Author: kyotesue

As Mo and I were enjoying a lovely supper on a very chilly day at Sunset House, she came up with a brainstorm. “I think it would be nice if we could fly Deborah down to Palm Springs for her birthday weekend and have her stay with us.” For many years we often depart for the desert a few days before Deborah’s birthday and she just rolls her eyes and says, “That’s OK Mom.” I was so excited to share with her the idea of a trip to Desert Hot Springs for a long weekend with us.

At first it was a bit of a struggle for her to consider leaving her work at this time of year. As a finance director it is the worst time to be away, and Deb is working many hours a day and on weekends to meet all the year-end deadlines that are required. I finally said, “If you don’t go and work all that overtime at home, will you really feel that much better for it?”

The next day she called and said, “OK Mom, it really does sound wonderful. I’ll go.”

After arriving on Thursday afternoon, we settled into the park and prepared the MoHo for an extra guest. Everyone had assured me that the Palm Springs airport was small and easily navigated, so we weren’t the least bit concerned about picking her up just after 6 PM Friday evening. We visited a bit with Jeanne and Alan from Vermont, who had arrived the same day we did. It was convenient that they also had a guest visiting during the same time Deb would be with us. We all agreed there would be plenty of time together after Deb and Sara returned to their respective homes.

The road into Palm Springs is familiar, but we have never actually visited the airport. Needless to say, “easy” is relative, especially in the dark. When we took Deb back the following Monday, we learned it really was easy, but that was in the daylight and after understanding where departures and arrivals were located. Deb’s planes in both Medford and San Francisco were each delayed by an hour, and yet magically she arrived within eight minutes of her scheduled time.

Just half an hour later the three of us were settled into the MoHo with a drink and a delicious supper of the beef Bourguignon I cooked last week and froze for the trip. We had so much to share with Deb in her short weekend here, and during supper we made some choices about her priorities.

Setting up the dinette for a bed for Deb is something we have done before when she has camped with us. Mo and I made sure we had her sleeping bag, the mattress pad, and a few extras she wouldn’t be capable of taking on the plane ready to go.

We all slept well that night, and Deb was delighted that the lovely bathrooms here at Catalina Spa are right out the door. It makes everything much nicer for three people in what is basically a two-person motorhome.

I squeezed the first glass of orange juice for us and we had a delicious breakfast in preparation for our big day ahead. Deb kept asking, “Why Palm Springs?” She didn’t really understand the history or the ecology of the town or the Coachella Valley in general, and I thought the best way to explain it was to take her first to the beautiful Agua Caliente Cultural Museum located right in downtown Palm Springs.

Before we wandered Palm Canyon Drive admiring mid-century lines and boutique storefronts, I wanted Deb to understand what was under our feet. Downtown Palm Springs, all that prime real estate, sits on Section 14, part of the checkerboard land that belongs to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. In the early 20th century, much of that land was leased out under complicated and often unfair arrangements. For decades, tribal members watched developers and city leaders profit while they had limited control over their own ancestral ground.

Slowly and patiently, they changed that story. Through persistence, legal battles, economic strategy, and an almost stubborn faith in the long view, the Tribe regained control of Section 14. Instead of selling it off, they built a diversified economic base, leasing wisely, developing carefully, and using the revenue to invest in their own future. The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza and Museum now stand right there in the heart of downtown, not as a token nod to history but as a statement: we are still here. The museum isn’t just beautiful architecture; it is sovereignty made visible. Taking Deb there first felt important. It reframes Palm Springs from playground to homeland. It reminds you that the desert keeps deeper stories than the ones on the postcards.

Deb loved the museum as much as Mo and I did when we visited for the first time last year. The displays are well thought out and beautiful, with homage paid to Mt. San Jacinto and to the story of how the first spring was found. 

The basketry on display is among the finest we have seen anywhere in the West. A favorite exhibit is a three-dimensional depiction of the evolution of the Coachella Valley, from before white settlement through the coming of the stage, the railroads, the highways, and finally the movie colony in the 1920s.

We found a parking place closer to the center of town so Deb could get the obligatory photo standing next to Forever Marilyn. We then walked Palm Canyon Drive toward the Blue Coyote, a restaurant where Mo and I shared a meal on our very first visit to Palm Springs.

Deb wasn’t all that impressed with all the glitz and glamour and tourism that fills the streets, but she was a good sport and we stopped for a flight of frozen drinks at the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar. By the time we arrived at the Blue Coyote, the lunch crowd had thinned enough that we snagged a great table adjacent to the sidewalk, always fun for people-watching.

