tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26431824215612888512023-11-15T23:59:43.494-08:00Benchmark 60Thoughts, reflections and ruminations as I figure out what to do with myself since I retired#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-8435176717780629612017-01-20T04:02:00.000-08:002017-01-20T04:02:31.946-08:00Why I'm Marching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm going off the grid. I'm giving up Facebook until after the inauguration, and I'm not turning on the news. My replacement I-phone is stuck on a truck in an ice storm in the gorge. I can't text until it is delivered. I'm worn down, and I want to live in the real world with my intelligent, compassionate, humane friends. I believe that people are innately good and kind, but on social media I've seen too little of that lately. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The results of the presidential election stunned me. The cabinet appointments appalled me. The promises to move back on climate change, health care, immigration, reproductive rights, and so many other issues of importance frightened me. I admit I've cried. It feels like the sun has gone down and there is no promise of morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Social media has not helped. The vehicle that let me reconnect with old friends, keep in touch with former co-workers after I retired, and even find a sister given up for adoption has also beaten me down. The gloating, gleeful posts of Trump supports who will close Planned Parenthood and deny women access to reproductive health care, register Muslims like Nazi lackeys, dismantle the public education system, and deny refugees safe haven has made me anxious for the future of our country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Several weeks ago I decided to participate in the Women's March in Portland. I asked a friend on Facebook if she wanted to go with me. I didn't expect a positive response because we are political opposites, but we can usually have a conversation without disrespect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=100000453431674&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/jann.tresham" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Jann Rayner Tresham</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">...and that is why women are marching. We are not going back to a time where white males could "beat the (sic) livin snot" out of them. This has nothing to do with flags and we're not burning them...although it is constitutionally protected speech.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<button class="UFICommentCloseButtonFake _50zy _50-0 _50z- _5upp _42ft" style="background-image: url(https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/y3/r/3bYSPX79oCP.png); background-position: -294px -226px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; border: 0px none; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px !important; height: 12px; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 12px;" tabindex="-1" title="Remove" type="button"><span class="_4qba" data-intl-translation="Remove" data-intl-trid=""></span></button></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1847517902&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/chad.linkel?fref=ufi" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Chad N. Linkel</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thats about what I expected you to say. Don't hurt yourself when you fall off your high <span class="_5mfr _47e3" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;"><img aria-hidden="true" class="img" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v7/f1/1/16/1f40e.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">🐎</span></span>.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<a class="UFILikeLink" data-ft="{"tn":">"}" data-testid="ufi_reply_like_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" title="Like this comment">Like</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><a class="UFIReplyLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Reply</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="uiLinkSubtle" data-ft="{"tn":"N"}" data-testid="ufi_comment_timestamp" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel/posts/10210275891148003?comment_id=10210280795870618&reply_comment_id=10210282077262652&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R4%22%7D" style="color: #90949c; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">11 hrs</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1062612956&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel?fref=ufi" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ginger Walker Linkel</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chad.... this is a friend. I respect and admire her, despite our differing opinions. Asking you to do the same out of respect for me.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<a class="UFILikeLink" data-ft="{"tn":">"}" data-testid="ufi_reply_like_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" title="Like this comment">Like</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><a class="UFIReplyLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Reply</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="uiLinkSubtle" data-ft="{"tn":"N"}" data-testid="ufi_comment_timestamp" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel/posts/10210275891148003?comment_id=10210280795870618&reply_comment_id=10210282708318428&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R3%22%7D" style="color: #90949c; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">9 hrs</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1847517902&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/chad.linkel?fref=ufi" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Chad N. Linkel</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ugh. Fine.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<a class="UFILikeLink" data-ft="{"tn":">"}" data-testid="ufi_reply_like_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" title="Like this comment">Like</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><a class="UFIReplyLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Reply</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><a ajaxify="/ajax/browser/dialog/likes?id=10210283035286602" aria-label="1 Like" class="UFICommentLikeButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" data-tooltip-uri="/ajax/like/tooltip.php?comment_fbid=10210283035286602&comment_from=1847517902&comment_likecount=1&comment_id=10210275891148003_10210283035286602&cache_buster=0&av=100000453431674" href="https://www.facebook.com/browse/likes?id=10210283035286602" rel="dialog" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; margin: -5px; padding: 2px 5px 4px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="UFICommentReactionIconContainer" style="bottom: -2px; font-family: inherit; padding-right: 3px; position: relative;"><i class="_3j7l _2p78 _9-y" style="background-image: url(https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/ye/r/vNpH2BdetVI.png); background-position: -84px -111px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 13px; width: 13px;"></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">1</span></a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="uiLinkSubtle" data-ft="{"tn":"N"}" data-testid="ufi_comment_timestamp" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel/posts/10210275891148003?comment_id=10210280795870618&reply_comment_id=10210283035286602&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R2%22%7D" style="color: #90949c; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">8 hrs</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1062612956&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel?fref=ufi" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ginger Walker Linkel</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you, sweetie.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<a class="UFILikeLink" data-ft="{"tn":">"}" data-testid="ufi_reply_like_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" title="Like this comment">Like</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><a class="UFIReplyLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Reply</a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><a ajaxify="/ajax/browser/dialog/likes?id=10210283778585184" aria-label="1 Like" class="UFICommentLikeButton" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-alignh="center" data-tooltip-uri="/ajax/like/tooltip.php?comment_fbid=10210283778585184&comment_from=1062612956&comment_likecount=1&comment_id=10210275891148003_10210283778585184&cache_buster=0&av=100000453431674" href="https://www.facebook.com/browse/likes?id=10210283778585184" rel="dialog" role="button" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; margin: -5px; padding: 2px 5px 4px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="UFICommentReactionIconContainer" style="bottom: -2px; font-family: inherit; padding-right: 3px; position: relative;"><i class="_3j7l _2p78 _9-y" style="background-image: url(https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/ye/r/vNpH2BdetVI.png); background-position: -84px -111px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 13px; width: 13px;"></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">1</span></a><span aria-hidden="true" role="presentation" style="font-family: inherit;"> · </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="uiLinkSubtle" data-ft="{"tn":"N"}" data-testid="ufi_comment_timestamp" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel/posts/10210275891148003?comment_id=10210280795870618&reply_comment_id=10210283778585184&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R1%22%7D" style="color: #90949c; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">6 hrs</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1847517902&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/chad.linkel?fref=ufi" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Chad N. Linkel</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just to be clear, if she wasn't your friend, If it wasn't your post, I'd have let her have it mom. Its only my upbringing and respect for you that this didn't turn ugly. <span class="_5mfr _47e3" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;"><img aria-hidden="true" class="img" height="16" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v7/f57/1/16/1f609.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">😉</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class=" UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1062612956&extragetparams=%7B%22is_public%22%3Afalse%2C%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/ginger.linkel?fref=ufi" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ginger Walker Linkel</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="UFICommentBody" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that is a small part of what I love about you.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...and that was a relatively mild conversation on Facebook compared to some I have seen. I'm tired of the hate, the ignorance, the attitude that now those of us who speak up will be made to pay. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I will be walking at the Women's March with my college roommate. I am walking because I want to see hundreds, maybe thousands, of women who believe in equality for all: women who will stand, be counted, and not be intimidated. I don't want to go back to the era where my friends were afraid to step out of the closet, where women died at the hands of back alley butchers, where people with disabilities could not attend school. I need to physically see that those people are out there. I am walking to be counted, but I am also walking for myself...I need hope for the future. I don't want to be alone.</span><br />
