Day 10: Crash and Burn

I suppose we could have gone to church right after we returned home – at least the second meeting – but I wouldn’t have gotten anything out of it.  I spent most of the day sleeping.  Jai wanted so badly to get Bonnie.  I was willing once I was rested, but it appears that the kennel is closed on Sundays.  Thus we went on Monday morning right after we had dropped Jaime off at the church.

In addition to already being fatigued from the trip itself, I was sent into a coma by the wind.  Neither Richard nor I felt motivated to do anything that first week.  He said he couldn't understand why he was so tired.  "Well, because you have done 100% of the driving, Buddy"

 I did offer during the long stretches of nothing. No city driving for me.  No driving for me period.  I was a drowsy passenger.  Before we returned home, Richard seemed like a grouch.  But hey, it's understandable.  We are both almost back to normal.  Jaime didn't seem fazed either way.  I think she enjoyed returning to school.    

Here are some more photos from the trip: 

Las Vegas - on the way to my brother's house

Happy Birthday, Steven

taken in Beatty, NV

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

Have I Got a Treat for You!

                 As I have been reading the scriptures I wondered where I had misplaced my personal scripture blessing.  I used to look at it often but realized I probably haven’t looked at it since we have lived in Oregon.  It isn’t where I thought it was.

        I found some “artifacts” and a letter addressed to my posterity about the contents of my pink ammo can.  What possessed me to paint it pink?  I don’t even like pink.  But at the time I didn’t appreciate the drab green although I think I prefer it to the pink that appears to be older than it is. 

        The note was written September 6, 1988.  I claimed that I had left a camera cassette which isn’t there but there is a VHS and the contents are the same as what is descrbed for the Minolta.  I suppose I could include another camera cassette but with different moments . . .

        The VHS tape includes recordings of a ventriloquist act featuring Ron Lucas.  It had been recorded off the Disney Channel.  Next was our family vacation to Yellowstone Park.  We saw more of the park than we usually do.  We returned home less than a week before the fires (here) 

I set the tape aside in hopes that Jenna and Roland will be willing to watch it with me. 

        My letter also indicated that there were two floppy discs.  I found only one – almost the same size as the one Matthew Broderick holds in this clip from the movie “War Games”.  

The caption indicates the contents are of my journal.  Perhaps.  Good luck finding a Brothers Word Processor from that decade or some other device to read it on.  My descriptions don’t even make sense to me.  I’m certain they will mean less to my posterity should they ever have the opportunity to go through it (well, Jenna has seen the contents – or some of them anyway).

          I have disc negatives of probably every picture I ever took with the short lived disc camera.  And a mountain of poems.  No expression magazine but homework/class assignments from 1979 and others I had jotted down.  What a joy that will be to go through. 

There are two collector pins not even mentioned – Clairol and Mary Tyler Moore.  Wow.  How’s that for a finder?

I also made the claim to a set of cassette tapes that contain contents of my mission. They were not in the can but I am 75% certain that I brought them to Oregon with me.  If not, they got pushed back in a closet in West Valley never to be seen again.  Too bad.  If I do come across them, I will include them with the memorabilia. 

I said I had included some kind of camera?  No camera but did find two flash bulbs.  Oh if only American Pickers would stop buy.  Laugh out Loud.  It’s actually quite pathetic.

But I do have poems.  Lots and lots of poems.  And I will share many of them throughout time.  Don’t you feel honored?

 As I didn’t find what I was searching for, I turned to some other ammo cans that kept natural color.  In one I found several photos.  Two had been taken of the sisters serving in Roanoke during September/October 1984 and March 1985.  I also found this picture that Sunny had created for all of her sisters 

and this one of me from my mission when I first arrived in Roanoke

Christmas 2020

         Last week I had taken Jenna to the church with me in order to wrap gifts for some members in the ward.  Another sister had dropped by the church to donate some games – which Jenna volunteered to take home.  I’m not really certain how that came about but we did end up with them.

