Day 90, Saturday and it's almost Halloween

Burning branches and pine needles

Saturday morning was gray and wet and the perfect kind of morning to stay in bed.  It was also the perfect time for me to read my 12 pages from the "Read the Bible in 90 Days" and to do some laundry.  On the Bible front I'm more than half way through and on day 49.  It takes me about an hour to read the 12 pages.  Once done my reading I did the rest of my usual morning chores and I had almost everything done by noon.

 

Getting a little help with the raking from a friend.

The weather started to hold clear at least is wasn't raining.  I went out and let the chickens out and started doing some yard work.  I also had a large pile of branches that I had been building up in the back pasture throughout the summer and today would be a good day to burn it.  With the large pile of pine needles it lite very quickly and with in an hour it was just a mound of smoldering embers.  With a stir with a shovel it would burst into flames again.  I was able to rake up the back pasture and burn a ton of tumbles weeds.  I couldn't help but look at the Traveleze safe and dry under the carport behind the barn.  One of the horses would not leave me alone and wanted to help and when I put the rake down he picked it up and started to rake the ground.  He quickly learned that it wasn't much fun and he put it down.

 

I think the pumpkin ate too much candy.

Skeleton on the old broken
juniper tree.

In preparation for Halloween, I worked to get everything ready.  I had to re-wire the lantern for the witch, place the vomiting pumpkin at the mail box and hang the skeleton on the broken Juniper tree.  I'm not really sure why I go to all the trouble, no one ever comes the house.  Actually I do it because I enjoy and it's what you do with the season.





  

 

Witch and lantern

The chickens had been out all day and they seemed to really be enjoying them selves.  I had four bags of pumpkin guts on the back and I was interested to see if they would eat it.  I dumped a bag in the pen and sure enough they thought it was pretty tasty and hey ate up.




It turned out to be an ok day, weather wise,  and it had the look and feel of fall.  I had spent the day working in the yard and I loved it.  It was now time to go in for the night.  It was a great night. 









Day 89, Time to go home and carve pumpkins

Fall color heading up the Santiam

Friday was the last day of the conference and there were two speakers and the Annual Meeting.  The morning went pretty quick and by noon the conference was over.



I started the drive back over the mountain heading east towards the Santiam Pass.  The fall colors were beautiful and the drive was very nice.  The weather had improved during the week and the snow was off the road, so the driving was much smoother and faster.  On the top of the pass the roads were back to bare pavement and I didn't even have to put the truck into four wheel drive.



Lost Lake



The total driving time was just about 2 hours and 20 minutes, so it was about 3 o'clock when I pulled back into Redmond.  I stopped at the office to sign paychecks and to check emails.  The office had ran smoothly while I was gone and everyone was glad to get paid.  Something about a paycheck just before a weekend makes the weekend seem all that much better.

 I left the office at 4pm, went to the bank, stopped off at the store and then at Papa Murphy to pick up two take and bake pizza's.  Tonight I was having a pumpkin carving party with a few friends and pizza sounded good.


Just a few of the pumpkins carved



The party was at 6 and I hadn't been home in four days.  The first thing I wanted to do was let the chickens out and see how they were doing.  They were excited to be let free and quickly went about rooting up food in the yard.  Their food bowl was empty and there were two eggs in the box.  I quickly refilled their food bowl and tossed lots of scratch on the ground.  They didn't seem to be concerned and were busy running around the yard.

 My friends Tracy, Bruce, Mary Ann, Wanda and Connon all arrived close to 6pm and the pumpkin carving commenced, pizza's were baked and Tracy made cookies.  Wanda was the supervisor and chief wine taster.  Mary Ann and Connon used a pattern and Bruce and I free handed our pumpkins.  Bruce was much more creative and I stuck to the traditional pumpkins.  Tracy scooped out the insides of pumpkins but didn't carve; she did however buy some very neat face parts, like a Mr. Potato Head that you could just stick on a pumpkin.


The Great Pumpkin or Beagle


Of course no Halloween pumpkin party would be complete without Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, so that was playing on the TV.  I have probably seen the Great Pumpkin every year since I was 5 years old, so that is 40 years that this classic has made it apart of my Halloween.

With 11 pumpkins carved, two family sized pizza eaten, two bottles of wince consumed and a dozen or so chocolate chip cookies eaten the nigh was pretty much finished.

My own bed was going to feel great.

Day 88, Thursday and the Conference was in full swing.

The conference breakfast began at 8am and the first speaker was at 8:30am.  In all, there were about 80 Chamber of Commerce's represented and there were some excellent sessions and speakers.

After a long day of sitting, we finally had an hour and a half of free time, before the evening reception and Awards Dinner at 7pm.  My brother from Portland was attending the conference as a vendor and we decided to head back to the old neighborhood to take a look.  There was a flood of childhood memories and we decided to knock on the door of the neighbors to see if they were home, and to our surprise they were. 