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-53424173618765117132016-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:002016-11-20T07:00:04.980-08:00The Baby, Part Six<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hey, Jann, you've found your sister! What are you going to do next?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Stacey and I had texted throughout my five hour drive from Seattle to Hermiston. I had stopped at every rest area to text.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I was physically and emotionally exhausted when I got home to Oregon. In her home, Stacey was tired too. She hadn't gone to work that Monday morning because she was ill. (Another way the universe conspired for us to find each other. If she hadn't been home, she wouldn't have received the phone call from the search angel.) By 7:00 PM she was ready for bed and texted me that we could talk the next day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I tried to coherently tell the story to the spouse. I was a roller coaster of emotions and the spouse was smart enough to leave me alone and let me work through it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I woke up on Tuesday thinking about Stacey...and texting with Stacey is about all I did that day. I didn't want to bother her at work, but she texted between students and at lunch. Finally, that evening we spoke on the phone. The spouse fended for himself for dinner. Stacey and I talked for for almost two hours. We have a lot of things in common. We have a lot of years to catch up on. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">In late October I went to Greece to volunteer at the Oinofyta Refugee Camp. I had limited access to wifi and no phone. Stacy and I communicated a few times through Facebook. This week Stacey is at a retreat and she's the one without phone and wifi. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This is the last "Baby" post I will make until after Thanksgiving. The spouse and I are leaving Sunday to spend the holiday with our grandchildren. When I booked our flights several months ago, our return trip on the Friday after Thanksgiving was routed through Los Angeles. As many times as I've flown in and out of Austin in the past eight years, this is the first time I've been routed through LA. Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the stars align to open up possibilities. Stacey lives near Los Angeles. I'm getting off the plane in LA and Stacey and her boyfriend will pick me up at the airport. We're going to spend the weekend with our brothers in San Diego. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I hope there will be pictures that I can share when I return. I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Thank you all for your supportive comments as I shared our journey of discovery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">And now this is the part of the story where I reflect...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In hind sight I realize that I had not thought through the possible consequences of searching for my sister. It all happened so fast. I hadn't consulted with other family members. I was searching for MY sister...with the emphasis on my. I envisioned a joyful reunion and a happy ever after. I still hope that is the outcome of our story, but I also know that our family dynamic is forever changed. We can't change the past, but I hope we can go forward and build relationships. I'm trusting that love will win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-63198689638966655762016-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:002016-11-19T07:00:03.170-08:00The Baby Part Five<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is the one where I find my sister!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>If you haven't read <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-baby-part-one.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-baby-part-two.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/th-baby-part-three.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a>, or <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-baby-part-four.html" target="_blank">Part 4</a>, you might want to click on each of the links above and start at the beginning.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had started searching for my sister with no expectations. I didn't feel any stress about the process until we started to get results. Once I saw her birth record, she was real to me, not just an abstract idea. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sunday afternoon I got a phone call from Judy, a "search angel" volunteer for the <a href="https://www.findmyfamily.org/" target="_blank">Find My F</a><a href="https://www.findmyfamily.org/" target="_blank">amily Adoption Registry</a>. She asked if I would like her to help search. "At no cost to you," she said. I gratefully accepted her offer of assistance.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That evening my blogging friends, the Vashonistas, and I watched the second presidential debate. The next morning we had one final writing session and then it was time to say goodbye. I had a ferry ride and a five hour drive ahead of me. I stopped at the local Vashon supermarket to load up on snacks for the journey. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0x2BwiyP5MV9XCleX7-UGRAUqNi4oGufo4XRbp6HnU8EFXSmzVKDG9tCMuVg6hcAEfFpzrkqcjPtiFj3ntocQq2xMG2EmmKyWOPXgrQZjZywi9JtX14m0Zoc0NzaXEN-RpLBAPFje2o/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0x2BwiyP5MV9XCleX7-UGRAUqNi4oGufo4XRbp6HnU8EFXSmzVKDG9tCMuVg6hcAEfFpzrkqcjPtiFj3ntocQq2xMG2EmmKyWOPXgrQZjZywi9JtX14m0Zoc0NzaXEN-RpLBAPFje2o/s400/IMG_1724.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is where I was standing when my phone rang and Judy, the search angel, said "I found your sister. I've talked to her. I need your permission to share your contact information with her." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The tears started rolling down my face. "Her name is Stacey. She knew she was adopted and she would like to contact you." I don't remember a lot of the conversation, but I must have gotten some strange looks from other shoppers as I paced back and forth in front of the candy display, tears flowing freely, saying "Oh my God, Oh my God. I can't believe it!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I sat for awhile in the parking lot absorbing the knowledge that my sister had been found. Her name is Stacey. I called my dad and told him. I don't know why he was my first call because he's not related to her, but he had made the search possible by sharing information...long held secrets, with me. I texted my brothers. My youngest brother, Ross, replied "I think you have the wrong number," and then "What sister?" I had forgotten he didn't know anything about "the baby."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had told Judy, the search angel, that I was driving home for the next five hours and I wouldn't be able to text so I would contact Stacey when I got home. I was sitting in my car on the ferry to Seattle when I got a Facebook friend request from Stacey. I accepted and immediately started crying again. I stalked her Facebook page...and then she messaged me.</span><br />
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Stacey:</div>
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: inherit;">No rush, since you are driving.My home phone is </span></div>
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Me:<br />
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So relieved you're a Hillary supporter. I had a thought, "what if she's one of the deplorable?" That would have been hard!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Stacey:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1f0f0; color: #4b4f56; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">OMG, JUST had the EXACT same thought about you minutes ago</span><br />
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: inherit;">Not texting while driving, still on the ferry!</span></div>
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Stacey:<br />
<span style="background-color: #f1f0f0; color: #4b4f56; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you for finding me </span><img alt="🙂" class="_1ift _2560 img" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v5/z4c/1/16/1f642.png" style="border: 0px; color: #4b4f56; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 16px;" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">...and I cried some more. It was a slow drive home. I stopped at every rest area between Seattle and Hermiston to read and respond to her texts. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I have a sister and her name is Stacey.</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-64172598670537281892016-11-18T07:00:00.002-08:002016-11-18T07:00:12.445-08:00The Baby Part Four<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday night, October 8, 2016, clad in our pajamas, my friend Linda and I sat on her bed with our laptops and started to search for my sister. We knew she was born in California and we knew her birth mother's name. We guessed that she was born between 1960 and 1962. Not much to go on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Adoption search websites inform users that finding family members who have been adopted is challenging. "The search can take years," they warn, "and don't always have happy endings." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Linda found my sister's original birth record on the California Birth Index. We had been searching for forty-five minutes! I expected to see my mother's name, but was surprised that my father was also listed. She was not given a first name. She was born in the summer of 1961, three months before I turned 11. I really had a sister!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">While it was exciting to find the birth record, the only information it provided that we didn't already have was her birthdate. Linda and I started searching other adoption databases. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">"We need more information," said Linda. "You have to talk to your dad and see if you can get the hospital, the doctor, and the attorney names." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">It was close to midnight and I wasn't going to call my 90 year old father in the middle of the night. He didn't know I was searching. No one knew I was searching except my blogging friends, who, except for Linda and I, were fast asleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I called my father in the morning. He couldn't remember the hospital name but thought it was run by some religion...maybe Adventist, he said. He knew the hospital was in Van Nuys and remembered the intersection to turn to the hospital. He also knew both the doctor's and attorney's last names. My dad worked with the attorney's father, Al.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Linda was encouraging and thought my sister would be easy to find. "It was a private adoption," she said, "the baby probably went to a friend of the attorney." Linda suggested that I register on adoption search sites. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The internet is a powerful tool. I searched for adoption registries and found <a href="https://www.findmyfamily.org/" target="_blank">Find My Family Adoption Registry</a>. I entered all the information I had discovered and my contact numbers and with the push of a button my search was registered. Then we all went kayaking.