which Roland says he doesn’t mind cleaning for three dollar eggs (which is how he averaged the cost).  They had discovered the bird seed that gets knocked on the ground and have gone beyond our boundaries and into other neighbors as well.  Our neighbors to the west have a problem with the free-roaming chickens – and I suppose I do too to a degree – but not enough to risk starting a feud with the neighbors. 

I just think the average mindset of those that reside (and have for generations) in this area as opposed to one who may have lived in West Valley, Utah where restrictions apply and the average person seems more uptight because of all the rules and regulations whereas there are several human beings who have just never considered how another person (neighbor) might react to their casual ways.  The neighbors to our west are NOT happy with the livestock who live in the area.

On February 15^th I mentioned that Roland had added to the bird food supply separating the flying wild fowl and getting a more enriched product geared to chickens to feed the neighbor’s animals though it really is not his responsibility to feed them.  He just has a good heart. 

He had purchased some coops where the hens can lay their eggs as we’d really not have them lay under the porch and have a rotten egg smell this coming summer.  We were told that we could keep whatever eggs we could find – not to go out and encourage it.  So it might appear that we are the owners and Jenna had asked, “How do you prove that something is NOT yours?”

I don’t know if posts on a blog would be any proof – especially this one that is after the fact of being called out on the chickens that are still roaming around.  The neighbors behind us have put wind flowers upon a fenced in garden in order to keep the chickens out. 

interesting, if not colorful, idea

Roland and Jenna said they would miss the chickens if they were to leave.  I don’t know if I would or not.  I would definitely not miss the crow of the roosters. 

I know it would be better for Bonnie if the chickens were gone as she seems to be intimidated by their very presence.  I don’t know why.  She used to go out in the yard with no problem, but I think it was easier when there were only a few of them and not a cackling army. I certainly wouldn’t miss the mess they leave.  But perhaps there are things that would annoy me more if they weren’t around – like bugs.  I fear if the chickens disappear we will have more flies – especially if there are rotten eggs beneath the back porch.  I suppose I would rather deal with their crowing and crap and than the flies for even a day.  I HATE insects.

Last night we went for a walk - Roland's idea.  Jenna and I had him hold onto Bonnie.  About seven chickens were behind us as we left the driveway.  Almost four made it to the corner but than two turned back.  We crossed the street at the corner, but the two remaining chickens turned at the corner and went a direction different from the one we chose.  How humorous it would have been if all the chickens had followed us for our entire walk.  

11 out of 11

           I don’t know where Jenna came up with that number but that is how she had rated St. Patrick’s Day this year.  After being denied the opportunity of the annual Grunge Plunge (see here)  for the last two years not to mention the annual Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating downtown (thank you so much COVID) it was decided to involve several of the downtown businesses to participate in a St. Patrick’s Day celebration which Jenna has been looking forward since the beginning of this month it seems.

          Jenna started out the day by eating a bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast. She decked out in green because Spirit dressing is a large part of personality. 

We left the house later than we had hoped.  She said Scooby Doo would be at Good Dog’s Bakery.  Though he represented the bakery, he was really across the street.  

We made our way around a few of the participating businesses and received green doughnut holes at TrueBlood realty and sugar cookies from MSK Hardware  - Jenna also received a leprechaun hat (which she ended up holding in place with her cone hat – which gave the appearance of a witch or what she thought might look like a green crayon).

          After exploring downtown Myrtle Creek we headed to the library in Riddle and assisted for just a bit before Roland summoned us to return home.  

Jenna had really wanted to participate in the treasure hunt, but we were at a point where the schools were letting out and I didn’t much want to drive around Riddle looking for clues (especially since I am not familiar enough with Riddle to know where to search).

          Later we all went for a walk so that Bonnie and Roland could get some needed exercise. Jenna was a bit sulky but did try to focus on what she enjoyed.  She said she rated the day 8 out of 11.

          The young women were scheduled to play volley ball, but did not have a ball to throw and so we stopped by Dollar General and retrieved this purple ball.

 When she returned home from said activity she wore a smile on her face.  She held her ball and the cup she had used for refreshments – her final snack for the night – Lucky Charms.  She said she rated the day with an 11 out of 11.

Three Houses in Nauvoo

 
          I was not the only one signed up to tour Nauvoo yesterday.  I thought we would see more of the city, but it was raining and thus we did not see much of the outside.  The tour covered only three houses. There was a set of missionaries for each house we saw.

Those residing at the homes had names I was not even familiar with – nor did I have the correct spelling on the first and so had to look it up – though I still did not find many references for those residing in the first house. This first house belonged to William and Ester Gheens (here)

The final pic shows the outside view.  

They did not take us outside but did show a picture

inside - just behind the yellow door (from above)

standing in the kitchen of the Gheens home

Behind the tree is the Nauvoo Temple.

The second house we saw was that of William and Caroline Weeks (here). 

The ceilings are quite low and everything
looked so small - like we were in a playhouse.

First they showed us where the house was in relation to their neighbors and to the temple. 

I think this is the Hunter house from a distance

I think the house in the background
is Gheens where we had come from

We were shown some architect samples and tools. 

The waste basket represents some original designs that had been discarded after a conversation with Joseph Smith. (See here for more information)

This next pic shows a parlor bench with two hats which represent the Relief Society sisters who would have made their visits.

We were shown the bedroom  and were told that though there were eleven children born to the couple, only three lived.

The last set of missionaries showed us the house of Edward Hunter who was the third bishop to reside in the Church (here)

The pineapple paper is not authentic to the house but the missionaries explained the symbolic welcome message and imagined it could have been part of the characterization of the house as it seemed to represent the Hunters.

The temple can be seen out this window and up the stairs (we did not view beyond the stairs) was a “hideout” room where we were told the Prophet would sometimes use to escape his persecutors. 

My understanding was during one of these moments is when Joseph had recorded the revelation of baptisms for the dead

The sisters had also taken us to the “pantry” which was known as the bishop’s storehouse as the members of Nauvoo were able to build up supply for those in need.

Members back then did not pay tithing in money as many members
do today; they filled baskets with trade items (such as produce or livestock)

a collection of blankets and other items

The final picture was a view outside the window of the Hunter house

notice how there’s no snow in this pic

 Back to the Gheen’s house. 

Wm Gheens died June 15, 1845.  Chairs set up
for those who had come to pay their respects