Deb and I both had great meals, but sadly Mo’s chicken taquitos left a lot to be desired. Deb had yummy carnitas and I had a truly delicious bowl of something so big that the leftovers are still in the fridge several days later.

After our late lunch, we walked back to the car on the east side of Palm Canyon Drive, where Deb discovered she enjoyed the casual, slightly funky shops on that side and wished we had gone there first. Ah well, live and learn.

Sunday morning we woke early for Deb’s first swim in the beautiful water at the pools that bring us back year after year. Visiting Joshua Tree National Park turned out to be her favorite day, and I had no idea it was on her bucket list.

It was a perfect day with perfect weather. We entered from the West Entrance near Yucca Valley and encountered very little traffic. Deb was delighted with every turn in the road and every stately Joshua Tree. 

She explained how climbers use spring-loaded cams that expand inside natural cracks in the granite instead of drilling bolts. No hammering, no permanent scars. When the climb is over, the device comes out and the rock remains unchanged. I loved that idea of temporary trust between human and rock.

Coming in from the west as we did made the side trip to Keys View simple.  It has been many years since Mo and I traveled there, and on this day the view was perfect.  It is incredible to see the mark of the San Adreas fault and to look down on the Coachella Valley from this vantage point in the park.  

While we were up there, Jeanne and Alan and Sara appeared in Alan’s big truck and laughed and said hi to us.  A fun encounter before we each continued on our way.

After Keys View we drove into Jumbo Rocks Campground, where Mo and I have camped before, and decided that we liked the Hidden Valley  campground much better.  By the time we reached the area around Skull Rock the Sunday traffic was growing and cars lined the road trying to see the famous skull.  Deb was ok skipping that part and we continued south through the park.

I was excited to show her the teddy bear chollas for the first time, but sadly the turnout was blocked off and the trail was closed.  She still got to see the brilliant backlighting of the beautiful spines in the afternoon sunlight.  

The ocotillo forest was less than spectacular on this afternoon with very few blooms, but the recent rains have caused the leaves to open and she got some photos of that.

Leaving the park through the southern entrance was perfect and we stopped to take the obligatory photo of Deb standing by the park entrance sign.

We had arranged to meet Jeanne and Alan and Sara at the infamous Dillon’s Burgers and Beers for supper at 4:30.  Returning home via the back way on Dillon Road gave us time to show Deb what was left of the beautiful grounds at the Thousand Palms Oasis.  

On the way home we stopped at what remains of the Thousand Palms Oasis. I have written many times about walking there, about the quiet ponds and the magnificent fan palms and the simple boardwalks that made it feel intimate and accessible. 

Now the gates are closed, funding is stretched thin, and repeated flooding has taken its toll. You have to park along the narrow, busy road, and the feeling has changed before you even step onto the trail. It is hard to watch a place we have loved struggle to hold its ground.

Monday was Deborah’s birthday, and we celebrated with lunch at Shermans Deli. Famous since 1963 for towering sandwiches and bakery cakes, it did not disappoint. 

The food was fantastic, the service flawless, and the sauerkraut served with the pickles was so good I ate it with my fingers. Deb chose a towering slice of carrot cake layered with cheesecake. No candle, no singing, just the three of us sharing something sweet.

That evening we returned Deb to the airport. Her final text after landing in Medford read, “It’s a lot colder here.”

Happy Birthday to my first-born daughter Deborah. You made me so happy with your happiness.

Low Fog Over Grants Pass in January

Our journey to Southern California is a familiar one. I have written about it so many times that I cannot imagine there is much new to experience, either as a writer or a reader. We left without incident at exactly our scheduled departure time, no glitches, no last-minute items forgotten. The freezing fog warning as we leave is real, but after just ten miles heading south, the fog is no longer frozen, and bits of light emerge through the mist. The passes are clear. The roads are nearly empty in some sections.

Yes, I am excited to be on the road and out of the fog

The skies are clear as we pass Mt. Shasta

We are pros at this one. It feels simple and familiar, even though it is a leisurely three-day journey. We stay in the same RV parks, familiar and affordable. Returning to Flag City in Lodi is like parking at home. We pay our Passport America half-price fee and slide into the familiar space. Nothing new here.

Mattie loves the green grass and warm sunshine at the rest area near Corning

Mattie knows exactly where we are. It amazes me how dogs can smell and remember a place. She is excited and wants to get outside to the dog park and the long stretch along the fence where she knows there will be lots of dog smells.

Supper is a meal I prepared and froze for traveling. Easy and delicious. There is one tiny glitch: the Tracker battery is dead. Mo cannot imagine what button got turned on while we were towing, maybe the radio. We discuss the options and decide it is something we can worry about tomorrow.

