Portland, Oregon: I can't believe how the days get away from me. We have been swamped, trying to finish our projects and get ready to hit the road south this week in our motorhome. (You do remember we have a motorhome, right?)
Not only have we been getting ready to leave for the winter, but while we are away our master bathroom is having a complete remodel. Dave and I have been out with our contractor choosing tile, fixtures, sinks, lights, toilets, knobs, paint, countertops and new carpet for the master bedroom and closets.
But wait, there's more! As long as John (the same contractor who remodeled Lisa's bathroom five years ago) is tearing-up stuff, we asked him to remodel the small bathroom ensuite to our guest room. More choices! Neither bath has been updated at all in 25 years. It is time.
Because our bath will be demolished, everything in every cupboard, shelf, and closet must be removed. This has become quite the chore. 25-years in a closet... well, you can understand - and I'm a clothing minimalist. Every stitch of clothing I own can fit in (my half of) the RV closet. Dressers, shoe racks, even empty hangers must be removed. (Luckily Lisa's closet was 100% empty!)
Then... we have had visitors.
The other morning, DT was watching a momma deer who visits most mornings with her two (very large now) fawns. They hang-out in our field, then follow a trail behind our house and slip silently into the forest. This morning, momma was most hesitant to go behind our house. She started to go, jumped back, then backed away. Tried again, and turned back. Dave couldn't figure out what was spooking her, so went to another window to get a different vista. He saw a young bobcat quietly licking his/her paws under a rhododendron!
We had not seen a bobcat around here in about twenty years, and a few moments later, momma deer chased him off!
Dave snapped the above photo with his phone. There is a bit of reflection from the window, but you can see the cat (watching us) and the deer. The deer actually "pounced" on the bobcat. She charged at the cat, and he took off into the woods... his bobbed-tail following! The whole scenario didn't last a minute, but it was pretty exciting.Our dear friend, Shirley (from England) was in Portland to visit her daughter and her family (i.e. grandkids!) and I was able to spend an afternoon with her, catching-up and reminiscing.
For the first time in quite a few years, we were home for Halloween. (We are usually on the way to Indio by the end of October.) We had ten trick-or-treaters. Six of them were high school kids. (Isn't that a bit too old to trick-or-treat?)
In Los Angeles, Lucy (scary witch, obvioulsy) and Leo (werewolf) had a great evening trick-or-treating with a group of friends (and parents). Then, more visitors, and another reason we have remained so long in Oregon: Lenny and Leo flew up to go to the UCLA v Oregon game in Eugene with Dave. They were all so excited. This would be the first time Oregon ex-coach, Chip Kelly (who now coaches at UCLA), would return to Autzen Stadium. The very polite Duck fans cheered him.
Lenny, Leo and DaveLeo is so stinkin' cute with his new buzz-cut and his jack-o-lantern grin! Leo is now 7 years old and in first grade.
The Ducks won! Everyone had a great time and after the game, Grandpa and Lenny took Leo down to the field to play catch with Leo's new Oregon Duck football:On Sunday, we all went to a family fun center, Big Al's, to watch Lenny's football team on television. My sister joined us. Renee and I paraded Leo around through all the video games and even bowled a few games while Dave and Lenny watched the Redskins lose to Atlanta. Then we posed for photos with our favorite grandson:
Oh, yeah... we are ALL wearing Redskin paraphernalia.My Driver will point the bus south on Wednesday. I will be sitting in the passenger seat.
Until my next update, I remain, your busy correspondent.