Mr. Davis opened the door and quickly recognized us.  It was so nice to see him and Mrs. Davis was right behind him.  After handshakes and hugs we were invited in and their beautiful home, that they had built in 1964, was absolutely flawless and as wonderful as it was 40 years ago. It was so nice to talk with them and to get caught up.  Mrs. Davis, was the "Cool Aid" mom in the neighbor when we were kids and always had cookies and something to drink for all the kids in the neighborhood.

After about an hour it was time for my brother and I to say good bye and to head back to the conference.  It was so good to see old friends again.  The old neighborhood was beautiful, and it made me realize just how lucky we were as kids to have lived in such a place.

The rest of the evening was networking and the awards dinner.  After which I went back to my room to read my 12 pages and to head to bed.  It's exhausting listening to people speak all day long.  I was beat.

Day 87, Wednesday the Conference begins

I woke up at 7:15am and realized that the conference didn't actually start until noon.  I had the entire morning free.  I got ready for the day and went down for the continental breakfast, which was actually very nice.  I had an English muffin, a bowl of cereal, some fruit, scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice.  They had fresh hot waffles that you could make, but it was too early for syrup.


For the rest of the morning, I thought it would be fun to drive to the old neighborhood in South Salem and see our old house.  My folks had moved us to Salem in 1970 to 1974 and it has probably been 20 or more years since I had last driven through the old neighborhood.  My best friend at the time, Cody, lived in the house across the street and his parents had build the house in the early 60's and they still live there!


Our old Spanish style house built in 1970, Salem, OR



I had no problem finding the neighborhood and our old house look just as good it did when it was new. Our house was a Spanish style, with a double archway that lead into a large interior courtyard and the front door.  The back side of the house opened up on an extensive patio system and lots of landscaping.



The Davis' house across the street, and they still live there.

It was so fun to see the house and that it was meticulously maintained.  Across the street was the Davis' house and talk about perfection.  The house was flawless and the grounds immaculate, just as they were 40 years ago.  I parked the truck and went to the front door to see if they were home, but they were not.  I left my card on the door and wrote a short note.  I was sorry not to have been able to have said hello.

The neighbor was still as spectacular as I had remembered it, with big homes on large yards.  Every home had plenty of room for families with kids to play and grow up.  I have very fond memories of the neighborhood and it was really nice to see it again.

It was time for me to head back to the hotel and a long day of conference sessions and networking with the other participants.

What a great day!

Day 86, Tuesday and off to another conference.

By morning the little snow storm that we had Monday night had just left a trace of snow over the yard.  Today I will be traveling over the mountain pass, which is an elevation of about 5,800 feet.  The road report was saying they had received 26 inches of snow and chains were required on all vehicles under 10,000 lbs.  I was planning on leaving around 9am, so hopefully by then they will have the road plowed and traveling won't require chains.


Over the Santiam Pass, Hwy, 20/126

On the way over the mountain, I head west on Hwy 126 and pass through the city of Sisters which has a Les Schwab Tire Center and I figured I better buy a new set of tire chains for the truck.  I was in and out in 5 minutes, and ready for any bad roads that might be ahead.  Within 15 minutes I was climbing up the mountain and the roads were slushy and then snow packed.  The roads had been plowed and I was watching the cars and trucks come down the mountain and it was a mix of about 50% having chains on, so I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and kept going.  The temperature was 26 degrees and the traction on the road was good and I had no problems at all.

After about 40 minutes in the snow I was on the west side of the mountains and in the rain.  My total travel time to Salem was 2 hours and 45 minutes, or about 30 minutes longer than normal. 

I made it to the hotel exactly on time to attend a 4 hour Board meeting and after sitting for nearly 3 hours I was a bit fidgity.  Immediately after the meeting I took a walk!

After dinner it was back to my room to read my 12 pages, watch a little tv and go to bed.  I was worn out.  All that sitting was exhausting.

Day 85, Monday and winter has arrived.

Mondays are always a challenge and after being gone a week this Monday was really challenging.  To make it even more stressful, I leave tomorrow for yet another conference for the rest of this week.  Luckily this trip is just over the mountain in Salem on across the country.

I worked through lunch and at 4pm I left for my workout with my trainer.  It had been nearly 2 weeks since my last workout, and when I'm traveling I tend not to eat the best, so I was feeling a little on the lethargic side.  The workout was great, focusing on cardio, strength and flexibility.  I need serious help in all three areas, but especially on cardio capacity.

I was home by 5:30pm and I immediately let the chickens out.  They were ready to stretch their legs, but the weather was looking mighty stormy and the temperature was starting to drop.  I figured they had about 40 minutes to play, before it got dark and they would want to head back into the coop. 

Dinner with my brother, sister-in-law and my nephews.

My brother had invited me for dinner, so I had to quickly clean up and change in to clean clothes to get there on time.  My sister-in-law was making meatloaf, one of my favorite comfort foods, and there was apple pie for desert.  So much for my workout. 

While we were eating, it became official, winter arrived and we had our first snowfall of the season.  Big wet snowflakes fell from the ski and it quickly covered the ground in a soppy half inch of wet snow.  In true Central Oregon fashion, it snowed before Halloween.

