Oregon Living 2025 – Blog #26 – Family Time and a Wedding!

 

Sunday, July 6^th., 2025……  Today was a very quiet day!  I went and got us breakfast while Cathye walked and fed the girls and then she left for church shortly after that. I caught up on some of my races. The Tour de France started yesterday and I had it taped to watch today (among all of my other races!). It will be on Directv tomorrow only and then on the weekends after that. So, during the week, I will have to watch it on replay on Peacock. I texted Randy and he said they were in Downieville and would likely be here Monday night or Tuesday sometime.

Monday, July 7^th., 2025…… I got a text today saying the plan is to be here tonight. Steve is coming in from Reno and will be a few hours ahead of them. Meanwhile, I ran some errands. I went off to Sweet Home RV to pick up a fitting for the Shasta propane tank. It has an old tank that’s no longer legal to be filled, so I needed a part for the new tank that I already have. I got that mounted and the gas lines hooked up and tested. Everything was working fine.  Steve got here a few hours later and said that Perrin was with Randy and Chuck!  Randy wanted it to be a secret so we will act surprised when they get here. Penny came over as did Cherrelyn. Once they all got here, we left to go to Rick’s Kento Grille for dinner. He was there and greeted us and the girl took our order. I was expecting better!  She got Cat and my orders wrong so they needed to fix it and didn’t do a good job. But everyone else had good meals so they were happy! We visited for a while and got sleeping assignments done. Steve will sleep in the motorhome. Perrin in the Shasta, and Randy and Chuck in Randy’s motorhome. But Perrin smelled gas in the Shasta so he will stay in the motorhome. They shut off the tank and I will need to check it out tomorrow.   

Tuesday, July 8^th., 2025……  The kids had their mountain bikes all loaded last night and headed out early this morning to go ride Alsea Falls for the day. They were gone before the painters got here!  The guys worked on the rv garage after the carport. They were able to lay enough plywood on the roof of the carport and put a ladder on that to paint the upper section and reach the soffits and fascia as well. 

They concentrated on that while another crew worked on the trim around the patio. All that’s left is below the carport (easy) - a clear coat on the wood ceiling on the patio, and then sanding and clearcoating the front door. I expect it will be another few days before they wrap it up. I went out and checked the propane connections I installed yesterday. I sprayed soapy water on everything and found no leaks. The smell is gone so everything is good to go now.  Later, I got a call from Rich, our neighbor, who will be calling Mark to come mow both of our fields. We found out he is available on Saturday which will be busy here but we need to get him in and once he’s out in the field, he won’t be in the way of anyone. I’m sure the kids will be out on another ride and we will be going across the street for Paul and Corie’s daughter’s wedding and reception anyway.  It will be a busy day!   

Wednesday, July 9^th., 2025……  No painters today or tomorrow. The kids left this morning to go ride Black Rock. They have to stop in Salem on the way to get Randy a new front wheel from the damage to it yesterday. Randy wasn’t hurt – he just hit a jump too hard and bent the wheel!  Chuck took a fall on his bike and scraped up his left arm. No worries – after a shower, they patched him up and wrapped it so he’s good to go today! I worked on the blog and then helped Cathye make dessert for tonight. Penny is bringing steaks for a bbq. I also worked on finding out why I don’t have power to the shed out back. I have wired it up so all you need to do is plug in an extension cord to the outside receptacle and have power to the lights and plugs I installed inside. I found the problem and got it running again. Now I can add a battery tender to the third mower that’s stored there. I have two already – one for the motorhome and one for the bike. Just have to go online and get two more for the lawn tractors. My zero turn starts every time so that one is good for now.   Everyone got here in time for dinner. We had steaks, with enough sides and everyone seemed to get enough to eat!

Thursday, July 10^th., 2025…… Cathye made breakfast casserole for this morning. Johnson Irrigation is due out here today. I want to change out the last controller system they previously put in last year. He installed a bluetooth program to my phone and it’s not cooperating. Plus, Cathye cannot access it as she would need to. Once he got here, he made a few quick repairs and will set up a future day and time to come back with the new panel. The boys rode Blackrock today and got home in time for leftovers. They washed clothes and showered and then we sat out with them til we got tired out and went in to bed.

