WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . . .Today I ran my 'blizzard suit' through the washing machine for the first time in about four years. I had no idea it would look so good. Now, when spring fishing arrives, I will be prepared for those cold afternoons down at the river. I also got caught up with the rest of my laundry. Now my packing can begin. The blue skies and sunshine made for a nice day but too cold for me to consider going out for a walk. Roy even delivered my mail to the door, he reminded me that this was the last time this year that he would be doing that. I thanked him, he's a nice guy.

TUESDAY. . . . . . .

. . . . . . Another quiet day on Pleasant Hill.  The sunshine and blue skies were nice  but the temperature never got above 46. My barometer got to 30.566 this afternoon, the highest reading I have ever seen from it. The forecast for snow early next week has been changed to rain. I do hope it remains no more than that.

ChiChi is doing fine but is still walking three legged. His ability to jump into the chair with me has not been impaired though. I discovered that he likes apples, I had read it somewhere and tried it out. Good dog!

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . .  .The weather was cold but clear today, it would have been a nice day to take the dog for a walk but I washed the car instead. I think it takes more energy to do that than to walk two miles. The only problem is that the dog got no exercise. Life is tough for dogs. This washing is probably the last time this winter that the car gets cleaned, I hope it stays that way for the next week or so. I like to come home to a sparkling car in the spring. I saw a weather report saying snow is expected early next week. I hope that doesn't come about. Getting to the airport in the snow is not my idea of a good time.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . .This turned out to be a football-popcorn and movie day. The real excitement was when several deer walked by the living room window. A couple of them stopped at the window and for a few seconds and watched me watching TV. I got up from the chair to get my camera and they spooked like I had shot at them or something. I did get a picture of a small buck, can you make out his horns?

SATURDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . .ChiChi and I were inside all day today. He did get out once or twice to bark at the neighbors but that was about it. Roy delivered the mail to my door so I didn't even walk the six feet to my mailbox. Rain fell most of the day.

FRIDAY. . . . . .

. . . . .ChiChi got a bath this afternoon. For the second time in his life he did not attack me, well, maybe a little bit, but nothing serious. I had the leather gloves near by but didn't need them. I failed to close the doggy door so the first thing he did after getting dried off was to run outside and roll around in the gravel driveway. I am a slow learner and that dog is always one step ahead of me. The weather was nice enough for a walk this afternoon but I chickened out and stayed inside. My bad.

CHRISTMAS DAY

. . . . . . . . .I was surprised to find that there were no football games today. I was then surprised that NASCAR opened its season this afternoon. So I watched the races and even took doggy for a walk. We went in a different direction and I would guess it was a bit over two miles. It was still the same general location down to the flat lands near the river but we never did see the river itself. It turned out to be a quiet day, just the kind we both like. Some sprinkles fell on the way back from the walk but nothing serious.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

 . . . . . .I left doggy home today while I went shopping for some apples and milk. He was limping a bit more than usual and I suppose that was because of the walk we went on yesterday.  I also left him home this evening while I drove to Teigens for the Family Christmas celebration and gift opening. Colton of course was the center of attention since he is only six years old. H made out like a bandit and everyone was happy. Sol and Amber were there as well as Ron's Mom. The party was over I and I left a few minutes before 7MP because the Teigens were going to church services at that hour.  It was a great day, a nice Christmas, again.

TUESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . .Little doggy and I are pleased to announce that we walked two miles this afternoon. He favored one back leg due to arthritis but at no point did he appear to be unhappy about being out and about. I believe the new medicine is working for him. .  .  .  . We did not get rained on but were happy to get home when we did because rain was seen falling shortly after. Received a nice phone call from my Brother Leonard in Shreveport today. All is fine there except for the Saints, who are not feeling real, real well these days.  

MONDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . I did get out of the house today, it felt good too!   I delivered Bill his Christmas present and met his caregiver. He was still asleep when I arrived about 10:30, she insisted on waking him because he gets so little company. I didn't stay long because I have a lot of trouble carrying on a conversation with the guy. He seldom says anything that moves the conversation forward.   After leaving there I stopped by a Pet hospital looking for some pain meds for the doggy's arthritis but they had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned Cosequin [that Joanne recommended] or Arnica Montana [that Caren gave me samples of]. She also made no effort to offer anything else. She did mention that I should try a feed store and on the way home I drove the West side Highway  for the first time in months to stop by four corners feed store. The man there showed me Glucosamine DS and it seemed to claim to do the job so I bought 60 tabs. Before leaving the area I stopped by the Castle Rock Pharmacy and filled a Depo-Test prescription that I had requested last week. I also stopped by Mel's and dropped off his Christmas present. He asked me to let Mary know how sad he felt about the tough time the Saints are having this year. He is no longer on the Internet so is no longer able to convey the message himself.. . .  .I then drove to the Teigens and played Santa Clause and visited with Ron for a few minutes. Caren and Colton were not home at the time. One of Ron's animals had jumped the fence so I left while he was out chasing cows. Tonight is Monday Night Football so I'm doing just great!

SUNDAY . . . . . . .

. . . . . .Doggy and I have been wasting the whole day waiting for the Seattle Football game to start. No walking or any other type of exercise but I did try to not over eat. Pleasant day in Pleasant Hills!

SATURDAY. . . . ..

. . . . . . . .The river is about three feet over the sitting area at the fishing hole and rising. More rain is expected in the mountains tonight. I'm happy to be sitting on top of Pleasant Hill enjoying the view. Doggy and I walked down the driveway to the mail box this morning, I didn't realize it was raining until I stepped out the door. The rain never stopped all day. Didn't hurt my feelings, I'm doing just fine.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .The report from Pleasant Hill will be cancelled today. There is nothing to report, I didn't even see rain drops. I just realized, perhaps that is the only news for the day. Be happy, everyone!

THURSDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . .This was the last day of bowling for a while and I did a good job of it. For me.  My scores were 141, 180, 147 for a daily average of 156. The fun part was that during the first two games I was the top scorer on my team. That should tell you how long it will be before we all turn Pro.  I will return to the league around the middle of March. . . . .I went to Safeway after bowling and for a guy who is trying to empty his fridge I spent a lot of money. That store is going to roll out the red carpet for me each time I pull in their lot if this keeps up. I bet a lot of you feel the same way.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . The rain arrived late this afternoon. Of course that is not news for this time of year but things are so quiet that there really is nothing else to write about. ChiChi and I napped a lot today and I must report that he is feeling a lot better with the meds that Caren gave us to use. I will be out shopping tomorrow and pick up the Cosequin that Joanne recommended. It was a good day . . . .Tomorrow is bowling day, the last games of the winter league for me until I get back in late March. I hope I do well.

TUESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . Doggy and I made a short trip to the Teigen's house this afternoon. That suitcase I will no longer use now has a new home since Caren was nice enough to take it off my hands. We were home again around 2PM; just in time to feed the starving dog. .  .  .  We have decided that Chi Chi has a case of arthritis in his hind quarters, Caren gave me some doggy pain pills, I hope they help the little guy. His tenth Birthday is arriving in April.

MONDAY. . . .

. . . . .I finished my Christmas shopping today. This is the third time I have made this announcement. Things keep coming up and I remind myself that I should have taken care of it long ago.. . . . I was home by noon, very hungry as usual. After lunch I put my shopping items away, some of the stuff was mine, but I sat the actual gifts aside to wrap later. I have purchased a carry on bag for my travels. The large one I had purchased is not going to be large enough for my needs. . . . So now I have a very nice suitcase with wheels I doubt I will ever use again. Any body want it? Its free. I may even deliver. Depending. Life is so uncertain. 

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .This was a fine day for a walk down the hill to the river; not too cold as long as were were able to stay out of the shade cast by the trees along the path, and certainly bright enough with no clouds in the dark blue sky. At first I was reluctant to go because the dog has been favoring his right rear leg for several days but he was happy about the idea and led the way most of the time. On the way back he was not leading but did a good job of keeping up. In the afternoon he napped a lot while I watched football and generally relaxed. I also had done the laundry earlier in the morning, it's nice to have that chore all caught up. I have one shirt that perhaps need to be ironed. Maybe one day. Maybe not.

SATURDAY. . . . . . .

. . . . . .Spent a good part of the day working on my computer, attempting to clean up a bunch of stuff I thought I didn't need. After I was finished I had to go to my Delete file and restore a bunch if it. Shows how much I know about computers. I am still trying to figure out why my document files are also listed in Window Photo Gallery. When I attempt to remove them from Window Photo they also are removed from Documents. I am convinced I have gotten something screwed up along the way. Just life in the big city, I guess.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Just another quiet day on top of Pleasant Hill! The river is too high to go fishing and the fields are too wet to plow so I stayed home and kicked the dog.

THURSDAY. . . . . . .

