Oregon Living 2026 – Blog #30 – More Wellhead Issues, a New Yard Guy, and a Rail Ride!

 

Sunday, August 2^nd., 2026…… The weather is really nice these days!  Temps in the mid- 70s. BUT that is about to change! Today will be 74°, tomorrow 89°, Tuesday 97° and Wednesday it is supposed to hit 100°! Wow!  Good thing we have a pretty easy week, with not too much on our calendar. But Jody is coming this week to visit with Penny. She lives in Utah where it’s pretty hot too, but it looks like she’ll not get any relief while she’s here.  We spent the day hanging around the house. I used grandpa’s weed puller on a couple of large weeds along the driveway. But I got tired and quit after a dozen or so. There’s way more to do!  Cat has decided to let our landscaper go. Turns out they are not on the same page with direction and days they work!  He showed up here last Tuesday when we were both at my doctor’s appointments, and without any direction from Mary (who knew nothing about him coming), he left without doing anything! Yesterday, Cat sent him a text firing him. Penny has a new guy and gave us his contact info. Cat will be calling him tomorrow. Later it was tv. I was told not to use the spa while on the radiation treatment, but it’s been 9 days now and I don’t have any irritation or anything so we decided to go for it. It was fine and very relaxing!

Monday, August 3^rd., 2026…… HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK!!  Now we are back to our routine!  We walked and fed the dogs, then headed off to the gym. It was easy to get back into our workouts but we both cut them short just to make sure we aren’t overdoing it. Then we went to Kevin’s for breakfast. While we were there, Kevin showed us the newest – he has a board game called LebanonOpoly. It is actually a real game, not sure how it got started, but it is just now available at Walmart for $20. It has local stops and businesses and Kevin’s is on there. Way cool!  So, since we had to stop by Walmart anyway on the way home, I went and found one. I took pics of the box front and back

but we haven’t opened it yet but probably will soon. You can see some of the local spots in town, including Kevin’s. Wondered why Kristi’s was not on there. Hmmm.  We hung around the house today. We did go out and sprayed down the windshield on the mule and got it nice and clean. Later, after that, we went back in to rest and watch tv. Oh yeah, now we have fire alert warnings! This is going to be an interesting week! Later, I called and talked to Rick. He sounded good and said he is doing ok. They are trying to get some time in their schedule to get up here to visit with us. I sure miss those guys! Later, we settled in and watched tv and then hit the spa before bed. The weather has cooled down a bit so it was comfortable outside in the spa.

Tuesday, August 4^th., 2026…… We didn’t have much to do today. Cat has a new guy coming to talk about working on the yard. He is one of Penny’s guys and is young and wanted work. Turns out his mom is his dispatcher and coordinator. She said he would have to postpone because he is still on his present job and can’t get away. So, they set it up for tomorrow. Meanwhile, all we could do was a little work in the yard. It needs to be mowed but we are waiting until next week, when the field can be mowed again. Most everything is dry or dead, especially the field grass. I have adjusted the watering schedule to come on each day instead of every other.  We did start and finish a cleaning project!  The deck pillows needed to be cleaned. Cat brought out some spray cleaner and I hosed and she sprayed and brushed and then I hosed them off. It took a while because we have 10 pillows. But once they were done, we could see the improvement! We set them out for the day to dry. 

Wednesday, August 5^th., 2026…… Another nice morning!  It will get hot later today but we love to sit out on the porch when it’s this nice out! No plans today. Cat did some more picking on the blackberries. She did the ones below the birdhouse and those just across the creek. But she didn’t go out to the patch way back on the southwest corner to check those. Our problem is that those on the other side of the creek are hard to get to without a truck or the mule or an orchard ladder. Maybe in a few days when they get really ripe we will try for those…   

Thursday, August 6^th., 2026…… This morning, we walked and fed the girls, then headed off to the gym and then to Kristi’s for breakfast. We asked her why her place wasn’t on the new LebanonOpoly game. She said they didn’t want to pay to join the chamber of commerce so they were excluded from the project. We figured that Kevin (and others on the game) were ‘contributors’ to the city chamber and got to get their properties on the board.  Later, we did a bit of weeding. Penny’s guy, Zephry, came by and he and Cat walked the property with a list I had listed from Cat’s notes. They came up with a plan and he is very reasonable price-wise and will work hourly.  We’ll just have to wait until he can get here – probably next week – to get going.