On this day of travel, we had fantastic conditions: a bit of sun, a bit of cloud, no snow, no rain, and very light traffic. I drove as far as Corning, where we fueled, and Mo took over the driving. I settled back in my seat to watch the birds in the valley refuges as we passed. I opened my phone and slipped into email and then Facebook.

That moment shifted the mood of the day.

Meeting Odel and Laurie for the first time in 2010

Mo and Laurie in 2010

Laurie Brown had passed just two days earlier, and her sister announced it on Facebook. Long-time readers of my blog know all about Laurie and Odel. I met them through the blog, and Laurie and I started writing to each other in 2007. By 2010, we met in person on our way east, where they were camped in Minot, North Dakota.

Laurie and Odel visited us at home in Rocky Point in 2011

Laurie helped me understand the RV blogging community of the early 2010s. She helped me connect with other writers and discover that I wasn’t alone out there, writing about our travels.

I am heartbroken.

Lunch at Lefty’s in Nevada City, where Laurie and Odel introduced us to Jimmy and Nickie

I called Nickie, whom I know only because Laurie suggested a lunch in Nevada City with Mo, me, Nickie and Jimmy, and Laurie and Odel. The friendships blossomed, with the six of us meeting for meals, hikes, and visits. I treasured her friendship. Nickie was devastated, but grateful to hear from a real phone call and not a Facebook post.

In 2022 we met again with Laurie and Odel and Jimmy and Nickie for a day of dining and hiking

We continued south along an almost empty interstate toward Sacramento. Memories flooded my heart as Mo nimbly navigated city traffic and we continued through the fog to our familiar home at Flag City RV Resort.

I will probably write a separate blog post honoring just Laurie, but for now, it was time to focus on the now.

Our next day of travel was uneventful, accompanied by the fog hanging over the I-5 corridor south toward Highway 58.

Site 9 at Mountain Valley Park

I write in the morning darkness at another familiar home, though not quite as familiar as Flag City. Mountain Valley RV Park in Tehachapi, where we have stayed only three or four times. Our old favorite, Orange Grove RV Park, is nothing like it used to be, and we decided the high prices weren’t worth the amenities.

Oranges from the Fruit Depot in Bakersfield

Yesterday, we drove past the park as we turned onto Edison Road for a ten-minute side trip to the Fruit Depot, once again to buy the sweetest oranges ever. I used to pick the oranges every year, but buying a bag for ten dollars is nice and quick—and a lot cheaper than paying park prices just because we like the oranges.

We stopped in Tehachapi to buy a new battery for the Tracker, and she started right up, just like the travel trooper she has been for seventeen years. While Mo dealt with the battery, I ripped into the bag of oranges and cut one into sections to eat right there.

It was like stepping into the sunshine of Southern California when I was a kid, when oranges were picked in yards and tasted like candy—so sweet and juicy. I breathed in the fragrance, cleaned the juice from my chin and fingers, and felt my body relax.

Ahh. The oranges are as perfect as always.

Ready for our last travel day to Desert Hot Springs

We will leave here at daylight, or shortly after, in clouds and predicted rain. The first view of the Mojave as we start down the pass overlooking the desert is never the same. Today is the day. The desert is there, waiting. And our home at Catalina RV Park, another home of ours for almost every winter since 2010, is waiting.

Ahhh.

Always amazing to me when roses are still blooming in December

When I wrote the Christmas card to share on the blog, I knew that December would be just a tiny part of that story. There was much to share in this busy and full month, and I don’t want to lose track. As is often the case, this blog post is mainly for me, and I won’t be sending out an email or publicizing it. If you happen to still follow the blog via email or RSS, thank you.

I did steal this image from a facebook post about the fog burying the valley

December began as usual, wrapped in fog. For nearly two weeks, the valley stayed gray and heavy, the kind of weather that presses into a headache and slows everything down. With my strong attachment to decorating for most holidays, especially Christmas, I spent a few days pulling out the decorations anyway. 

Mo and I laughed about how uncentered the tree was based on one’s point of view

I waited until the very last moment to put up the Christmas tree and gave myself three lazy days to add the ornaments.

Maryruth and Gerald always serve a lovely meal

Early in the month, we gathered with friends. Dinner with Maryruth and Gerald was a surprise treat when Maryruth called and said, “Can you come to dinner tonight? I have a recipe I want to share.” Maryruth loves to cook, and it is always a pleasure to share a meal in her home.