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvFbljCfdYuon1stIZszQzESEh9USG3VyV_f93RtKmyHqIWVpLvzJnGvhMJrHjcB4E6D7Xjqbqhb9YkNqYw6Wo0M-RVQBR76KD7JOUpqZlMyJTd0l4MVVXw9uR_wFJDlLNI4y7_3j0C4/s1600/DSCF2485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvFbljCfdYuon1stIZszQzESEh9USG3VyV_f93RtKmyHqIWVpLvzJnGvhMJrHjcB4E6D7Xjqbqhb9YkNqYw6Wo0M-RVQBR76KD7JOUpqZlMyJTd0l4MVVXw9uR_wFJDlLNI4y7_3j0C4/s640/DSCF2485.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">L-R Linda, DJan, Sandi, Jann, Deb</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-9405618466120460192016-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:002016-11-17T09:13:10.116-08:00The Baby, Part Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P9fz-U1BFapEfGBrGCUa20Nz6fbIuS0iDRwBDAay0jQNeLvLkv50zOroKvtMzENRdoBdnqWBAPCkCZC5gFd7Z31A_Cz7JWyumbRHwfDiIiSAsJPmhwfS0m0FTha613C6vdhtYs5deTo/s1600/IMG_0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P9fz-U1BFapEfGBrGCUa20Nz6fbIuS0iDRwBDAay0jQNeLvLkv50zOroKvtMzENRdoBdnqWBAPCkCZC5gFd7Z31A_Cz7JWyumbRHwfDiIiSAsJPmhwfS0m0FTha613C6vdhtYs5deTo/s400/IMG_0391.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lavender Hill Farm on Vashon Island</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>This is where I started the search for my sibling, safe in "our" farmhouse on Vashon Island with supportive friends. </i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>If you haven't read the beginning of this story, click <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-baby-part-one.html" target="_blank">here for Part 1</a> and <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-baby-part-two.html" target="_blank">here for Part 2</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Long time readers of this blog know that once a year I meet with a small group of women bloggers who I met online through our blogs. Three years ago I shared with them the story of my "lost" sibling. Several of these friends have their own adoption stories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Are you going to search for your sibling?" they asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I told them I didn't know, but in my heart I knew that eventually I would search. I told them I needed to talk to my dad first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A year passed and I finally gathered up a pile of unidentified photos that I had saved from my mother's estate. I hauled them back to California and on a sunny San Diego day my brother, Leigh, with his own pile of unidentified photos, and I sat down with our father to go through them. We spent a lovely morning hearing him tell stories. His memory is sharp and he filled in a lot of blanks and shared new tales of family history. In late afternoon we had come to the end of our stacks of photos. I took a deep breath and said, "Dad, what we really want to know about is the baby."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He knew right away what I was asking and said, "You know I apologized to your mother. We had decided that we wanted to try to keep our marriage together for you three kids. I felt that I wouldn't be able to accept the baby. It would be a constant reminder to me. I was wrong and I told your mother that later. Babies make their own love. You love them for who they are."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My mother had an affair. They gave up the baby to try to save their marriage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I told my father what I remembered of the day the baby was born and he said, "It wasn't a boy; it was a girl."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I went home to Oregon the next day. I thought about the sister that I had always wanted to have. I knew I would find her some day and I tucked away the story thinking I'd save it for when I started searching. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This October I went back to Vashon Island to meet with my blogging friends for our annual writing retreat. The topic of adoption came up in conversation and my friend Linda said, "I'll help you search for her if you want." That very evening, while the other three bloggers slept, Linda and I sat in our pajamas on her bed with our laptops and started the search. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I6kBwsKJl89ITiknQ-UzhZCTVQMBHlY5eAaKobOUYsYnm5cz_X_GjcXBqM0-2jJWr2PhWe2QMzM_5O3HP8dv7xn-KOsERjB2Akd3aRZyh7w2KXPZBCj5rtXcLcvNp62f7deIiJ1pJW4/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I6kBwsKJl89ITiknQ-UzhZCTVQMBHlY5eAaKobOUYsYnm5cz_X_GjcXBqM0-2jJWr2PhWe2QMzM_5O3HP8dv7xn-KOsERjB2Akd3aRZyh7w2KXPZBCj5rtXcLcvNp62f7deIiJ1pJW4/s400/IMG_1709.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My blogging friends, the Vashonistas Left to right: Linda, Sandi, Deb, DJan, me</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The search had started...more of the story is coming on Friday and Saturday. Get out your kleenex. It's a tear jerker!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-33475141343561874492016-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:002016-11-16T07:00:08.799-08:00The Baby Part Two<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I first wrote this story four </i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>years ago, but I never shared it on my blog. It is a secret that I held for too long to let it go easily. Now is the time to tell it.</i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">If you haven't read part 1, you can find it <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-baby-part-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I grew up in Southern California in a neighborhood of three bedroom, two bath single family homes in the foothills of the San Fernando Valley. We didn't have attics, basements, or barns in our ranch-style homes, but we had good neighbors and lots of kids to play with on those long, hot and sunny summer days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was a reader and the stories of my childhood were of daring youth who explored attics or abandoned buildings and found interesting clues that led them to adventure and sometimes danger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I spent a lot of unsupervised time at home. I did a lot of exploring. While we didn't have an attic or barn, there were closets and cupboards to survey and investigate. I found a shoebox of letters and documents hidden in my mother's closet. I read the letters. I remember going back on several occasions to reread because I kept thinking that I must have misunderstood what I had read. Every time I read the documents I understood the same thing...my mother had given up a baby for adoption.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My mother died almost 10 years ago. I never asked her about what I had found. Years ago I told my brother, Leigh what I had read. He didn't remember anything about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Two years ago I finally talked to my father about what I remembered about "the baby," and he told me the rest of the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Later this week I'll share the story with you.</span></div>
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-675979490868745192016-11-15T00:19:00.000-08:002016-11-15T00:20:34.222-08:00The Baby, Part One<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wrote
this story four years ago but never shared it on my blog. It was a secret I had held for too long to
let it go. Now is the time to tell it.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Memories can be patchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some incidents are clear and detailed, others are fragmented and
cloudy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it is difficult to
sort out what is an actual memory and what is the result of hearing a family
story told over and over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At family
gatherings my adult children sometimes relate stories that are far from my
recollection of the same incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
shared memories, but our perspectives are different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The same is true of my childhood memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I get together with my brothers, someone
always starts a conversation “Remember the time…” and together our collective
memory can fill in all the details.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s one story we’ve never talked about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the summer before sixth grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 10 years old. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brother, Leigh, was about to turn 9 and was
going into fourth grade. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My youngest
brother was almost 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother was pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t have baby things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no crib and no baby clothes or
stockpile of diapers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember telling
my mother that she could have my baby doll’s clothes for the new baby and she
told me that she didn’t need them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
neighbors held a shower for her and bought her a stroller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One afternoon my mother walked through the kitchen with a
towel between her legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My water broke”
she told me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea what this
meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and my father left for the
hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Later that afternoon I answered the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember the call because I spoke to “the
marine operator.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the days of
rotary dial phones and party lines, a long distance call was an event, a ship
to shore call was unheard of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was an attorney calling and I told him my mother had gone
to the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Late that night I heard my father come home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got out of bed and met him in the dark
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baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember the conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The baby died” my father said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What was it?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“A boy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I went back to bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Later we went to the hospital to visit my mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had expected to go to Holy Cross Hospital not
far from our house, but instead we went to a small one story building in Van Nuys
and stood outside a window to talk to my mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t remember any of the conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She came home several days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was no funeral.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The baby was never mentioned again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know what happened to the stroller
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Stay tuned for part 2 later this week.</i></span></div>