I had a great time, with good food and family and I headed home to pack and to read my 12 pages.  I have just barely gotten my suitcase unpacked from last week and tonight I was going to have to pack all over again.

Tonight it's early to bed.

Day 84, Sunday and the first big storm of fall.

The rain poured all night long and when I woke up around 7am the wind was howling and the rain was coming down in buckets.   It was a great morning to stay under the warm comfortable covers of my bed.

By 8am, the winds had let up and the rain was down to a light sprinkle.  The leaves from the maples, locus, pear, apple, lilacs and birch covered my yard.  Even the Ponderous Pines contributed to the mess shedding what I would later find out would be a wheel barrow full.   The yard was pretty much a soaking wet mess, but it looked like fall and I was in the mood for the fall like weather.



Wet trailer and chickens

My thoughts did turn to the trailer and I wondered if it was leaking.  With all the wind it could easily blow the water back up under the seams, since they are longer covered in gallons of roof tar.  I planed to check it out after I got back from church.

The Pastor at church was on fire today and very entertaining as usual.  He commented on the weather and said it was "raining cats and dogs", I so wanted to scream out "be sure not to step in the Poodles" but I kept my composure.  Today's sermon was all about thinking before we speak and to choose our words wisely, for they can be very powerful and do great good or harm. 

After church I ran to the store to pick up some needed items like light bulbs.  I don't know if you have noticed, but light bulbs are getting fewer and harder to find.  Everything is switching over to low energy florescent, but I hate them.  I'm stock piling bulbs, especially the kind that I use in the bathroom.  All of my lights are on dimmer switches and florescent don't work with dimmers.  Anyway, light bulbs were on sale and I needed a special bulb for my closet.  I do use florescent around the house where I don't spend a lot of time like in the garage and in all the porch lights.



The 1950 Traveleze safe and dry behind the shop.

When I got home, I changed into old jeans and a ratty sweatshirt.  I was now ready to start wintering the house, but first I wanted to check on the trailer.  I haven't been inside the trailer for long time, at first glance everything looked pretty good, but I did find a puddle (or is that Poodle) on the window ledge by the front windows.  Everything else in the trailer seemed dry, but it was obvious I needed to move the trailer under cover.  The carport behind the shop was open and I figured it would fit if I could get back there.   I was pretty sure the truck could not maneuver it back there, there just isn't enough room.  My brother had his quad down here under a cover, but it has an electrical problem and wasn't operational.  I then thought my John Deere mower could probably do it.  I removed the bags and there was spot to put a ball, so I ran to "Big R" to get one (I have 2 on stingers for my truck, but I didn't want to remove them).  Once back home I attached the ball,  backed the mower to the trailer, lowered the hitch and I was set.  It pulled it with no problems, my only issue was I couldn't see where I was going.  I had to guess, back up, stop and look, back up stop and look, and I back it all the way behind the shop.  It really worked very well and within 15 minutes I had the Traveleze safely under cover.

I will make one last attempt at trying to call the two shops that said they would work on it and if I don't get a response I'm hauling it to Prineville.   I have actually received a called by the owner saying bring it over.  Prineville is just a little further away, but not by much, so that might be my best shot at getting it restored this winter.

The empty driveway.

The rest of my winterizing chores included putting the patio furniture away and putting the foundation vent plugs in.  In order to get everything in the shop, I had to clean it up first.  All of the trailer cleaning materials needed to be put away and all the parts that I removed from the trailer needed to be stored inside the trailer, so I don't lose them.  Once the shope was cleaned up I could put stuff away.  I washed cleaned and put the John Deere in the shop behind where the truck parks.  The Mercedes has been in the trucks spot all summer, so I moved it back in the garage at the house, next to the Packard.  



Once the car shuffling was completed I really needed to clean the chicken coop.  Chickens are pooping machines and there was a mountain of it.  With that nasty task complete I raked up a huge wheel barrow full of needles, just as the next big storm started blowing in.  It was starting to get dark and the rain had just started to come down as I finished up my outside chores.  The driveway looked empty without the trailer, but everything was put away and dry.

The last thing I had to do was close the chickens in the pen for the night.  It was starting to get dark so most of them were already in the coop.  With a little coaxing I had all 11 in and I was really getting wet, so it was time to call it a day.

It's hard to believe I have had the trailer 12 weeks.

day 81-83, From the Hall of Fame to Home

NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC

Thursday's morning session, was held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is locate next to the Charlotte Convention Center.  The morning talk was about the economy and how it has impacted racing.  Advertising and sponsor dollar are drying up for racing, as much as they are for every other sport and they are having to do more with less like the rest of us.  The panel speakers included Michael Waltrip, Winston Kelley (Director of the Hall of Fame) and Ray Evernham (former pit chief for Jeff Gordan and ESPN analyst).  It was an interesting talk, but way beyond our financial means, they were talking BIG dollars.

The luncheon speaker was four-time Olympic speed skater and gold medalist Dan Jansen.  Dan held eight world records in the 500- and 1,000-meter events and was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.   He was an amazing motivational speaker and you couldn't help but get drawn into his story.  He is an amazing man and one heck of an athlete.

