THURSDAY

. . . .Beautiful day, I will return to the river tomorrow but I went bowling this afternoon. I was very happy with 168-137-152. I believe this is the first time I have ever done well on Monday and proceeded to do even better on the following Thursday. I ended up being the top scorer on my team today, that is a refreshing change! After bowling I went shopping and bought a new ironing board cover, a tank of gas and five bags of groceries. I’m in pig heaven! Another good day on top of Pleasant Hill! http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY. . . I phoned Comcast today to find out why my bill has increased $15 per month. I got a bunch of gobbledygook explaining that everyone’s rate had increased. Has yours? That is a rip off company as far as I am concerned. It might be worth it for me to go back to landline Internet. Any suggestions?. . . Doggy and I spent four hours at the river today. There was not a sign of fish to be seen. The weather was nice and things were quiet except for a few boats who buzzed by. Tomorrow is going to be nice day too but I will be bowling. Perhaps I will do well. Hm. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

TUESDAY

TUESDAY.. . .. I got my car back this morning but I have to wait a week until a new computer arrives from Philadelphia before it is repaired. The present computer is not allowing the converter to ‘lock up’ like it is supposed to. For that reason my gas mileage is down about 10 percent and the RPM indicator swings all over the place [within 100-200—rpms] while I am driving. It could cost up to 600 dollars to get it fixed but I feel the car is worth it. Selling it and buying another used car would be silly. I will get a new Cadillac as soon as I win the Lottery. I washed the car for the first time in weeks and I reckon that will cause a big rainstorm to hit this area shortly.. . . . I met the gang for lunch today, that went well and I have agreed to meet them at the Eagles Hall Saturday morning to help prepare the place for the 60th Class Reunion that evening. After leaving the restaurant I stopped by the bowling alley and came away from there feeling very pleased. For ten lines I averaged 152.1 and my best line was 192. Things are looking up! Life is good! http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

MONDAY

MONDAY. . .. .I delivered the Tbird to the repair shop this morning so the transmission anomaly could be repaired. There was a lot of fog during the drive at 8:15 but by the time they had delivered me back to the house the sun was out in all of it’s glory. I forced myself to walk the 2,000 steps on my mini-stepper after lunch. I have failed to do that only once since getting the little monster. It is good exercise and will really pay for itself when the rains begin. Lucky Terri is walking around Diamond Head each morning for her exercise. She gets all of the good stuff. . . . .The repair shop phoned to let me know I may not get my car back in time to meet the gang of ‘52’ for lunch tomorrow. It appears the ‘computer’ is not allowing the converter to lock up so it could end up costing a lot more than I was hoping for. Most things do so I suppose that is not news. I would not be happy missing the lunch but I also was planning to do some practice bowling afterward. Just have to wait until tomorrow to see how things go. They said they would call me early and let me know what they have decided and if they can get the parts. Parts for an 18 year old car are not easy to come by, so I have been told. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

Sunday

SUNDAY….Still no fish but we were at the river for a while today trying. It is turning cooler by the minute too. I wore my jacket for the first time this ‘summer’. It won’t be long before I will be wearing my ‘blizzard suit’ each time I go fishing. Spent the evening in front of the ‘tube’. Such a waste. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

SATURDAY. . . . It would be nice to report a nice catch at the fishing hole today but it never happened. We were there for almost four hours and enjoyed the sunshine and quiet as well as the hum of an occasional boat scooting by. Saw a fish jump a couple of times too. Just not in my direction. NASCAR got a late start, I’m not sure I will stay up to the end. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

FRIDAY. . . . .Another four hours relaxing at the river today. The sun was getting low enough by 3:30 to be bouncing off the water into the well shaded sitting area and really warming things up. By that time I was ready to head for home and after counting thirteen guide boats heading for the dock ChiChi and I left. Is it necessary to mention ‘no fish’? http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

THURSDAY. . . . .more nice weather! I hope it continues for weeks and weeks! Bowling was really bad today, 126-127-130. The team I am on is so bad I may with a little luck become the best bowler of the four of us. Who’d a thunk it? http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

. . . .I received a short note from Terri this morning letting me know that she is getting on the big bird tomorrow to begin her winter vacation in Hawaii. I will really miss that lady!. . .ChiChi and I enjoyed another four hours at the fishing hole this afternoon. We didn’t catch anything but we did see a lot of people trying. I counted eight Guide boats heading toward the Castle Rock Landing after 2:30. That tells me there were about 30 fishermen [at least] down stream from me pulling them in. I saw no proof that they caught anything and really believe there were not many biting today. This evening I will split my TV time between the Cowboys game and the DNC stuff. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

. . . . ChiChi and I spent three hours fishing today. I got a short nap in the sun and continued reading my book. No fish were caught [as usual] but it was a nice day to be sitting at the river. We got home about three and had some dinner before pigging out in front of the TV for the rest of the evening. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

The picture was taken early this spring, close to my place. . . . . Bowled ten more lines today and averaged 148, I felt good about that. The river has dropped another 6-8 inches so I may return to the fishing hole tomorrow. We shall see what other options might present themselves between now and then. September is here and it feels like summer finally. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