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-81208679610935957182016-10-27T09:07:00.000-07:002016-10-27T09:10:12.179-07:00If Everyone Does Their Part...<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If Everyone Does Their Part...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlDA8ktm2Tgt1V8MBkAzSagWOqb8OpXFmAfa89_Ee80-uumZXo70o6YKzHUI-bNlXtqCBYzmTL947ADv-K4UeXc3JUx-wOjfybiWvgTMdyvgHpklc6MF12maLLOIyFJ1v6q46C_AM-QQ/s1600/IMG_1793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlDA8ktm2Tgt1V8MBkAzSagWOqb8OpXFmAfa89_Ee80-uumZXo70o6YKzHUI-bNlXtqCBYzmTL947ADv-K4UeXc3JUx-wOjfybiWvgTMdyvgHpklc6MF12maLLOIyFJ1v6q46C_AM-QQ/s400/IMG_1793.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I am in Greece volunteering at the Oinofyta (In-o-fee-ta) Refugee Camp. This camp, which is serving over 600 Afghan refugees, is managed by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/doyourpartdisasters/" target="_blank">Do Your Part</a>, a small 501(c ) non-profit based in the U.S. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">Do Your Part is founded on the belief that if everyone does their part, together, we can solve many of the world's problems. Every penny they receive in donations goes directly to provide for the people they serve, not to administrative overhead. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">I will be writing more about my experience here, but while I am in the middle of it, it's hard to take it all in and process. So, I'm here on the ground doing my part. Here's a small story about what I've done.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday I spent some of the money my friends gave me to help the refugees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought
special formula prescribed by the doctor for a premature baby who needed
supplementary feeding in addition to breast feeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baby had spent one month in an incubator
in the hospital and is now “home” with his entire family in one 3m X 3.5m room inside an old factory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisciaMkuC1pdXHG3pWvS5KMYe865xuN3ivOm9JMVFQ-hSRffrYxmk-RCGSGGnhKxaoVvwXQLcobGNEPaH1auJ6ViJobRvis8wR0i1hjMuj09bq8FR-dsZJDts6H0zTi6ZRS24NWiZfKIg/s1600/IMG_1854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisciaMkuC1pdXHG3pWvS5KMYe865xuN3ivOm9JMVFQ-hSRffrYxmk-RCGSGGnhKxaoVvwXQLcobGNEPaH1auJ6ViJobRvis8wR0i1hjMuj09bq8FR-dsZJDts6H0zTi6ZRS24NWiZfKIg/s320/IMG_1854.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">When I took the formula to the mother, she was in the room
with the baby and two older sons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
invited my Afghan translator and me inside and offered us tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held the tiny baby swaddled tightly in a
pink blanket and accepted the hospitality of a family who has almost nothing,
but safety and each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I went back to the office with a smile on my face…who
doesn’t like cuddling new babies!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
good about being able to spend donated money to directly help a real
child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the office I learned a little
more about the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family had another son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the sons I
met today, Ismael, was playing with his little brother in a wheelbarrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They ran over an IED and the older brother
was blown to pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ismael gathered up the pieces of his little brother and took them home to his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVe9juP2T9eG2IihrsrHQH7MN9o6D5nof7UZog3_edTxzl6-xQ5PupP7hfyODZ97cnGtfFu5-IilMpF1g-tfH0_U4EgTSRIqCwwkkKvfkLf9l8gyrtEz0CmK_VeYgVDpL8iRc7SsYSNs4/s1600/IMG_1752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVe9juP2T9eG2IihrsrHQH7MN9o6D5nof7UZog3_edTxzl6-xQ5PupP7hfyODZ97cnGtfFu5-IilMpF1g-tfH0_U4EgTSRIqCwwkkKvfkLf9l8gyrtEz0CmK_VeYgVDpL8iRc7SsYSNs4/s320/IMG_1752.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are so many stories in the camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some families left Afghanistan because their
lives were in danger, some left for economic reasons, and some left because they don’t want to
pick up the pieces of their children when they are blown up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Oinofyta Refugee Camp is a community, really not that
different than any other community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
made up of both the well-educated and the not educated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lazy people and people who
complain, but there are more people working to make their lives better and serving their community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">It is not depressing here, but sometimes I hear their stories and find it hard to be hopeful. I wish we did more.</span></span></div>
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-59024886700495755862016-06-29T20:08:00.000-07:002016-06-29T20:08:30.217-07:00A Slap in the Face of Reality<em><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></em>
<em><span style="font-size: large;">WTF Wednesday is a semi-regular feature of this blog. It documents the things that have made me pause, slap my forehead and say, "What the f**k!" Well, that and I just like saying WTF. I'm retired. I don't have to watch what I say anymore. I'm not any one's role model.</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After being gone from home for two months, there was a lot of yard work to catch up on. The day after cleaning up the flower beds in the front of the house I woke up with an aching shoulder. The spouse was also groaning about various aches and pains. We laughed about being old people and laughed again that there is little we can do now that doesn't create some sort of soreness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A week later I was still experiencing pain that seemed to move around my shoulder and up and down my right arm. My sleep was broken by pain. I was cranky and worn down. I finally called the doctor. I couldn't get in to see my regular doctor, but they squeezed me in to see the Physician's Assistant. She determined that I has strained my trapezius muscle and gave me a prescription for a muscle relaxant. She warned me not to drive or exceed the dosage. I headed right to the pharmacy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The pharmacist tells me that the medication isn't covered by medicare. I was in pain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I don't care," I told him, "I want it anyway!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"They've determined that this medication is dangerous for the elderly." he tells me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What the f**k???? Elderly? Me???? I was stunned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"This medication can contribute to falls." he says. "Be careful."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Great, next thing you know I'll be ordering one of those "I've fallen and can't get up panic buttons."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Earlier in the week I had to go to Walmart and I notice that they have special parking places for senior citizens. I haven't parked there, but now that I'm officially elderly, maybe I will. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-sMgX0Ph876cq1ddpCNzJaArK5sql8LQppVlh3OEnpc3HRYKaGED4urzqlI8xSF_dfhHWuJE-vfbgkOH6jsLz66BRhfUbrr3UaIKHuSXWkPLlYl6QX6RtSNTTzVbIfw0-dgEt9AXdYU/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-sMgX0Ph876cq1ddpCNzJaArK5sql8LQppVlh3OEnpc3HRYKaGED4urzqlI8xSF_dfhHWuJE-vfbgkOH6jsLz66BRhfUbrr3UaIKHuSXWkPLlYl6QX6RtSNTTzVbIfw0-dgEt9AXdYU/s320/IMG_1459.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-78259858431622740672016-04-28T21:23:00.000-07:002016-04-28T21:23:51.094-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: X you are here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a map of Sunset Bay State Park. Can you find us? We're the happy campers in B-4.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLDjh1dhOhyOuwVmGEWRZdssWhtctaIueVxgHk-qYBWaWjVj4yTV7KKKW1TkM204ugisqLiOo1fccXTg0ZpOtZk5Fk_RJl3ROABe4_zb0no9CY_RfUlzUjdahyphenhyphenI7UHkHVVJSIPPq_HX8/s1600/Unknown-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLDjh1dhOhyOuwVmGEWRZdssWhtctaIueVxgHk-qYBWaWjVj4yTV7KKKW1TkM204ugisqLiOo1fccXTg0ZpOtZk5Fk_RJl3ROABe4_zb0no9CY_RfUlzUjdahyphenhyphenI7UHkHVVJSIPPq_HX8/s640/Unknown-2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-80370022142931085212016-04-28T20:54:00.001-07:002016-04-28T20:54:50.513-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: W is for Welcome<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OcOJswkY1t9Uuw2hFti63_az3q_ypKHvHIXu2Ru1Q8JEn3j1WvKU1spD3zBT2J4B1EX9PUq3CroqaP9dNGz9XIjE-edw0UTB7cM8IeH8IdLsqR1LF6m65iLBpM9NTfb1-NoU5_nQ8_s/s1600/W.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OcOJswkY1t9Uuw2hFti63_az3q_ypKHvHIXu2Ru1Q8JEn3j1WvKU1spD3zBT2J4B1EX9PUq3CroqaP9dNGz9XIjE-edw0UTB7cM8IeH8IdLsqR1LF6m65iLBpM9NTfb1-NoU5_nQ8_s/s1600/W.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This month I've been writing about our experiences as camp hosts at Sunset Bay State Park in Oregon. It's a beautiful wooded park with easy access to the beach, and just a short drive into Charleston Harbor for great fresh seafood if we get tired of cooking. In a lot of ways being a park host is like being a Walmart Greeter, except we're not putting stickers on your bags as you enter the park. I'd like to think that the intent of the Walmart Greeter is to help customers efficiently get to where they need to go. But, since that doesn't happen, they're probably there to watch out for shoplifters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the parks, we help campers find a site they've reserved on-line, or find a site for walk-ins that is big enough for their giant, over-sized RV's. Last night's entertainment was watching the wrecker pull a behemoth RV out of the mud after the owner tried to maneuver the beast into a tight site surrounded by a mud bog. $250.00 dollars later the driver had learned the lesson emblazoned on the park signs, "Stay on the pavement." This morning we took our shovels and rakes and filled in the giant ruts he had torn in the grass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our job is to help people enjoy the park. After a month, we have a wealth of local knowledge and freely share our recommendations for the best place to watch the sea lions, where to buy propane, or the best local restaurant for breakfast. We have met some fascinating people. Al spent four days here waiting for a package he had ordered to arrive. He was waiting for a flashlight! Al is riding his bike to Costa Rica. Yesterday we met a couple from Germany. She spoke English well, and her husband just nodded his head and said, "Thank You!" a lot. They had rented a mid-sized RV and were exploring the southern Oregon coast. I'm still nervous about RVing in my own country; they're pretty brave to drive an RV on unfamiliar roads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is fun to work with people who are on vacation. Everyone is carefree and happy. (Well, except maybe for that guy in the mud bog.) We're happy to welcome them to Oregon's beautiful state parks.</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-59820127666769431402016-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:002016-04-26T14:00:15.749-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: V is for Volunteering<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LTJ4Frzm5mp9_q2mjIRihgKQce1-IZ-y9Dv3FlAVRpvP5L46PA4gqPiSCgzs9sujJ-P3SgcfpekyIPYbl1T2a5KiLm6cZugI0Qdh5kCdoNB2NUBnNv3Hl4-xqRdnPZTP-LUFlQnc6cI/s1600/V.