Friday, July 11^th., 2025…… We had breakfast leftovers and did a birthday toast for Jeff, and then the kids loaded up and took off to head to Washington for a few days. There are a few trails up there that Randy has been to and some he hasn’t, plus he needs to make a stop at a parts place up there to get his wheel repaired. They will be up there for 4-5 days he says. Later, Cathye and I dressed and headed down to Eugene to go to see a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. We left early enough to be up in the line and we got seats right next to the stage! We ordered food and drinks and got to know our tablemates and then enjoyed the great show. They had two girls in the band and one had a voice so close to Stevie Nix that it gave you shivers! They played 10-12 songs and we enjoyed them very much! We headed home and went straight to bed after a nice evening out!   

Saturday, July 12^th., 2025……  Today Mark is coming to mow the field. He does this for us once a year. This time he’s early because the grass is really high!  He finished Rich and Linda’s and then started in on ours. Meanwhile, the painters were here. It will be their last day. They masked off and clear-coated the ceiling of the outdoor deck plus sanded and clear-coated the front door. At the end of the day, they had us double check everything so far and touched up anything we found.  After a bit, we changed and walked across the street to our neighbor’s daughter’s wedding. Paul and Corey have a beautiful landscaped backyard and have hosted many parties and weddings there before. We had to sit out in the sun for the ceremony, but after about 15 minutes, we moved to tables under the shade trees for the reception. Cathye got overheated and wanted to leave shortly after dinner, so we took a quick pic at the background,

then came back home and relaxed for the evening. I wasn’t all that comfortable and found I was really congested. I was especially tired and took some allergy pills and went off to bed. More on this later….  

 

Oregon Living 2025 – Blog #25 – Church, a Campout, Mowing, and More Painting!

 

Sunday, June 29^th., 2025……  We slept in a bit this morning. We walked and fed the dogs, then ate breakfast and headed out. Today we were going to church in Turner. Cathye’s church headquarters is there and they were in the end of a week-long retreat at the facility. They have a huge building for services as well as several outbuildings and cabins for these events. We decided to go up for Sunday services. I had never been and was amazed by the size of this place! It looked to be a huge barn which is converted to a place for events. 

We met up with probably 15 or more from her church in Sweet Home and sat for service. Afterwards, we headed back home for a day of rest. Tv and cool temps in the house today!

Monday, June 30^th., 2025…… We were up early and had the dogs walked and fed and then headed off to the gym and then to Kevin’s for breakfast. When we got back, I went out and hooked up Cat’s Shasta to get it ready.  She is going with her girls for their 4^th of July outing in Brownsville. I got it parked away from the house for the painters and she later washed it. 

It was 95° today so we took it easy outside. I have a flat tire on the truckster so I needed to take the wheel off and get it up to Les Schwab.  These tires were new in Dec. 23 and barely have any miles of them so they needed to fix the problem. They suspected the bead was leaking and they would need to clean it up so I left it. Later, we went to run errands. I stopped and got the tire and we went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, and then stopped at the Fish Place to get dinner. While we were out, I got a text message from Jose that his guys finished their other job and would be here at 7:00am in the morning. Tv until bedtime.  

Tuesday, July 1^st., 2025……  Just like clockwork, they were here right at 7!  I had showered and walked Rylee. Jama will not leave the bed with Cathye in it!  I made coffee and had leftovers from Kevins and watched tv and worked on the blog for a while. Cat was busy booking plane flights to New Hampshire for October. I think we have everything set. No class today so we can work around the house a bit. Can’t mow because of the painters. I need to talk with Jose to see if we can at least do the field. I saw the tire was flat again so I took it back off and brought it back to Schwab. It’s a tubeless tire. The rim must be bent enough to let air out slowly, so I had them put a tube in instead. I got it back later and got it installed. The plan is now to just mow the field tomorrow. I think we can do that and not interfere with the painters and the dust will not be a problem.