SUNDAY

. . . . .No fishing today, I decided to ride to Canby with the Teigen’s to attend the Dahlia Festival. I have been there several times but never have I seen such a crowd. I took a lot of pictures of many pretty flowers and got a few of Colter too. We got home about 6:10 just in time for me to watch the last half of the NASCAR race while enjoying a bowl of popcorn. I phoned the bowling alley to confirm that they will be open tomorrow so I plan on getting in a practice session. It was a good day, beautiful weather and light traffic. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

SATURDAY

. . . .No fish today but I did get my new glasses. The dog and I arrived at the fishing hole at noon and spent three hours reading and generally enjoying the cool breeze. We got home in time to turn on the NASCAR race and taking a nap while that was going on. Woke up with 26 laps to go. It was an exciting ending so I am happy I didn’t miss it. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

FRIDAY

. . . . .Went fishing again today with no results other than getting exercise hauling some stuff up from the river to get it in out of the rain that is bound to start falling one of these days. The things I removed from the sitting area were the tools that I had used when laying the paving stones. Roy, my landlord stopped by with Lexy, his dog while I was down there. He was one of the many men who ran a dredge machine in the Cowlitz right after the mountain blew so many years ago. He left for home about 2:30 and ChiChi and I followed a few minutes later. No fish, of course. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

THURSDAY

. . . .My bowling was not the best but I did maintain my average plus one percentage point. Stopped by Safeway on the way home and spent the evening in front of the TV. If the weather holds I will take the dog to the fishing hole tomorrow. He could even be the bait. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . A cloudy day, I spent a minute on housework before breakfast; I then waited for the mood to strike that might cause me to go fishing. That came a few minutes after 11AM so I loaded the dog in the car and left. For all of the good it did me. I did read for a while and attempted to enjoy the quiet but a couple of guide boats kept buzzing by so that idea was a flop. In all honesty it turned out to be a nice day, sans fish. We stayed out for four hours until we both got hungry, I had been eating blackberries and that held me for a while. Crazy dog eats blackberries too but this year he waits for me to pick them. Last year he was picking his own if they were close enough to the ground to reach. We got home and had a snack while watching the Republican convention. I put in another thirty minutes on my stepper, great exercise! http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

TUESDAY

….. Yesterday after bowling when I went to the counter to pay the manager told me that the day’s bowling was on the house. That pleased me very much, of course and today when I took Terri to lunch I discovered that she wished to pick up the tab. I felt very lucky and blessed. Tomorrow I am going to stop by the Cadillac dealership in town to see how well he responds to my lucky charm, whatever it is. Terri and I had a nice lunch, we spent all afternoon eating and visiting. Terri is starting her winter in Hawaii early this year so she is going to be leaving town next week shortly after her family reunion at crooked River, Oregon this weekend. The big bird is going to fly her away again. Last year she was here until November and our parting did not bother me as much then because I knew I was going to Mazatlan in a few weeks. This time it will be months before I leave for the winter. Woe is me…..The drive home was nice this evening, I even experienced the outcome of the 20% chance of rain today. It never got bad enough to turn on the wipers but there was rain in the air for a mile or two. I will miss you Terri!I hope you have a wonderful winter! Hey, how can you miss? You will be in Hawaii. Rich people get all of the breaks. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

MONDAY

. . . . . I was supposed to pick up my new glasses today so I also went bowling while in town. The bowling was fine, I averaged 152 over ten games. The low game was 109 and the high was 207. I thought the previous back trouble may get in the way but I am happy to say that was not a problem. I did notice that my broken toe was giving me fits because the Scholl's shoe inserts that I had purchased for my bowling shoes two years ago have bitten the dust. After leaving the bowling alley I bought new inserts and stopped by the optometrist for my glasses. It is very strange but they are still not right and have to be sent back again for another try. That means another week without the best possible eyesight. I am happy that the problem is not bad enough to cause headaches but the pain in the butt is almost as difficult to accept. After leaving there and stopping by Sears to pick up a Mini-Stepper I had ordered I drove to Castle Rock to visit with Ron and Caren for a while. Ron was getting a lot of exercise cleaning out the old barn they have on the property, I am happy he is doing it and not me. I then drove home and fed the dog. I also put the Mini-Stepper to good use for a half hour or so while Chichi sat back and watched. It is good exercise and I am happy to have it available since I don't seem to get out walking like I should.

SUNDAY

. . . . Today’s entry could be a copy of yesterday except there was no NASCAR. I did talk to Pepik this morning, he phoned me via Skype from Prague so he could practice his English. We talked for about thirty minutes before I begged off to go fishing. I sent him some pictures of the deer I have seen around here, he will enjoy that. This evening was popcorn, apple slices and cheese while watching a movie, I believe it was called ‘The Hot Spot’ http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

SATURDAY

. . . . The weatherman promised a nice day but it started out with a reading of 39 on my outside thermometer this morning. I hate when that happens. It turned out to be a nice day at the fishing hole though. No fish but I did get a nice nap and read a couple more chapters in my book. Dog and I got home in time to catch the start of the NASCAR race too. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

FRIDAY

. . . . .Mel and I took my car to Olympia today to visit with the ‘Cousins’ at lunch time. It was a nice visit but we were both sorry that Coya did not attend. She is the one who set it all up and at the last minute was unable to be there. Life is like that at times. We were home by 3:30, me to feed my dog and Mel to run some errands before taking the boat out for some evening fishing. He has reported that the river is down even more than last time I was there so perhaps tomorrow I will try my luck. Ken said two more days and they will arrive, Mel reports that over two thousand were counted at the Bonneville Dam yesterday. It can’t be much longer! I hope!….I received a nice note from Natalia today. The summer weather has been acceptable and she said that the rain I thought was heavier than usual was really not. I have been following the satellite picture for the Mazatlan area and it looked like a lot of wet weather. She has been feeling well and working 23 hours a day. I exaggerate, of course. She is getting along well with her new director. That is important. I am looking forward to returning when the snow starts around here. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