Thursday was also the last day of the conference/expo and we had our last appointment at 4:38pm.  The event ended at 5pm and we then had to break down our booth and haul it out, which was very quick and easy.  The last part of the event was a dinner reception from 7pm to 10pm and the one thing that we learned from talking to all the attendees is that most of deals are made during the social parts of the event, so we were going.  It was a very long day.



Washington, Dulles International Airport

Friday was a travel day.  Our flight didn't leave until 2:37pm from Charlotte Douglas Airport and our flight path home would take us to Washington's Dulles airport, to Portland and then home.  The flight to Washington D.C. was quick only taking about an hour and 8 minutes.  We had just under 2 hours of a layover, so there was time to eat and checkout the shops in the airport.  I had to check out the "America" store and their front table made me chuckle - I had to take a picture.  The unhappiness with our government and leaders was the buzz of the airport and these t-shirts were their number 1 seller and again I had to chuckle.  It was actually kind of sad.



United Airlines at Washington Dulles Airport

The flight out of Dulles left on time and was nearly full, with a flight time of 5.5 hours to Portland.  The on-board movie "Grown Ups" was hilarious and helped kill 2 hours.  I was able to read ahead in my "Read the Bible in 90 days" and of course I was able to snooze a bit.  The flight arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule, at 8:30pm.  The last  flight home would depart at 9:45pm and we arrived in Redmond 30 minutes latter.

Last flight home

I was so glad to be home.  The cats were happy to see me and the house looked great.  The first thing I wanted was shower and then I wanted to sleep.   I was in bed by 11:30pm, which was 2:30am east coast time.





Sarah Palin has become so popular she
even has her own bobble head!

 Saturday morning was fantastic and I slept in until 7:45am and laid in bed another 30 minutes.  I heard a clucking outside the window and realized the chickens where out.  The door to the pen was open, so they were taking advantage of their freedom.  I did a quick count and all 11 were accounted for, so no varmint had gotten to them in the night.  I got up and got dressed and went out to say hello to them and make sure they had some feed and scratch to eat.  They all came running up to me and were happy to eat the bread crumbs from hand.  I checked the coop and there were two eggs in the nest and they were all happy. 

Back inside I started my normal weekend chores, laundry, cleaning, winding the clocks.  It was good to be home.

Day 78-80, Charlotte NC



Denver airport

 Monday was a day of travel, so I could attend a sporting conference/expo in Charlotte, NC.  The intent is to attract a sporting event to our area.  The travel time to Charlotte was amazing at just a little over 6 hours with only one stop in Denver.

The Chickens are in good hands with a friend and the 6 hours travel time gave me ample time to get ahead on my 12 pages a day in reading the bible.  We arrived in Charlotte at 9:30pm and was comfortable in my room at the Hyatt by 11pm.

The first day of the show on Tuesday, gave us time to set up our booth and schedule appointments with sporting events that were interested in coming to Oregon.   The first rounds of appointments were in the afternoon and ended around 6pm.



Charlotte Convention Center

 Today started off at 8am with a morning panel discussion on the current condition of the sporting market and tourism. The second round of appointments took place in the afternoon and we had several interesting conversations with events that could be held in Central Oregon.

Charlotte, if you haven't been here is a beautiful city.  The Convention Center where the expo is being held is a massive newer building and it is attached to NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Tomorrow's breakfast reception is going to be held at the Hall of Fame, so it should be a fun morning.   The city has some amazing architectures and beautiful buildings.  The expo has kept us very busy, so we haven't had a chance to explore much.

I was back in my room by 7pm and ready to take a nap.

Day 77, Sunday don't get any better than this.

I love it when I wake up and I'm ready to jump out of bed.  The cats were up the birds where going crazy, the chickens were stiring and even the deer were playing in the yard. 

My first line of business was feed the animals and myself and then I needed to read 6 more pages of the "book" before I went to Church.  Today I was scheduled to be an usher and I couldn't remember what time I was supposed to be there so I figured I would go a little bit early just to be safe.


Cutting down the Shasta Daisy's and loading the wagon.



I was out the door at 10:15am all dressed up and I figured I should I take the 1990 Cadillac Brougham D'elegance, nothing screems old man church car more than that.  I had just rolled 10,000 miles on Friday, so it literally is the proverbial "only driven to Church on Sunday" car.  After church I went to start the car and it barely turned over, but it did start.  I had thought the battery might have needed to been changed last week, so I drove straight to Sears for a new Die Hard.



Once back home I had a ton of outside chores to get done, including mowing the lawn, cutting down the dead flowers around pond, spraying for weeds and grass and putting up the Halloween witch and cats by the pond.  I also had to clean out the chicken coop and pen and put down fresh lawn clipping.  I was going to have move a pretty steady pace to get it all done before the sunset and it got dark.


Martha Stewart's witch.

