Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Here Again!

It may seem that I've been hiding - but that's not what happened to me!  Life just seems to keep coming faster and faster.  And, then, Spring and Summer came along and I'm positive life picked up speed and went even faster than before! So - here's a bit of what I have been doing while I was away.

Around the first of May my vintage trailer, Daffodil, came out of her winter spot in the corner of the backyard.  She hadn't fared as well as planned through the winter months.  Winter wasn't totally kind to her and there was a bit of work that needed to be done to make things right again. (We know what we will do different next winter!)  Before the work was completed my sweetheart gave her a good 'bath' so I could take her to a girlfriends' camp-out in the mountains between home and the coast.  We had fun and, as always, I learned a few more lessons about life with a trailer.  It seems there's always something that doesn't go quite as planned but that gives me opportunities to experience new things I need to know about life with Daffodil.  Things really began to change shortly after she and I came home from that camp-out.  We took out almost everything that wasn't fastened down and got to work.  Miss Daffodil is getting a makeover!  We had to deal with the issues caused by winter storage.  That gave way to some beautiful changes inside!  We're putting things back together this week and soon - very soon - her new look will revealed.  While she was already the cutest, little trailer you could imagine, soon she will be everything I originally dreamed she could be.  I can't wait to show you what's new!  And I'll share a bit about our camp-out, too.
Around here you never know what's going to happen when you leave the room!  One morning not long ago I got up early.  I let Joey, my little dog, out of his crate where he sleeps at night.  We went through our morning routine - a short trip out to the backyard for him, opening curtains and blinds to welcome the new day for me and then a bit of quiet time to start the day in the living room before activities of the day begin.  I returned to our bedroom to get something and I could hardly believe my eyes!  Someone (!) had put Joey on our bed and that little rascal had made himself right at home in the very spot where I had been sleeping a short time before!
Someone commented on my Facebook page that my sweetheart and I go away from home more than anyone they know!  It may seem that way at first glance but, if you know what our lives involve right now, you know that we are overseeing everything for the care of my dear, little ninety-three-year-old mother.  Her needs are increasing and the load gets heavier as time goes by.  It would be very easy for 'us' to get lost in the demands of the days.  My sweetheart and I believe it's very important to keep that from happening so we take time here and there to get away and spend time together.  One of those times took us on a recent day trip to explore an area not too far from home - an area where we thought we might like to go for a few days of vacation.  We headed south a ways and then turned east toward the mountains.  Around lunch time we passed through a little town part way to our destination.  We decided to stop and eat at a little place along the highway.  We could tell by the full parking lot that it must be a good place for lunch.  Before we could get in the building I spied something I just had to see!  This is the tiniest vintage trailer I have ever seen.  The owner walked by and offered to let us look inside.  It's a guy place so I decided not to take pictures inside.  I could imagine what I would do if it were mine!  It's smaller than Daffodil but absolutely darling. He added an extra long 'tongue' on the front so he can carry two motorcycles.  Certainly not something I would do! 

After lunch we continued on to our destination.  Last year I showed you a 'lake' that had been devastated by drought.  It looked like this when I shared it with you.  It was just a river off in the distance!
This is what it looks like this year.  This was taken from the same spot as last year's photo but not zoomed in as much - and it was a cloudy day so the mountain was hiding.
There's a saying here in Oregon - 'If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes!'  Our trip home from the lake was testimony to the truth of that statement.
 A few minutes later and a few miles farther north.
We did return to the lake for a few days of vacation last week.  I'll share more of that time with you on another day.  My sweetheart spent time early each morning searching for fish!  Although he wasn't as successful as he hoped to be we did bring home fish that went into the freezer for a few future meals.  We had a beautiful campsite and the weather was perfect.  Every evening after dinner my sweetheart took Joey and me for a boat ride on the lake.  We all wore our life jackets - even Joey.
Time on the lake was so refreshing and all the cares of the day that tried to fill my mind just seemed to vanish.  I told my sweetheart, 'This is what life should be!'  I'm totally convinced we should buy a house on a lake so we can take evening rides after dinner every night!
  
    Gratefully,