Wednesday, July 2^nd., 2025……  I was up at 6:30 this morning, dressed and headed out with Rylee around 7:15.  I saw that the guys had already taped up around the garage doors so they could paint. That meant that the mowers were trapped inside! So, no mowing today! They have 99% of the paint on the house. They have a few areas that need second coats and then they have about half of the trimwork to finish. We made a change midway to have the ceiling area changed from the original house color to trim color. We thought that area would be better off a light color rather than darken the deck area. It probably will cost us in the end if they have already ordered the house paint. But it sure looks good. Rick, our neighbor across the street has contacted Jose to give him a bid for the trim paint on his place. He has asked us if we are happy. Yes, we are!    

Thursday, July 3^rd., 2025…… We decided to eat later in the morning and take the trailer to the park so we could set up ahead of others. Boy, that was a good choice!  When we got there, we found that they must have allowed campers in on Wednesday because there were tons of folks already camped. We couldn’t get in the place where she usually parks, but we managed to find another spot that wasn’t saved. I backed her trailer in and we leveled it. While we were doing that, two ladies came in and said they were expecting three tents to come in later. Cathye said nothing was marked so we have set up and would have two tents of our own. They were not happy and walked off. After about 20 minutes, they came back and moved their tents and we never saw them again! After a bit, I left and came back home for the day.  I went to my 1:15 massage and saw Cathye when I was leaving and she came in for her massage. I went back home and Cathye went straight back to the campground.  She called later and asked me to come back with some things she forgot. I took them back, stopping by the local store down the road to get mustard and ice. I came back home to feed Rylee and relax for the evening. She called later before bed. I will be going back tomorrow for lunch and then back later (before dark) to pick up Jama. It gets really loud at the fireworks show and she needs to be here where it’s a lot quieter.     

Friday, July 4^th., 2025…… HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!  The guys are working here this morning. Half day Jose said. Then they will be off for a few days. They worked on the trim today. I think counted six of them. Some were on the roof and some worked on the patio posts. The wrapped columns were clear coated when we added the deck, but the pine wrap hasn’t done so well over the last year or two, so we are changing them to white. They look nice now!  Later, I took the bike and rode down to the park. They (Corey) were cooking hotdogs and everyone brought items for the potluck. It was nice. 

I left and came back home. The guys stayed past half day and got a lot done. They are still trying to figure out how to tackle the back of the rv garage. The metal carport is only a few inches off the back wall and they are trying to fashion a platform with plywood so they can walk on it and put a ladder on it to reach the peak of the walls. They haven’t done anything yet. I suspect they are worried about damage and will work on it later. I went back and picked up Jama and headed back home. The night was noisy here, but I know it was a lot better than right next to the fireworks show in the park! Both dogs did well and all was quiet around 10:15 or so when we went to bed.      

Saturday, July 5^th., 2025…… I was up and going early and had the girls out and walked. After calling Cat, I headed down there to help her get everything loaded and ready for her to come home. A lot of the campers there were staying until Sunday, but 30-40% of them were also breaking camp today. When I got there, the kids were just moving and Cat had one of the littles while I worked on loading my truck with tables and chairs and the firepit – everything that was able to be loaded. I eventually got her truck backed up and hooked up the trailer. I left with my truck and got home and got that unloaded. A while later, Cat got home. We backed up the trailer out of the way of the painters when they get back on Tuesday. She will unload most of it later today. I got out all three mowers and after charging two of the batteries, we started in mowing.  It took about an hour and a half and we cleaned up and were done. We all rested and had a cool drink, then Penny went home and we were done for the day.   

Oregon Living 2025 – Blog #24 – Party Time and then the Painting Starts!

 

Sunday, June 22^nd., 2025……  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO SHAUN AND LILA! I believe they said it was their 29^th. Today would have been mine and Lydia’s 57^th.