THURSDAY

. . . .I guess Fall has arrived, the outside temperature this morning was 47 degrees. Booo. I went bowling today, even with my bad back I bowled my average of 133. My back did not cause as much trouble as I had expected so I can not use that as an excuse for not doing better. On the way home I stopped by Safeway for some groceries and to fill my gas tank. With my discount I only paid $3.56 per gallon. Still a lot more than a gallon of milk. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

Wednesday

……I stayed around home today waiting for my back pain to go away. I want the pain gone by tomorrow when I go bowling. I don’t think that will happen though. If my bowling suffers it will only start me off with a very high handicap for the winter league. At least I will have a target to shoot at as the winter progresses. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

TUESDAY

. . . . .I made no effort to go fishing today because although my back was better I felt it best to not push things too much. As the day wore on I found that the pain returned and even though the weather turned out great I was glad I stayed inside. I did walk to the mailbox to mail a card to Terri but that was the total of my exercise for the day. I will apply some more Hot and Icy this evening; it helps a lot. I want to be able to bowl on Thursday and going fishing tomorrow is not out of the question either. We shall see. http://celford52.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/celford52

MONDAY

…….I visited my optometrist this morning to verify that my complaint had merit.  The new lenses were manufactured with the wrong prescription in the right side. They failed with the prism value. A new lens is to be made and picked up next week. In the meantime I will continue seeing two headlights on motorcycles and four headlights on automobiles. I finally remembered pulling a muscle in my back several days ago and attribute that to my present discomfort; enough so that I am not planning on going to the fishing hole for a while. I hope to be feeling well enough to attend the first day of winter bowling on Thursday. I am comfortable sitting in front of the TV but that can’t last long. A couple hundred channels to choose from and over a thousand movies just can’t keep me happy. I am catching up on my reading though. And the afternoon nap today was welcome too.

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SUNDAY

. . . . . .Raining this morning, or misting; take your pick. In any case it was wet and cool. The roads were wet when I drove in to the bowling alley but by the time I came home things were bright and cheerful. Except for my bowling: I averaged my average of 133 for six lines. I would have bowled longer but for some reason my back was killing me and I though six lines was enough. I was surprised I maintained my 133 average. After bowling ChiChi and I drove to the Teigen’s to deliver some magazines and visit for a while. Caren served us all [Ruby, Colter, Ron and I} a bowl of ‘dirt and worms’. Tasted very good. Chocolate pudding and graham crackers mixed together with gummy worms crawling through it. I ate only half a worm, they are too sweet for my liking. ChiChi had a good time and allowed Ron to pet him at one point. He also pooped on their kitchen floor. I can’t take that dog anywhere. I spent the evening with a heat pad on my back. It did not seem to help. Lets see what tomorrow may bring.

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SATURDAY

. . . .ChiChi and I were at the fishing hole today but after an hour and a half we returned home. It was getting too cool and as a matter of fact I had to turn on the windshield wipers before pulling into the garage. It turned out to be a cool day beside the river and I forgot to take my book along.

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FRIDAY

. . . . .The dog and I spent four hours at the fishing hole today enjoying the cool temps and even a nap. The fish were not biting but that can’t be a problem because the peacefulness of it all makes catching a fish unnecessary. We might give it a try again tomorrow.

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THURSDAY

. . . .I had my car out of the shop early enough to make it to bowling with no trouble. The bowling itself was very bad, I averaged only 128 for the three games. My coordination was way off, couldn’t seem to do anything right. Next week starts Winter League, I hope I can show some improvement between now and next spring. . . .  Very nice weather today, it got up to 85 degrees in my place [I don’t have AC] and I handled it well. Tomorrow is to be as nice, it’s about time!

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WEDNESDAY

. . . .. By 9AM I had taken my car up the hill to R&R for transmission servicing and oil change. Ray drove me home and promised to call as soon as the work was finished. I waited all day to start the laundry, I did not want the washing machine or dryer to be running while I was not home. They called about the car at 4:15 and told me it would not be ready until tomorrow morning. They promised I could have it in time to get to the bowling alley and that was all I needed it for so I didn’t complain. I did get the laundry done, folded and put away by 6:15.  We enjoyed a nice warm day around here today, I hope it lasts for at least another 4 months. After that I will be I Mazatlan, if all goes well.

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TUESDAY

. . . . Had lunch with the gang of ‘52’ at noon then stopped by the bowling alley. I bowled 143 average for ten lines. I would have bowled more but I thought the 143 was about as good as it was going to get today so I quit and went to Wal-Mart. I picked up my new lenses for my glasses today, I am not happy with them but the lady behind the counter said I will get used to the new strength in a day or so. I hope that is the case because right now I would do better with the old lenses. I got home around three PM and fed the old dog. He didn’t eat though. I usually put cheese chunks on his food and today I failed to do that. After I fixed my own snack, including cheese I added a little to his meal and then everything was fine again. Dumb dog.. . . .I forgot to mention that I saw my first Bald Eagle of the season yesterday. He was not as large as the one last year  but still a beautiful sight!

