Round About My Hometown

After arriving in Idaho Falls my Bob (my brother) and Barbara (his wife) took us for a drive.  We wound through the countryside past my first grade school, past two differnt farms where our family lived while I was growing up.  Some of the buildings were still there.  Funny how it all seems so much smaller now.  Then we drove to the foot hills that flank the Snake River Valley on the East to see the ever growing Wind Farms

Ron & I were both thrilled to see so many of these wind farms in action on both sides of the gorge in both Oregon and Washington on our way.  It is amazing to me how this new technology is just happening. 

There was a lot about this trip that amazed me.  The place I grew up was so dominately mormon that I felt very much a minority.  The culture has changed.  It used to be that July 4th was never celebrated in Idaho Falls because July 24th (Mormon Day) was such a big celebration.  This is no longer so.  It is still the main religion but much more diverse in attitudes than I remembered. 

The beautiful "Idaho Falls"

We arrived on Monday Sept. 5th and left for our Yellowstone adventure on Sept. 8th.

It was a wonderful trip and I will share some of the highlights with you on the next blog.

Love to all

Idaho Trip September 2010

What a trip! Ron & I left early on September 3rd with up to three weeks to spend with my brother Bob and sister-in-law Barbara – a plan to see old home places, relatives and friends, take a trip to Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone Park and attend my 50th Class Reunion. This has given me material for at least three blogs – so here is the first installment. I will write more as I get the pictures edited.

Our first stop was in the beautiful george - at Multnomah Falls!

We had our little Mazda packed so tight we had to roll down windows to push everything in.  We car camped on the way to Idaho with our first stop a few miles East of La Grande Oregon where we had camped many years ago.  We were pleased to find the spot was just as beautiful and secluded as it was 20 years ago.  There were hundreds of Canada Geese coming in for the night and we were able to watch the pair of Osprey fish the lake and show off at sunrise high in the sky.  It was a wonderful resting place!

As we continued on our journey we found lots of road construction and the speed limited fluctuated between 75 and 45 for a long way.  I was tense with the narrow lanes and big trucks and so by the time we reached an RV park by Burley Idaho - I was ready to stop!

Sunday September 5th we had a short trip on to Idaho Falls.  We stopped at Masacure Rock just before Pocatello Idaho to look for the White Pelecans we usually see there on the Snake River.

A couple of hours and we were at Bob & Barbara's home in Idaho Falls!  That was a great reunion!

Kam was busy repainting all the critters that grace the "Funny Farm" with enough to amuse one for weeks!

Bob thought Ron & I should take a spin around the mile on his antique bicycle built for two!

Barbara, Oreo, Ron & Betty enjoying the beautiful place and a good visit.  We had two days to rest up and catch up before our trip to Yellowstone Park.  Check in soon for the next installment.  Love to all!

River Romp 2010

Left to right: Jesse Laramore, Chris & Deja Blanchard, Vick & Mark Lennox, Ernie Front Justin Derricott and Jarred Laramore


We enjoyed seeing relatives and friends at the River Romp the 7th of August. Ron's kids and grandkids were there in numbers to cook breakfast Saturday morning. We sure enjoyed them all. The breakfast was wonderful too.
Grandaughters, Alyssa Derricott & Deja Blanchard

Daughters, Vicki Lennox and Diana Derricott

The Beautiful bench was made by Rolf Kahn and a friend from the original sign that was posted in the 1970's for the Ranch - and lost for years in the barn. Rolf resqued it and helped design this amazing bench made of Cedar,Oak (arm rests) Alder milled from Rolfs property on the seat and Cherry wood makes up the frame.

The back of the bench uses horse harness yoke and hardware to write UK

Left to right: Leslie Carrol, Vicki Lennox and Jesse Laramore

Pet, Ulf and Ron enjoy the meal!

Ron had cataract surgery on Monday Aug. 9th and now he has 20-20 vision again!! We are so happy. His heart is doing well and he is on a new med for diabetes that is working better.
We are getting excited about our 3 week vacation and trip to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming – and going to my Class Reunion.

I have put together a 20 minute video using computer technology that Tim has taught me. I am now waiting until the 25th to see if any more classmate pictures come in – and after that I am laying in the sound track and voice over and then I have to burn 32 DVD's. I have the labels all made and I think it will be a fun presentation.

I have used the computer to find campsites to use along the way on our trip to Idaho Falls. We will tent camp at Wolf Creek Reservoir in Oregon near LeGrande and then near Burley Idaho or the Twin Falls Reservoir in Idaho before we come to Idaho Falls.