The book was Atmosphere, fiction about the early days of the space shuttle

Our book club continued our annual tradition of a Christmas party at Kristin’s. As always, it was a special day, with Kristin’s home warm and inviting. Her table décor was fantastic and reflected the book we read perfectly. I think most of us enjoyed the book, even though it wasn’t quite what we expected. It was fun to share the Christmas event with daughter Deborah for the first time since she joined the club last month.

Kristin on the left, then Robyn, Jennifer, Connie, Sue, and Deborah

The Sunday after Book Club, Deb treated Mo and me to a wonderful tour of the local Bear Hotel.  Evergreen Bank has a large facility where they store our summer art bears in winter and our beautiful Christmas panels and 8-foot-tall nutcrackers that line the downtown streets at Christmas time.  On this Saturday, it was the annual Christmas Tree Auction, and Deborah wanted us to see the tree that her workplace decorated and donated for the auction.  

Deb, Sue and Mo within the massive redwood trees at the Bear Hotel

It was a lovely visit, and we were so impressed.  I do hope we can get to the Bear Hotel sometime before summer when the bears are in residence.

We skipped the annual downtown tree lighting because of the fog, rain, and darkness. Seeing photos later on Facebook made us quite happy that we didn’t try to attend. The crowds were huge, and the rain was daunting. Later in the week, a rare break in the clouds brought “a bit of sun,” enough to notice and name, before the fog closed in again.

december morning fog

As I wrote in our Christmas card, December also carried a heavy weight with the news of Mo’s brother Dan’s passing, moments that quietly changed the texture of the days that followed as we adjusted to this sad loss.

Another tradition came mid-month as we turned west and spent a few days at Harris Beach State Park, tucked into our familiar site with a view of the ocean. We walked the beach, visited the holiday light show, ate seafood, and slipped easily into the slower rhythm that comes with salt air and tides. 

Christmas time in the MoHo is always fun, rain or shine

Mattie, as always, loved her beach time and climbed the rocks with all the strength and enthusiasm of a young puppy.

sunshine at Harris Beach in December

Mo and Mattie walking the beach in the sun

After the light show, we attempted to get an Irish coffee at the Fat Irish Pub near Harbor, just down the hill from Brookings. It was a bit of a disappointment, with several minutes of being ignored at the bar and then an Irish coffee served without whipped cream and barely lukewarm. We won’t have to try that place again. Our first time having supper at Khun Thai in Brookings was a completely different experience. A spotless restaurant, wonderful service, and fabulous food felt like a small celebration before heading home the next day.

Early morning at Sunset House on Solstice

The solstice arrived with bells rung at dawn, though there is a funny story about that one. I woke up early on what I thought was Solstice, ready to ring the bells and play the Jethro Tull video of Ring Solstice Bells at exactly 7:03 a.m. In the still-dark morning, shrouded in fog, I rang Mo’s antique dinner bell on the back deck, with it echoing all over the neighborhood. Returning to the house and settling into my morning rhythm, I looked at my calendar and, lo and behold, I was a day off on the bell ringing. I laughed a lot at that one. I should have paid more attention to the calendar notice I added last month. The promise that the light would now begin its slow return was worth celebrating, even if it was a day early.

One of Maryruths neighbors on the right with Deb, Sue and Mo admiring the menu

That afternoon, Maryruth and Gerald once again hosted a lovely Holiday party featuring her favorite appetizer recipes.  It is something she loves to do, but as with all of us, as we age, it is getting harder and harder to manage.  Her daughter-in-law, Gloria, was a tremendous help, and I am so glad she and Maryruth and Gerald’s son Mike have relocated to Grants Pass to help their parents.  

After Christmas Eve Chowder with Mo, Sue, and Deb

Christmas itself was simple and good. Deb came to share Christmas Eve with our traditional clam chowder, which she proclaimed was the best ever. She spent the night, fulfilling this mama’s love of kids, young or old, sleeping overnight. 

Mattie loved her miniature lambie present after she figured out how to open it

Christmas Day was lovely as well, with an eggs Benedict brunch shared with Matthew later that morning. 

Matthew was very good at pouring Christmas Brunch champagne

We even had some presents under our tree, something that doesn’t always happen since we have eschewed trying to keep up with that particular tradition. But this year was different. Mo and I opened some truly wonderful surprises, including a framed photo Deb had purchased of the three girls at my birthday party last September. 

Sue and Deb on Christmas morning

Deanna sent a delightful electronic photo frame with software that lets each family member add photos for me to enjoy as they scroll by on a side table in the living room. I found that even though I can see photos anytime on my computer or phone, the random display of people I love in the background is so calming and lovely.