        Thursday night Jenna’s Sunday School teacher dropped off a candy filled sock.  Jenna added the small sock to our fireplace; she said it would be for Bonnie.

 

        It turned out to be a really nice Christmas.  Each of us had three gifts beneath the tree plus the two games we dubbed from Santa Clause. Traditionally we will first open our socks.  Jenna passed them out one at a time.  I noticed my sock was bulkier than it had been before I had gone to bed.  Gloves, toffee, a chocolate orange and a notebook had been added to what I had already put in. 

 

        We each ended up with chocolate oranges – though Roland’s was dark while Jenna and I both received milk.  Roland also had sugar free chocolates and a McDonald’s card.  Jenna and I both received peppermint bark which Roland doesn’t seem to care for all that much. 

Jenna also received some Christmas cubes in her stocking.  She said it was meant for me but had to put it in her sock as there was no room in mine.      

me doing an elf jig while singing a Christmas carol

  

Bonnie's stocking

        After the gifts were open we watched Light the World here.  I like watching the virtual recording as opposed to seeing it in person – which I think I’ve only done once.  Watching so many faces (and not just doll-sized figures on the stage) from the comfort of my couch was so much better than going downtown Salt Lake. While I listened to the music, I filled out this Christmas themed paper.

 

 Afterward we played Mormon-opoly (one of the two games from Santa) It seems like a good theme for the transition from Book of Mormon, Christmas, and the Come Follow Me program which starts the Doctrine and Covenants.  The properties start at the New Testament (Bethlehem, Gathsemane), Book of Mormon (Zarahemla, Jeruselem) and church history (three places in New York, Nauvoo, Illinois and Kirkland Ohio and the progression of the church) also included are four newspapers instead of four railroads, “faith” and “bishop’s storehouse” instead of “chance” and “community chest”, and “spiritual darkeness” instead of “jail”.

        I like reading the information on the properties for example “Fayetteville Township, New York” says

 

·        The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized here on April 6, 1830.

·        The first conference was held here on June 9, 1830.

·        Where the Book of Mormon translation was completed.

 

Temple Square:

 

·        The Temple Square Mission began in 1875.

·        Home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which held its first broadcast on July 15, 1929.

 

Some of them offer scriptures to read while the game is being played.  Bishop’s Storehouse and Faith cards also include scriptures at the end of each direction.  For example I had to pick a property to donate to charity and then I was sent to spiritual darkness the next round.  Jenna had passed go five times before I would make it around the board once.  And they made me the banker and all of the money and cards stuck together which added more time to the game.  When I landed on Roland’s properties for the umpteenth time I forfeited the game and so Jenna declared Roland the winner. 

 

        Jenna took Bonnie for a walk while Roland and I ate an early lunch.  She had returned after only a few minutes as it had started raining and Bonnie doesn’t like the rain. It was raining for most of the day and into the night.  It is still raining.

         Throughout the day Jenna and Roland played the Book of Mormon chess set while I took a few pictures and started this post for my blog.  I was unable to finish all of my thoughts until this morning.  My post would have probably included more detail if I had not been interrupted.  I suppose it already appears too long.  Oh, well.

how our tree looked Christmas morning

shirt received on Christmas - the only unwrapped gift beneath the tree
pictured: a chicken with the caption keeping it rural.  Also got matching
socks with roosters with the caption: rise and shine (pictured below)

Roland sent this doll to his mom and we got to watch her open it

This was taken later in the night; played our last game - not a new one

Walking Bonnie on a Scavenger Hunt

 

Jenna asked me if I would go on a walk with her and Bonnie.  She asked if I could look up a scavenger hunt list that we could do at the park.  I pulled up a list and sent it to her phone.  The rules were that we could not take something that we brought ourselves and no repeats.  At least one of us had to be in the picture with said item (as we would not be bringing any of it home) My rule was that we did not have to capture things in order – otherwise we would still be at the park with an empty list.