. . . .  .My bowling was very stinky today. I averaged only 139 for the three lines but I'm happy to say we won. My league average has gone down to 149 and after today I am sure it will be 147 or 148 next week when I next bowl. I really didn't want to leave for the winter with my average below 150 but it looks like that is something I will have to live with. I did win three dollars on  my lotto ticket though.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . . .The weather was far from good but I am happy there was no snow or ice. I drove into town to attend the Class of 52 Annual Christmas Party. I arrived at ten AM to help with the setup and stayed after the clean up detail was on their way out the door. That does not count the caterers, they were still in the kitchen when I left at about 3PM. I enjoyed myself, George and June asked me to use their camera and fill it with pictures for them so I did that and really got a kick out of it. They are not computer literate so they take the camera to one of the local locations and pay to have prints made. I did partake in some of the Champagne and Orange juice that was available, that is beyond a doubt my favorite vegetable. . . . . I purchased a set of earphones a while back and this afternoon I hooked them up to my HD TV set that has surround sound available but I don't have the speakers for and found that the new sound is really fantastic. My hearing is going to pot but the headset really improves things. For instance I never knew that when  a scene takes place in a restaurant or other "public" place there are appropriate sounds in the background. I was surprised to hear that . . .Little doggy was happy to see me get home because he usually can expect his dinner about 2PM and I didn't show up till an hour later. Life is tough on little dogs around here.

TUESDAY. . . . ..

. . . . .This was the day that I meet with the gang of '52' for lunch and catching up. There were only eight of us for this gathering but we had as much fun as we would with twice that many. Tomorrow will be the Annual Christmas Party for the Class of '52' so I will be seeing them there also. Along with, we hope, many others. . . . . After bowling I stopped by the bowling alley to try my luck. It seems every time I walk into that place I must learn how to bowl all over again. My first two games ended up with a score of 116 and 117. That was a bad start and I talked to myself enough to come back with a 152,175 and 168. My average for the day was 145 but for the last three games it was 162. I do my best to put a bright hallo on my dark cloud of results. . . . . Safeway was happy to see me stop by today. I spent about one hundred dollars on gasoline and groceries. I am trying to empty the fridge so nothing will spoil while I'm gone for the winter. It still surprises me that I have to spend so much just to slide by for the balance of the month. Life is tough.

MONDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . There appears to be a large storm off the coast but we are only on the edge of it so the rain is not really terrible; but it is still rain. Little doggy and I stayed inside all day except for the six steps to the mail box and a few more to the trash can. In both cases I could tell he wanted to continue the walk but I was not about to do that. A year ago he was walking around favoring his left hind leg and I find for the past couple of days he has been limping on the right one. Perhaps he pulled a muscle the last time we walked. I will keep an eye on him, he does not seem to be in pain and wants to go hiking on three legs. 

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . .The river level is at 37 feet so that rules out any fishing at the fishing hole. Doggy and I spent the day enjoying football, popcorn and commercial free movies. It would be nice if the weather would cooperate so I could talk myself into taking the dog out for a walk but it ain't happening. I will be pleased when the big bird carries me away for the winter and I can get in some exercise in the warm sunshine. 

SATURDAY. . . . ..

. . . . . Another nothing day in Pleasant Hill. I did watch a football game until the score became something like two much to zero and turned it off. Did a lot of reading and napping, enjoyed the rain best I could and generally got fatter.

FRIDAY. . . .

I wasted most of the day on the computer. In the afternoon I pigged out in front of the TV but began to feel sluggish by 5PM so I began an exercise program during commercial breaks. Actually found myself on my 'stepper' again, for the first time in many months. I think the weather was nice enough to go hiking with doggy  but I never did get around to it. We did walk out to the mail box and back to post a letter. That amounted to about two minutes in the fresh air. Poor dog didn't want to come back in the house. He likes hiking more than I. Some one has to have the smarts around here.

THURSDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . My bowling sucked canal water today. 147-135-146= 143 for the day. We lost two of the three lines as well as the daily score. We were playing the Kelso Elks Team. Four young ladies about my age who put us through the ringer. I mentioned to my team mate, Ed that perhaps next week we would draw a weaker team to play against, his response was that WE are the weaker team. Actually out of 28 teams we are presently in 13 place. . . . . . I received a nice long letter from a lady I have known since 1965 in California. Her Son found my address on the Internet and she wrote me to say howdy. The last time I saw her she was confined to bed at home being fed through a feeding tube going directly into her stomach. Now she is in a rest home wandering around in a wheel chair. She is attempting to find the money to get back on line. She wants to buy a laptop and I am tempted to help her out. Right now Thursday Night Football is on TV so I think I will catch the end of the game.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . . .

. . . . . .I am glad I left for Vancouver early today. When I got to where the Doctors office was the last time I visited I was told the new office was across the street so I left the car parked where it was and walked across the street. After wandering around in that building for a while a Tech asked me if she could help and I took her up on it. After two phone calls she discovered where my doctor was located and walked me to the entrance of her building and pointed across another street and told me that was the correct building. I had originally crossed the wrong street. Sounds like something I would do, right?  Any way the doctor gave me my annual finger wave and said I had the Prostate of a 60 year old. The good news is that it is no worse than it was a year ago. My next appointment with him is next December. . . . . . After driving home I stopped by the bowling alley to get myself primed for tomorrow's league effort. I bowled five lines and averaged 160.2. I was a happy boy! The fun part will be when I fail to do as well tomorrow. . . . . I also have to brag about my Chess rating, for years my rating has been in the low 1800's {2500 is pretty darned good} but for the past few weeks my rating has bounced up to 1950. I have no idea what that is all about but I feel very good about it. . . . I think I failed to mention that doggy and I got in a two mile walk yesterday and my weight is near 200 pounds. If this continues I will lose my girlish figure.

TUESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . .  .I had an early lunch today then left for town for some shopping and to try my luck at the bowling alley. I was surprised to find that the bowling alley was stuffed with people and would not have an open lane until after noon-thirty. . . . .I then proceeded to the market, in this case WalMart in search of some groceries and look for Stereo Speakers for my TV but was unable to find any that turned me on. After purchasing the groceries I returned home.  Earlier in the day I had been having trouble with my computer monitor, it was blanking out on me and as the morning progressed it got worse. I turned it off before leaving for town. My hope was that it would cure itself after a little rest, fat chance. When I got home and turned it on there was no 'picture' at all. Dead monitor, I decided. I phoned Caren and asked her what she thought of the symptoms and she agreed that it was truly dead. I then drove back to WalMart and purchased a new monitor. I am now the proud owner of a 27'' computer monitor. It is almost too large for the  available space but it will be great when I get back to my Flight Simulator. Luckily I have a little money set aside for such emergencies and I don't feel the financial pinch that most would experience. The old monitor lasted seven years and that is the same age as my computer, makes me wonder what's next. At least my Christmas shopping is all finished and the credit card balance is again zero. All I need now is a full tank of gas and I can consider myself a rich American.

MONDAY . . . . .

. . . . The thermometer outside my living room window told me it was 24 degrees this morning. Again the sun was bright and shiny for most of the day. There were a few light clouds but that did not keep the dog and I from a two mile walk this afternoon.. . . . . . When we returned from out walk Mrs Hill asked me to install a new Modem she had purchased a week ago. Poor lady had been without email access for all of that time because she was unable to figure it out how to install the thing. It turned out to be no big problem but I am sure some of the physical gyrations necessary to run those various cords would have been a problem. I was able to get the computer back on line but I don't like feeling responsible for stuff like that. When I got back to the house it was getting dark and the crazy dog wanted to go for another walk. Fat chance of that.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . Great weather [but very cold], good food, lots of football on TV and a comfortable chair, that was Sunday.  The meal Caren sent me home with after Thanksgiving dinner at her house actually made four meals for me and the last one was eaten today. I think I have gained four pounds since Thursday morning. Did not go walking today either, my bad. Tomorrow begins another week but that does not mean I will get any exercise, winter is making me very lazy. Warm weather, where art thou?

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . At noon today it was snowing! I thought I had a great excuse to not take the dog out for a walk. Ten minutes later the sun was out and the skies were a dark blue. So much for excuses. We did get out of the house for at least a two mile jaunt. It was cold enough and I didn't wear a heavy jacket but it was still good for me. On the way we met a large Lab pup about a year old and he followed us home, teasing ChiChi all the way. When we finally got in the house I noticed he turned around and began to find the path home. I am sure he will meet us the next time we walk down to the river. The snow never did return and the satellite  picture shows no bad clouds in the area. I wonder how long that'll last.

FRIDAY. . . ..

. . . . . .The weather report is rain, in case you didn't notice. . . . .Doggy and I stayed inside all day except for the six steps to the mail box. My weight has gone from 194 to 197. As you can tell there is nothing unusual going on at this Pleasant Hill address.

THURSDAY. . . . . .

. . . . .This turned out to be a nice day. The weather is not necessarily included in the prior statement. ChiChi and I were invited to Teigen' for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a very happy affair. And, as usual Caren and Ron did a great job of cooking up some mighty fine dishes. Their two puppies wore out my old grandaddy dog but he will survive, I'm sure. We arrived home about 5PM and will now fall asleep in front of the Seattle/San Francisco football game. It was a fine day.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . After my Pro time check at the hospital this morning I went by the bowling alley and practiced five lines. I am very pleased to report a 152 average for the time spent and if my low game of 126 had not happened my results would have been most remarkable [for me]. After bowling I stopped by Safeway and bought some more groceries, I certainly do eat a lot!     .      .       .  The river level is really up there and the color is a lot more than tan like it was a few days ago. It's just the right color to be a great advertisement for flowing milk chocolate.