Christmas Day treated us to some much needed sunshine

December ended the way we like best: traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pork and kraut in the oven, watching New Year’s celebrations roll across the globe, then settling in to welcome the new year quietly from home. A month of fog and friendship, remembering loss and honoring memory, the light returning, a return to Harris Beach, and a quiet holiday.

One more day of sunshine in the bedroom before the January fog sets in again.

We are now readying for our annual trip south, and with the fog still hanging over our valley, our departure date cannot come soon enough. But that will be a new story in a new year, with a bit of hopefulness that our world might get a little less crazy and a little brighter.

This year, Sue did as promised last year and started making Christmas cards in July, with more than sixty ready to go by mid-November. She fought the gloom of November and December fog with lots of Christmas lights, beginning in mid-November and finishing everything she wanted to do by early December so that we could relax and enjoy the season.

Dan with his sister Sharon (Mo)

December, however, was sadly colored by the passing of Mo’s younger brother Dan, after a courageous battle with cancer. Dan was an amazing person — a wonderful and caring brother who was incredibly generous with his time and energy and helped us so many times over the years. He could do anything and fix anything. He was also a kind and devoted father, husband, and brother, and the world is less bright without him. We miss him deeply.

Mo’s extended family continues to grow, with new little ones born to her great-niece Kallie and her husband Josh, and to great-nephew Philip and his wife Amanda in Colorado. Her great-niece Ashli and her husband Evan, living in Illinois, welcomed a baby girl in October. While we enjoyed many extended family visits in 2024, this year we stayed closer to home and shared family life long-distance, through emails, phone calls, and joyful baby announcements.

Two of Sue’s grandkids, Axel and Xavier

Sue was able to see two of her grandchildren while visiting Melody in Brownsville, and her grandson Matthew lives just across the street from us, so we enjoy seeing him often. It is especially wonderful knowing he’ll come over at a moment’s notice if something needs fixing.

2024 Christmas of Sue’s Great Grandkid, Orion, Tearany, and Theron (new Christmas Jammies Photo will come on Christmas eve)

Sue’s grandson Steven with wife Stormi and son Theron

Sue will see her grandson Steven and his wife Stormi, along with her great-grandchildren Orion, Tearany, and Theron, in Washington State next year, when great-grandson Orion graduates from high school. We’ll be traveling north in June for the celebration.

This past year was filled with many of our usual happy pursuits, traveling in the MoHo, camping trips to the mountains, kayaking some of our favorite lakes and rivers, and visiting local wineries for a break from gardening and keeping up with our sweet little acre here in Grants Pass.

A look back at the year

The view of Mt San Jacinto from Catalina Spa and RV Resort

In what has become a winter ritual, we left in January for California and our favorite spot in Desert Hot Springs at Catalina Spa and RV Resort. This year, we were joined by friends Phil and Joanne from Eugene, and Nickie and Jimmy from Nevada City, California. Our days were filled with swimming, hikes, Palm Springs dining, and visits to the Living Desert’s world-class zoo.

Camping with our friends Phil and Joanne in the middle of nowhere

After saying goodbye to Phil and Joanne, we continued south to Tucson to visit Wes and Gayle, then headed east toward Wilcox, Arizona. One of the highlights of our winter travels was spending time at Chiricahua National Monument, a truly spectacular national treasure.

Hiking in the Chiricahua National Monument

We stopped in Wickenburg to visit long-distance friends Mike and Janna, who have a winter home there, and once again enjoyed Janna’s wonderful cooking. Mattie had plenty of doggie playtime with their pup, Kayce, as well.

Mo and Sue on the American Pride with Mt Hood in the distance

Another highlight of the year was Mo’s annual birthday adventure. This time she chose a cruise on the Columbia River. We spent several days aboard the American Pride paddle-wheel riverboat, enjoying views of familiar Oregon landscapes from the water rather than from the highway above. It was a completely different and delightful perspective.

Jeanne enjoyed our back deck in the warm spring sunshine

In April, we were treated to a visit from our friend Jeanne, from Vermont.  It wasn’t a long visit, but we had some good times visiting and eating out a bit.  We will be enjoying more time with Jeanne and her husband Alan when they join us for some desert time in winter Southern California in the coming year.

Deb and Mo kayaking on Lost Creek Lake

In May, we camped at Lost Lake, just an hour from home, with daughter Deborah, celebrating Mother’s Day together with kayaking, hiking, and discovering waterfalls we had somehow missed over the years.

Sue and Mo on Mother’s Day

Deb treated us to a wonderful Mother’s Day dinner at an iconic restaurant in nearby Shady Cove.

Camping at East Lake in June can be chilly

In June, we returned to East Lake in the Newberry Caldera for a few days of camping in snow, rain, and just a little sunshine. As always, the kayaking was spectacular.