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MONDAY

. . . .I accomplished nothing today. ChiChi and I spent four hours at the fishing hole reading and enjoying the cool river breeze. We watched a boat drifting by hook into a salmon and pull it aboard. It was pulled in on the opposite side of the boat from us so there was no way to tell how large it was. It was not a quick catch so I am guessing it was a bit hefty. We left about 4PM and headed home for a much needed shower and some dinner.

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SUNDAY

. . . .ChiChi and I spent part of the afternoon at the fishing hole again. Mel was there and we visited until 3PM but I became hungry and we left about that time to get home to some dinner. The weather was warm today but it was nice in the shade next to the river. There was a lot of traffic on the water, inner tube riding and lots of kayaks. A couple of guys were fishing but I was surprised there were not more. The water seems clearer so perhaps we will try again tomorrow.

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Saturday

. . . . . . The dog and I spent three hours at the fishing hole today. I saw a couple of guide boats with fishermen aboard but saw no fish. I did a little reading and generally enjoyed the cool breeze. I doubt the temperature reached 75 at riverside. It was relaxing, the river still leaves a bit to be desired as far as clearness is concerned but it is fishable.

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FRIDAY

While driving back from the bowling alley today I noticed the river is clearing. Perhaps that is where I will be tomorrow. Today I bowled 1489 pins during ten lines. That is pretty good for me, I hope to maintain an average of 150 and this is a good start.

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THURSDAY

. . . . Things went well at the bowling alley today, 147-154-164=155. That is one of the best league days I have ever had. Now I have to keep it up! After bowling I stopped by the Teigen’s for a visit. Ron was busy in the yard with the leaf blower but took a break for a few minutes. Caren and Colt had gone into town this afternoon so I was unable to say hi to them. I only stayed a few minutes because I had not left the door open for ChiChi and wanted to get home before he had a fit in the house all by himself. He was hungry by the time I arrived but it was time to be hungry, I feed him each day at about 3PM. The temperature never reached 80 around here today. It was a nice day to be fishing but the river is still a mess. The Toutle River is causing all the trouble, it looks like a river of concrete. The powers that be are working on the silt dam and causing a lot of the silt to head for lower elevation.

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WEDNESDAY

. . . . I returned to the bowling alley again today and threw 15 lines. My average for the day was only 130 but I did toss a few good ones in the bunch. The river was not ready for fishing and I will check that out again on Friday. Tomorrow is league bowling so lets see how well I do!

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TUESDAY

. . . . .I had the laundry in early this morning and while that was happening I read my email and my news sites. After putting the laundry away I had a sandwich  and decided to spend the rest of the day at the fishing hole. ChiChi and I jumped in the car and down the hill we went. I didn’t pay much attention to the color of the water until after I had my lure all ready to toss out. I spent about ten seconds deciding that I would be happier at the bowling alley. The water is not really bad but it did not look the way I would want, and further, I saw no one else fishing. I then drove home with the idea of changing clothes and going bowling. I stopped by the refrigerator for a piece of chocolate candy and noticed something was drastically wrong. The refrigerator was dead. The motor was running but there was no cold at all. The stuff in the freezer was thawed so it had to have been ‘out’ for some time. I told Roy about it and he told me he would give me the garage fridge he keeps his beer in. The dead one had been installed in September of 1980. We made the switch and after I cleaned the ‘new’ one I stocked it with what stuff I had. Too bad he didn’t leave the beer in it though.. . .Long story short, I got enough exercise cleaning out the fridge to feel I had had enough for the day. The temperature was not too bad today but I did work up a sweat scrubbing that critter down. It appeared to be a garage fridge alright, never cleaned as far as I could tell. It is looking good now though!

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MONDAY

. . . .I stopped by the Pharmacy today to get stocked up on more meds then drove the West Side Hwy to Kelso and the bowling alley. My first five games were 130-128-149-171-124 which gave me a 140 average. I was pleased with that. I was starting my 6^th game when Ernie, the guy who gave me all of that help two years ago, including his old size 10 bowling shoes walked up to me with a shinny bowling ball in his hands. He has recently inherited a new ball and offered me his old one free for nothing. It is not a perfect fit but the next five games I bowled with it produced 158-170-156-189-203= a 175 average. I was so excited that I bowled another five lines just to see what I could do when tired, 153-160-116-151-118= a 140 average. My total average for the 15 lines was 152. That was a great day of bowling for me! I am excited to see if I do as well on Thursday at the league games. I now have Ernie’s shoes and ball, if only I could work up to his score! . . . . I was up late last night watching the NASA Mars landing, really exciting and I was watching it live on the computer so I didn’t have to sit through those commercials. I have to admit I did not believe such a complicated landing attempt would work, I predicted a big crash and dead Rover. That shows how much I know, again! I wonder if I should predict it finds proof of former life on the planet! Naw, I won’t go that far because I am usually wrong about things like that.. . . .I delivered ChiChi to the vet this afternoon for a final checkup on his left rear knee, it is going to be a long time before he can use the leg, if ever. The vet does not want to apply another splint because he will just chew it and his foot off again. He does not seem to be in a lot of pain as long as he does not attempt to walk on that leg.