Twenty items were on the list. The list goes as follows:

Something covered in feathers

Something inflated by air

Something made of wood

Something purple

Something rectangle

Something round

Something shorter than you

Something square

Something striped

Something taller than you

Something that flies

Something that displays a rule(s)

Something that smells pretty

Something with wheels

Something yellow

Something you can sit in

Something you use to play sports

The letter “S”

Something covered in fur

Something with a date on it

The first thing we captured was number 12 – the park rules.  I think it is the only time Jenna wore the mask.

The second Jenna took of me and Bonnie.  #3 something wood

Jenna had mentioned that we would need something with wheels.  There is a large saw mill that we could take a picture of.  Only she thought I meant the mason stone which I thought she took, but found this instead.

4 something with wheels

Jenna spotted second Ave and thus we crossed the street and took a picture of #18 something that starts with S

point of interest: Top of street that leads to the park where
Jenna is standing is where the Christmas tree is placed
each year – thus second Ave is closed off for a month.

We did get a picture of the saw – not for S, not for wheel, but for #20 something with a date

perhaps not so much a full date as just the year

Jenna spotted the wheelchair marking on the ground and decided to lay next to it.  #8 something square

For number 17 “Something you use to play sports” Jenna and I decided that the baseball field would serve as the background as it is something that many do use to play sports

Jenna saw a group of people looking towards the sky and finally spotted the drone they were all looking at.  I suggested she take it for #11 something that flies.  It is the only picture that neither one of us were in.  She has circled the drone as it didn’t come out so obvious in the photo

I grabbed a couple of plastic bags from the park dispenser just in case we needed to clean up after Bonnie – who did take a dump but proceeded to bury it before I could pull the sack apart.

I then posed with a stump #7 something shorter than me.

I asked if the book drop could be used as one of list items.  She went down to investigate and there are some purple paperbacks

Bonnie followed her and tangled them both in her leash.  I wish I would have had a picture of that.  When Jenna tried to get them both untangled, Bonnie decided to chew on her leash

Though we had passed yellow speed bumps, Jenna decided the Oregon Duck rock had a more exciting yellow and thus posed with the rock # 15 something yellow

Jenna went into the restroom to take her picture sitting “in” something.  I didn’t realize she was going to choose the sink #16 something you sit in.

There were four small flags displayed behind a very small fence.  I asked Jenna if that would work – I liked the display.  She was not comfortable taking the picture however as there was a group of people nearby.  She found another flag and used it for #9 something with stripes. We could have also used it as either #10 something taller or #5 something rectangle – but stripes seemed the best choice.

Jenna then found a tree barely taller than herself and decided we’d pose with it though I thought we could have found a more exciting background with a different (and taller) tree

She took a picture of a squirrel – or attempted to rather.  I had Bonnie on the leash.  She dashed toward the squirrels and so it moved out of frame.

Jenna thought we could get another dog with other walkers but they went in another direction.  Further up we got our #5 something rectangle and #6 something round

It wasn’t until we had almost completed full circle when Jenna spotted another dog walker and asked if she could pose with their dogs but got only one that has a similar coloring to Bonnie.

Bonnie of course wanted to follow the dogs as she continued to bark at them and knocked Jenna over.

As we had not used the bags for Bonnie’s bowels and still had three things on the list Jenna decided to inflate one of the bags so that we could mark off #2 from our list.

something inflated by air

She approached two women and asked if they had any perfume or something that smelled pretty – though I had suggested plants that bloom in the spring time and might be fragrant, but I don’t know.  I can’t smell.  Jenna settled on a bottle of Pepsi.  I don’t know that I’d say Pepsi has a “pretty” smell – but that was our number 13.

And thus we left the park having marked off each item but the first – something covered in feathers.  We had heard birds in the trees but could not see them – nor did we find ducks in the water.  I told Jenna to take a picture of her skinned knee that she received when Bonnie pushed her over.  

Jenna, still determined to get her feather covered fowl took one from our front porch (no longer in the park – rather seven miles away) and almost as easy to spot as the drone.  The orange above her head is one of many fowl that come into our yard.

Overall it was a fun little adventure.