Our great July 4th campsite at Fish Lake

For the Fourth of July, we camped with daughter Deborah at Fish Lake in the Cascades. The weather was gorgeous, the night was silent with no fireworks allowed, and we enjoyed good food, campfires, and another wonderful kayak day on Recreation Creek nearby. On the way home, we stopped to visit friends Jim and Mata Rust in Rocky Point.

The Board Shanty Fire was much too close for comfort

Mid-July brought a bit of a scare when a forest fire came close enough that we were placed under a Level 2 evacuation order for several days. Level 1 is easy; you prepare mentally. Level 3 is easy because it means Go Now. Level 2, however, is the in-between space of wandering around the house, wondering what goes in the motorhome and what stays behind. Thankfully, we were spared further drama, though it was still unsettling.

All three of Sue’s daughters seem to have inherited her love of growing flowers

Later in July, we traveled east to Klamath Falls for a magnificent air show, and Sue went north for a few days to visit daughter Melody in Brownsville.

Sue and Mo happy with the new truck

In late July, we purchased a new-to-us Chevy Colorado pickup and drove to Portland to pick it up, enjoying a lovely early dinner near the airport with Mo’s brother Dan and his wife Chere.

Hiking, campfires, and kayaking are the best parts of visiting Medicine Lake

We ended the summer camping season in August with four incredible days at Medicine Lake, California, one of our favorite places on earth. This time we shared it with daughter Deborah, enjoying time together and watching the moon set over the lake. It was a precious time.

My favorite photo from our 3 days at the Ocean,  from left, Deborah, Mo, Deanna, Sue, and Melody

Another huge highlight of the year was Sue’s 80th birthday celebration at a beautiful beach house in Rockaway Beach on the Oregon coast. Daughters Deborah, Deanna, and Melody joined us for great food, beach walks, and plenty of girl time filled with laughter, conversation, and shared memories. The girls planned this for more than a year, and it was even better than imagined, a memory never to be forgotten.

With the fall color comes the leaf raking season

The rains arrived early this year, beginning in early October. Flowers responded to the cooling air, and the lower pasture turned green nearly six weeks earlier than usual. The rain seemed to revive the trees, and we were treated to absolutely brilliant fall color.

Many of the lower branches of our old fir now gone

By fall, our insurance company decided our area was too high a fire risk and canceled our homeowners’ insurance. Finding new coverage and meeting the requirements to obtain it became another challenge. A considerable amount of tree trimming was required, but everything worked out in the end. Someone joked last month that we now have a 200-year-old palm tree instead of a Douglas-fir.

Thursday Thanksgiving from left, Matthew, Katty, Sue, and Mo

Friday Thanksgiving at Deb’s from left, Robert, Melody, Sue, and Mo

The cook who made it all happen, Deborah

Deborah hosted Thanksgiving twice this year, once on Thursday for Sue, Mo, grandson Matthew, and his girlfriend Katty, and again on Friday for Sue, Mo, and Melody and Robert, who drove down from Brownsville to spend a few days with us at Sunset House.

Deb, Sue, and Mo at the Bear Hotel

December has been spent decorating both the yard and the house, with Sue happily cooking and baking in the cooler weather. We finally managed a visit with Deborah to the “Bear Hotel,” a Grants Pass venue that houses the art bears when they’re not lining the sidewalks in summer, along with the Christmas light panels and giant nutcrackers that appear in winter.

We also made our annual December trip to Harris Beach, camping and visiting the over-the-top Nature’s Coastal Holiday light show at Azalea Park in Brookings. Despite forecasts of heavy rain, we were lucky enough to enjoy one full day of brilliant sunshine, perfect for walking the beach with Mattie and taking in the lights.

There’s still a bit more to come as the year winds down: a holiday party at friends Maryruth and Gerald’s home, Christmas Eve here with our traditional chowder, and Christmas breakfast with Deborah, Matthew, and Katty.

Mo remains in excellent health, and Sue is doing well too. We are deeply grateful for the love surrounding us. We are sad to lose those we love and recognize that this is part of living into our 80s. Sue now laughs that she can finally say it out loud: “We are in our 80s.”

I will end this Christmas Card with some photos of the member of our family who seems to be a favorite of everyone who reads this blog and most of our friends and relatives.  Mattie is 11 years old now and is only slowing down a little bit.

I stepped into November thinking it would be a simple, ordinary month, and instead it turned into one long lesson in patience, gratitude, and keeping my sense of humor.