Friday, August 7^th., 2026…… This morning started out ok. We walked and fed the girls and had leftovers for our breakfast. Cat went out to pick more berries and then I got the mule out and picked her up to go get some from the back corner. That’s when we heard it!  Water was jetting out of the wellhead!  Again!  It was Dec. of 2024 when we last had it fixed. But it failed again. It’s always in the same spot.

I called the company (Evenflo Plumbing) I used before because I liked their service and the technician. I was told that they were all booked today and I should call after 5 today to get on the schedule for weekend service. That would cost us! But, in a few minutes they called back and said they had a cancellation from a client who was ill, so they were on the way!  Yaay!  Meanwhile, Cathye met up with Rich and Linda, who were out in their year. When I drove the mule out there, she said it was wet and be careful!  That was all the way across the field from the well so we found that the leak was going on for at least the last day or more!  Good thing we don't pay for water! Cole and Ollie showed up about an hour later and I took them out in the mule to check it out. 

They ran off to get parts and were back in a few minutes. I watched them cut out the old part. The connection where the pvc pipe was screwed into the iron pipe had failed. Cole said it was the only weak spot in the system! Also, he saw that the line coming up from the ground was at an angle. So, that was a pressure point. He said he would put in new pvc and this time he would use a plumber’s bend, which was like a sink trap line. That would relieve the pressure in the future. He came back to the house in just a few minutes saying they were done!  We would have to wait 3-4 hours for the glue to set up. But that was no problem because we were leaving to go to Independence to go to a concert later anyway. They will send me a bill later today or Monday so I don’t know what the price was. He said it was an easy fix so I think it should only be a few hundred dollars, but we’ll see.

Later, we headed off on the 50-60 minute drive up to Independence Park. They have a really nice amphitheater looking onto a large flat area where they bring in a temporary stage for their concerts. We had never been before but Misty and Lona have been and recommended it. Tonight was an Abba cover band. We got there and found a close up parking spot in the lot and found Misty and Nancy and sat our chairs up. This place was really nice!  They had clean fluffy green grass and we got settled in and took off our shoes! We found a food truck and got Mexican food for dinner. Nancy and I had a snafu on mixed up burritos but otherwise it was good. The first band was called Daring Greatly from San Diego and was finishing up on their 30-city tour.  They were really good and we got into it quickly. Later, the Band After Midnight took the stage. They were ok. We went to another Abba tribute band concert a few years ago and we both liked that band better. But these guys were ok. 

We left a little early so we could beat the crowd plus we needed to get back to the doggies since it would have been almost 6 hours! When we got back, I went out and turned on the pump. But we will wait until tomorrow morning to go out there to check it out in the daylight.  We were still wired when we got home so we stayed up a bit to watch some tv before calling it.

Saturday, August 8^th., 2026…… This morning was the girls’ rail ride! Before that, we walked the dogs and then I got out the mule and we went out to check the wellhead connections. There is now a bend in the pipe

(sorry – the pic doesn’t show it clearly) and it looks good and I hope will work in the future! Cole said we should be good for years and if it fails to call him directly and he will come out personally and fix it! That’s why I like this company!  Cat made us coffee and me breakfast and then Penny and Jody came by to get Cat.  Meanwhile, I was out in the shop, taking one of the wheels off the zero-turn. It was flat!  I had noticed it last time and added air just to mow for the day. I looked and didn’t see anything obvious but there is definitely a leak!  After the girls left, I took it up to Les Schwab and left it for them to fix. Later, they called and said it was a small hole and they fixed it – no charge. I left around 11:15am and headed to Sweet Home to meet up with the girls at The Rusty Bucket for lunch. We enjoyed time together and a pretty good meal (and beer!). 

