Vacation!

The Big Guy and I are on vacation in central Oregon, east of the city of Eugene.  This is a lovely farm on the road in to the resort where we are staying.  As you can see from the view of the sky, the weather is typical for Oregon.  We have been here a week.  The first two days were sunny and warm - perfect.  Friday afternoon I picked our 'dinner and dominoes every Tuesday' friends up at the airport.  It began to rain in the middle of the night Friday.  Of course, all the rain keeps the area green and beautiful.

On Tuesday we went to a yoga class - my first in eight years!  I was surprised at how flexible I still am!  I also really enjoyed the class and will go again tonight.  And maybe I will even go to yoga when I get home!

Yesterday the weather was cloudy in the morning but beautiful in the afternoon.  The grounds here are beautiful and the Big Guy and Roxy are enjoying all the trails.  This area is also rich in fallen branches which he uses for his new hobby, making walking sticks.  He has made about eight since we arrived and they are beautiful!  Some of the wood has blue streaks in it which are highlighted by his wood butter (last years hobby).

The other spa class available is water aerobics.  I went both yesterday and today.  Yesterday it wiped me out but today I did much better.  What a fun way to get in shape!  Maybe I'll move our pool repair higher up on the looooong list of stuff left to do on the house!  Or it might be easier to find a class somewhere!

The resort we are at has beautiful gardens but the foxglove in the above pictures grow wild all around!  They are droopy because of the rain.

It would be nice for the sun to come out so I could lay by the pool but even if it doesn' it is really good to get away, meet new people and relax!

4th of July rant

In celebration of the Fourth of July Lathrop sounded like war had erupted!  The town sold (un)safe and (in)sane fireworks for seven days before the holiday.  So, for the past seven days, fireworks have been disturbing our peace and quiet and Roxy's nerves.  I've given her benedril so many days in a row that it no longer works to calm her down.  One night she was shaking so hard I felt like I had put a quarter in the box by the bed to make it vibrate!

Sunday night, after returning from the family BBQ about seven p.m., to an hysterical dog, we put her in the car and drove out past Oakdale in search of a fireworks free space.  Rox calmed down pretty much so we headed home a little before nine.  Unfortunately, all the towns from Oakdale to Lathrop started their commercial fireworks displays at nine p.m. and that turned the vibrating dog on again!


But last night was the worst.  Many people in the neighborhood had purchased the previously mentioned unsafe and insane products and set them off for more than four hours! 

So, again, I took her out for a ride.  The Big Guy stayed home as he had worked at Rail Town all day and was wiped out.  Roxy and I drove out to the country towards the Stanislaus river.  Once out of the city limits of Manteca it got pretty quiet.  I made an interesting observation while going through town, though... many of the home fireworks displays were presided over and viewed by men! No women or children - well unless the men were really just big children?!

Once again the drive calmed her down until we got back to Lathrop - land of the free and home of the stupid - oh, I meant brave :={)

Back at home Roxy hunkered down in the master bath where it was quiet (relatively as I had closed up the house) and fairly cool.  We all survived. I hope the fools have used up their stash of trash.