Mo loads many loads of leaves into the small trailer we take to the dump

In spite of the insurance trauma near the end of October, we began the month feeling that life was just about perfect. Deborah had a load of yard debris, and we had a truck and trailer to haul it. The yard-waste dump we use is in Merlin, right near a wonderful little café we wanted to share with Deb. Just a few minutes north of Grants Pass, the Riffle Café brings a gentle island breeze to Merlin with a warm, welcoming vibe and a menu full of comfort food.

I took this photo from the Riffle Cafe webite

It’s comfort with a Hawaiian twist. The owners came from Maui, and the atmosphere reflects that, friendly and slightly quirky island-style décor, with walls and ceilings covered in colorful iguana and turtle metal sculptures that create a laid-back “ohana” feel. Add in the sourdough pancakes and mimosas by the jug, and it makes for a comforting, satisfying meal. It was the first day of November, and we were completely clueless about what was to follow.

All three of us truly enjoyed our morning treat at the Riffle Cafe

There are many little treasures around Grants Pass, tucked away in unlikely places. Another is the Rogue Creamery on a winding country road west of town. I saw a notice in the local news that the farm stand was closing.

A grilled cheese sandwich on a sunny afternoon was delightful

Rogue Creamery isn’t the little local creamery it once was. In 2018, it was bought by the French cheese giant Savencia Fromage & Dairy, and now operates as a subsidiary of that Paris-based corporation. Their flagship Rogue River Blue went on to be named World Champion Cheese at the 2019/2020 World Cheese Awards in Italy — the first American cheese ever to win that honor. I’m proud of that, and I still love serving Rogue Blue on a special-occasion cheese board and sending it to a very few friends for the holidays.

Happy cows at the Rogue Creamery before it closed

But the little dairy farmstand out on Lower River Road clearly didn’t fit the new corporate model. The Grants Pass farm store, with its grilled cheese sandwiches, the cows, and the picnic tables by the river, is gone now, while the more efficient Central Point shop and the global cheese machine roll on.

It’s a strange thing, watching a place you love slip away: the grilled cheese sandwiches, the cows, the feeling that something local and ours was still hanging on. I can get sentimental about cheese, apparently. I’m sad about it, sad that so much feels like it’s changing or being swallowed up. And yet here I am, part of this new world that’s replacing the old.

On that same day, the first day of November, after we returned from the dump and a lovely breakfast, I discovered that there was no hot water coming from any faucet in the house. After eight years of service, our water heater decided to give up the ghost.

It takes some time to find this information on the water heater.  Mexico?

Doing without hot water isn’t the worst thing in the world. We have a stove and heat, and electricity, and plenty of cold water. We have a hot tub to at least rinse our bodies each night in lovely hot water under the stars, IF and when we could see them, but that is another story about November: the unrelenting fog, day and night, with only a few afternoon breaks during the entire month.

Mo has one of those homeowner fix-it plans, and once again, they came through for us. The final repair for the new water heater installation was much less than we would have had to pay without the insurance. Only two years ago, we replaced a dead refrigerator with the same insurance. Yes, six to eight years seems to be the life span of most appliances these days, even the good ones. When we built this house, we did not buy cheap stuff.

Mattie knows the best way to enjoy cold foggy days

In spite of the unrelenting fog and the crazy house problems, I spent a lot of November feeling grateful. It was chilly, foggy, and rainy, but I was warm and dry, with a cozy house wrapped around me. I had ten bucks in my pocket to treat myself to a great coffee while I was out shopping. I could buy groceries without worrying about it. I slept several nights with little pain. There is so much to be grateful for, so many things I have that so many don’t.

As I wrote last month, Mo has had homeowners and vehicle insurance policies with Farmers since 1997 and has never made a claim. It seems that even though the Oregon Fire Risk Map created last year was legally challenged, it still had an effect on how people are insured in our state. Farmers said we were in a high-risk zone in the urban interface and therefore they were no longer insuring homes in this area.

That led to a bit of panic, and we searched for a company that would still insure us. As I wrote last month, late in October, we did find a new agent and a new company, and after a lot of stress, we were again insured. Of course, no longer having a homeowners policy with Farmers increased the rates for the vehicles, and that was just plain irritating. Mo canceled all her policies with Farmers, and at last, toward the very end of the month, the insurance thing was handled.

Our Douglas-fir before the trim

What that entailed was a bit traumatic. The new insurance company sent an aerial photo of our property (which I posted with last month’s blog), saying we had to remove any and all branches and limbs that were overhanging any outbuildings. We do have some huge trees. Our Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine qualify as old growth, between 170 and 200 years old.