TUESDAY. . . . . .

 . . . . . . I saw three deer relaxing on the lawn this afternoon. Later they were on their feet frolicking around the yard like it was spring time. I am glad the little dog didn't get out there and frighten them away. He is prone to that type of mischief.

The river height is well over the floor of the sitting area at the fishing hole so even though there was not a lot of cold air blowing I made no effort to go fishing. I was happy to be inside looking out.

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . This was another one of those uneventful days that retired folks often confront.  The threat of rain created a reason to not get out of the house and walk the dog as I should have. I make no promise that tomorrow will be any different.

SUNDAY. . . . . .

. . . . .Another easy day on Pleasant Hill!  Lots of football, popcorn and movies. The river report says the water level is down but I have not yet seen how clean it is. After all of the rain today I doubt it will be clean enough to go fishing tomorrow.
Seattle won, that was jolly. I ate too much, not so jolly.

SATURDAY. . . .

. . . . .Surprise! I did not accomplish a darn thing all day. Roy even delivered my mail to the door so I had no reason to walk the six steps to the mail box. The bad news is that I also refused to get outside and walk the doggy while the sun was shinning. I am a sad case, I fear. Too much football and good movies on TV. { I have to blame something, since of course I can do no wrong}. I get that from listening to Obama. Did you know that Michelle is always on top because the President always screws everything up? He learned that from Jimmy Carter.

FRIDAY. . . . . . . .

. . . . . If you like a heavy, wet rainstorm you would love Pleasant Hill today! .  .  .
It ain't my cup of tea but that's just the way I am. . . . .Ilona, Roy's wife was having trouble with her computer today so I spent about an hour with them this afternoon. They are good people and great landlords. . . . . . The river is a foot below flooding the sitting area at the fishing hole so I made no effort to go fishing. Sat around home and tried to not endanger my girlish figure by eating too much.

THURSDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .I left the bowling alley with a 157 for the three games today. My low game was 152 and that really helped my mood. With a little luck my handicap will become 60 and that is average for the team. I feel competitive at least. No bowling next week due to Thanksgiving but I will try to get in some practice in the next couple of weeks. Rain is on the way but that is nothing new around here.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . I spent an hour at the bowling alley; bowled five lines and left with a 159.6 average. Now the challenge is to do as well tomorrow at league bowling. . . .  .After  bowling I stopped my Walmart and stocked up on food stuffs and such. The weather is holding but it is not showing any sign of warming!

TUESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . .Twenty seven degrees again this morning. I went fishing again today but my dog refused to get in the car so I left him home. He is catching on to that cold wind at the river. When I put on my blizzard suit and invite him to get in the car he just walks away. I was there for about three hours today and saw one other guy about 3/4 of a mile upstream but there was no action. The water level was at the highest point at which I will accept when I arrived but like yesterday it came up several inches while I was there. There is no doubt winter is in the air, my bones really complain after sitting still for an hour or so waiting for a fish to bite. It is even getting too cool to enjoy reading. It was especially bad today because the sun was behind a heavy cloud cover most of the time. Winter is a bunch of poop.

MONDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . .Doggy and I were at the fishing hole for a couple of hours today but the water was raising all the time we were there. We caught no fish and by the time we left the water was high enough to have convinced me not to have bothered. There was also a lot of 'salad' being washed down and that required constant removal from the line. The weather was fine but very cool. I checked the raising water on the puter and found that it went about another foot up before starting to get back to normal. There is a possibility the Electric Company increased the flow to increase production for the evening. Who knows. The temperature at sunup was 25. Clear skies all day.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Another day of too much NASCAR, football and pigging out.  I got outside only long enough to carry the weekly trash to the trash can and spend a few minutes talking with my landlord, Roy.  I also enjoyed my Sunday night popcorn and a commercial free movie.

SATURDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . .Wasted the day watching NASCAR and football. That will surely be the report tomorrow also. The temperature was 27 this morning, I expect that to remain the same too. Lazy day.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . .  .Doggy and I did our walk thing again today. The route was a bit different but I am sure it was close to two miles. The weather is getting cooler by the day so the dog is not having any trouble keeping up with my long legs. He did take a long nap this afternoon but I did the same earlier so we are even in the nap department. The barometer is reading higher and that is expected to last for a few more days so we just might get out again tomorrow.

THURSDAY. . . . .

. . . . .My first line of bowling today was an anemic 136 but I came back with a 169 followed by a 157. The 154 average for the day pleased me immensely. My league average when I started today was 149 and I do hope these results increase that to 150. Driving into town I noticed some snow flakes coming down but it was rain a couple of hours later going home. I also noticed that the river level is up again even though the turbidity is not as bad. I will not bother going fishing tomorrow. Perhaps the next day.

WEDNESDAY. . . ..

. . . . . .Wow! the temperature at daylight was 27c!  That is winter in my mind! Things did warm up enough for doggie and I to go on a mile and a half walk this afternoon. We would have walked further except that a train was parked on the two roads we use to get to the river. Two vehicles were waiting to get home and they were still waiting when we got back to the house.

TUESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . .Lots of sunshine today, just the way I like it!  The wind is up and the temperatures are down but the big, cold storm passing to the north of us is the reason for that. The river is showing some improvement but I doubt I will be out there very soon; the fish will just have to wait. . . . .Had a fine lunch with the '52' gang today. Eight or nine showed up and the conversation was lively, funny and stuff like that. I stopped by the bowling alley after lunch and practiced five lines. My results were a happy 151 average. They may not have been that good except that I ended up bowling a great 170 or so during the last line. I feel good about being able to repeat this score on Thursday. I enjoy being a positive thinker. I can't bowl worth a darn but at least I can do that!

MONDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . The sun was out most of the day. I was able to work up the gumption to get out of the house and walk the dog down to the river and back. I believe he was as happy to get out for a while as I was. It is too bad I can't kick myself into action more often and get in the much needed exercise that is required for good health. Tomorrow I will drive into town and have lunch with the gang of '52' and while I am there I will stop by the bowling alley and throw five lines. Lets hope I do well and repeat that on Thursday!

SUNDAY . . . . .

. . . . . . .There was not a lot of rain today but after the Birthday Party at Mel's place I drove Billy home and had to use the windshield wipers most of the way coming home. The Party was fun, we all like KFC so Mel picked up enough of that for an army and also picked up Billy on his way back to the house. I had fallen  asleep and woke up at 1PM, when I was suppose to have arrived. I was not more than 20 minutes late but those two had eaten already and had the football game on the TV. I did my best to not eat too much but I'm sure you know that idea didn't work out real well. We stayed till the ball game ended about 4:30 and that is when I drove Bill home. Seattle won the game so that was frosting on the cake. For some reason I failed to take ChiChi with me so he was waiting for his dinner when I arrived. It was a good day.

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . I felt like the exercise would be good for me so I washed the car today. It looks like new again! Doggy and I drove to the river to check out the old fishing hole and discovered that the water is still too high and dirty to even think about fishing. I had taken a sandwich with me to eat for lunch but we didn't stay long enough even for that. .  .  .  The afternoon was spent watching TV and generally doing nothing worth anything. The sun is out and I'm happy to have a clean car but a big storm is expected overnight so I guess it will rain again tomorrow. So much for a clean car.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . Just another lazy day on Pleasant Hill. I did back the car out of the garage and attempt to find out the reason for so many fuses to be burning out on the Interior lights system. I was unable to find the problem but I did discover that the fuse carries ten volts across it even when the car is shut down. I have not been able to discover what is causing that so perhaps I will have to turn it over to R&R Motors one day soon and see what they can do.  The river is down enough to return to the fishing hole but the turbidity level is still up. Perhaps tomorrow I will drive by and take a closer look. The sun is expected to be out in all of its glory too!

THURSDAY . . . . .

. . . .  .Bowling did not go as well as I would have liked [does it ever?] but I did end up with a 144 for the three games. I'm really trying for a 150 average and I do have that as a present league average but it will not last if I don't keep it up each week. . . . . .After I got home I fed the dog and had a snack when Caren phoned and invited me over for some clam chowder she had made. Along with some home made bread. I loaded ChiChi in the car and drove over right away. I didn't want to wait for fear she might change her mind.  [Just joking]. We arrived home about 6:45 and are now settled in for the evening. The river looks cleaner but still too high for fishing at the fishing hole. Maybe the weekend will show promise. 

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . I noticed the dirty Cowlitz river this morning as I drove into town for my weekly bowling practice. It is still high and the color of baby poop. I will not be fishing for a while, I fear. . . .  .I bowled five lines today and left with a 162 average, my hope is that I will do that well tomorrow when it really counts.. . . After arriving home I got the laundry caught up and actually exercised for a few minutes. . . . .The rain was a constant drizzle most of the day, typical for this time of year. 

TUESDAY. . . . .