Here are pics that Penny shared...

Cat and I headed out and stopped and I got the tire on the way home. I got it re-installed and put the mower away. That was it for me today.  The girls came by later and dropped off three racks of ribs for tomorrow when they come back for a bbq. We wanted them today so we could put them in the oven tomorrow morning to steam them and get them ready for an easy re-heat on the grill. Tv and bed.   

Oregon Living 2026 – Blog #29 – Saying Goodbye to Family (Again) and Getting Back to Normal!

 

Sunday, July 26^th., 2026…… I was up earlier than Cat but either Jim or Mary beat me to turn on the coffee. Heather and Charlie were heading home this morning, north to Seattle, while Jim and Mary were leaving too, heading south. They are planning on driving over to the coast, then down through Calif.  Jim wants to see that area, especially the San Francisco area. Not sure what they will have time to stop and see, but we’re sure they will enjoy the drive. The weather is supposed to be pleasant, in the low 80s here, and most likely even nicer on the coastline. When they both took off, we came back in and rested for the day. I watched the end of the Tour de France and then some of my taped races, while Cat got in some of her shows. Pretty lazy day….

Monday, July 27^th., 2026…… We are back to normal (?) today. No visitors. So, we go back to our routine -. walk and feed the dogs, go to the gym, then go to breakfast. Oops, that’s not what happened today!  I had to get up early and go to my dentist appointment!  So, that threw us off today. It took forever this morning. They did gum recession measures and took pics inside my mouth, then did a deep cleaning. But only on one side because of bleeding. I have to go back on Wednesday for another round. I got back home and we picked Cat up so we could go to breakfast. After that we needed to go to Costco. Cathye has had her new hearing aids in and out for the past month – and has decided they are really causing her some serious pain! She said it shoots through her head close to the ears and it’s a stabbing sharp pain. It pretty much lessens when the hearing aids are out, so she’s going to return them. Costco doesn’t offer the outside-the-ear model, so she will have to start again to get set up with something else. It’s sad because they did work and she would like to continue to try something. We’ll see…

While she was doing that, I went over to the other side of the store and found the Dewalt shop fan that I had spotted last time we were there. I thought about getting one for the shop and saw that the little puny ones were $45-50. This one was $79. So, I got it!

When we got home, I took it out to the shop and assembled it and tested it out. Wow, it is powerful!  I’m guessing it will serve double duty on the back deck when we need some serious airflow. We hung out the rest of the day and evening. It was rather quiet!

Tuesday, July 28^th., 2026…… Nothing to do today. So, we did get to go back to our routine with the dogs and breakfast, eating leftovers from yesterday. I managed to go out to the shop and finished up Cat’s beach chair re-webbing project.

I did turn on my fan and love it!  Meanwhile, Cat went to work in the flowerbeds, deadheading the plants. The weather got warmer and later, we both called it and came inside for the rest of the day. Later, Cat had a small bite to eat so she wasn’t hungry enough for dinner. I decided to go get myself something. I first started out to Jack in the Box but decided enroute to go to the Fish Shack for a shrimp basket. There were several cars in line at each of the two windows and they make everything from scratch, so it took a while. But I waited. Later, we settled in and watched our taped programs before bed.  

Wednesday, July 29^th., 2026…… I only have one thing on my to-do list today. Another deep cleaning round at the dentist! Cathye has nothing. She worked on cutting threads on the new quilt that Mary had made for her. She had sent Mary several t-shirts which were laid out and quilted around. Cat has decided to hang it in her office, so we have to move things around. Here’s a pic before ….

I headed off to my appointment and it went ok. Of course, I was numbed up again, this time it was 2 sections the lower and upper right sides.  It went well, just took a while. When I got home. I was really numb. I fed the girls while Cathye went out to get KFC. I didn’t want to take any chances, so I chose the bowl with mashed potatoes and corn and chicken bites. I couldn’t eat right away but waited a while for the numbness to go away. It did but I still took it easy when eating. The rest of the day was spent just lounging around and playing with the doggos and watching tv.   