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LTJ4Frzm5mp9_q2mjIRihgKQce1-IZ-y9Dv3FlAVRpvP5L46PA4gqPiSCgzs9sujJ-P3SgcfpekyIPYbl1T2a5KiLm6cZugI0Qdh5kCdoNB2NUBnNv3Hl4-xqRdnPZTP-LUFlQnc6cI/s1600/V.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is our second year as a volunteer for the Oregon State Parks. Last year I read about an opening for a lighthouse host on a blog, <a href="http://wheelingit.us/2016/04/25/back-in-our-happy-place-brookings-or/" target="_blank">Wheeling It</a>, written by a full-time RVer. I contacted the park ranger she mentioned in the post and the lighthouse was no longer available, but he was looking for hosts for the Port Orford Lifeboat Museum....and so began our adventures as park hosts.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQfArQeS0y6LqrX25dZzEXdUlYySF-X_kI-0j_5V9NPiDlUG16JQKA7F_2ukBTInyRLfaUgohiZhPkw4rP2eQyXstMjHJNhcwWf0AZOKfNPSbfx-KLAh5rsIoYB5ud0XlZb0idLDsZ-8/s1600/IMG_0416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQfArQeS0y6LqrX25dZzEXdUlYySF-X_kI-0j_5V9NPiDlUG16JQKA7F_2ukBTInyRLfaUgohiZhPkw4rP2eQyXstMjHJNhcwWf0AZOKfNPSbfx-KLAh5rsIoYB5ud0XlZb0idLDsZ-8/s320/IMG_0416.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The Lifeboat Museum assignment required us to work four days a week from 10:30 to 3:30. Our museum wasn't very busy and we rarely had over 20 guests a day. We gave a little introduction to the museum and pointed out interesting exhibits. We also staffed the "gift shop," which was a couple of shelves in the lobby of the museum. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The museum had an old WWII era dogtag maker and we made and sold dogtags for guests. It was the spouses favorite part of the job.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDAEvLcq88FNm5kulfGWhLJ0W_GihsPKNbhhH1lizEjKjm2OK7i5pW8hVeKX5bzAfV-8Dtz5BJ_OadSuOVCkTmhL0JWrkUQZxoqwpW5J64T8xf6WM_tXfIhHbL0JynfbTjmQ7ss9lRPU/s1600/IMG_0936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDAEvLcq88FNm5kulfGWhLJ0W_GihsPKNbhhH1lizEjKjm2OK7i5pW8hVeKX5bzAfV-8Dtz5BJ_OadSuOVCkTmhL0JWrkUQZxoqwpW5J64T8xf6WM_tXfIhHbL0JynfbTjmQ7ss9lRPU/s320/IMG_0936.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">We both loved the beauty of the area and having the ability to walk a trail or stroll the beach every day. It was a peaceful and inspiring break from our regular, ordinary life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We are heading back to Port Orford next week. Now, we are camp hosting at Sunset Bay State Park. Camp hosting is a different type of volunteer experience. We have daily responsibilities and are on duty five days a week for four hours a day, but those four hours don't start and end on any regular schedule. I think our job is to help campers have the best possible experience in our state parks. We're here to help keep the park tidy, offer assistance, and sell firewood. Everyone is on vacation. People on vacation are in a good mood. It's great to help people have a good time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ever think about volunteering? There are a lot of opportunities available. You can check out volunteer opportunities in Oregon at the Oregon State Parks website <a href="http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=getinvolved.dsp_volunteerOpps" target="_blank">here</a>. There is also a link on that page to the application. We've met lots of other volunteers who do this full-time. There are openings with federal parks, Corp of Engineers, and many others. Some even pay a salary...but I'm sure you have to work a lot harder than we do to get paid! Think about it; volunteering is a way to give back to our parks systems and protect this resource for the future.</span></div>
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-63405614964480026272016-04-26T11:49:00.001-07:002016-04-26T11:49:39.670-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: U is for Unexpected Benefits<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unexpected Benefits</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our month at Sunset Bay State Park ends this week. We have enjoyed our time here and hope we will be invited back. After volunteering last year at Port Orford's Lifeboat Museum, we happily learned to live with less and coexist in a small space. We worked together and lived together. It was a lot of togetherness! We learned to take time alone and the benefits of silence.</span><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our experience at Sunset Bay has been much the same, and we've learned some new lessons. The spouse was worried about being away from home for two months. We brought my car in addition to the pickup that pulls the trailer, just in case he needed to return home for something. Perhaps just having the option to "run home" (an 8-hour trip) eased his mind. He recently said, "I thought I would need to go home to check on things, but now that I'm here, I don't need to." This morning he's off collecting shrimp for fish bait and having some alone time. I enjoy having Stanley (our trailer) to myself. It's a lot easier to tidy up without having to climb over the spouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We spend time outdoors, mostly sitting in our campsite reading. Although, we both are walking more and riding our bikes. We've learned that we need more than reading to pass our time camping. Most of the other hosts have taken up hobbies that are travel-friendly. Our new friends, Chuck and Jane, can be seen almost every day sitting at the table in front of their trailer working on their projects. Chuck whittles wood he finds around the camp and Jane makes rag rugs and placemats on a small loom. Before we leave she's going to give me a lesson. I made a quick run into North Bend to visit the craft store and picked up a few supplies to get me started on my artistic endeavors. I'm not sharing yet. So far I've made prototypes...the nice way of saying I'm still experimenting. If you are the recipient of one of my new masterpieces, just smile and say "Thank you!" You can laugh later and I'll join in when I get over my fear of trying new things!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great day. It is good to be retired!</span><br /><br />
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-17320202061371499202016-04-24T21:52:00.000-07:002016-04-24T21:52:11.048-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: S and T are for Stop Thief!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc68DtvJrJMDOhnLV7j3JdHobKPUlZy3Pd8bh5M8mjxgbnhwle3A6QBCnvdA9NwIjLraIL9mprfr15ytiEc9ctaHd6oJWN7v7avdOz7xugiANiBCspQg-9HpYdiEpXFXeBin7oefac9s/s1600/S.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc68DtvJrJMDOhnLV7j3JdHobKPUlZy3Pd8bh5M8mjxgbnhwle3A6QBCnvdA9NwIjLraIL9mprfr15ytiEc9ctaHd6oJWN7v7avdOz7xugiANiBCspQg-9HpYdiEpXFXeBin7oefac9s/s200/S.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3rYvZd6TNR2OY73UBztP5MQ75HdChdt-ekb5SPK8kg3GmuL8v1KW2BwFXgmUccbvtiz2guoYACNmRVl62cUHcbXiKRgrj5Uz82wdGos4nl6X7XPaBQzx06kwyw7M6BPUeeiblkapfZo/s1600/T.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3rYvZd6TNR2OY73UBztP5MQ75HdChdt-ekb5SPK8kg3GmuL8v1KW2BwFXgmUccbvtiz2guoYACNmRVl62cUHcbXiKRgrj5Uz82wdGos4nl6X7XPaBQzx06kwyw7M6BPUeeiblkapfZo/s200/T.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm catching up by posting two letters. S and T are for Stop Thief! One of our responsibilities in our camp hosting gig at Sunset Bay State Park is to sell firewood. On the weekends when there are more campers here, we load the electric cart with wood and drive around the campground like an ice cream truck and sell wood. During the week, we have a cart with wood parked at the entrance to our site. We make a surprising amount of money for the park selling wood. People are honest. Most campers knock on the trailer door if we're not outside, but some have just taken wood and left the money stuffed in the cart or our front door. One time we found a twenty dollar bill under the windshield wiper of our car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last week we had beautiful weather and the park was full. We sold a lot of wood from the cart in our driveway. Once the sun went down it turned cold and business picked up. One guy stopped by and confessed that he had bought wood in town. He tried numerous times to get a fire started, but it just smoked and never caught fire. The wood was too wet. He asked if the spouse would trade his bundles for two of the park's dry bundles. The spouse gave the guy some dry wood and he was so grateful he said he would be a hero to his family when he got a fire going. The spouse stacked the bundles of wet wood next to the cart and said he'd put it in the woodshed to dry out in the morning. We covered the wood in the cart with a tarp and closed up shop for the night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the morning, the spouse took the tarp off the cart and all the wood was gone. In its place was a twenty dollar bill for the four bundles of wood. The spouse looked next to the cart and saw that the wet wood bundles were also gone. That customer did not leave ten dollars to pay for the wood. That's karma. If you steal wood you get wood that won't burn. Serves him right!</span><br />
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-53476140184141740052016-04-20T20:43:00.001-07:002016-04-20T20:43:39.228-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: Q is for Quiet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcOJMW416zPFiT3Zd1iO9Pjixymr-sPNo_OA054a7PorAKJ_VqSD76TL1mfvGq0LsYe1btzWFv6s3PozRkFBg3awXFC18H2eomDxG4WQDDYt7S9OIGyj3VAnWLzxejhJ0XNlQjPW8GeE/s1600/Q.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcOJMW416zPFiT3Zd1iO9Pjixymr-sPNo_OA054a7PorAKJ_VqSD76TL1mfvGq0LsYe1btzWFv6s3PozRkFBg3awXFC18H2eomDxG4WQDDYt7S9OIGyj3VAnWLzxejhJ0XNlQjPW8GeE/s1600/Q.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have been enjoying the laid back lifestyle at the beach. It is peaceful and quiet here, and other than our "work" duties, there is little that has to be done. This time of year it is mainly retired people camping. There haven't been any rowdy groups to break the calm tempo of life here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Today we ventured into new territory. Along with a fellow park volunteer, we kayaked 4.5 miles from the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve to the Charleston Bridge. Until we rounded Valino Island and could see the Charleston Bridge, we didn't see another human. It was a lovely break from civilization. The only sounds were the geese taking flight and the thwap, thwap, thwap of our paddles against the water. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHP1kenq7fi2nPlmz-KYzTj3ggM52Z8ZJ-tU70U-wjO0VKoNAu-Q42L081icrm9Zgq-ZwJMtH1l3nw1RNQ1XyIsLfc8zsVbF77XFZ9r3BaIUwM79jUg8Br3gDV8b-ewlAVBGt_Ud7J6OE/s1600/IMG_1273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHP1kenq7fi2nPlmz-KYzTj3ggM52Z8ZJ-tU70U-wjO0VKoNAu-Q42L081icrm9Zgq-ZwJMtH1l3nw1RNQ1XyIsLfc8zsVbF77XFZ9r3BaIUwM79jUg8Br3gDV8b-ewlAVBGt_Ud7J6OE/s640/IMG_1273.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was surprised that we covered that many miles so quickly. I hadn't even stopped to eat the snack I had packed!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfpkmAog_ieDXJR7FGd2AsnvtSCPlIapjxTGApq2Uzx3g6k_yfjHFFXdyyxJRG9LPt3TanYSaxeetRTqvSz9J6h_F_0O99VhKiF6Mf4pSdA-GieMEu4rNRfqYz1lHC16twOEoCs5jFa0/s1600/IMG_1276.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfpkmAog_ieDXJR7FGd2AsnvtSCPlIapjxTGApq2Uzx3g6k_yfjHFFXdyyxJRG9LPt3TanYSaxeetRTqvSz9J6h_F_0O99VhKiF6Mf4pSdA-GieMEu4rNRfqYz1lHC16twOEoCs5jFa0/s320/IMG_1276.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I took a selfie, just to prove I really am a kayaker, but I don't look especially peaceful and relaxed in this shot!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a shot of the spouse and our friend, Julie, exploring near the shoreline.