. . . . The refrigerator was getting empty so I drove into town today to stock up. Of course it had to rain both ways. . . . . It was nice to get out of the house though.
The river is still too high and dirty to do any fishing. The level is higher than the floor of the sitting area where I fish.  . . . . . This evening will be spent watching election returns, America's greatest sport as far as I am concerned. I'm feeling fine and looking forward to a short session of bowling practice tomorrow.

MONDAY. . . . .

.  . . . . I received a note from Natalia today. She told me the temperatures have dropped from the 90's into the 80's and that a Hurricane is expected in the area in a day or so. Kelso temps have dropped into the high 40's, Natalia still has the better weather. . . . .I accomplished absolutely nothing today, I made every effort to not eat too much but considering the number of calories I burned by doing nothing I am sure I gained weight just by drinking as extra glass of water. The scale said 193.3 when I weighed this morning. Lets see what it says tomorrow.

SUNDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . Doggy and I are doing fine, just wasted another day watching Auto Racing and football. I'm happy to say we did not overeat, I hope, at least that was my intent. A large weather front was to have hit here today but it seems that my occur tomorrow instead. Fine with us, we are warm and dry with a full refrigerator.
Life is good!

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . .  .I made up for yesterdays lazies by doing a lot of house work today. I washed the bed stuff and mopped the hard floors. That was happening while the TV was going with NASCAR and foot ball. There is no doubt I got as much exercise as I would have if I had been bowling. I was also good about not eating a lot more than I really needed. I doubt that will last long but at least I tried. The clocks have all been set back so I am ready for tomorrow, bring it on!

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .No excitement today, got some rain and the river is still not clean enough for fishing. Lazy day, just the way I like 'em!

THURSDAY. . . . ..

. . . . .I was pleased to note when arriving at the bowling alley today that my league average is exactly 150. After last weeks results I was afraid it would not be so high. One fifty is my goal for league bowling and I tried my best today to come to that score but had to leave looking at a 146. Now I feel my average will not be so great next week. I just have to try harder. I will go into town next Wednesday and practice five lines, perhaps I will do well enough that it will 'stick' on Thursday when I again bowl in the league. On the way home I noticed that the river is really high and dirty. Most of the dirty water is entering at the mouth of the Toutle River. I have heard reports that fishing is still OK above the Toutle but I don't go in that direction so it does me no good. 

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

. . .. . . . .I spent most of today cleaning up my computer. I created more than 10G of memory just by de-fagging the C-Drive. The computer has been running slow and before having a professional do the job I thought I would give it a try. I am afraid there is still too much 'stuff' in there though. The C drive holds 111G and only 33 are available. My flight simulator takes 13.5 of that but I have no idea what else could be there to take up so much room. My next question to myself is why do I have to hire someone to clean it up. Why can't I do it myself? Where do I get instructions for such a job?. . . . . After giving my bowling hobby/exercise problem a little time I have decided to start practicing five lines per session the day before the actual League games. My costs will drop from $20 per week to $16.50. That is much better than the $140.00 it would cost if I maintained the same schedule I had been working with. This way I won't get as much exercise but perhaps I can still make a fair showing for the team. Tonight is the final game of the World Series and at the moment it is tied 2-2. I will get back to it and cheer on that KC bunch.

TUESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . . . .Very poor results again today at the bowling alley. I averaged 124 for fifteen lines. My coordination is way off. I was not able to do anything right. Its called bowling, I've heard.   When I checked out I was told that the rates for practice lines has doubled to One Dollar each and starting on the first of the month it will become $1.25. If I continue bowling practice lines as much as I have been for the past three years my monthly cost will jump from $40 monthly to $100.00 monthly. It ain't going to happen. I can join a gym for a heck of a lot less than that. {not that I will}. I will continue bowling in the league at $10 per week but that will have to be it. To pay more and see myself not improving is just a waste of money as far as I am concerned.. . . .  .The river is still high and dirty; more rain is on the way so there is not much chance I will be doing a lot of fishing for a while. At the present moment the World Series is going my way. I will watch the rest of tonight's game and hope KC comes through! 

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .I spent most of the day on my computer trying to find some old files I am missing. Not having any luck. Monday night football is grabbing my attention at the moment. I guess I put too much salt on my popcorn yesterday because my feet have swollen and I have taken a water pill. Doggy hates that because I have to remove him from my lap every few minutes to shake the dew off my Lilly.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .My boring bowling report is not good today. After ten lines I had only a 127 average. I have come to the conclusion that my improvement on a weekly or monthly schedule is just a big joke.  I will continue bowling because I am too lazy to go walking on a daily basis and my body does need a lot more exercise than I am giving it. I am also attempting to cut down on my food intake [good luck with that] and if I do succeed with that perhaps I will end up feeling OK about my physical self. . . . . After bowling I stopped by the market and stocked up on goodies then went home and pigged out [a little bit] in front of the TV. The river is still muddy so fishing is out tomorrow but my laptop needs some attention prior to leaving this winter so I will be working with that for part of the day. Doggy is doing fine and he is in need of a lot more exercise too. I wish I could teach him to bowl but I won't because of how bad I would feel should he ever beat me. Which I see as a real possibility!

SATURDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . .This was a quiet day. The fish are not about to be pursued in the high, dirty water that exists at present. Doggy and I stayed inside today and watched auto races on TV. I tried my best to not eat too much but good luck with that idea! The wind was really making a show of things but the rain has not been too bad. I will be happy to get out of the house tomorrow and try my luck at the bowling alley again.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .My blood draw/kidney test went well today. The Doctor is very pleased with my situation, he says the kidneys are accepting the heart meds very well and will expect me back in a year. That was good news. I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home and bought a new pair of shoes and some new slippers to wear around the house.. . . . .The river is really dirty and more rain is expected. I am spending the evening watching the Baseball game on TV and backing up a bunch of pictures off the computer and on to a separate storage device. I should do the same thing with my laptop before leaving for winter vacation.

THURSDAY. . . . . .

My bowling results were stinky again today and the team lost all four games. My average was 143. 'Nuff said! After bowling I drove to Safeway and got my annual flu shot before continuing on to the lab for a blood draw and urine deposit. I have an appointment with the Kidney Doctor tomorrow morning. The heart meds I am taking are not good for the kidneys and for that reason I am being monitored. With luck I will have good kidneys for as long as my heart lasts but only if I keep an eye on them. After leaving the lab I drove through the part of town where the 'twister' hit today. I saw men cleaning up downed trees and saw some torn roofs being patched against any possible [probable around here] rain tonight. Some windows on Vanercook way were broken by flying 'stuff', or so I heard some one say. I was unable to drive on that street because it was blocked off for cleanup personnel. The river is the color of a cup of coffee to which too much cream was added. I would not attempt fishing tomorrow even if I didn't have the Doctor appointment.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

  .  .  .  .  .The rain was heavy both ways when I drove to Beaverton and back this morning. It didn't bother me at all but it has been a long time [last winter] that a rain storm lasted the entire round trip. I had to go in for my device check again, the report was very good and every one is really happy with my results.  . . . . I noticed that Comcast is cheating me again on my monthly billing. They threw in an extra two dollars on the charge expecting me not to notice. I am on automatic pay and they do that to folks knowing that few people look into it and they can pocket the extra without any one being the wiser. I hate doing business with them but it is the only cable company in town. I will phone them about this but doubt it will do any good. If you have a choice stay away from Comcast!

TUESDAY. . . . . .

 . . . . .My co ordination was really off today, I was unable to make a decent approach with the ball while bowling. I am beginning to believe the meds I am using are not good for people trying to learn that sport. I know the Coreg is a problem because it was so bad a couple of years ago the doctor cut my dose in half. Well, actually he cut it back after I complained of not being able to walk down the hall without bouncing off the walls. I plan on continuing with bowling but improving much beyond where I am now just does not seem to be in the cards. I am also having a problem keeping my weight below 200 pounds. Every body has something, I guess. Tomorrow I drive to Beaverton to have my device checked so that will be a nice break, even if a storm is expected. I have no problem driving in the rain, I am never is a big hurry on the road so it will work out fine.

MONDAY. . . . . .

. . . .  .ChiChi was willing to hop in the car this morning when I left for the fishing hole. I guess he forgot he didn't like being down there and getting soaking wet for several hours at a time. Things were OK until about 1:45 when the clouds opened up and really dumped a storm on us. Luckily I could see it coming and buried the dog in my lap with the large umbrella over us before it hit. We did not move until 2:45 when the sun suddenly came out and gave us a chance to get to the car with no problem. It did rain all of the way home but we were dry so no problem. Never got a bite all day but did see a small []16-18 inches] salmon break water once right in front of us. The river was not really clear but we did notice other fishermen on  Camelot beach about a half mile up stream.

SUNDAY. . . .

. . . . .My bowling results were not the best I have ever had but I did walk away with a 146 average for ten lines. There is no doubt I can do better and with a little luck and a whole lot more practice I am sure I will. I am beginning to feel the same way about the fishing hole. Just a little more practice and I am bound to catch that big one! I will give it a try tomorrow if the weather holds and the water is clear. It looked a bit dirty this afternoon as I drove across the bridge on my way home.