Thursday, July 30^th., 2026…… Still not going to the gym. We slept in and walked and fed the dogs, then headed off to breakfast. We passed our neighbor’s (Jeremy and Sabrina) house, at the beginning of our block and saw they have a large crew in re-roofing their house. That makes us the last one on the block to do so. They are also working on some kind of flat area out back and they have added a gravel road, accessible from So. Main. Not sure what it will be but I can’t imagine they are allowed to have a new driveway off the main road like that. Not that it matters to us, but we’ll wait and see. Cat did a little yard work and I worked on my bills, then went out to work on the mule. I bought some spray that is supposed to help shine up the plastic body and fenders. I tried a sample and it looks like it will work nicely.   

Friday, July 31^st., 2026…… Neither of us had anything on our calendars for today. So, it was a laid back one!  Penny came over to discuss the rail trip she has planned for her, Jody, and Cat next Saturday. A girl’s day, I guess!  They sent everyone a waiver form by email and that was sent back by all three so they are good to go! They also made plans to stop for a bbq lunch afterwards.  That was about it for us for today! We stayed around the house until dinner. Cat wasn’t feeling well (upset stomach) so I went out to get myself some dinner. Again, that was about it!     

Saturday, August 1^st., 2026…… We slept in this morning. Temps are down in the morning and today it was overcast, but it’s supposed to clear up and get up to 75° later today. Again, nothing planned. Cat was still having stomach issues and stayed close to the house. I went out to the shop and took the windshield framework out. It is only a rubber liner but it was caked with mud and I wanted to soak it to clean it up.

That gave me a chance to really get in and wash the windshield since it was out. While I was working on the mule, our neighbor, Paul, came by and asked to borrow our tables for their daughter’s wedding/reception coming up in a couple of weeks. I will deliver them next week. He also gave us a heads up that Jeremy is planning on building a new shop on the pad he had just put in. We saw there is a post next to the road with a permit and Paul verified that it is allowed. Wow!  But no worries for us, just thought he would have notified the neighbors of his intentions – which is policy of the HOA. Jeremy is the co-founder and last chairman of the HOA so we thought he would be the first one to follow the rules!  After talking to Paul, we came in after that, forgetting the windshield for the day. Maybe tomorrow. Tv then bed.  

 

Oregon Living 2026 – Blog #28 – More Family Time!

 

Sunday, July 19^th., 2026…… We have a day between family visits, so we just took it pretty easy today. Oops, forgot to mention – we mowed!  Penny came over and we all got going and were done in quick order. Most of the field is dead grass so this cutting was just a skim coat to knock down the dandelions. Cat and I bagged the yard and got minimal clippings, which is good because we can do more circuits before having to dump the grass bags. We watched the soccer final. I didn’t care who won and was not surprised that Spain and Argentina took it scoreless and into extra play.   

Monday, July 20^th., 2026…… Last week of treatment for me!  Yaay!  I would have been done on Wednesday if they didn’t have two down days fixing the machine. I got back home before Jim and Mary arrived. They drove here (from Tucson) for their vacation here and will probably be here through this week. Cat has some plans for their stay, but mostly it's their call what to do and we will be there for whatever they want.  More on that later. We decided to go out to dinner tonight and chose Pizza Schmizza and had a nice meal. They were tired and turned in early. They chose to stay out in the motorhome but quickly came back in and moved in to the quest room because it was too hot and muggy out there!  

Tuesday, July 21^st., 2026……  No plans today. Cat drove with me to treatment because Tuesdays are dr. meetings. After that, we headed over to Costco to get supplies for our big bbq on Thursday. While we did all of that, Jim and Mary left to go visit with Justin and Amy. They were gone for most of the day. When they got back, we left again to go to the Concert in the Park series again. Tonight, it was a rock band. The band was pretty good and Jim enjoyed it more than the rest of us.  I did like most of it but it was really hot and Cat had a tough time of it so we left a little early. No worries, we all got our fill of the music.  

