A Few Things

I've just spent a little over a week in Oregon with no time for blogging. Here are just a few things.

I posted this picture on Facebook, but never got around to blogging it. We celebrated 44 years of marriage on August 21st. It's so hard to believe---the time has flown by. It was the best decision I ever made! We were babies!

Mitchell's car finally bit the dust. It gave our family 16 good years! First Butch, then Greg, then Mitchell. It still looks so good---no dents or rust. I think the place they donated it to are pretty happy to get it. And, by the way---10 yr. old Elizabeth was the one that found a place that would take it---via the internet. Kids these days know their way around anything electronic!

There's nothing like a surprise in the mail. My cousin, Chrissy made this wreath. In fact, she makes all kinds of fabulous wreaths. I admired this one and a week later it was in the mail to me!! She chauffeur me all around St. Louis---she's always been so generous to me. I love her!!

Upon arriving in Oregon, we went to a restaurant in Portland near the university. I've already forgotten the name of the place, but it came up on a list of the best sandwiches to have in all 50 states before you die. This one was called the Reggie Deluxe. Butch and I split it. It was a chicken biscuit with sausage gravy and a fried egg on top. Pretty much anything with a fried egg is a deal maker for me---like roasted red peppers or avocados! If those are in the description---I'm getting it.

Butch and his brother had not fly-fished in 30 years. They still had it in them. It was a very successful fishing trip---finally. They have the worst luck when it comes to fishing.

I liked to say we hiked the Oregon trail. But the truth is I have no idea where the Oregon trail is or if we even came near it. Instead, we hike a mile and a half to this waterfall in the Willamette State Forest.

 We arrived at our bed and breakfast and this is what greeted us---a big tom turkey with the gobble gobble thing.

The bed was so tall---thank goodness they had a step stool under the end table. I have a little step up in to my bed at home, but I could get in it without the step. Not this one.

This was the largest dog I've ever seen---even bigger than a Great Dane. I thought it was a giant poodle, but it was something else. I never heard of it before---thus I cannot remember it.

We saw so many deer everywhere in Oregon. We see a lot of deer here in Tennessee, but not this many---and not ALL day long. Our deer are more nocturnal. At the Powder Creek bed and breakfast, they were so tame that they would eat right out of your hand. I was happy just taking the picture. I would have had to wash my hands after.

And while we're talking about animals, I want to set the record straight. People accuse me of not liking animals. The truth is, I LOVE animals!!! To look at. I don't want to own them or have them in my house. I don't want them jumping on me or slobbering on me. I don't particularly want to touch them. And I don't like the smell. I just want to observe them and be amazed at unusual animals. I've always said that if someone put a gun to my head and said I had to have a pet, it would be a cat. They seem to be the least amount of work. We have fish---but when you travel as much as we do, even they are a pain!

Don't get me wrong, we've had many outside cats over the years. And, I get attached just like everybody. It's just not worth the heartbreak when they die. I learned that lesson at 10 years old. Our pet boxer disappeared. I cried for a couple weeks. I had the sense to tell myself that it was ridiculous to be so upset about an animal. That pretty much did it for me. I try not to get attached. But when one of our cats fell victim to that poison pet food about 10 years ago, I sobbed like a baby all the way home from the vets.

I get it---pets are family! They are just not my family!