SATURDAY. . . ..

. . . . .This was another fishless day. Doggy again refused to get in the car when I left the house this morning. I guess he just does not like sitting around at rivers edge getting cold and wet from the rain. I am beginning to believe he is a lot smarter than I am.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .I guess this to be my worst day ever at fishing. I did hook a small one but he got away after a minute or so. That was fun. But let me explain: Guide boats are the locals who are licensed to take their paying passengers on fishing trips on the river. A lot of them come from foreign countries paying up to $350 per day for the privilege of fishing on the nearby waters. The Boats contain the Guide and up to five or even six fishermen. Today one of the boats with five paying customers drifted by and landed a fish right in the same spot I was fishing. OK, those are the breaks and I am willing to be happy for them. This guy drifted down about half a mile then returned stopping his engine about one hundred yards upstream of me and while drifting by landed another fish from almost the same spot. This was done six times in a row and I never even got a bite after the first one got away! I was very unhappy when I got home, I felt like a bowler who threw gutter balls all day. . . . The weather was not too bad, some sprinkles but little wind so the temperature was acceptable. At least that was something to be thankful for. I, not to be discouraged will return tomorrow and perhaps catch a really big one! It could happen!

THURSDAY. . . . ..

. . . . .League day at the bowling alley and I sank like a rock. I started off well enough with a 162 game but after that things were really stinky. I ended the Day with a 140 average. That will ruin the handicap I was so proud of for the past two weeks. I did win $30 with the Washington State Lottery though. That was a surprise. I have been buying those tickets for ten years at the rate of about $100 per year. I will return to the fishing hole tomorrow and if the water is not too dirty I will wet a line for a few hours. Mel claims to have had seven strikes today and landed one nice salmon. He is happy to have gotten his boat out of the shop and back in the water.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

..............It was raining this morning as I left for the fishing hole. Even the dog was reluctant to get in the car and that is really rare!   We spent four hours without a bite or sign of a fish. It rained most of the time and I did very little reading because ChiChi was sitting in my lap under the umbrella. Shivering, 

I might add. We got home about 2:30 and the dog is still asleep under the heat vent. The rain stopped about the same time we drove into the garage. 

TUESDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . .I had a very nice time while lunching with the gang of '52' today. Eight of us braved the elements to gather and enjoy a nice meal. Actually the elements were pretty good and with a bit of luck it will continue through tomorrow so I can be comfortable at the fishing hole. . . . After lunch I drove two blocks to the bowling alley and scored a 156 average during the first five lines  then came back with a 165 during the second five. I was really pleased to have left with a 160 average for the day! Of course the truth in the pudding will be Thursday when I attend the League bowling fiasco.

MONDAY . . . ..

. . . . .I hooked a small salmon today but he threw the hook after a couple of minutes. I was in the process of bringing the net down off the bank while fighting him and at one point I allowed a few seconds of slack line and that is all it took. . . . . After arriving home and getting my shower Caren phoned and invited me to stop by and pick up some soup she had made. The soup was really good and she sent me home with some home made bread too!  .   ..   .  She also had me deliver a couple of servings of soup and bread to Mel. He really appreciated it because he is unable to eat really solid food since his surgery a few days ago. He told me that his throat is really sore and is causing a lot of discomfort. 

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . . Another fine day at the bowling alley, my first five lines averaged 155.6 and the second five averaged 162. Not too bad for me! My two low games were 138 and 136. I may become a bowler yet! . . . . .Watched Seattle lose a ball game this evening, booooo. If the weather holds I will return to the fishing hole tomorrow. Mel has returned home after his surgery, not feeling 100% but doing as well as expected. He is breathing better and that was what it was all about. He told me that his doggy was really happy to see him walk in the door.

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Colton's team won their Soccer game today. While that was going on Ron and I went to lunch. It was his Birthday gift from me. We went to Parker's and Ron ordered their special hamburger. You have heard of a Quarter pounder? This was more like a four pounder. I have never seen such a monster hamburger, there is no way I could eat it all. His plate easily held two full meals for me. There is no doubt it looked delicious and Ron loved it. I had fish and chips with a Parker's own brewed beer.. . . . .After getting home it was still early enough in the afternoon to get in three hours of fishing. For all the good it did me. I was home by 5PM and now I am watching NASCAR. When that is over it will be my bedtime I suppose.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .I arrived at the fishing hole about 10am and a couple of hours later had a small fish on for about two minutes. He threw the hook before I got him near the net but he was close enough to guess his weight at around five pounds.. . . .This evening I met Mazie for an early dinner. Mazie is a very nice lady that Caren introduced me to. Dinner was fun but as usual I ate too much. The scale read 199 pounds at bed time. Tomorrow I will take Ron out to lunch to celebrate his Birthday from last week. Busy , busy!

THURSDAY. . . ..

. . . . .Another happy day at the bowling alley. 158-152-158, very consistent and for me really high scores. The 156 average will raise my league average a bit above 151 I hope. . . . .Mel is feeling OK, his throat surgery worked out fine and he expects to be home in 3-4 days.  My plan is to return to the fishing hole again tomorrow. I stopped by Wal-mart this afternoon and purchased some new fish line, the other stuff is about 5 years old and getting too dry I fear. The new stuff is 15 pound test and the previous was ten pound. It may not help hooking a fish but it will help should the hooking ever come about.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . Had another bite today but I was reading at the time and did not respond fast enough to hook him. Better luck next time. The weather is holding, I may try to get back out there Friday, tomorrow is bowling day.

TUESDAY. . . .

. . . . Another amazing day at the bowling alley! My first five lines came in at a 154 average then I repeated it during the second five lines. That came out to 154 average for the day. I think perhaps I am catching on to this game. Of course Thursday is coming up so I may not want to  be caught bragging. After bowling I stopped by the new Sporting goods store in Kelso and spent $18 on new fishing gear; I'll be returning to the fishing hole tomorrow. I expect to catch a big one!

MONDAY. . . . . .

 .. . . . . .Same old story, no fish again today. Mel arrived about half an hour after I did and within thirty minutes  had a five pounder landed. We watched several or at least one fish jump a dozen times or more until I left at 2:45. I lost another lure, line and sinker during the course of the day. I had not been having that problem but it seems bad luck has returned. I'll try to remember to stop by the sporting goods store tomorrow and resupply my fishing box.

SUNDAY.........

...................My scoring was really interesting today. My average after five lines was 149 and it remained that way through the tenth line. I feel very good about the day.     .     .     . After bowling I stopped by Safeway for some dog food and ended up spending $103.73. . . . .After getting home and putting away the groceries I put the doggy in the car and drove to the Teigen's for some of Ron's Birthday cake. It was an extra chocolate chocolate and was just the way I like it! 

The three dogs had a good time running around barking up a storm. ChiChi and I left just before 5PM and spent the rest of the evening at home watching Auto racing and foot ball.

SATURDAY. . . . .

............I got the impression that there a lot of fish in that river but I certainly can not catch one of those rascals. There were a lot of boats and perhaps some of the smiles I saw indicated that they had fish,  ,  ,  or perhaps they were laughing at me because I was not able to hook one.  Tomorrow I will return to the bowling alley, that will be a chance to try my luck again.  Something like that. Tomorrow is Rons Birthday [again] seems like he just had one. I bet he feels the same way.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . No fish again today. There were several guide boats out there too, that means the fish are in the water but  am told that the fall run will begin soon and there will be many more. Bring 'em on!

THURSDAY . . . . .

. . . .  .A happy day at the bowling alley today. I had the best results ever in league bowling this afternoon. 179-167-151= 165.666. We now have an official name for out team: No Name.  It started out as Team 13 but we had it changed. I don't believe any of us plan on being there for the entire season and that is the reason we all ended up on the same team. At the moment the No Names are in 28th place out of 28 teams. Just think what that means! No way to go but UP! .  .  .  .  I stopped by the Teigens this afternoon to say hello the the newest family member, a doggy named Bailey. Cute as a button! Same breed as Luky. ChiChi does not seem to be bothered by them but he does not 'play' with them at all. He is a very serious doggy.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

. . . . I drove Mel to Vancouver this morning for an EKG procedure but arrived back in town early enough to spend two hours at the fishing hole. The fish were jumping and I changed lures 3-4 times to entice the buggers but to no avail. Tomorrow I will go to League Bowling but at the moment my plan is to return to the fishing hole on Friday. 

TUESDAY . . . . .

 . . . . Another good day at the bowling alley except that I didn't take a jacket with me and it was raining as I left. . . . My first five lines gave me a 148.2 average and the second five ended at 156.8. Not too bad. That came out to 152.5 for the day. I had to run to the car to stay as dry as possible but I am sure I missed a lot of rain drops that way.