Wednesday, July 22^nd., 2026…… HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO RANDY AND MARYANNE! After getting back from treatment, we loaded up the dogs in the car and headed up to Silver Falls. We stopped on the way at the Covered Bridge Diner for breakfast. The doctor told me to take it easy during treatment and I wasn’t feeling it anyway, so I stayed at the top with the dogs while the rest went down the trail and under the falls. It was muggy and actually rained pretty hard for a few minutes, which was refreshing, since temps are in the high 80s. They made it down and back up and we headed back home. All three took time out to rest before Cat got up to make us all chicken pot pie for dinner. It was delicious! Tv until bed. Here are pics from the day...

Thursday, July 23^rd., 2026…… Today is the bbq. We expect the number to be at 16 people if everyone shows up. Penny, Cherrelyn, Justin, Amy, Nathan, Josh, Corey, Vikki, Brandyn, Baylee, Creedence, Caroline, Jim, Mary, Cathye and Terry.  We have plenty of hamburgers and hot dogs so we should be good to go!  More later…

Ok, it’s later now. Cherrelyn was a no-show but Vikki’s dad, Tabby, came with them, so we are still at 16!  It was a fun day and we all ate and drank and enjoyed the warm day and the family visiting. We especially enjoyed playing with the littles!  Here are pics from the day.

Friday, July 24^th., 2026…… Today was my last day for treatment!  Yaay!  I am so happy to be done with this!  But, I am also sad because I met some great folks in the oncology center, especially my technicians, and I won’t be seeing them again (fingers crossed). Cathye brought the cookies she (and Mary) made as a small gift from the family. I got on the table and was ready. Oops, here comes the problem! The machine didn’t work!  It was a dead stop. Nothing. Then, I got a voice through the speakers from Alex saying they were rebooting the computer and it would only be a minute or two, Phew!  A few minutes later, I was done!  Elisa gave me a nice coin token

And I got my picture with them and also while ring ing the bell!  I think it is the hormone injection, but I was rather emotional and teary-eyed!

 

After we left there, we went straight over to cardiology, which is almost next door, for my checkup with them. Of course, they have my latest journey in MyChart so they know that I am going through some symptoms regarding that. I stated that I have been really feeling exhausted, going back way before treatment, and told them when I exert myself, even slightly, my heart rate goes up and I have chest discomfort. The doctor noted all of that and I was put on a new med (sorry, I don’t have it yet so I don’t remember the name). After taking it for a week or so, it will be an indicator as to where I might be in the spectrum and if I might have arterial issues. Only time will tell.  But I am glad the timing worked after treatment so I can address this issue now. When we got back, we had the rest of the day to hang out because Jim and Mary went off visiting family for the day. Later, we played Swoosh (which we taught them last year in Hawaii). Mary’s daughter, Heather and Charlie, got here later in the evening. They watched a hand and then we taught them and played some more. It was fun! After that, Cat headed off to bed and a few of us watched tv for a bit more then I called it a night while the others stayed up and visited before heading off for the night. We had already set up the motorhome and Heather and Charlie headed out there.    

Saturday, July 25^th., 2026…… This morning was laid back. We took our time getting up and ready for the day. It started out with all of us going off to Kristi’s for breakfast. They were a bit crowded so they set us up in the larger back room.

We had a nice breakfast (thanks Jim and Mary!) and then we ventured out. On the way to eat, we had spotted a small community event, with a car wash, booths, and a small car show, so we stopped there on the way home. Later, we all just vegged around the house, trying to figure out what to do. In the end, everyone decided to just relax for the afternoon. Then everyone – except Cat and I – headed off to Wing Mings for ‘linner’, where they met up with Justin, Amy and Skyler.

 

We relaxed and watched some tv before they came back. Later, we started up another round of Swish. This time we taught Justin, who took right to it. After that, they decided to go get pizza for a late-night snack. Some sat outside and ate while Cat and I and others stayed in and visited inside. Eventually, Justin left and the party ended and everyone calling it a night.