On the 8th of Sept we will travel to Old Faithful Inn for the night and for dinner and then we will tour Yellowstone Park. We plan to exit the South going through the Teton's and
will travel to Swan Valley Idaho for more camping. Hopefully Ron can catch some fish to take back to my Brother Bob and his wife Barbara where we will stay for the rest of our trip.

All this should make for a good blog when I get back.


Greetings to all. Love you!

Summer Time

I have neglected writing so long – sorry to my followers. I am doing better now with the deep massage therapy and it is a good thing because I volunteered for a project that has grown pretty big.

Remember the old dance cards?? Junion Prom Theme was "Venus"
My 50th class reunion will be held in Shelley Idaho – as I mentioned in an earlier blog –in September. I volunteered to do a "slide show" which for me is a "Pinnacle Movie Production" and planned to cover the "good old days 58 – 60. Then I received current pictures from some class-mates so have altered the plan to be a Now back to Then production. I am scanning in images to photo-shop where they are edited, corrected for pixel size and so on and then saved to files. Each picture will be worth about 4 seconds in the presentation so I need quite a bit. Now I am networking with classmates to encourage them to send me "current photos" so I will have more in that category. It is fun!



I am so excited that a really good friend that I haven't seen since 1958 is coming from San Diego – Alyce – so looking forward to seeing you and meeting your husband! I was at the 35 year reunion – and that was only 15 years ago – but OH how things have changed!

Karen Daw has forwarded all the pictures she has so I am looking forward to seeing more show up by e-mail or mail. Thanks Karen for all you have done.

I have a MAGIC Mirror in my bathroom. I only see the 30 year old me there.

I'm sure that we all feel the same on the inside – since the spirit never grows old. However the body just doesn't want to do all the things my mind can think up! That’s what kids are for isn't it?? Our duplex needs painting – any volunteers??? OH Well!

Looking forward to visiting with my brother who is 11 years older than I am right now – until October 11th when I am going to "roll back a year" and he will be 12 years older!!


Ron & I are spending a night at the famous Old Faithful Inn! We have dinner reservations in the Inn September 8th. Then after a tour of the Jackson Hole Wyoming we will be spending time in Idaho Falls visiting with relatives until the reunion on the 17th and 18th of September. It will be a great vacation – and a perfect opportunity to post a blog all about it.

Thanks for visiting. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Trip to the High Desert

It has been such a strange – wet and cool spring that when we saw a weather forecast predicting 85 degrees on June 12th we packed up and headed out for a "fishing trip".
Since it has been raining all along the rivers are still high and when we reached the favorite Santiam River there were no fish.

That’s when we decided to be spontaneous and just keep driving EAST. We camped for two nights in the Ochoco Canyon alongside the Crooked River near Prineville OR. It was really warm – in the 90's and beautiful.




I did a lot of reading and meditating and Ron did a lot of fishing and cooking. Not many fish because the River there was high too – but the Sunrise and Sunset on the Crooked River are spectacular! It was a wonderful time.


The first night our bed in the back of the truck broke and we both slid together in the middle! Not so bad for a while but soon I was announcing "I'm getting out of here!". Ron said – where are you going? I said "I'm getting out of here!" I found if I put my head by his feet the bed was a little flatter. I found a way to hang on all night but it was the longest nights I have ever experienced! The benefit was seeing the sky FULL of stars as I have had the pleasure to witness. The next night with the help of the car jack under our bed – we had a lovely nights sleep!

Mute Swans are not native - but make beautiful attraction at roadside park near Prineville

It was Flagg Day - June 14th as we came home through Redmond.
We had beautiful views of the Three Sisters, Mt. Batchelor, Mt Jefferson, Mt Washington, and Three Fingered Jack as we traveled through the Eastern Valley on the way home.

Just before we reached Whitewater Road on the way down from the pass a deer jumped out in front of us as we were traveling about 55 MPH. Ron jammed on the brakes, the deer slid past, Ron jumped on the accelerator and increased our speed to about 10 MPH and turned the right corner of the truck toward the oncoming truck with locked up brakes and smoking tires. Ron was present enough to hold himself stiffly back from the steering wheel so that he wouldn't be thrown against his defib implant. Thanks to his quick thinking no one was seriously hurt, except the poor old truck. It is in the repair shop now.


I am starting about 8 weeks of therapy for whip-lash and am pretty stiff and uncomfortable right now. Rest, therapeutic massage, and hopefully I will be back to my stud-ly self!!

We welcome all the new babies in our life. James & Cami had a baby boy – Ian Alexander! Maria had a little girl on June 21st – Lilly. What beautiful children they are!
Ian Alexander


Lilly
Today Marilyn's parents celebrate 50 years of Marriage at a backyard celebration. That is a wonderful gift as well. Congratulations Wayne and Pat!

Greeting and love to all of you – busy people. We love you!