May 24, 2016
On Monday I had an a cardiologist appointment at Bend Memorial Clinic for a followup on all the work I had done in Florida.
Dr. Koch had ordered a echo-cardiograph so I did that and then I saw him right after it was done. He reviewed all of the work that was done in Florida and the medications that I have been taking since then. Dr. Koch took me off a couple of meds including Imdur, which I really hated. I woke up every morning with a bad headache and during the day I just plain didn’t feel very good. I’m darned glad to be rid of that stuff.
Dr. Koch didn’t understand why the doctor in Florida gave me that drug in the first place. He also questioned why I was subjected to two heart caths as well. I’m not going into details here about our conversation but suffice it to say he would have done things differently and not as intrusive.
Today was another doctor and dentist day.
First, both Joyce and I got our teeth cleaned and x-rays done. Both of us came out with a good bill of health there. Next, Joyce had an appointment to have the stitches removed on her leg where she had a mole removed last week. Finally, I had an ophthalmologist appointment with Dr. Matthews. My glasses prescription has changed slightly but probably not enough to get a new pair.
May 29, 2016
Last Sunday we went up to Smith Rock for a enchilada supper hosted by Mike and Dorothy Clements who are the Bivouac Hosts. Dorothy’s enchilada’s are fantastic and of course we all ate way too much.
I have been working very hard on my genealogy this past couple of weeks. I’ve been transferring all my files to ancestry.com so I can take advantage of their automatic search features.
I’m sure you have seen the commercials on TV talking about all of the leafs that popup. Well, right now I have over 2000 of them little buggers and I get more everyday. Some of the information about my ancestors I already knew but my DNA testing has opened up a whole new world in my genealogy research.
June 1, 2016
We left Pilot Butte yesterday morning and made the run over the hills to the Keizer Elks Lodge. We could have left on Monday but we decided to hang around and let all the weekend warriors get off the roads.
The RV park here has forty-one parking sites with most having full-hookups. Our good friends Jerry and Susan Wentzel had paid a deposit for us so were sure to have a site.
This morning we drove up to Portland and picked up our grand daughter Abigail at the airport. Abby lives in St. Augustine, FL so her mother had to drive her to Atlanta so that she could catch a direct flight.
June 3, 2016
We left Keizer yesterday and headed up to the Boardman Marina and RV Park. Rick and Patty Stills told us about this great park situated right on the Columbia River. The roads in the park are a tad bit tight but if you go slow most folks won’t have a problem.
We bought Abby a bike for her to ride so she tried it out after we got settled in our site. When she leaves to go home we’ll donate it to Goodwill.
Today we’re heading over to La Grande where we’ll be spending one night and then on Friday we’ll move up to Wallowa State Park for three days.
June 5, 2016
We spent Friday night at the Eagles Hot RV Park just south of La Grande.
Our good friends Charles and Vicki Shaffer, who moved to this area from Dripping Springs, Texas invited us out to their place for supper. Vicki made a killer spaghetti supper and for desert we had very decadent chocolate brownies.
For several years I helped Vicki with the Gibson County, Tennessee Genealogy web page and a few years back Joyce and I visited them at their ranch in Texas. It was great seeing them again.
Yesterday we made the short run up to Wallowa Lake State Park just south of Joseph. This is a beautiful park situated just below the Wallowa Mountains and on the very picturesque Lake Wallowa.
Joyce and I came up to this park in July of 2005 and it is just a beautiful now as it was then. As with all Oregon State Parks, you need to make reservations a long time in advance to get a good site here, especially June through August. We highly recommend visiting this area during Chief Joseph Days that is always held the last full weekend in July.
June 8, 2016
Abby loved riding her bike around the campground and having a fire each evening. I taught her how to chop some kindling which she really enjoyed. We also roasted some hot dogs and of course, Abby had samores every night.
On the 6th we rode the Wallowa Lake Tramway to the top of Mt. Howard. Although a bit pricey, the ride was spectacular with views of the mountains and especially the valley below.
There was still a lot of snow on the ground that Abby really enjoyed and we had a nice lunch at the restaurant as well.
Our visit to the Joseph area came to an end much too soon. There was much more of the area we would have liked to have seen but all good things come to an end at some point.
We left the state park about 10:00 AM and made the 265 mile run to Memaloose State Park near Mosier, OR.
Memaloose is a small park located right next to the rest area at mile marker 72 on I-84. Our spot backed up to the interstate so the noise level is pretty high. However, with our Disabled Veteran Pass the only thing we had to pay was a $8 reservation fee for a full-hookup site with 30-amp electrical.
By-the-way, if you are a disabled veteran you can get one of the passes even if you are not a resident of Oregon. Check it out here: http://oregonstateparks.org/?do=v.page&id=19
June 10, 2016
We’re now at Nehalem Bay State Park in Manzanita, OR. The drive over from The Gorge wasn’t too bad even with the heavy traffic in Portland. I think we only had to come to a complete stop four times which is darned good for the interstates in that area.
When checking in at the booth we were greeted by one of the rangers that we haven’t seen in a couple of years. Jason also let us know that a couple we have hosted with here at Nehalem Bay are here so we’ll try and visit with them.
After settling in our site we took a drive up to Seaside to find Abby a sweatshirt and to have dinner.
Joyce and I have been using the same mailing service in Tillamook ever since we started our full-timing adventures but it looks like that association is coming to an end. The woman that owns the business has decided to retire very shortly so we will be switching to a new service soon. Today we are going down to Tillamook to pick up our mail and to arrange for the final mailings from Home Base Oregon.
June 11, 2016
Since we had to be in Tillamook anyway we took Abby to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company for lunch. Not only do they have some great cheeses they also make some really good sandwiches as well.
Our next stop? Yep, when in Tillamook gotta go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory to do some tasting and especially to get some ice cream. Abby was fascinated watching the folks make and package their cheese but she couldn’t wait to get that ice cream cone.
June 12, 2016
Yesterday was a full day of discovery for Abigail.
First, we drove up the coast to Astoria where we crossed the Astoria–Megler Bridge into Washington. Our destination was to Cape Disappointment State Park to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
This amazing place tells the complete story of the Corps of Discovery’s journey. Abby was fascinated with the displays.
Next be drove back to Astoria and after having some lunch we visited the Astoria Column. Grandma and Abby made the climb up to the top and then if that wasn’t enough, Abby did it two more times. This old fat boy stayed at the bottom.
June 25, 2016
Since Abby’s flight back home was at 6 AM, on Sunday the 13th we drove over to Troutdale to be closer to the Portland Airport.
After dropping Abby off at the airport we drove down to Oakridge to Jim and Jeanne’s RV Park. We’re going to stay here for a couple of days before our cruise to Alaska. More on that next time.