Some neighbors were a bit shocked after the trim

Once again, we called Rico, our fabulous tree guy, and he came out with an estimate for trimming back the big fir and some of the old oaks to qualify. It was stressful watching that old fir get trimmed up so high, and even with all that trimming, there was still a hint of a branch overhanging the MoHo shed by a few feet. Those branches were seventy feet up, but we weren’t sure about passing the inspection.

We call him “monkey man”, the most amazing tree climber

Mo spent nearly every day raking leaves and tree debris, and we hauled eleven loads in the trailer to the dump. Some people try to burn their leaves, but for us it’s nearly impossible with the very few burn days that seem to occur when everything is soaking wet from fog and rain. So off to the dump we go. Mattie loves it because there is always a doggy treat at the pay kiosk.

This photo was taken AFTER one of Mo’s many raking projects

By the end of the month, the trees were trimmed, the leaves almost gone, the appliances all working, and the house and cars finally insured. Our agent said he had heard nothing about the visual inspection, and no news is probably good news.

We took a little break on Veterans’ Day for something we have done almost every year since Applebee’s began their free meal for veterans back in 2008.  Deb joined us and took this picture of Mo and me enjoying a nice meal.  We like the hometown comfort of our local Applebee’s restaurant, and the new merger with IHOP didn’t seem to change much, except for some breakfast items on the menu.  The best part of this small celebration is seeing all the vets from all the different eras that come in for their honorary meal.  Many Viet Nam hats that day in Grants Pass.  What Mo and I remember most about the Applebee’s meal in Klamath Falls was the restaurant full of current military men from the Kingsley Field Base celebrating with their families.

In the midst of all the house worries, I finished the book selected for my book club. It was a quick read, entertaining but not particularly memorable or challenging. I decided to pick up an old book that I had treasured and read at least two decades ago.

Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver, wrapped around me in a way few books do, warm, earthy, insistent. It’s a story about cycles, growth, decay, and renewal, which felt just right for November. Every character wrestles with something they can’t quite control: the pull of family, the tug of desire, the stubborn will of the natural world. Maybe that’s why her books still fit me. They allow for loose ends. They honor the tangled parts of life without insisting that everything be tied up with a bow. Still, the open end of Prodigal Summer left me unsettled.

The book affected me differently than it did years ago, when I first read it sitting in a big chair watching Northern Idaho snow drift past the windows. Back then, the world still felt wide open. This time, I found myself sinking into the layers, the questions, the way memory takes me back to a place. Kingsolver writes landscapes the way other people write characters, and reading her now feels like walking into a familiar house and noticing the wallpaper has changed.

At eighty, part of what unsettles me about open endings is knowing I won’t see the endings of so many stories around me, my great-grandchildren, my daughters, the country I love. Maybe that’s why an unfinished story leaves me feeling a little unmoored. Still, the beauty is in the living, not the knowing. I want to savor what I can while I’m here to watch the fog mute the colors outside the windows.

I’m glad I am at the end of life and not at the beginning. I don’t have to figure out how the story will end. What I have instead is the pleasure of noticing small mercies, warm rooms, familiar books, the last grilled cheese from a place that mattered.

Thanksgiving was the perfect ending to a thoughtful and sometimes tough month. Daughter Deborah decided to host this year, choosing to have her big turkey dinner on the actual day in her home for the first time since she bought it.

Matthew and Katty waiting for dinner at Deb’s

She cooked and decorated, and on Thursday, our meal was everything our family loves about sharing Thanksgiving. The recipes that are traditional recipes are the ones that are the most comforting. I made the orange-brandied yams that I’ve made since the early 80s. I made a simple dressing without any fancy stuff, delicious and loved by everyone. Deb managed to spatchcock the turkey, and it cooked perfectly. She made her original creamed vegetable, which has also been a family favorite for years.

We had a perfect table of five, with grandson Matthew and his sweetie Katty, Mo and me, and of course our hostess, Deborah.

Melody and Robert chose to host Thanksgiving at their home in Brownsville for their kids and spouses, and then to travel south on Friday to share another Thanksgiving meal of “leftovers” at Deb’s.

Melody and Robert waiting for Thanksgiving Number 2 at Deb’s

Once again, we had a perfect table of five, with Melody and Robert, Mo and me, and our hostess, Deborah.

Even though we didn’t all sit at the table on the same day, it didn’t matter one bit. We had family time and great food, and lots of hugs all around.

Melody and Robert spent the night here at Sunset House, and there is nothing I love more than waking in the morning to the smell of coffee and the sight of my son-in-law and my daughter in jammies on the couch, snuggled up with knitting.

When the month finally settled, I found myself grateful for the love around me and for the simple comfort of knowing I am exactly where I need to be.

So grateful for Home