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . As I type this I can look out the window and see two deer nosing around looking for the non existing apples Roy had trained them to search for. Roy is recuperating from shoulder surgery so he has not been outside much. For that reason the deer feel ignored. . . .  .I caught no fish today and ended up spending a lot of time reading under the umbrella. The wind is beginning to get cool, it is getting near glove time. I did get a strike and that was exciting but it did not last very long. That was during the rainy part of the day. Doggy got soaking wet and cold, he was happy to get home and get his dinner. I popped up some popcorn and watched Monday Night Football.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .I am happy to report the my fisherman's luck that began yesterday continued this afternoon at the  bowling alley.My first five lines averaged  155.8 and the second averaged 161.6.  That means I left the place with a ten line average of 158.7 That is a new high average for me. . . . . On the way home I stopped by Goodwill and purchased another book to read at the fishing hole and will return there tomorrow. While driving into town today I noticed a lot of fishermen trying their luck. I hope they left a couple for me!

SATURDAY. . . ..

. . . . . Today was the day!  After three years with nothing I landed a 6-8 pound King. Mel had caught a 30 pounder while fishing with Jeff Miller a few days ago and Jeff came by around 11 AM to show me four more he and his son had caught this morning. I was netting my fish just as Mel was bringing his equipment down for some bank fishing too. An hour later he landed a 20 pound Chinook. If I can catch 'em you have to know that the river is full of fish! I took mine home and cut off some steaks for myself and delivered the balance to Roy and his wife. They love fish and I am happy to supply them. Fish is a meat I would never buy at the market but I do like cooking up a small steak whenever I catch one. There was no rain today and the temperature was almost just fine. If my luck holds I will do well bowling tomorrow! .  .  .  .  Forgot to mention that two deer were peeking into my living room window this evening. I was watching TV at the time and waved at them. They made no effort to run away. I suppose they were looking for the apples that Roy some times leaves for them.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .There was a lot of rain at the fishing hole today. I was able to read while sitting under an umbrella but that would not have been true if the wind had been blowing. I did get two strikes and one of the fish even broke water to flash his third fin at me before shaking the lure and swimming off, laughing. The other fish stayed deep and was off the hook before I could get to the pole. The temperature was acceptable enough to accept but I did get my feet wet because I was wearing the wrong kind of shoes. It is time to switch to something heavier. I may return tomorrow, depending on the weather.

THURSDAY. . . .

. . . . . .Today league bowling was mostly a fun time. My second game dropped to 134 but the other two were 160 and 158. I was happy to be best on team in the first line, that made me feel very good. My handicap is 63 at present and the challenge will be to improve it. I will not be so happy if it drops below that. Yesterday I had left my sweater folded over a chair and forgot to take it home but was happy to find it in the 'lost and found' when I arrived today. Heavy rain later this afternoon, looks like winter is winning the battle of the seasons.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . . I was not happy with my bowling results again today. I bowled 12 lines and came home with about a 139 average. Poop. Tomorrow is League day so perhaps I will remember today's mistakes and show better then. Who knows, not me!  I did win $3 on the Washington Lottery, not much but a start. I have been playing California and Washington State Lotteries for over 30 years. It must be a rip off, I have yet to win anything to brag about. Mu guess is I have invested over 2K in the two. There is no profit in gambling, folks.

TUESDAY . . . . .

 . . . . .I left the house at 11:45 for the drive to Beaverton for my device checkup. The doctors are very happy with the way it is functioning and how well my body is doing with its help. I also was given x-rays to make sure all of the leads going into the heart are wearing well. The opinion is that the pacemaker will be fine until at least 2017 at which time there will probably be a need for a new battery or a new device. The new devices are now able to last 20 years with out removal. It would be nice to outlive one of those! I enjoyed the drive and was lucky in making the whole trip without rain. I did have to turn on the wipers as I entered the Kelso city limits but that's nothing new. Terri Lynn is on her way to So. California so she was not able to meet me for a late lunch. I guess we will see each other again one day, if and when she ever returns to the rain filled Portland area. Living in Hawaii as she does would make it difficult for one to ever move back here to stay.

MONDAY

. . . . The weather was nice at the river today and there were several guide boats out but I saw no happy fishermen. One was jumping it the vicinity of my lure but he never did attack it. I used four different lures during the four hours. No luck.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . .I did much better bowling today than I did fishing yesterday. My first five lines came to a 157.6 average and I was feeling just fine but then the Seattle Football game came on the TV and I was no bowler after that. My second five lines created a bad 137.6 making the final for the day 147.6. Actually my sixth game was a 192 but it was during that line that my eye started to wander toward the TV set overhead.. . . .I am doing very well finding excuses for my poor results!

SATURDAY. . . .

. . . . Again, no fish. I am really looking forward to tomorrow when I return to the bowling alley. I am sure to score something there. Certainly can't do it at the fishing hole!. . . . There were a lot of boats out today but I didn't see them do any good either. I watched several fish jumping but they are not striking.. . . .

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .This was a wonderful day to be at the river. I even saw a fish jump three different times. He was within a few feet of my lure each time but refused to strike. The great weather is holding and if it continues I will return to the fishing hole again tomorrow.. . . . . 

THURSDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . .I drove up the hill to Bernita's place this morning for my haircut. There were several raindrops on the windshield when I arrived. When I left at 10:15 there was no sign of rain and the drive home was uneventful.  I thought I had lots of time  to eat something before leaving for bowling but I was mistaken. I gobbled down half of the lunch I had prepared and arrived at the bowling alley just in time. I am still listed as a 'sub', perhaps I will get on a team next week. My results today were 149-149-156; that left me with a 151 for the day. One of the best league days I have had and I am still holding a fair [for me] handicap. It that rain goes away overnight I will return to the fishing hole tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . ChiChi and I were at the fishing hole about two hours today before getting a bite. The fish was gone before I could even get out of my chair but there is no doubt it was not a shifting of the sinker on the river bottom. A few seconds after the strike a 5-6 pounder rolled to the surface of the water  a few feet upstream of the pole. I think he was giving me the finger, fish style. We experienced a few rain drops on our head while there today, nothing came of it but it was a reminder of  winter to come. Darn it!

TUESDAY. . . . .

 . . . . .I forgot to mention that when I drove in yesterday evening I discovered a deer and fawn blocking the driveway. I stopped and enjoyed the view until she sort of shrugged her shoulders and bounced away, the fawn soon followed.. . .  .That sort of thing happens around here quite often. . . .  .I bowled ten lines today and ended with a 136.8 average. I was so unhappy with myself that I threw five more lines to improve the situation. I ended up bringing the daily result up to 138.5. Not too good but perhaps that means I will do well on Thursday. Hope, hope.

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . .At least I got a bite today. I also watched a fair sized fish jumping and rolling. Perhaps I am getting closer to the big day when I finally catch a fish! This evening Caren phoned and invited me over for a Salmon BBQ but I turned her down. Once I get settled in for the evening it takes a bit more than a fish meal to get me moving again. Thanks, Caren, for the offer. I am sorry to hear that Ron ran out of propane while cooking the meal. Poor Ron!

SUNDAY . . . . . . .

. . . . . I arrived at the bowling alley about 11AM feeling rather good about my new found ability to bowl an acceptable game. The first five lines were not good at all. My average turned out to be a 127. I had to sit down and give myself a talking too and remind myself to go back to the basics and concentrate. I did much better during the next four lines then came up with a 171 on the tenth and last for the day.  The last five average was 148. The ten games averaged 138. I felt much better about things after that. On the way home I stopped by Teigens to find out how well the fishing trip went yesterday and Ron told me the eight guys on the boat each caught two silvers. They were in the ocean past the bar on the Columbia. The water was smooth and there were even some home made rafts from Long Beach, Washington out there with them. I have never been out side the bar fishing and really never have been excited about trying it. Maybe some day. Yesterday they had eight fishermen on the 22 foot boat but only four could fish at a time. I wouldn't care to do that. I will be happy to stick to the bank, a shady spot under a tree with a book available. That is my plan for tomorrow.

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .Great day, Terri is visiting her sister in Portland so I met her and  we drove to the beach for lunch and took a 2-3 mile hike on the sand afterwards. The weather was as nice as anybody could ask for and the car ran like a top. It was a lot of fun getting 'caught up' with Terri and if all works out we might find  time to meet again before she heads to So. Cal with her other sister. I got home at 8:40 just in time to save the dog from starving to death, his words, not mine.

FRIDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . .Another nice day at the fishing hole except the wind was a bother at times. I suppose it is blowing in some bad weather, it is safe to say that around here this time of year. Even if it isn't always true. No fish were caught but there were a couple of small ones rolling on the surface right where I was fishing. That is aggravating but it's called 'fishing'.

THURSDAY. . . . .

. . . .  .I stopped to get gas on the way to bowling today and was too late getting to the bowling alley for their regular ten minute 'practice' session. I did have time to throw two balls and both were strikes so I felt pretty good when team bowling began. I was put on a team as a sub though, so far I am not on a regular team. I must wait until a group is found that is willing to accept the fact that I am leaving in the middle of the season to return to MZT. I did bowl fairly well though, 152-152-136 for an average of 146.6. I think that will lower my handicap from 66 to 65 when I again bowl next Thursday. In the meantime I will continue practicing twice a week. I certainly need it!. .  . . . I stopped by Wal-Mart for my annual eye exam and the doctor was very pleased with my eyes, she told me I was most fortunate to have such great eyesight for my age. She feels the cataract that is developing will not cause me any trouble until at least age ninety. I told her I am willing to wait until then.