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SUNDAY

. . . . Doggy and I spent four hours at the fishing hole today. We didn’t catch any fish but the book I was reading was exciting so all went well.

We got back to the house about 4PM and relaxed for the balance of the evening.

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SATURDAY

. . . . . Terri Lynn and I had a great adventure today. The original plan was to drive to the beach but I mentioned stopping in Willamania, Oregon because it was the name of a town I remembered as a kid. A really young kid too. We had lunch there and toured the local museum and a couple of other places that looked like fun. There had been a brochure in the restaurant that mentioned a local falls we though we might like to drive to on the way [out of the way] toward Lincoln City so we drove in that direction. The sign was very small but Terri Lynn spotted it soon enough for us to be able to turn around and get on the little, narrow ‘road’ to Niagara Falls, Oregon. It was five miles of Thunderbird cruelty at no time exceeding ten miles per hour. When we arrived thirty minutes later we were surprised to see two other vehicles at the trail head. And swarms of flies. And one very tired lady who had just returned from the one mile hike to the falls who showed us pictures she had taken at the site. There is not enough water in the stream this time of year to produce a ‘falls’ that is worth a one mile hike in thongs and 100 degree heat to bother with. We ended up taking pictures of the path going toward the falls then proceeded to return to paved highway. We bought gasoline in Hebo, Oregon and found traffic at a standstill just North of Lincoln City before making a u-turn and heading back to  Canby. I was too tired when getting home Saturday night to post this blog so it became my first chore of Sunday morning. There was more to report about Saturday but suffice it to say that it was a great adventure. We never did get to walk on the cool sand we started out for.

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FRIDAY

. . . .. ChiChi and I spent four hours at the fishing hole today, most of the pavement blocks are in place so all we did was sit and read waiting for the non fish to bite. The weather was great, about 70 degrees in the shade, can’t beat that! It’s a great life!

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THURSDAY

. . . .It has been a very lazy day for me. I did get to the bowling alley and bowled my average then stopped by Safeway on the way home. The weather is nice but far from warm, warmer is expected tomorrow from what I hear. The sun dropped below the cloud level early this evening, made for a nice ending of the day.

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WEDNESDAY

. . . .This ended up being a very lazy day. I was late getting out of bed because I was late last night getting into bed. I did help Mel get his boat out of the water but that only took about an hour of my time. After I got back to the house I had a nap and awoke from that about fifteen minutes before O'Reilly came on. The weather turned very nice around 5pm but of course I was not about to go out and enjoy it, I didn't seem to have the energy. Tomorrow is bowling day therefore I have to get my beauty sleep so I will be ready for the exercise.

TUESDAY

. . . .I got home from the Bar-B-Que after 11 PM last night. We all had a good time and the T-Bone steaks were really appreciated. Ben does a great job with the Mesquite charcoal he uses. I didn’t even think of posting the blog although I did have the TV on while eating a sugar cookie with a glass of milk before going to bed. Now a new day has arrived so we shall see what adventures await.

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MONDAY

. . . .Mondays always seem to spoil a nice weekend. . . . I had my laundry in the washing machine by 7:15 this morning, that should be worth a brownie button or two. . . . it is a good feeling to have that job all caught up. I thought about fishing today but that river is still not clean enough to get me excited. Bowling was an option but I just felt too lazy for that so I sat around the house watching the Olympics and getting fat. . . . . I flew my simulator Cessna 172 around McMinnville, Oregon today, just to have the practice in case I do decide to try flying lessons. . . .  I will try to stay awake through the commercials long enough to watch some more Olympic action tonight.

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SUNDAY

  This afternoon turned out to present this part of the world with nice weather. There were a lot of clouds but the temperature did get to a comfortable 72 by about 3PM. I bowled ten lines today, knocking over 1384 pins for my troubles. I did scratch three very good lines and three others I will not mention. I certainly am a slow learner. If I decide to let Mr. Daryl Self teach me to fly I am hoping it won't take as much time as bowling is taking. I am thinking strongly about phoning him and making some arrangements along those lines. I will wait for a while though, I want to get through the Tuesday afternoon BBQ in Canby before starting something else. Too much excitement is not good for one. This evening I will try to watch some more of the Olympics but I always want to fall asleep when the commercials come on. I know I will stay awake until I have eaten all of the popcorn I am planning on making.

SATURDAY

. . . .I spent over three hours at the river today. I had a lure out in the water working for me but I think the river is still too dirty to attract fish without smelly bait. I used the time to install 24 more paving blocks and to determine that two more are needed to complete the job. We could use eight more but the fear is that getting them too far away from the bank may cause erosion during high water. No need to make a large sitting area if it is going to have to be reengineered each spring. I was home and cleaned up by 4pm. The rest of the evening will be spent watching the Olympics until the commercials put me to sleep.

I watched the Olympics opening ceremonies until they started advertising their National Health Service as part of the program. That turned me off, I wonder who they are trying to sell socialized Medicine to.

FRIDAY

 I started out the day driving into town to pick up my new lenses for my glasses but discovered when attempting to put them in the present frames that they were 'grooved' incorrectly and do not fit the frame. Boo. They have been returned to the people who made them and I can expect a phone call when they are correct. Hopefully soon but I have no idea when 'soon' is. They will phone me. After that I stopped by the bowling alley just to see how I felt about trying it again. Today I paid little attention to my results except for the final tally which was a 137 average over 15 lines. I have to feel good about that because my summer league average is 133. I did notice several of the games were quit good and that pleased me but I become upset with myself when more of them are not 'better'.