I hauled off two huge wagon loads full of dead flowers and this was just the area around the pond.  I'm going to have do more next weekend too, but for now this was all I was going to get done.  Once I had the mess raked up I could now mow, which really picks up all the leftover debris.  With those two things done I could put up the witch and the cats and wire her lantern into the low voltage lighting around the pond.  The which I made made last year.  A friend of mine had spotted the pattern online from Martha Stewart and she thought I could make it, so I did.  It turned out kind of cool and looks neat by the pond.

It was dark by 6:30pm and the temp was really dropping so I was ready to head inside.  I still had some cleaning and reading to do.  I also have to pack and get ready for a little trip tomorrow for work.

It has been a fantastic weekend.  There is something very special about fall, with all the fall colors, corn stalks, apples from the tree and pumpkins.  I don't know what it is about pumpkins but they just make me smile.  All these things are symbols of the approching holidays and Halloween is just around the corner.

Day 76, Saturday and it's a beautiful Fall Day

Central Oregon has some of the best fall weather there is.  It was a cold crisp morning and the day was going to warm up into the 60's.

Saturday morning chores were first of the list of things to get done, laundry, dishes, cleaning, take the trash out, dust, vacuume, sinks and toilets.  Does lilfe get any better than that, no really does it?  Once the inside chores were done then it was time to head outside.

The chickens were very happy to be let out at 11am and they did the usual digging in the yard.  I don't know if you have ever seen a hole that a chicken has scratched up, but man can those girls go to town.  They are like little feather backhoes.



Egg Nog, before Halloween?



Today my brother was going to work on removing some old barbed wire fencing from my folks property and I figured I would help him out after I got done running some errands.  I had to run to the post office, stop by my office pick up my sport coat that I left there Friday, make 10 copies on the copier for a trade show that I will be attending next week, stop at the bank, the feed store, get gas and pick up some groceries.  Do you know they already have Egg Nog out and it's not even Halloween.  When I got back home and walked across the street to help my brother, he was pretty much done.  Now that was perfect timing.

I spent part of the afternoon reading my 12 pages for the "Read the Bible in 90 Days" project and I'm on day 35. There is no way I can read the bible after dark, I'm too afraid of snapping my neck from whiplash when I fall asleep.

In the evening I was invited to my friends Bruce and Mary Ann's to watch the Beavs play the Huskies.  It was an exhausting game to watch and  I don't think I have ever seen a football game go into double overtime.  I got home around 11pm and I was tired. 

It had been a beautiful day and tomorrow is suposed to be more of the same. Perfect!

Day 75. So glad it's Friday



Flying the coop



It has been a long week and 5 o'clock could not get here soon enough.  After weeks of not sleeping well because of a naging caugh and I finally went to the doctor.  I was pretty sure my cold from September had turned to a sinus infections and I was right. So hopefully with some antibiotics I can get rid of this cough.

I was home by 5:30pm and the first thing I did was let the chickens out.  I still have to chuckle everytime I let them out and they bolt out of the pen like race horses.  There were only two eggs and that has become the norm on these cooler darker fall days.

I had no big plans for the evening and kicking back sounded like the perfect way for me to enjoy the evening.  By 6:30 the chickens were back in their coop and I was in for the night. 

Day 74, Thursday all work and no play

To say this week has been busy, would be an understatement.  I was able to sneak away for lunch at 1pm and I ran home to let the chickens out.

Fall and the Packard

My father had hired a guy to install a new gate on the property they just bought across the street from me and the guy was there drilling holes for the new fence posts.  Unfortunately he hit a water line to my neighbors house which is 1,300 feet away and the water line was not where it was supposed to be.  The lines had been marked and this one was 8 feet away from where it was supposed to be.  The guy had shut the water off, so I went and told my neighbor what had happened and that her water would be back on shortly. This was a case of a simple project turning into something a lot more.

It was a spectacular day, the leaves are all decked out in vivid fall colors, the air was crisp in the morning and it had warmed up to the 70's.  The chickens were ecstatic to be out in the yard rooting up bugs and running free.  Egg production has dropped dramatically and I only get about 2 eggs a day.  My lunch hour always flies by and I soon had to head back to work.

I had an evening function after work and was able to get home around 7:15pm.  The chickens were all in the coop sound asleep and I was exhausted.  I read my 12 pages and I tell you reading 2nd Chronicles is a real struggle when you are tired and it's getting late.

I was in bed by 10pm and and sound a sleep.

Day 73, The Cadillac gets new shoes.

Work flew by and I had an Airport meeting at 5:30, so I was going to skip out a little early and take my lunch at the end of the day, so I could get the new wheels put on the car and get my workout squeezed in. 


Getting the new wheels and tires


I left work at 2:45 and drove the Cadillac to Bend to get my new wheels and tires.  There was no wait, so I was confident they could get the wheels changed in under an hour and I could workout, leave a little early and make my meeting at the airport at 5:30pm.  The jacked the car up and I had to retrieve the hubcap key from the glove box, so they could carefully remove the hub caps .  The key was still in the original unopened bag and I carefully removed it from the plastic bag and handed it to them.  The hubcaps had never been off the car in 20 years, nor had the wheels been rotated.  When they pulled the caps off, the wheels looked absolutely new.  The guys in the shop were so amazed to see a car this old looking so new.