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV8HJMcIw8kDjp64WvpXOysfVXWcNYIHUJSls8prdhkGmIxKQADxfU2uveFzbZrD82RGTpoHxB45hzv2XfA3OoM2WcEq98ra2G1cgrOCg-zH_icC8O-SutmBEGbw9z_44AOrIipjvVF0/s1600/IMG_1268.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV8HJMcIw8kDjp64WvpXOysfVXWcNYIHUJSls8prdhkGmIxKQADxfU2uveFzbZrD82RGTpoHxB45hzv2XfA3OoM2WcEq98ra2G1cgrOCg-zH_icC8O-SutmBEGbw9z_44AOrIipjvVF0/s400/IMG_1268.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36bQbigQh80oSL-EdSeVEtKjX_Kjm5QCHEgi6sPTlX9AMVm-fU0Bn7YrpYJEoQGgJhXPuJNZO334TYEh1RAQqeWeTFmxcElDK5OdJeogH-_Dln4Lf7bwgYV-CXwpCxZxkKDbJrlawtzw/s1600/IMG_1272.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36bQbigQh80oSL-EdSeVEtKjX_Kjm5QCHEgi6sPTlX9AMVm-fU0Bn7YrpYJEoQGgJhXPuJNZO334TYEh1RAQqeWeTFmxcElDK5OdJeogH-_Dln4Lf7bwgYV-CXwpCxZxkKDbJrlawtzw/s400/IMG_1272.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What a great day of peace, quiet, and good company!</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-45557981312260464812016-04-19T20:07:00.000-07:002016-04-19T20:07:28.542-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: P is for Pacific Coast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x2z9idGKgHn_rRMNJ5kphuXhWNsYfeGfm3CN8QXnTTlh_62ZUvcPzA9FhaPRe0eJ5IkvX3qCkpFv874DA8psneIJ6PfjRxR22N3nqxvCCIGzUne6Z2LIOatg8Gzku4ugTF-s9Q8Tpq8/s1600/P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x2z9idGKgHn_rRMNJ5kphuXhWNsYfeGfm3CN8QXnTTlh_62ZUvcPzA9FhaPRe0eJ5IkvX3qCkpFv874DA8psneIJ6PfjRxR22N3nqxvCCIGzUne6Z2LIOatg8Gzku4ugTF-s9Q8Tpq8/s1600/P.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The spouse and I are spending April and May on the beautiful Pacific Coast of Oregon. We are volunteering for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Oregon is blessed to have beautiful state parks and, thanks to the "Beach Bill" passed by the legislature in 1967, the public has "free and uninterrupted use of the beaches."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Most people know that the Pacific Crest Trail, made famous in the 2014 movie "Wild" with Reese Witherspoon, runs through Oregon. Did you know that Oregon also has the Oregon Coast Trail that runs 382 miles along the Pacific Coast in Oregon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFEIiJGdtoBFoWNwrc4LkXQsqzWIavRLKw2Xdpp9gz6T57-9hv7gZPukbWXQ50ElilhXZG4Wl5d6FnvfA3leMCpXQ9-7lG2Pz69g3KU8IidFqQavLRmQFsEkfoR65tMejfZXLG7sWgF0/s1600/oct_logo_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFEIiJGdtoBFoWNwrc4LkXQsqzWIavRLKw2Xdpp9gz6T57-9hv7gZPukbWXQ50ElilhXZG4Wl5d6FnvfA3leMCpXQ9-7lG2Pz69g3KU8IidFqQavLRmQFsEkfoR65tMejfZXLG7sWgF0/s320/oct_logo_2.gif" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday I walked a section of the trail. Here's the rest of the story:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">While the spouse and I are at the coast, we've had our mail forwarded to the park. When we get around to it, we drive up to the ranger station to pick it up. Yesterday I decided to walk.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">I asked the spouse, "Is there a trail that leads up to the ranger station?" He says, "Yeah, just go down by the hiker/biker camp and you'll see the trail. It goes right to the ranger station."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJFjB9-KpjOqgqphmO75WtWgkNIw3aY76dxZuRwi_RCILkPj9uXaxbHg2CxFZI2XRSt3I-xFl4fcw7WfySpSHt1W2-rXOuSAp1bPZrCJiQcmyp5faUfUEqTrRIjPlsR4wmSXnOoO8uaQ/s1600/IMG_1262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJFjB9-KpjOqgqphmO75WtWgkNIw3aY76dxZuRwi_RCILkPj9uXaxbHg2CxFZI2XRSt3I-xFl4fcw7WfySpSHt1W2-rXOuSAp1bPZrCJiQcmyp5faUfUEqTrRIjPlsR4wmSXnOoO8uaQ/s400/IMG_1262.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I head off for a 15 minute hike and find the hiker/biker camp easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I cross the little bridge over a boggy area,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">and start up the trail. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAkUclx2WQruXjN1V3TycrQVKqZidZsAV0qho-piTFd7kiax_VHw6DHTnsxq6mRTbrVKzDRWo6VGu3SINa0kbCPVX6mjdfetk3snaTmDxZkR8SOEto9iqoDfIRkOqMsEpCTuoDH1Z_Uo/s1600/IMG_1265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAkUclx2WQruXjN1V3TycrQVKqZidZsAV0qho-piTFd7kiax_VHw6DHTnsxq6mRTbrVKzDRWo6VGu3SINa0kbCPVX6mjdfetk3snaTmDxZkR8SOEto9iqoDfIRkOqMsEpCTuoDH1Z_Uo/s320/IMG_1265.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The trail is heading up the hill and I chug along easily following the well-groomed trail. A few minutes later I can no longer see the camp or hear cars from the highway. I am alone in the forest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Twenty minutes later I am wondering why I can't see the ranger station. Ten minutes after that I realize that I am exactly like those dumb people you read about in the newspaper who get lost in the wilderness. I have no cell phone, I'm dressed in short sleeves and slip-on shoes, and I have no snacks or water. I am alone in the forest. I keep walking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The trail gets harder to see. A few times I had to make a decision about which path was the main trail. I can't hear or see any sign of civilization. The forest is beautiful...except for the spider webs strung across the trail. I begin to wonder if I'm going to have to eat grubs and worms to stay alive. I keep walking. This trail has to eventually get somewhere. After walking about an hour I can hear cars in the distance and finally the trail breaks out onto the highway. I have no idea where I am on the highway; there are no signs, but I turn left and keep the ocean on my right. After a short walk, I begin to recognize some of the scenery...it all looks different when you're whizzing by in a car!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The ranger station is about a half a mile back from where I exited the Oregon Coast Trail. I picked up the mail and asked the ranger if there was a trail to the campground. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"No" she says. "There's no trail up from the campground to here, but the Oregon Coast Trail goes to Bastendorf Campground."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I got back to our campsite, I told the spouse that I was taking a nap for the rest of the day and I would NEVER trust his directions again!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-77510950988739757432016-04-18T16:36:00.000-07:002016-04-18T16:36:57.280-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: O is for Odor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhN97_bxjmjGa1KmfYNKaSu3NqY_vP2CcO_gBC8pjCNb3Oko_2YnSDjCu9_inaBSFcbhaPmlY4kIKWqvYCZJMZzJWNKzQr55nOcyLEZJ3SN1IEYBcujjdSrJYtZI0HItehm3pIJXAaD4/s1600/O.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhN97_bxjmjGa1KmfYNKaSu3NqY_vP2CcO_gBC8pjCNb3Oko_2YnSDjCu9_inaBSFcbhaPmlY4kIKWqvYCZJMZzJWNKzQr55nOcyLEZJ3SN1IEYBcujjdSrJYtZI0HItehm3pIJXAaD4/s320/O.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We are camped in a beautiful wooded campground by the Pacific Ocean. We have been blessed with sunny weather. The sky is bright blue, the birds are abundant, and the stars shine brightly at night. As park hosts, one of our assigned tasks is checking each campsite after the campers leave to make sure everything is tidy. We usually walk our route several times a day to pick up litter and chat with campers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">"Gawd, what's that smell?" I say to the spouse as we walk along the A Loop road. "It smells like someone has been smoking weed all night!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">I look over at the folks in the campsite and they don't look like party animals, but since Oregon legalized marijuana, it has become more common to smell the distinctive odor in public areas.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">After checkout time, the spouse and I went back to check the site. The strong odor still lingered. We looked around for the source of the smell. No, we didn't find a bale of marijuana...that happens only once in a lifetime, but you can read about that experience <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2014/02/adventures-on-high-sea.html">here</a>. We found skunk cabbage! Lots of skunk cabbage!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopptnBVLJAszCP4dsI380TTHK0Xri_TFg2Ulr4sGhlhe5pJhJf5m0pzi4FU3HVatlG4um54KvEXXYG7d90FG02HZhYTszlf_bHKBE9ElTPh34sVi3OW2wb_gM9cYE6welrHaLI4EO74g/s1600/IMG_1225.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopptnBVLJAszCP4dsI380TTHK0Xri_TFg2Ulr4sGhlhe5pJhJf5m0pzi4FU3HVatlG4um54KvEXXYG7d90FG02HZhYTszlf_bHKBE9ElTPh34sVi3OW2wb_gM9cYE6welrHaLI4EO74g/s1600/IMG_1225.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This stuff really smells, and it smells just like nasty, day-old marijuana smoke...or, um, I mean as I've been told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It grows all along the Pacific coast in wet, boggy areas. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PqNNyY6gYyT2qNPxQJpizyIuKfgiD-4z3MsiqaAXZNBBdnkfiklaUrBmDdLfIf1Cfkupat6MdOU-i60njvapkK0qKSG5k0-2OrTOl7_LlXYxxBVDEgWMlM2Lj8IGr6yGKH4amUrU6uE/s1600/IMG_1224.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PqNNyY6gYyT2qNPxQJpizyIuKfgiD-4z3MsiqaAXZNBBdnkfiklaUrBmDdLfIf1Cfkupat6MdOU-i60njvapkK0qKSG5k0-2OrTOl7_LlXYxxBVDEgWMlM2Lj8IGr6yGKH4amUrU6uE/s320/IMG_1224.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAb8JuhB0e6uv1_vCLX4UW8jTLQ9xizH2THHioTIQpR_ovJGXKxWKEST-My73n4baWMP_7MFRmD10jnq9JYxsZQzegmdus0YfS0I3KEEtn9x_jGjKe9qGQ4TfTR5y2UkN3B8dkwMCfjI/s1600/IMG_1222.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAb8JuhB0e6uv1_vCLX4UW8jTLQ9xizH2THHioTIQpR_ovJGXKxWKEST-My73n4baWMP_7MFRmD10jnq9JYxsZQzegmdus0YfS0I3KEEtn9x_jGjKe9qGQ4TfTR5y2UkN3B8dkwMCfjI/s320/IMG_1222.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS07KqV02WxlqqikySFplkDVuPe3_k-yIm94RCaPl0zX7Vh0RptxbXHNigLm3zCQIGLX8dIzZ3IvJAfj4bnwXCj0GPzPCw9bb-ffmp0qm3hHb0PgDG2wsNwCQR1C98GlS0AY7c5wSajEs/s1600/IMG_1226.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS07KqV02WxlqqikySFplkDVuPe3_k-yIm94RCaPl0zX7Vh0RptxbXHNigLm3zCQIGLX8dIzZ3IvJAfj4bnwXCj0GPzPCw9bb-ffmp0qm3hHb0PgDG2wsNwCQR1C98GlS0AY7c5wSajEs/s320/IMG_1226.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I made reservations for our camping trip this summer with the granddaughters, I avoided the A loop boggy area. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I much prefer odor-free camping!</span><br />