WEDNESDAY. . . .. . . . .

 .. . . . . .  .I did not catch a fish today but I think I got a bite. It may have been only the sinker changing position that forced the tip of the pole down momentarily but the bell rang so that was something.......I watched a boat drifting by hook and net a nice looking what appeared to be a Steelhead of about 12 pounds. He was fishing right in front of me and I was surprised the fish did not get tangled up in my line. It jumped almost three feet out of the water at one time, a very pretty sight! I wish it had hit my lure instead of the other one. That is the life of a fisherman. The weather is holding, it was very nice today after the clouds left the area. I was wearing a jacket until 1PM.

TUESDAY. . . . ..

 . . .  .I enjoyed a great lunch with the guys from the 'class of 52' today. Only seven of us were there but this is the good old summertime so I am sure attendance will pick up as Fall arrives. . . . . .After lunch I stopped by the bowling alley and continued the good day with a 148.6 average for the first five lines then returned for the second  half with a 163.4 average for five lines. That means I had a 156 for the day. That might be a ten line best for me. If not the best then very close to it. . . . . . . I forgot to mention that before I left for lunch I gave the car a bath. It sure is a good looking automobile when it is cleaned up and shiny. Getting close to twenty one years old and running like a top!

MONDAY. . . .

. . . . ..  .Doggy and I spent an extra hour at the fishing hole this afternoon. I was hoping to catch a fish but of course hoping ain't getting. It was a comfortable day, I really enjoy sitting there and watching the world go by. We arrived home around 4PM and settled in for the evening. 

SUNDAY. . . .

. . . . I was pleased with my bowling results today; I failed to do very well in a couple of the games but I left with  a 148 average. Had I been a bit more attentive perhaps I would have broken 150. .   .    .    .ChiChi is doing better with his sore throat, I have found that he does not choke if I mix a bit of water with his canned dog food. That may be the way I feed him from now on. He appears to choke badly on any dry food or firm canned food. 

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Doggy and I enjoyed a quiet time at the river again today. The weather is holding just great but the fish are not biting. There were a lot of boats on the water but I have no idea how well they did. NASCAR and football are on TV this evening so I will be busy [without getting any exercise].

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .There were a lot of guide boats on the Cowlitz today; I think it is because the Columbia has been closed to fishing for a short time. I saw Mark, Mel's friend, catch two Harvest trout while I was at the river. They were large enough to make a meal each. I didn't catch anything but the weather was nice. Happily it was sort of cool at first. I say happily because I could not find ChiChi after about an hour of wondering where he might have wandered off to. I discovered that he had never gotten out of the car when I parked on the dike. He usually does a lot of exploring when we first arrive so I was not too upset when at first I could not find him. He was nevertheless pleased to have me open the door and let him escape a horrible death in a locked car. His throat is better today and he is eating the canned dog food that I have mixed with water.  Also, there are still a lot of Blackberries at the rivers edge and while I was eating some he was there begging for his share. It surprised me that he was willing to eat anything but the berries went down as well as they ever had when I offered them to him. Crazy dog likes blackberries I guess.

THURSDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . . .After my Pro time check [OK] and a small lunch I joined the Winter Bowling League today. Today was the first day so no one had a handicap at the beginning. My bowling results were 157- 135- 140. That was a 144 average for the day and a handicap of 66. My lowest ever. Now my job will be to maintain the 66 and make every effort to lower it even more. I hope to get to 59 and be happy with it! We shall see.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

1. . . . . . The weather was nice at the river today. There was a small fish jumping, looked like perhaps 3-4 pounder. Mark, a friend of Mel's came by and made every attempt to hook the fish but it was not biting.  I have decided the fish are just too smart for me. I will not give up trying but I do feel I have no answer for how to catch any of them. I will happily return to Bowling tomorrow and begin the Winter League. I am a better bowler {I suck at it} than I am fisherman.

TUESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . I made some changes at the bowling alley today, I took my 16 pound ball with me and after using it for a couple of lines I decided to stay with it the rest of the day. My average for the first five lines came to 158.4 then I fell off a bit to 155.2d for the second set of five. My total average for the day was 156.8. Not too shabby, now to do as well on Thursday. The heaver ball forces me to slow down on my delivery and that seems to help with my accuracy problem. My low game for the day was 121 and the high game was 217. I have decided to start the new season next Thursday with the heavier ball.    .     .     .After bowling I drove ChiChi to Teigens house for a short visit and to drop off some magazines I had finished. Their little dog Luky seems to have taken a liking to ChiChi but it does not appear that ChiChi returns the favor. I am sure they will get used to each other by the time winter sets in and I leave for warmer climes.

MONDAY. . . . . .

 . . . . . Caught no fish today but there certainly were a lot of people trying. There were a lot of boats and some 'inner- tubers' too. The boat people were all fishing  and there were no sport type boats running around. Jeff and Jordan Miller stopped by with their boat and showed me a 15-18 pound Chinook they had landed down river earlier. One of them also landed a 40 inch Sturgeon but they put that one back in the water.  They even took some time to attempt to dig that table out of the water but to no avail. The sand was refilling the hole as fast as they were digging. It was a very nice day, the weather was great and the Labor Day crowd was enjoying it.

SUNDAY. . . .

. . . . . .I certainly can not brag about my bowling ability today. The final tally came to 131 for ten lines. Ernie, my coach, stopped by for a while and offered a few tips and I worked on them but it didn't help. I was consistent though, I don't know if that is a good thing or not but my high game of the day was 144. Got home in time to pig out in front of the TV and watch NASCAR until almost bed time.

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . .Not only did I not catch a fish today I also got rained on. I had my trusty umbrella so my reading was not interrupted. A couple of boats drifted by and I am sure they though 'lucky dog' when they saw me sitting there without a care in the world. Most of the boats have no tops at all because it interferes with their casting. I was happy to be wearing a jacket and I expect that to be a regular thing for the rest of the fishing season. I'll try bowling tomorrow, not that it will do me a lot of good.  LOL 

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .No fish again today. It is really nice to be at the river though. A friend of Mel's, Dick, who lives in San Diego stopped by today to announce that he is in the area for his annual fishing trip to this region. He did land a Chinook in the Columbia yesterday and told me he planned on returning to the Cowlitz this evening to try for some Harvest trout. It will be interesting to see if he has any luck. I still have some eggs left from the batch Jordan gave me so I will be down there again tomorrow. 

THURSDAY. . . .

. . . . . I really expect to catch a fish tomorrow. My luck was so bad at bowling this afternoon that it can only get better at the fishing hole.. . .  .My scores were 112-126-104. I don't even want to know what that averages out to. I stopped by the market on the way home and stocked up on essentials but forgot the potato chips. It was a tough day all around.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

. . . . .  .No luck at the fishing hole today. Jordan, Jeff Millers son was there and caught a small Steelhead so we have proof that fish are available. The rest of the day was drama free, I will go bowling tomorrow. That will be the last day of Summer League and we will have a meeting to prepare for the Winter League that will start next week.

TUESDAY . . ..

. . . . . .A nice day at the bowling alley. I scored a 156.4 average for the first five and 150.4 during the second five.  Coming home with a 153.4 for the day made me feel very good........I stopped by the new sporting goods store in Kelso and spent a few dollars on fishing gear on the way home. The temperature was below 90 today and the hope is that it will be like that again tomorrow when I return to the fishing hole.

The first picture above is a 49 Cheverolet exactly like the one I bought in 1954 in Kelso. I took the picture at the Longview Auto show last week.
The bottom picture show that overturned table I have been attempting to remove from the river. I have since given up on the idea because the sand fills in faster than I can shovel it out. Should the water drop another two feet I might try again but I doubt that is going to happen this year.

MONDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . I was up a bit earlier than usual this morning because I had promised a friend I would drive him to Vancouver for a doctors appointment. We were back by 10AM and I was at the river by 11:00. I didn't catch any fish and did lose hook, line and sinker as well as a great length of fishing line on a hangup. When I pulled on the line to retrieve my stuff the line broke right at the reel. That meant I did not have enough line on the rig to continue fishing. This all happened late enough in the day so I was home a bit sooner than usual. After installing another couple hundred yards of line I prepared the rig for the next fishing trip and then pigged out in front of the TV for the balance of the day. My plan is to go bowling tomorrow and return the fishing hole on Wednesday. 

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . Caren was not feeling well enough to make the trip to the Flower Show we had planned on so I visited the bowling alley this afternoon. The first five lines was a 150 average but I only did 141 during the second five. The final for the day was 145.2. I can see improvement, but it sure is slow in coming. I stopped by Safeway for gasoline and a gallon of milk on the way home. The weather is very good, Love it!

SATURDAY. . . . . .

 . . . . . I ended up going to the Car Show at the Fairgrounds with Ron today. They had a good turnout; a lot of cars from the early thirties up to 2007. Ron suggested I enter my T-Bird but I know it would create a lot of work for me to clean it up the way it needs to be in order to be inspected by the public. I did take some pictures and had intended to post them here this evening but I got wrapped up watching a movie and ran out of steam. The weather was just fine, I am not sure how much longer that will last but it is great in the meantime!