The river is showing a lot of improvement and I expect to visit the fishing hole again tomorrow to see if the water might be clear enough to try fishing. It was late afternoon today before the clouds disappeared and it was never 'warm'. Maybe summer will start again tomorrow. We will see!

THURSDAY

. . . .I did accomplish everything that was on my agenda today. However my bowling results had a certain odor about them when all was said and done. My average for the three games was 118. I  took my comforter to the laundry-mat this afternoon, that has been on my mind for some time so I feel good about putting that behind me. My plan was to get my flight simulator up and running but it looks like that will have to wait until tomorrow, my get up and go seems to have gotten up and gone. I have felt all afternoon that I was in great need of a nap. I don't know what that is all about but perhaps after a good sleep tonight I will be back in form tomorrow.

The weather did turn out to be acceptable this afternoon but it did not look good this morning. As a matter of fact while driving up the hill to my haircut appointment my windshield misted up for a few minutes. I am happy that did not last.

My Protime checked out fine, I don't have to return for another six weeks.

WEDNESDAY

. . . .This was a great day…..For Christmas last year Terri bought me what turned out to be a flying lesson. It was not until today that we were able to schedule it so we could both go on the ride. The airplane was a Cessna 182 1969 model. My flight simulator has a 172 that I had been ‘practicing’ on and believe it or not I was impressed with how familiar I was with the instrument panel when I entered the plane.  As it turned out Terri was not feeling well enough to go up but I was very happy to do so. I was able to sit in the plane at the pilots position during the flight and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The instructor was good at letting me do most of the flying after we got to our 1500 ft altitude. We flew twice around downtown Portland and I took some pictures while he was at the controls. He asked me if I wanted to circle one more time and I told him no, I wanted to have control of the plane again. He laughed and allowed me to fly back to the airport in McMinnville down to 800 feet during the landing pattern at which time he took over. I was allowed to have my hands and feet lightly handle the controls while he did the actual landing [and takeoff]. It was a great adventure! After the flight Terri and I drove back to Beaverton for dinner at the Outback Steak house and after the commuter traffic died down I drove home. The drive home was very nice but the approach to the bridge at the Columbia River was slow as could be. It took me an hour to get from the Steak house to the middle of the bridge. I didn’t care one bit, it was a first rate day! Thanks , Terri!

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TUESDAY

. . . .It looked like rain so I washed my car. There is no rain in the forecast but that can be negated at any moment around here. I washed away the Jiffy Lube Sucks sign I had painted on the rear window. It is still there but in smaller letters. It is also on the rear bumper but the stuff I used blends in so well with the color of the car that it is hard to see. I may get a different colored marker and try again. Last Friday Caren welcomed another Birthday so I took her out to lunch today to celebrate. I had a nice Senior Steak and she ordered a Philly sandwich, half of which she took home to Ron. We had a nice visit and I got home to ChiChi about 2PM. It has been another nice day, the temperature was below 80 and there was a nice breeze blowing. On the way home I considered going by the bowling alley but my heart was not in it. I decided  a nap was in the cards. That turned out to be the correct decision.

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MONDAY

. . . . I returned to the bowling alley today and spent over three hours trying to convince myself that I will some day be able to bowl a decent series of three lines. I was able to squeeze a 148 average out of a total of 15 lines today. I was so surprised at the 148 that I ran it through my calculator twice just to make sure. Five of the lines were over 150, that really cheered me up! Perhaps I am [slowly] catching on!

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SUNDAY

. . . .I spent over four hours at the fishing hole today, not to be fishing because the river is too dirty for that but I did plant a couple dozen more pavement stones in the sitting area. It was threatening rain most of the day but it never materialized, thank you, God. Sunday evening I enjoyed a movie with a bowl of popcorn and apple slices. It was a good day. Most of them are.

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SATURDAY

. . . . . The river is really a lot worse today so I decided to bowl a while. It took three hours to bowl 15 lines and only three of the games were anything to brag about. I ended up averaging 130 for the day.

There have been two dozen paving bricks delivered to the dike so that is where I will be tomorrow, with today's warm weather it should be dry enough down there to get more work done. I doubt there will be a lot of fishing though.

FRIDAY

. . . . .ChiChi and I spent over three hours at the fishing hole today. I had a ‘spin and glow’ working off a 4 ounce sinker in rather murky water.

No fish were caught and I spent most of the time laying more pavement blocks in the seating area of the fireplace. There was a slight rain falling when we left that I had not noticed because I was under the trees while placing the blocks. I realized how lucky I was to have left when I did after the drive home. The rain was really coming down for a few minutes before I got back to the house! The rest of the evening was dinner and watching TV until I went to bed to read myself to sleep. At 7PM the sun was shining brightly.

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THURSDAY

.  . . . Bowling was pretty bad today, I averaged 128, had little control of the ball. Nothing I was using yesterday worked today. Bowling, ugh!. . . .   I stopped by my optometrist this afternoon and ordered new lenses for my eyeglasses. I have a cataract developing in my left eye and although the new glasses will give me 20-20 vision for now that may not be the case in another year. The right eye seems fine. Life in the big city, they say. Great weather today, I hope is lasts for several years.