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<br />#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-47570283711605219102016-04-17T22:10:00.000-07:002016-04-17T22:10:28.112-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: N is for Nomadic<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoFVXLMf-S3v7xVk63keePHjGlzkjC4Z9pBLfvlJWA635fQT77Wb_Lwro_Nvh1L0OrHwXnUujfBXm4folApkdRrEo32cmDkoRkTqJ9JxZHvfxnc04WdlxZOIiezMLl6bHyQuJvuN9H2E/s1600/N.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoFVXLMf-S3v7xVk63keePHjGlzkjC4Z9pBLfvlJWA635fQT77Wb_Lwro_Nvh1L0OrHwXnUujfBXm4folApkdRrEo32cmDkoRkTqJ9JxZHvfxnc04WdlxZOIiezMLl6bHyQuJvuN9H2E/s320/N.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This month and the next we are living in our 25 foot trailer while we park host at two different state parks in Oregon. We bought our first RV when I retired almost eight years ago. The farthest we've traveled from Oregon was to Mount Rushmore. That summer we covered a lot of ground as we moved about every two days, and explored National Parks with our granddaughters. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow in June in Yellowstone</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaaUy3-BFkpryDDrDbiXCrITWpObYHQDs-E92V2Oo2jhusjXPW956sUG946fFA2fc7DMMfPz6wpMWagFuXYtdiPVGwn9NxkOPrcY1bBMVDLKdAwqZgOE09fuV0XOLRjAj5fGyOE0kz-I/s1600/IMG_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaaUy3-BFkpryDDrDbiXCrITWpObYHQDs-E92V2Oo2jhusjXPW956sUG946fFA2fc7DMMfPz6wpMWagFuXYtdiPVGwn9NxkOPrcY1bBMVDLKdAwqZgOE09fuV0XOLRjAj5fGyOE0kz-I/s320/IMG_0884.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqo_mTs5Od2Z_dyrAiZ8lfQE0qcBfd7auBUg_4MGFcgik3I6YhtzB-JgmrbHU1AekwWpPoTHuUxXPAlZC5FxVjKTJrmhVEoxbjHCvooI1EYG5cgIrILgKOdIvpVB58STlzXNAoB1XgyM/s1600/DSCN1182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqo_mTs5Od2Z_dyrAiZ8lfQE0qcBfd7auBUg_4MGFcgik3I6YhtzB-JgmrbHU1AekwWpPoTHuUxXPAlZC5FxVjKTJrmhVEoxbjHCvooI1EYG5cgIrILgKOdIvpVB58STlzXNAoB1XgyM/s320/DSCN1182.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last year we volunteered for the Oregon Parks Department for the first time. We had a one month assignment at the Lifeboat Museum in Port Orford, Oregon. We'll be there again next month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We are not nomadic, roaming from place-to-place or park-to-park is not our lifestyle. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> But, as park hosts, we have met many people our age who are. I have been surprised by the number of retired people who are full-time RVers. All of the park hosts we have met are retired and many live in their RVs full-time. They host a month or two at one location and then move on with the weather to milder climates. Some of these folks have kept a home, but many have not. I don't see this in our future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We like the change of pace of living in a new area. We like being forced out of our routine. We try new things, exercise more, and don't have to worry about all those mundane, everyday things that we're required to do at home. But, after awhile,we like to go home and get back into that routine. We aren't nomads at heart.</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-89197289816612464032016-04-15T03:00:00.000-07:002016-04-15T03:00:02.620-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: M is for Murder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR85knR8j9v1USTphlHHDJoTl-Cs9KX7tw16zZs2Jpx5HzQJp4Be3qMK_JAApKcvNteCimW9EOjeBNn0Lv3MHbKS7vi13chyphenhyphenVtX7fJ4z7NcZkLuX6irpgm4qPQqdw5y_OcDti27qNMiQ/s1600/M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR85knR8j9v1USTphlHHDJoTl-Cs9KX7tw16zZs2Jpx5HzQJp4Be3qMK_JAApKcvNteCimW9EOjeBNn0Lv3MHbKS7vi13chyphenhyphenVtX7fJ4z7NcZkLuX6irpgm4qPQqdw5y_OcDti27qNMiQ/s320/M.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">M is for Murder</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, maybe it was only an attempted murder!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcdzIOvCtxH-8NoFN7yBWTUrofszy7Q9Dvf2zp8HcpXAVpOy_kjR03hd41iG9EFfQyodEayR13WifvKIL4XrrzXwe6AMI-xIhPzq3WnFneq8mnZWMwtitrlkEySzXrY1SHv0s22lZRtQ/s1600/IMG_1218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcdzIOvCtxH-8NoFN7yBWTUrofszy7Q9Dvf2zp8HcpXAVpOy_kjR03hd41iG9EFfQyodEayR13WifvKIL4XrrzXwe6AMI-xIhPzq3WnFneq8mnZWMwtitrlkEySzXrY1SHv0s22lZRtQ/s640/IMG_1218.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We're enjoying the birds at Sunset Bay State Park, even the crows, and there are a lot of them! Of course, when I wanted a photo of a group of crows (a murder), I could only find these two. We have learned to never leave anything edible untended. Our first evening here a crow made off with half of a hamburger bun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Look at the beautiful blue color of this Steller's Jay.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATTyzuXPxw51QJiCXGYvs6R-RyGhBQzC7FtILD7Dn6xfKPisqjayacIB7kUsKYo_89lmE4SpWavm46vifSAybesy-fqPBOHIlCVZDMAJaf4p_bh5wFOR9HtRy27Ym2kMmLAnz5fhG7fE/s1600/IMG_1192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATTyzuXPxw51QJiCXGYvs6R-RyGhBQzC7FtILD7Dn6xfKPisqjayacIB7kUsKYo_89lmE4SpWavm46vifSAybesy-fqPBOHIlCVZDMAJaf4p_bh5wFOR9HtRy27Ym2kMmLAnz5fhG7fE/s400/IMG_1192.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't get close enough to this woodpecker to get a good picture. He was feasting on the swarming ants in the fence post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We've got A Field Guide to Western Birds and some good binoculars. I think I might be able to identify a few birds by the time we leave here.</span></div>
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<br />#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-14075554973416777282016-04-14T19:20:00.000-07:002016-04-14T19:20:47.066-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: L is for Lighthouses, Laundry, and Lights Out<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnS7uWn9GyjkOVNYCIZ_PrinRRW5CbNVDwtkjlmjPxrg5S0bwAhNNA0kCiQxrsBsicMcvV3rv2Lj9YMgbQEhbv2qe9NbyByH_Y51FZmv8kIC0nZH9pBxDBdRStQQAbH7MkOcEv3d8p3OY/s1600/L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnS7uWn9GyjkOVNYCIZ_PrinRRW5CbNVDwtkjlmjPxrg5S0bwAhNNA0kCiQxrsBsicMcvV3rv2Lj9YMgbQEhbv2qe9NbyByH_Y51FZmv8kIC0nZH9pBxDBdRStQQAbH7MkOcEv3d8p3OY/s320/L.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">L is for Lighthouses, Laundry, and Lights Out</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Oregon coast is lined with lighthouses. Yesterday we visited the Coquille Lighthouse at Bandon.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB8QRLg3b4CCkrVhvcgEGrPWkE6RQGAzs2DvvKIj_1FH2QH1w0YVU38KunMaJOuRpeyPgBx6Jq1jUtMJyEhj0j5JS0XjREQ8CQT81ZdZQXM0pQ3HXmXj1by6r-MjlE4LtIgA8NETz7EQ/s1600/IMG_1181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB8QRLg3b4CCkrVhvcgEGrPWkE6RQGAzs2DvvKIj_1FH2QH1w0YVU38KunMaJOuRpeyPgBx6Jq1jUtMJyEhj0j5JS0XjREQ8CQT81ZdZQXM0pQ3HXmXj1by6r-MjlE4LtIgA8NETz7EQ/s400/IMG_1181.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today we were back at work at Sunset Bay State Park. The other set of camp hosts had the day off, so we had to clean up both their route and ours. Since it is the middle of the week, there were only 8 campsites that needed to be checked out. We still found time to get some chores done and have some fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last night there was a terrific storm. There were strong winds and our rain gauge this morning showed we had received an inch of rain. In the middle of the downpour, the power went out. A little later the ranger came by to tell us that it was a general outage and power was out across the area. Our Stanley has battery power for lights, and we have a propane furnace, so we settled in to wait out the storm. We slept with the pinging of raindrops on the roof and an occasional flash of lightening. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This morning the trails and roads were covered with debris knocked down by the wind and rain. There was a high surf advisory in effect, and we headed up to Shore Acres to see the waves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Look how high the waves are above the cliff!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp3aGp2QrusmiJCF14PBsRO7WCPFfW3OSXMZhtdVCZOkV87fYDHCVjDk4I7WG3hoHJM34DbaZIXprd7ltsPZaH1EhBoA0HiZ_QzHRhh6GSQul_DpizjQsgI_aTLnbJgvd7dGRQhtv-Nw/s1600/IMG_1209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp3aGp2QrusmiJCF14PBsRO7WCPFfW3OSXMZhtdVCZOkV87fYDHCVjDk4I7WG3hoHJM34DbaZIXprd7ltsPZaH1EhBoA0HiZ_QzHRhh6GSQul_DpizjQsgI_aTLnbJgvd7dGRQhtv-Nw/s400/IMG_1209.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Cape Arago Lighthouse is the tiny speck in the center of the picture below. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4wIFXD_itEy3xbXgaymbNfPVuaNgzT7IbG4jsTG7ppNJjXXkxW4m1arXTcaaZpqa6ScE4lmfLBOFQLX9jzrN5-E0Oa2Sx4335fh5R8xxlNAnVyvaedaFFAVY1p-LD5_LAfMhkoxWapk/s1600/IMG_1214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4wIFXD_itEy3xbXgaymbNfPVuaNgzT7IbG4jsTG7ppNJjXXkxW4m1arXTcaaZpqa6ScE4lmfLBOFQLX9jzrN5-E0Oa2Sx4335fh5R8xxlNAnVyvaedaFFAVY1p-LD5_LAfMhkoxWapk/s400/IMG_1214.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a closer look at the Cape Arago Lighthouse with the raging surf. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdopAN69d2BqTZ9PH1yZ7vx8o81eDgy7Z_i_FUxbL8QksmqtZv908gLsCuChfSgG30qwYADwp677buOPzQBWm6JjPfyNciwgwOQFf0JIx1cncmIhu-63LHSXAh4Ija5qa1AavyOjvZ1UQ/s1600/12963673_10153376518891782_3477888704025012646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdopAN69d2BqTZ9PH1yZ7vx8o81eDgy7Z_i_FUxbL8QksmqtZv908gLsCuChfSgG30qwYADwp677buOPzQBWm6JjPfyNciwgwOQFf0JIx1cncmIhu-63LHSXAh4Ija5qa1AavyOjvZ1UQ/s400/12963673_10153376518891782_3477888704025012646_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did laundry today, not just because it starts with "L," but because it's our assigned time to use the laundry center provided by the state park. It feels like an adventure when I take the shortcut in the picture below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_QwWkasSJY2lX5pm6GQJhq-acMGUh45uKqX5JuHrJkLan1aYATZdCGmq_qyVF8yfGtvEvwdZxICQNGOU5eWFIQRTBlVeRiTy7p-GfcWAvu5Gt8pW17Zed98K-SHdmsLZvlFJv2HtJOI/s1600/IMG_1219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_QwWkasSJY2lX5pm6GQJhq-acMGUh45uKqX5JuHrJkLan1aYATZdCGmq_qyVF8yfGtvEvwdZxICQNGOU5eWFIQRTBlVeRiTy7p-GfcWAvu5Gt8pW17Zed98K-SHdmsLZvlFJv2HtJOI/s400/IMG_1219.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another good day in retirement. We are living a life of leisure!</span></div>
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#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-41632096838926951942016-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:002016-04-13T10:00:15.923-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: K is for Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrJg18kLIFSb6cHAP7vIBlMqIHq1dKcF5tCB6YCbX0Rw_BDjyX7-nLXngJxu27EAeSoRrytqpNfXVTG4XH_Wq4QmMChOVMkoSYxSev5mK-V41SiKr8ZGJQGc-jCulgW7JSAKNeJhTb1Y/s1600/K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrJg18kLIFSb6cHAP7vIBlMqIHq1dKcF5tCB6YCbX0Rw_BDjyX7-nLXngJxu27EAeSoRrytqpNfXVTG4XH_Wq4QmMChOVMkoSYxSev5mK-V41SiKr8ZGJQGc-jCulgW7JSAKNeJhTb1Y/s1600/K.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What do you<b> know.</b>..today is Wednesday. That means it's time for What the f**k Wednesday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>WTF Wednesday is a semi-regular feature of this blog. It documents the things that have made me pause, slap my forehead and say, "What the f**k!" Well, that and I just like saying WTF. I'm retired. I don't have to watch what I say anymore. I'm not any one's role model.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Tuesday, our day off, we explored Bandon, a small coastal community south of our campsite. We were searching for junk shops when we spotted this...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqkgJQskjubyQYYZZdUCoHfupACcnWIYzhKj0qHuxasbzpzQa6z4pdCy9UTe3trRQXTkBi577XI3AhQk_I1AtmW9n9d4e-vdP4_uID52apoZfXxtkRuDDKYrJ4MQa_V5kZTFPEmlFHuw/s1600/IMG_1175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqkgJQskjubyQYYZZdUCoHfupACcnWIYzhKj0qHuxasbzpzQa6z4pdCy9UTe3trRQXTkBi577XI3AhQk_I1AtmW9n9d4e-vdP4_uID52apoZfXxtkRuDDKYrJ4MQa_V5kZTFPEmlFHuw/s640/IMG_1175.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now, ignore for a minute the politically incorrect Indian saluting "How." (Although I think it looks more like "Heil Hitler.) Who names a deli after an enema?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJQ0hX02qEjwVKIxlhV-7cw33Q0qvTIxizcyTMyllwvIyE_KJ-xnNeqRnjgMTIXxB9_hsiMZpRlwCxGQ3eSABG_zH1F7yeLD7hyphenhyphen2iZw9zuLS5pVkdVH-ITUPHpKlK4WlAYbMJmSBXyF0/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJQ0hX02qEjwVKIxlhV-7cw33Q0qvTIxizcyTMyllwvIyE_KJ-xnNeqRnjgMTIXxB9_hsiMZpRlwCxGQ3eSABG_zH1F7yeLD7hyphenhyphen2iZw9zuLS5pVkdVH-ITUPHpKlK4WlAYbMJmSBXyF0/s400/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This made me slap my forehead and say WTF!</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-5235864875606062652016-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:002016-04-12T23:56:55.903-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: J is for Junk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPsmaHvHa6yuO0OD_kEzSQHBE5mnErDVNDVipzraQ49s8B965tHXO8g05oG0E7TBXTFRMBGbSDJOhPj-aN9x2nz92gJ1GZdmp4Q54XeSxLuXeB_qX_gJTYPtZet9sVw3R-dcHi724rPg/s1600/J.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPsmaHvHa6yuO0OD_kEzSQHBE5mnErDVNDVipzraQ49s8B965tHXO8g05oG0E7TBXTFRMBGbSDJOhPj-aN9x2nz92gJ1GZdmp4Q54XeSxLuXeB_qX_gJTYPtZet9sVw3R-dcHi724rPg/s1600/J.jpg" /></a></div>