9,988 miles on a 1990 Cadillac, with new wheels and tires
for the first time after 20 years



They were very careful with the car and they even brushed the brake drum and repainted them black, because with the wire wheels you can actually see the brake drum.  I was running out of time, to make it to my workout on time so I called and left a message that I would be there at 4:30pm.  Twenty minutes later I new I wasn't going to make 4:30pm, so I called again and this time I got my trainer.  I explained I wasn't going to make it and to bill me for the missed appointment.

At 4:40pm, the car was riding on new wire wheels and tires and it looked fantastic.  I was relieved to have that project done and over with and to not be driving on 20 year old tires.  The car looked great and it drove even better.  The ride was smooth and the car felt more surefooted.  I had time to drive to the gym and pay my bill and then make it back to the airport for my meeting.


Goodnight Trailer, goodnight Cad, goodnight moon.

 I was home at 6:30pm and was ready to sit down and rest a bit.  I spent some time with the chickens, cleaned out their coop and went inside for dinner and to call it a night.

I was very happy with my car and it only took 7 months to get all 4 wheels.  I said goodnight to the trailer and Cadillac and back the car into the shop. 

It has been a great day.

Day 72, Board tretreat and wheel



New used 20 year old Cadillac wheel



I was vacuuming the house at 6:45am in preparation for the retreat.  Everything was pretty much in order and soon about 20 people would be arriving.  The retreat was scheduled from about 8:30 to noon an I had anticipated that we would be done early around 11am, and I was pretty close.  We concluded the meeting at 11:05am and I spent the next hour and half cleaning up again.

 During the meeting UPS showed and my Cadillac wheel had arrived.  I should now have 4 round wheels and the tires that I bought in July can now finally be put on the Cadillac and the 20 year old original tires can be put in the garage for safe keeping.  When I finished cleaning up the house I loaded the wheel in the back of the truck and went to work.  The remainder of the day flew by and I left work at 4:30pm to to Les Schwab to have the wheel tested.



Suggest rim replacement, UGHHH

 When I got to the tire store I was met with the usual awesome customer service and they were happy to test the wheel for me.  To my shock and disbelief they said the wheel was not round.  I couldn't believe it and I called the guy who sold it to me immediately.  He was in even great disbelief, because he had personally watched the wheel be checked.  I took the wheel and went home, all the while talking with the guy in LA.  He said there is no way the wheel is not round and that they didn't know what they were doing.  I told him I would take the wheel to America's Tire, where my 4 tires had been waiting for 3 months. 





Rim with tire and it checked great.

 America's tire put it on their machine and they said it wasn't too bad but there might be a vibration from it.  I was not happy. The guy in LA said you have to check and balance them with the tire on the wheel, so I asked if they could put one of my tires on the wheel and try it again. They said sure, and to our total surprise, the wheel was perfect, with no hope and only needing 1.35 ounces of weight.  What huge relief and called the guy in LA to say, the wheel was fine, he was greatly relieved too.

I left the wheel there and said I would be back tomorrow with the Cadillac and I would have all 4 wheels with me and I would finally get the tires out of their way.

I drove home with a feeling of great relief and excitement to finally be able to get the new wheels  on the car.  I arrived home at 6:15 and I was taking to dinner to my parent, so I quickly changed clothes and departed. 

I was back home by 8 and in bed by 11.  I was beat and tomorrow would be a new day and I'd have new tires.  Who would think anyone could be excited about getting new wheels and tires.

Day 71, Monday and not much to report

As Mondays go, this was a good one.  I had so much to get done for our Board retreat tomorrow that the day flew by.

I left work in time to get to my workout appointment in Bend.  Having missed lunch, I was a little hungry and almost starting to feel a little weak.  All I could think about was the cold pizza that was sitting in my refrigerator at home.  Strange combination, working out and pizza, but I was hungry.  I should have been thinking of healthy food.

The workout was great and I was home by 6.  I let the chickens out for a few moments of free time and then I devoured the pizza.  With food in my stomach I sat on the couch and read my 12 pages for he day.  I love watching the sun sink low on the horizon and seeing the long shadows across the ground.

Before I knew it the sun was set, the chickens were in the coop and I had read my 12 pages.  I locked the chickens in for the night and then did some cleaning for tomorrows Board meeting.  I had my entire Board and staff coming for our annual retreat.  The house looked pretty good and with some extra effort I was ready for company.

I was in bed by 11.

Day 70, I've had the Traveleze 10 weeks

It's hard to believe that I have had the trailer 10 weeks.  I haven't spent much time with it lately and winter is fast approaching. 

I slept much better last night with little interruption and I woke up at 7am feeling pretty good. This was a good time to get my 12 pages read before going to Church, so I stayed in bed and read.


Hmm, is sin to take a picture in church?