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WEDNESDAY

. . . .The flow rate at the river has taken a quick plunge but because of the snow melt or work on the silt dam the Toutle river is pouring a lot of dirty water into the Cowlitz just north of Castle Rock. I didn’t even try to check out the fishing hole today. I did go bowling and after 10 lines left with a 147 average. If I were to remove my worse game from the records my average would be 151 for the day……I felt good about that. I stopped by the Teigen’s place on the way home, Caren was trying to take a nap but did visit while I was there. I was getting hungry again [it is never ending] so I headed for home after a short visit. Tomorrow is League day so it will be interesting to see if I can continue the bowling that I was doing today.

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TUESDAY

. . . . The river is still high and dirty so I drove into town to do some shopping and to bowl 13 lines. I intended to bowl more but I was doing so poorly that I quit early. My average for the 13 lines was 125, not too hot, to say the least. Rain is expected tonight [maybe] so I may not make it to the fishing hole tomorrow either. More paving bricks have been delivered and if there is no mud and no rain I may continue that project but I will wait until after lunch tomorrow to make the decision.

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MONDAY

. . . .The weather was just right for fishing today; the problem was dirty water in the river and no fish biting. ChiChi and I laid concrete tile on the deck of the sitting area but ran out of them very quickly. More are to be delivered in a day or so. We stayed three hours and would have stayed longer if I had remembered to bring my book. The book helps the time go by while fishing in a nonproductive river. Perhaps we will try again tomorrow.

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SUNDAY

. . . .I was tired enough to sleep until 7:30 this morning. That is rare since the sun has been coming up so early these days. There were about 35 people at the Larsen Breakfast this morning. It broke up about 9:45 and I was on my way home by 10:00. It was a three hour drive and the only rain I found was after getting off I-5 at Pleasant Hill Road.  ChiChi was happy to see me but after a few minutes he found a new bone that Ray’s dog had finished with so that had all of his attention. I down loaded my many pictures of the weekend and will edit them before forwarding them to the Bride and Groom. I saved over 300 pics and several of them are really nice. I am sure she will like the entire collection. She is like that!  

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SATURDAY

. . . . Ron and Caren were sleeping in today so I had breakfast by myself after finding a service station and filling the T-Bird with another tank of gas. The temp. was 64 with a lot of cloud cover this morning. Later I had lunch with them when the Teigen's went out for breakfast. After lunch Caren and Ron took the kids to the pool. I wandered around the hotel looking for more of the Larsen Clan but was not successful. I took a much needed nap this afternoon and woke up shortly after 3PM. There were several short rain showers while all of this was going on. We left the hotel near 4:30 to attend the Wedding. Things went well for the Bride and Groom. I took a ton of pictures and after I delete the bad ones I will email the rest to Bride Kari. Not that she will need them, there were more than a dozen other cameras recording all that was happening. The Teigen’s and I got back to the hotel at 9PM. I was pretty well worn out and I am sure most of the people [about 150] who were there felt the same way. It was an outdoor wedding and there was not a drop of rain to fall, a great day for the Bride!

FRIDAY

. . . . The drive to Bothell was uneventful. The weather was just right and the traffic [except for the Seattle area] moved along very well.  I arrived at 3PM and checked in expecting Caren and Ron to have already arrived. That was not the case however. Enjoyed lots of thunder and lightning about 4PM, the rain really poured down for a while. I left for the potluck about 5:45 and met Ron and Caren just arriving at the Hotel, they looked beat. They told me the traffic through the Seattle area was awful. I must have missed it by minutes. I got back from the potluck about 7:30 and talked to Ron and Caren for a few minutes before getting at my blog and chess games. It was a good day, nice drive.

THURSDAY

. . . . Averaged 138 for three lines of league bowling today. That should lower my 76 Handicap a little bit. Arrived home at 3PM and loaded up the clothes washer for the heck of it.Took a break for lunch and finished the laundry about 5 Pm. ChiChi is still favoring his leg but feeling fine, he is in a good mood until I put the head cone on him and apply the Scarlet Oil. Each morning when I remove the cone he goes after the itchy but healing foot.

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WEDNESDAY

. . . . I had a great day, didn’t go fishing but I did drive to Portland to pick up Terri and we spent the afternoon with Jean and Ben to celebrate their Birthdays. We had a nice meal at the Hill Top Café in Canby with plenty of conversation. We can always count on a lot of conversation when Ben is around. He has been every where and done everything. A fun time just sitting and listening to his stories. I was home by 10:45, just in time to feed my dog before he went to bed. It was another great day, not too warm and not too cool. Just the way I like it!

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TUESDAY

. . . .Wonderful weather today, reminds me a lot of Mazatlan in the winter. A little over 70 degrees and a nice breeze coming in off the coast. I bowled 15 lines this afternoon after enjoying a great lunch with the gang of ‘52’. My average for the 15 lines was 135, nothing spectacular but I think I am slowly learning how to bowl. It certainly is taking long enough!

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MONDAY

.....It was  a nice day for fishing and building the floor at the fire pit. Didn't catch a fish of course but I did get a few more pavement stones placed and continued reading the book I bought the last time I was in Powells Books.r.

I took a half hour out of my busy schedule to wash the car this evening. I want it to look nice for Friday when I drive to Bothell to the Larsen Family gathering and wedding.

The vet gave ChiChi some pain medicine to see if that will help him use that lame leg, I don't think it will work though. Too much time has gone by. He does not seem to be in a lot of pain when he carries the leg around, he follows me everywhere I go while at the river.