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J is for Junk</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today was our day off. No selling firewood, picking up litter, or fixing the tire ruts left in the lawn by careless drivers for us today. Today was for exploring. We started the day driving the scenic loop to Bandon. Along the way, we stopped at the Seven Devils wayside and found a nearly empty beach and pounding surf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrGORAZvLMWwNkviSxsNbpjxUrJbv6YYd5aEStn_EestFK0NyoandyLPfP-o84VUfIxuAKQA2tm85aqyLmmpVSAeDfDmw05EfT51NxEpOcWxwdVK4AF0xdVr62JFDtVqdR1oHwcOjVms/s1600/IMG_1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrGORAZvLMWwNkviSxsNbpjxUrJbv6YYd5aEStn_EestFK0NyoandyLPfP-o84VUfIxuAKQA2tm85aqyLmmpVSAeDfDmw05EfT51NxEpOcWxwdVK4AF0xdVr62JFDtVqdR1oHwcOjVms/s400/IMG_1166.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I thought the "seven devils" would be rock formations or mountains but, according to the informational marker, the road leading along the coast was named seven devils because of the steep hills the wagons had to cross to get to the ocean.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ANQEq-ERh3EPPlZM0iWVX7NlrpUGGHrZHrBbR6vgulNM3Z9_he4kG4IE_caDqmWHRY3PbDTJT4UoUWp4ECb84U7dxnZxZaPrVY7spm-_bgs-MOCAX-jJqqtPsKjtKGTqoPYXJRLwIjE/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ANQEq-ERh3EPPlZM0iWVX7NlrpUGGHrZHrBbR6vgulNM3Z9_he4kG4IE_caDqmWHRY3PbDTJT4UoUWp4ECb84U7dxnZxZaPrVY7spm-_bgs-MOCAX-jJqqtPsKjtKGTqoPYXJRLwIjE/s400/IMG_1167.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We continued along the scenic loop to the mouth of the Coquille River to see the lighthouse.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpyRElOjmDFd2gfSiZ_jkED7BJ-ji2BGavbeYVy6EPauvJhnDtDn7KcbJgSCfvgW6UNfaxK4OevlCOlH8gUHoo5FgDJru-uNghi6_PNVPqDyQXT9E_C7J1Um2JVdMHrjurtOjMzFH4b8/s1600/IMG_1177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpyRElOjmDFd2gfSiZ_jkED7BJ-ji2BGavbeYVy6EPauvJhnDtDn7KcbJgSCfvgW6UNfaxK4OevlCOlH8gUHoo5FgDJru-uNghi6_PNVPqDyQXT9E_C7J1Um2JVdMHrjurtOjMzFH4b8/s320/IMG_1177.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqRkcIgyksUkei8lOpA35kkjjvMoNFDot22SqM9kqlV6n2NGcgHL8ibqD4YvDbINwxVww4KKrrNW3EA7GVVViwNTWhi_kGiWws7frMzPHZ1mHf6dXBp18Okk4Z42zMl8QWJCboyutbtU/s1600/IMG_1181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqRkcIgyksUkei8lOpA35kkjjvMoNFDot22SqM9kqlV6n2NGcgHL8ibqD4YvDbINwxVww4KKrrNW3EA7GVVViwNTWhi_kGiWws7frMzPHZ1mHf6dXBp18Okk4Z42zMl8QWJCboyutbtU/s400/IMG_1181.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The lighthouse sits on the breakwater leading to the mouth of the river. You can see the open ocean at the end of the breakwater.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7sDAOctnmUL1jvGp6dbQGJ4L-gCnvvyFycnV42FajqZwbvCRExXooSqinOw2EFNmijw_1VozbR2UC-yuWabkC95C-_6Oj8WEjUu50tsUNMcuKtuMQ2GEdRMuO4VSLSiZ9_fo2V6FVS4/s1600/IMG_1183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7sDAOctnmUL1jvGp6dbQGJ4L-gCnvvyFycnV42FajqZwbvCRExXooSqinOw2EFNmijw_1VozbR2UC-yuWabkC95C-_6Oj8WEjUu50tsUNMcuKtuMQ2GEdRMuO4VSLSiZ9_fo2V6FVS4/s400/IMG_1183.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the land side of the breakwater, there are gentle grass-covered dunes and then a climb down to a beach that is piled high with driftwood.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rO6b6hxEjYapgQp1uo4lLl14cpt6wlBGg-S3YZBCUUeT0MVbzFuGjRGGXpLvWCx8RgzrDixsSQPPgNp-ZU4YTzXHKMuuBGmKGW18Ec5VHhJD19tSSo5LGwpIbc7ceL7_OmEiuGKGzN4/s1600/IMG_1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rO6b6hxEjYapgQp1uo4lLl14cpt6wlBGg-S3YZBCUUeT0MVbzFuGjRGGXpLvWCx8RgzrDixsSQPPgNp-ZU4YTzXHKMuuBGmKGW18Ec5VHhJD19tSSo5LGwpIbc7ceL7_OmEiuGKGzN4/s400/IMG_1185.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We left the beach and headed to Bandon in search of antique and junk stores. Both the spouse and I enjoy exploring junk stores for treasures. It's not that we need any more junk, we just enjoy the search. We always try to have a mission. Today I was looking for the perfect clock for Stanley and the spouse was in search of a digging tool for metal detecting. Today we found neither! Turns out Bandon doesn't have a lot of second-hand or antique stores. We found only one that was open.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I found the perfect vintage looking clock, but when we plugged it in, it was broken. No sale! We found a few knives for the trailer for $2.00. It's fun to search. Here's the spouse having fun...and the perfect broken clock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Total expense junking: $2.00! We ended the day at Bi-Mart and purchased a digging tool. A pretty successful day...a full day of fun, not much money spent, and only two useful knives to junk up our trailer.</span></div>
#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-25527571329194598162016-04-11T18:58:00.000-07:002016-04-11T18:58:19.775-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: I is for Inmates<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Built in the 1950's, Sunset Bay State Park is very well maintained. The park rangers are hard working and friendly. There are 29 full-hookup sites, 34 electrical sites with water, and 66 tent sites with water nearby. There are also 8 yurts. This time of year only two of the four camping loops are open, and we have quite a few available for campers without reservations. The yurts, however, seem to be full every night. There are showers with hot water, and restrooms and campsites that are accessible for campers with disabilities. There is also a large day-use facility next to the beach. Last weekend the beach park was filled with families enjoying the sunny weather and the protected water in the cove. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">It takes a lot of work to keep this park clean and ready for public use. There are four sets of camp hosts currently working. I imagine that there are more volunteers in the summer months when the other camping loops are open. Even with the rangers and the camp hosts pitching in to keep the park maintained, there's a lot of work to be done. Last week we had an inmate work crew from Shutter Creek Correctional Institution. The inmates cleared brush, mowed lawns, painted the woodshed and footbridge, and trimmed hedges.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">It takes a village to maintain a state park...and here at Sunset Bay it takes retired volunteers, park rangers, and inmates!</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-82093578409906363752016-04-09T16:55:00.000-07:002016-04-09T16:55:18.185-07:00A to Z Challenge 2016: H is for Home Away From Home<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you have been following along, you know that for April and May the spouse and I are serving as volunteers for the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department. This month we are park hosts at Sunset Bay State Park on the beautiful Oregon coast outside Coos Bay. I thought I would take you on a short tour of our home away from home, our Airstream Silver Cloud trailer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We named our trailer Stanley. You can read about how he got his name <a href="http://benchmark60.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-our-new-baby-got-his-name.html">here</a>. The trailer is 26 feet long, shiny and efficient. We love it! Here's Stanley tucked into our site at Sunset Bay State Park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you step in the door you are in our dining/living room. The windows all around give us a great view of the outside. The table makes in to an extra bed and there is a trundle bed that pulls out of the sofa on the front left. That's were the granddaughters will sleep when they come this summer for Nana Camp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you are sitting at the table and look toward the back of the trailer you see the kitchen. We have a gas oven and stove, refrigerator and freezer, and a microwave. No dishwasher, but we make do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The sink in on the right side of the hall and the fridge on the other. The door to the bathroom is just past the fridge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking down the hall you can see the bedroom at the rear of the trailer. The bathroom door is to the right and the shower on the left. There are pocket doors that can be pulled to isolate the bathroom area from the kitchen and back bedroom. That's handy if we have a guest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The shower is full size...I can wash my hair with elbows extended and there's even a bench seat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How cute is this bathroom? It's a real porcelain toilet! There's room to stand and extend your arms with the door closed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bedroom is at the rear of the trailer. It has a queen sized bed and we have windows that go all around the bed. When we park in a secluded area we can leave the curtains open for a lovely view.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everything in this trailer is efficient. No space is wasted. We have tried hard not to fill it to capacity. There is a lot of stuff that we just don't need to bring with us when we are on the road. We enjoy living without all the clutter that seems to fill our regular life. On the other hand, I know we will relish the personal space when we get home in June.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope you enjoyed the tour of our little home away from home.</span><br />
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<br />#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643182421561288851.post-72495672726543202562016-04-08T02:30:00.000-07:002016-04-08T02:30:06.463-07:00A to Z 2016 Challenge: G is For Gray Whales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you were expecting action pictures of gray whales breaching just offshore of Sunset Bay, I'm sorry to disapoint you. The whales are here. We know this because we can see the puffs of air when they blow and occassionally we see the curves of their backs or even a tailfin as they dive through the water, but so far they haven't been close enough to shore to see much more than a glimpse. I find it comforting to know that they are there. Giant creatures, but largely hidden from view. They are beautiful and it is a treat to see them roaming free in the ocean. This time of year they are heading to Alaska from warmer southern waters. They have delivered their calves in the south and are traveling north to their summer feeding grounds in Alaska. They will make the return journey south in the fall. Oregon sets up whale watching stations during the peak travel months and has volunteers that help novices spot the whales from ocean overlooks along the coast. There are whale watching boats that take tourists on day trips to see the whales, but it is easy to find a wide spot on the coast highway where, if you are patient, you can see them swim by. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We hit 80 degrees on Thursday! The sky is bright blue and the sun is shinning. It's a great time to be on the Oregon Coast.</span>#1Nanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04214011945298439939noreply@blogger.com6