Church was at eleven and even the Pastor admitted that reading the Bible in 90 days can be a challenge.  Staying focused through the repetition of the Old Testament.  That made me feel a little better, knowing that it wasn't just me.  I tell you I have had to read more than one page twice because I zoned out and didn't know where I was.

After church the first thing I needed to do was bake a cake for my fathers birthday.  I haven't baked a cake in probably 5 years so this was going to be interesting.  This wasn't just any ordinary cake either.  It was my grandmother apple spice cake this brown sugar frosting, which I should have made several days ago.  This a cake that has to age and it actually is at its best when it is about a week old.  In order to make this cake I had to make home made applesauce.  So with a few apples from my trees and a few from the store I was all set and in about an hour a half I had a cake cooling on the counter.  It didn't look to bad for being as rusty as I was, but would it taste ok?  I guess we would find out after dinner.


Corn stalks at the end of the driveway.


I spent the rest of afternoon working in the garden, cutting down corn stalks and harvesting the pumpkins.  I pulled off several small ears of corn that never quite matured and fed them to the chickens.  They love corn and will peck the cob clean in no time.  Once I had the corn stalks cut down, I loaded them in the back of the pickup and took them to he end of the driveway where I placed them into two bunches flanking the entrance to the driveway.   With a few pumpkins placed strategically at the base of each bunch I was pretty much done.  The only thing I needed to do was mix up a batch of Deer Away and pour it over the pumpkins and corn stalks to keep the deer from eating them.  The stuff smells nasty, kind of like rotten eggs and fish.

We gathered at my folks house for birthday dinner and the cake turned pretty good.  It definitely needs to age and if there is any left by Wednesday it should be perfect.

There was no time for the trailer this weekend which is starting to get pretty sad.  I'm going to back it into the shop this next weekend and continue to see if I get someone to work on it.  My schedule is crazy and I want to see this project finished in time for next summer.

Day 69, Wow, what a night

After going to bed at 12am, I was ready to sleep like a baby with the windows open and the feel and smell of fresh clean sheets, what could be better. 

At 4am I awoke to the sound of what I thought was a cell phone going off in the living room and the room lit up with a soft glow of a light.  I figure my friend Bruce had left his cell phone here, so I got up to check, but when I got up to look, I couldn't find anything.  I know I saw the room light up and that I heard the beeping of what I thought was cell phone, but there was nothing there.  I then had this realization, that could someone have been in my house?  A brief moment of "hmm, should I be nervous" came over me.  I then I looked in the kitchen and the dishwasher was lit up, meaning it had been opened and shut.  Now I really had a moment of "HMMM, is there someone in here"?  I thought I should go back to my bed room and put on my glasses. I then realized that the alarm clock was flashing, as if the power had gone off, so I then figured the power had flickered and the dishwasher reset itself.  I figured it must have made a noise like a cell phone.  It was then that the motion-detector lights came on in the back yard.  I then saw a flash of light on the spruce tree in the back yard and the power went out.  Needless to say, it was a bit too much to process at once, so I just got back in bed to think about what was going on.  At that moment my cat Harris jumped up on the bed and faced the window.  He then started to growl, so there was something outside, I just didn't know what.  I convinced myself it was a deer and tried not to think about it.  Not more than 5 minutes later my other cat came to the window (he was outside) and he had a live gopher (I could hear it squeaking).  My cat was meowing with a mouthful of gopher to get my attention.  There is a cat door in the window next to the bed and he was starting to come in with the gopher, before I knocked him back out the window.  He was so proud of his catch and since he knew I knew he had caught it, he ate it outside my window "crunch, crunch, crunch".  Yuck!

Deer eating on the plants in the yard.



My wonderful night sleep never came to be.  I was so tired and there was very little chance of me going back to sleep and waking up refreshed.  I did fall back to sleep and I ended up getting up at 8am, I was so beat!  I laid in bed and read my 12 pages that I missed from the night before.



Around 9am I was still without power, so I called the power company and as it turned out, someone lost control of their car and took a power pole across the field from my house, so the flash I saw in the back yard must have been the transformer blowing up.  It took the power company 8 hours to replace the  pole and to restore power.  When you live in the country it means you have a well, and without power the pump doesn't work, so I had no water.  It's amazing how much we take for granted, like electricity and water for instance.

Trailer and leaves.



The rest of the day would consist of getting the oil changed in my truck, some shopping, yard work and then at 5pm picking up my parents at the airport.  They had just returned from Iowa, where my mother sold her farm that had been in the family since 1965, the year I was born.  We had diner and then I came home  to blog, read and to go to bed. 

 I didn't have any time for the trailer today.  The day started off with light rain and with all my running around nothing got done.  I really need to make some phone calls tomorrow to see if anyone can help me with the restoration.  If not I need to back it into the shop and keep it dry and warm for the winter.

Oh, and the chickens spent the day out in the yard and laid 3 eggs..

I so hope tonight I sleep like a baby.

Day 68, Woo Hoo Friday

To say I was excited for the weekend, would be an understatement.  I was exhausted and ready for a few days off.  I really need a few day to decompress and to slow things down.