My Monday night fluff is on TV tonight so I will stay up later than usual to watch those commercials. It was a beautiful day, I love this weather.

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SUNDAY

. . . . .ChiChi and I arrived at the river about 11:30 today. I did a lot of digging and leveling of the seating area, it is ready to place more pavement tiles as soon as they arrive. The exercise was good for me and I also read for a while, as well as relax and watch the many ‘drifters’ going down river. It was a warm Sunday and that always brings out the inner tubes and kayaks. I saw a lot of sunburn being made today. We got home about 4PM and after eating half of his dinner the dog took a nap. A couple of hours later he came out and ate the remaining half then fell asleep next to the computer desk. It was really a very nice day.

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SATURDAY

. . . . ChiChi and I spent four hours at the fishing hole this afternoon. Didn’t get any bites but I was able to place all eleven of the paving stones that were there. It looks like maybe fifty more will cover the sitting area leaving a slope to the river for rain run off. We got back about 4PM and the first thing the dog did was remind me it was dinner time and five minutes later he was in bed snoring his little head off. He does a good job of getting around with three legs but it does take a lot of energy. There was a bit of excitement about one quarter mile downstream from us. It appeared that a rescue team was hauling a human body  out of the river. I have no other information and am not really sure what I saw. It looked serious and it was a Coast Guard helicopter. Those aircraft are very rare around here.

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FRIDAY

. . . . I played on the computer this morning, got some bills paid and my email answered. ChiChi is sleeping a lot but was proud of himself for running a deer out of the yard this morning. He did it three legged too! The deer was calm while we were twenty yards away but once the dog began his approach the deer bounced across the lawn and dissolved into the trees next door. At 11AM I ate some lunch and took doggy to the river. We were there by 11:30 and arrived home at 4:30. I got  a lot of exercise preparing the sitting area at the fire pit for concrete paving blocks. Hopefully the final project will leave a deck with a downward slope to it. I  have every intention of take my time and enjoy it as a hobby and not hard work. The weather was really nice today, I think the temperature at the river was about 72. That is great working weather. No fish, of course, nothing new there. I carried the paving blocks down the dike one at a time and the doggy followed my every step. When we got home I fed him right away and after getting out of the shower I found him sound asleep at the side of the bed. One tired pup! Looks like nice weather through Tuesday so we may spend more time down there.

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THURSDAY

. . . .Bowling day. 133-150-137.A 140 average beats my 133 as a summer leaguer. ChiChi is resting a lot but feels much better since I removed the cone from around his head. Applying the Scarlet Oil is not easy because he fights anything to do with his leg but I will not give up, it will be applied even if I do have to mop the floor each time.

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WENDESDAY

. . . . . .The little doggy got a lot of sleep last night and again before noon today. I spent time with my flight simulator after breakfast and enjoyed watching beautiful weather develop outside my window. It is hard to beat blue skies and puffy white clouds floating by. I drove over to Caren and Ron’s place for a BBQ this afternoon. They came up with some tasty steaks and hamburgers, as usual. Caren sent me home with enough leftovers for another large meal tomorrow. I left the doggy behind because I thought too much excitement would not help him heal. When I got home I removed the gauze on his foot and applied some Scarlet Oil to his foot and the wound inside his left groin area. I attempted to give him water and food afterward but he was having nothing to do with me by that time. He hates to be handled when he is not in a good mood, most other times too, as a matter of fact. I checked on him at 6:30 and he was snoring soundly under the bed. I will attempt to offer him food and water later in the evening.

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TUESDAY

. . . .I bowled 15 lines today and came out of it with a 131 average. Perhaps I will do better on Thursday.  After getting home from that embarrassment I loaded the doggy in the car and ran him up to the Vet appointment. That splint had to come off because it was wearing his crotch raw to the point of bleeding. The vet had trouble getting the splint off and ChiChi was really complaining while I held him through the ordeal. I have a small container of Scarlet Oil that I am to apply once daily and we are to return to the vet next Monday. He was getting along fine without having to wear the cone but now he has bad wearing on his skin near his ankle and he can not be licking at his wounds for a while. He can not eat or drink on his own while wearing the cone  so I will be helping him out with that for a few days. The vet said he will heal quickly but the leg will never be the same again; the splint was to have been on for three weeks and without any promises after that. He is home and resting, we will see what tomorrow will bring. The fireworks tomorrow night will send him into orbit I am sure.

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MONDAY

. . . . Spent four hours at the fishing hole today, no fish again but there was also no rain. However the rain part will change tomorrow so I guess I will go bowling again. Got home about four today and ate a light dinner [still full from yesterday] and played on the computer for a while this evening before my Monday night stupid stuff came on TV.

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SUNDAY

. . . . .I had a very nice visit with Terri Lynn this afternoon, we had a lot of catching up to do since we last saw each other in November. After a long lunch and lots of conversation we went to Powell’s books where I found a copy of Tale of Two Cities. I have been wanting to read that for some time but never could find a copy at a price I was willing to pay. Until now. I arrived home about 8PM and was happy to find that ChiChi had not destroyed his splint. I had purposely not put his cone on him because I really felt he was going to behave himself; especially since I had applied some hot dried spices to the duct tape that was wrapped around the foot end of the splint. You were a good boy, ChiChi!

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