We were all up early, checking the weather. So far, so good! It’s still cloudy and a little chilly, but the forecast is for clear skies and warmer temps later in the day. So, after breakfast, the guys set up the three popups and the canopy on the gravel. I already had drinks in the coolers and just needed to add ice to them. The schedule we made up was games at 2:00pm, dinner at 3:00pm and the Club meeting at 4:00pm. Folks arrived and set up their chairs and joined in on the games and drinks. More and more came. It was time to start the bbq. I cooked hamburgers, turkeyburgers, hot dogs and brats on the bbq. I think the final count was 27. A lot of folks would tell us later that they were afraid of the weather. But it turned out nice and everyone had a good time and had plenty to eat from the rest of the potluck they all brought. The meeting went well, but with this many people contributing, it was long and confusing. But we had a lot of agenda items and this was a good time for the group to hear and discuss so that was perfect timing. After the meeting, folks started leaving with the rest of us sitting around the firepit and discussing the day and the Club and how things went. Eventually, folks left and the rvs after that. But before that, I had help with the canopy and that was appreciated. I asked them to leave the popups and the tables out because my sister would need them for her friend’s upcoming yard sale. They helped put the tables in my truck and that was helpful. We kicked back and relaxed from the day’s events. We were both beat!      

Monday, June 23^rd., 2025…… I was up and going early. Jose had already been by and we talked about the rains delaying them by a few days. He said they were finishing up one house tomorrow and would be there in the afternoon to start work. We walked and fed the girls then headed off to breakfast.  When we got home, we were surprised to see trucks in the driveway! The task today was to caulk everything. They had six of them here today and made a lot of progress! I have them doing all of the battens on both the rv and shop garages. That’s a lot of work!  But they did a great job.  Meanwhile, we had some more prep of our own to do. But first up was getting the tables over to Penny’s yard sale location. I made one trip with the tables and then asked if they wanted the popups and took them over on another trip. When I got back, we started moving furniture on the deck. We took the cushions off the metal chairs and moved them out to the lawn. We stacked up items on the spa cover and around the firepit. That would give me space to use my ladder to remove the light string up around the patio.  

Tuesday, June 24^th., 2025……  The painters showed up this morning at 7:00am!  We were not expecting that. But I was up and going and walked Rylee (Jama wouldn’t leave the bed) and then went out to check on them.  The plan today was to caulk and scrape. Later, we started on the patio lights. I moved the ladder down the line and Cat was there to wind them up and deposit the screws in her pocket. It went quickly. The guys continued through the day and I think got all of the shops completed and most of the house. I went off to class and Cat stayed home to answer questions. But no issues. I got home and we went to Dos Arbolitos for dinner. Tv and then bed.   

Wednesday, June 25^th., 2025……  Today Cathye decided to leave because of all the activity and I was there all day. She went to visit her friends and they went to dinner. I ate leftovers but she brought me hers from The Point. The guys pressure washed today and did some wood rot repair. It looks good so far! They would not be here tomorrow so the house can have a day to dry.

Thursday, June 26^th., 2025…… We left early for breakfast and then Walmart. We rested for most of the day. I did go out and moved everything of the front porch so they had room to work out there.   

Friday, June 27^th., 2025…… We were up early again and ready for the guys. They started in taping off and covering the ground around the shop and rv garage. We ate breakfast and then left around 8:15 to go help at Penny’s yard sale. They don’t have a lot of items and it’s just in the driveway area and they have a lot of help so we didn’t stay too long. When we got back, we found they already had painted the shop garage!

Later, they would also do the rv garage. They had one guy doing primer on the house. We have some spots that were stained from the iron rich water that we have in the sprinkler system, and that needed to be addressed.   

The kids are coming today. I will bbq the leftovers from our party last week and Corey will be working around the yard. When they got here, Cathye showed him what she wanted done today and then she took Brandyn out to the blueberries to help out there. 

Later, I took him for a ride on the bike. He was a little scared but I went slow so he was good. 

The guys were only supposed to be here until 1:00pm. They got more paint on the house and they decided to just keep going to get it all done. There were one or two here until 4:30. 

After they left, I got the bbq fired up and we ate. It was a long day but we saw a lot of progress plus Cat and I got to play with the little ones as well! 

Saturday, June 28^th., 2025…… The team was here again at 7:00am. The weather is getting warmer by the day and they hit it hard early in the morning. When they left, Jose told me they would be back next Wednesday to finish the trim. Later, we changed and left to go pick up 5 others to head up to Salem to a dance. This was a “raid” on that club! We all met in the parking lot and marched in to their dance making a lot of noise. They didn’t expect us and we really surprised them! We all brought extra food so they would have enough. We stayed through the dance then drove back. I dropped everyone off and we headed home. Cathye had never seen one of these raids. It was a fun night for everyone.