I had a lunch meeting in Bend and was able to stop by the house on my way back and let the chickens out.  I figured 5 o'clock would get here soon enough and they would enjoy the time out in the yard.



1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88



When the magic "quitting time" rolled around I had several errands to run.  I needed a few items from the store and then ever since our Dinner and Auction, I have wanted to look for this little toy car that was on top of a cupcake that was donated as an auction item.  I had asked the cupcake maker where she got the car and she said it was from the Johnny Lightning series at WalMart, so that's where I went to look.  To my surprise they still had one and in fact they had two, so I bought them both.  The grand total was $5.98 for the two.  I guess at 45, I still enjoy a good Match Box car.  I actually leave my cars out in cabinet in the living room and when little people come over they know where to look for the toy cars. There was just something about this car that I had to have.  It was great little 1950 Oldsmobile, now when is the last time you saw an Oldsmobile?  I opened one up for use and I will keep the other one pristine and in the box.  I now need to find a small Traveleze trailer to put behind it.  I wonder if they make any small canned ham trailer  that are Match Box sized?  I'll have to look on eBay and see what I can find.

The chickens put them selves to bed and I closed the pen door around 7pm.  I spent the evening catching up with a good friend, who I haven't talked with in a long time.  He had stopped by and we had a beer and talked about our old college days.  I ended up going to bed at midnight.  I was so ready for a good night sleep.  I had put fresh sheets on and there is little I love more, so I was really looking forward to laying in bed and just enjoying the peace and quiet and clean sheets.

It had been a long week.

Day 67, Thursday Halloween is coming

 

Chickens on the path

There is something about Thursday I love, I think it's the anticipation of Friday and the weekend.   Work was extremely busy and I got  home around 5:45.  I don't think I had been in the door more than 10 minutes when my brother called and asked if I could come get him, his truck had broken down.  I put my shoes back on and off I went.

I was back home this time for good by 6:20.  The chickens were still in the yard but getting closer to the coop and pen.  I do love the autumn days and especially when the sun starts to sink low.  Everything seems to turn golden. 




There were deer in the yard, the quail were starting to head to the Blue Spruce, the cats and chickens were out, it's really just a special time of day.  As I looked at the corn and pumpkin patch I decided to put the pumpkin patch sign for Halloween.  This weekend I will have to cut the corn stalks down and put them up at the end of my driveway.  The holidays will soon be here.



Halloween is around the corner



 Before I knew it, it was dark, I closed the chickens in the pen and went inside for the night.  I then realized that tomorrow was garbage day, so I put my shoes back on pulled the trash can down my driveway, which I think is around 700' long'.   I actually enjoy taking the trash out, it a nice walk and when the stars are out it can be breath taking.

It was time to read my 12 pages in the "Read the Bible in 90 Days" challenge and I was now on day 26.

Day 66, Wednesday on the down hill slide

This has been a week where I seem to be constantly forgetting something.  No matter how many notes I leave myself, I just can't seem to remember all that I'm supposed to be doing.  I obviously just have too much going on at the same time and my brain just cant keep up.


Another beautiful sunset.

The nice thing about Wednesday is, it's a workout day and works outs are about me spending time on myself, which I need to do.  It's a chance for me to slow down a bit and focus.

I had a great workout and was finished by 5:30pm.   I had let the chickens out at 2:30pm, so I wasn't in a rush to get home.  I ran a few errands in bend and headed home about 6:30pm. 

By the time I got home the sun had set and the sky was beautiful.  The chickens were still in the yard, but were starting to head toward the coop.  I fed them a few slices of bread and closed them in their pen for the night.

Tonight I need to read my 12 pages and then head to bed. 

Day 65, Tuesday morning Frost and Ice.



Ice in the fields Winter is coming

It dipped down to 30 and it is safe to say that the garden is officially done for the 2010 growing season.  The yard was frost covered this morning and the irrigation in the fields had coated everything with a nice layer of ice.

Work was busy and I got home around 6pm, just enough time to let the chickens out pull all the green tomatoes off the plants and to change the straw in the Chicken coop.  The chickens were there usual happy selves running around the yard and their play time would over by 7pm when it is pretty much dark.

Three male orange kittens 4 weeks old.

There really is no time available after work to work on the trailer.  By the time I change and do my few daily chores it's dark.  I did place a call to the vintage trailer restoration shop in Bend to see if they would be interested in my trailer, but I just got a voice mail. I haven't heard from the other guy who came and looked at it was going to get back to me.  I might need to call him again too.   

I did receive a lead on replacement cat if my older cat Scrappy does not start to get better.  I have  a fondness for orange cats and my friend Lee and his wife Linda had rescued 3 kittens.  I asked if any of them were orange and here is the picture they sent.  Needless to say, I might need to get 1, or 2 or 3....I have acreage...that's not creepy is it?  Single guy and 5 cats?  Ok, way creepy...but I have chickens, horses, fish, deer, etc, yeah still creepy.  Ok, so maybe I will just get one.

Tonight is going to be a repeat of yesterday, TV and another 12 pages.