FRIDAY . . . .

. . . . . Spent another early afternoon at the fishing hole again today. There was no sign of a fish and few boats were seen. I have decided that I don't have the stamina necessary to dig that overturned table out of the sand. I make a good start on it and remove a lot of sand but by the time I get to that point I am too tired to continue. While I rest and wait for the energy to continue digging water fills in the hole again. Mel said to wait until next spring and see what the winter runoff produces in the line of results.. . . .Suits me, I have enough of that kind of exercise.

THURSDAY. . . .

. . . . Stopped by Frontier to visit Pauline after bowling today. She will be released to assisted living as soon as a spot is found for her. She is walking fine and is in good spirits but is aware of the possibilities for Parkinson's patients. Her Brother has had the disease for the past 15 years so she is well acquainted with her possible future. She is looking forward to getting out of her present location but it may be a few more days. . . . . Bowling was a great disappointment to me today, I began with two good games before the third one came along and produced a lot of doggy dodo. I was able to salvage a 138 score for the day. That is my present league average but far from what I can do on my 'off days'. I will be back at the fishing hole tomorrow.  

WEDNESDAY..

. . . . . . . . There was not much going on at the fishing hole today. I saw no other fishermen and I don't recall any serious fishing going on aboard the boats passing by. I did take a jacket with me and I am happy to have had it along. I was also smart enough to wear long pants. It seems fall is on the way. Darn it!

TUESDAY. . . . . . .

. . . . . My bowling session did not begin well today. I averaged only 138.2 during the first five lines and the first three were even worse.  I took a short break and gave myself a talking too before moving on to the second half of the so far farce.
The next five lines averaged out at 163.6. It would be great if I could do that on Thursday but I will have to wait until then to know if  that is even possible. An average of 150.9 for the day brings joy to my heart though!   . ....On the way home I stopped by Frontier convalescent facility to visit Pauline Harris but discovered she is probably there under her married name and I don't have that. Perhaps Bob or one of the other classmates who read this will correct me via e-mail. The weather was great today and I am looking forward to the fishing hole tomorrow.

MONDAY. . . .

. . . . . I delivered a third of my 'gift' fish to Mel today and spent another three hours attempting to catch one of my own. No bites. I did finish another book though and I think I fell asleep a couple of times. I saw proof of fish being in the river though, one was jumping around out there but not paying any attention to my artificial lure. I will make another attempt on Wednesday. I know that one day I will catch a good sized fish. Film at eleven.

SATURDAY and TODAY

. . . . .I spent three hours at the fishing hole Saturday but caught nothing. Jeff Miller came by with 6 steelhead he and his son had landed down river. He gave me one of them and I cut it into three pieces, I treated myself to one and gave another to Roy [ the man I rent from] Hill and his wife. The third piece will be given to Mel tomorrow when I next see him.. . . Today, Sunday, I visited the bowling alley and came out feeling pretty good about my improvement. The first five gave me an average of 152 and the second set returned the favor by also ending up with 152.. . .  .After bowling I picked up the doggy and some containers that I owed Caren for past goodies she had sent me home with and drove over tho their place to get acquainted with Luky, [that is correct, Luky] their new puppy. He is a cute little ball of fur and solid white. I think ChiChi took a while to get used to the idea of another dog in his life but things went well. The plan is to return to fishing tomorrow.

FRIDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . . Doggy and I were at the fishing hole for almost three hours today and our results were the same as they have been for the past three years. The new book I'm reading is good, there was no rain although the clouds were rather dark, the Blackberries are ripe and tasty and the river is still too high to dig more on that table. I may go back tomorrow, talk is that the fish are arriving!

THURSDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Did you notice that I failed to post yesterdays blog until five minutes ago? It was waiting for me when I sat down to write this one. . . . .Today was a fine day, no rain at all and not much sunshine to be happy about but it was warm. I arrived at the picnic shortly after 11AM and was there in time to help with some set up but most of it was completed before I arrived. I stayed until all of the things were packed up and Bob was ready to drive the loaded truck out. I was hanging on to a bag of 'chips' until just before Bob raised the tailgate on the truck so I tossed them inside too. When Bob reads this he will discover why there was a half bag of chips in with all of the other stuff. Most of the left over food was taken home by the 40 or so guests and I think I have enough to last me 5-6 days. Perhaps longer because I froze the ribs for later use. Three or four pounds worth after the bones were removed. It was a day to remember because our High School Trio played Banjo and sang some old songs. It is days like this that make me wonder why I ever moved to California 60 years ago. Too soon old, too late smart.

WEDNESDAY . . .

  .  .  .  .I didn't expect to get to the fishing hole today because I was scheduled to help unload some stuff for the picnic tomorrow. I found myself home from that little chore about 11:30 so after lunch I took the dog and spent almost three hours trying to catch a fish. .  .  .Fat chance of that though.  The river is still clear but it is about a foot higher than two days ago and it was raining for a while so I did not do any digging on that table. The rain was not heavy enough to bother me much and I used the time under the umbrella to continue reading my latest book. Arrived home at 3PM and settled in for the rest of the day.

TUESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .I was happy to get to the monthly luncheon before the clouds opened up and dumped their load all over Longview. The rain was so heavy it it reminded me of a cow peeing on a flat rock. The lunch was fine but only five of us made an appearance. Perhaps the others are waiting for the picnic gathering on Thursday. . . . . After bowling I visited the bowling alley and was happy to walk away from there with a 146 average for the day. My consistency was good; the first five lines averaged out at 147 and the second five delivered a 145. Not bad for me, I feel I am showing improvement. I will not be bowling Thursday because that is the day of the aforementioned picnic. I stopped by Safeway for a gallon of milk on the way home and ended up spending $72 for groceries.   Life is good.

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . .The weather was great for fishing today! Naturally I caught nothing but what the heck, it was nice just being there.  . . . I did decide to pick some blackberries to bring home while I was there. The only container I had was a paper bag and I filled it with berries. It was a small bag and weighed only about two pounds. Since I was in no mood to walk it to the car before leaving for home I sat it in the shade and ignored it for an hour or so. As luck would have it the paper bag soaked through and the bottom of it fell out so I had to do the best I could to salvage all the berries and get them home. I used a plastic bag that was in the trunk for any fish I catch. When I got home I put the container in the fridge and now I have to clean them and prepare them for use. I think I will make Blackberry pancakes one day. The strawberry pancakes I have been enjoying might have a competitor.. . . . Robin Williams died today, sad news.

SUNDAY. . . .

. . . . .Things turned out very well today; my bowling results were 148 for the ten lines. I was very consistent with no high scores or really low. I arrived home about 2:30 and sat down in front of the TV with a glass of wine and before I could work up an appetite Ron phoned and invited me over for a BBQ. I had a Moose meat hamburger with all the fixings and a Pepsi and Rum. Sol was there with a new girlfriend and he brought along a fishing buddy he works with. A good time was had by all. I got home at 6:20 and settled in for the night. It was warm today, will be a lot warmer tomorrow, or so they say.  Happy Birthday, Leonard!

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . .Doggy and I spent another four hours relaxing at the fishing hole again today. We notice several boats trying their fishing luck but they didn't seem to be doing any better than we did. It was another good day, I hope they continue!

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Another nice day at the river even without fish. I relaxed with a good book and dug away at that table a bit more. The problem with the table is that the sand fills in by the next time I get down there. Were the water to drop another foot I believe I would be able to shovel the sand out so it would stay out and perhaps retrieve the table. Perhaps that will come about before  August ends. We shall see.

THURSDAY . . . .

. . . . .  Things worked out fine at the bowling alley today. The start was a disappointing first game of 122 but I was able to come back with a 139 and a 167.  That made my average for the day four points better than my league average of 138. I felt pretty good about that. On the way home I stopped by Safeway and bought 15 gallons of gas for $54.00. That should hold me for a few days. R&R motors phoned and cancelled my appointment for my gear shift repair. The one they had found [used] was damaged and they know I would not want that so they will contact me when they do find one that looks as good as the car deserves. That means my plans are to go fishing tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . . .

. . . . I had my breakfast finished and the laundry all caught up by 7:30 this morning. It was such a lazy morning after that that I decided to get horizontal and read for a while before having lunch and driving to Beaverton for my doctor appointment. . . . .Well, I fell asleep and did not wake up until 30 minutes before I was supposed to leave the house. It was a mad rush getting lunch and getting myself dressed but I left at 11:45. I usually walk up the nine flights of stairs to the doctors office but I was running too late for that so I took the elevator for the first time ever in that hospital. The echo cardiogram results were better than expected, my heart function has climbed to 40% from several years at 35%. That was a good thing but  my kidneys are now at stage three failure but they have been there before but dropped so I am guessing that will clear up too. Gotta' have hope, you know.. .  . . . . The drive to Beaverton and back was very nice, the weather is just the way I like it and the traffic flowed freely. Green lights and blue skies. Can't beat that!