One week to go

OK there is one week to go. Soon I will be counting the hours then yep it will be down to minutes. Gave Harry my flight info today as he is picking me up at the airport.

Trying to come up with the right mix of clothes. Not as easy as it seems it would be. When I leave here and it will be in the 80's get out there and it will be in the 60's could be in the 50's and even up in the 70's. And get it all in one suitcase. It is bad enough that I got to pay 15 for the first bag but I will not pay 25 for the second one. Have to get out my list so I don't forget anything.

Me and my list's they have been made fun of but I usually get the last laugh.

One more week before I hit the air.

Important subjects to me

I am going to go off the topic of this blog today. So I am getting up on my soapbox.

I can remember 30 years ago talking about global warming and climate change ,. And people telling me I was nuts. These same people now believe that it is now true. To bad they didn't listen to me back then.

There are some simple things that you can do right now.

At Home:
Turn down the heat and air conditioning when you aren't home.
Choose energy efficient appliances.
Warm up your home with insulation.
Change your home's air filters.
Make the switch to compact florescent bulbs.
Wash your clothes with cold water.
Use a power strip.

On the Go:
Take public transportation.
Find a carpool buddy at least once a week.
Pump up your tires.
Go ride a bike -- or take a walk.

At Work:
Use the sleep settings and the power switch for computers and monitors.
Ask for motion sensors in low-traffic areas.
Use a power strip.

Be an everyday hero.
Think about how your actions, suggestions, and attitude influence dozens (or hundreds) of people just like you every single day. If, each day, a few of people see your concern about the climate crisis in action and are inspired to change their approach, take action themselves, or think more about the issue, the impact can be dramatic. Be a role model and key influencer in everything you do, day in and day out, and help create a climate-aware culture.

Another thing that is important is To Repower America! This country has all it needs to make the switch to 100% renewable and clean electricity within ten years . You need to contact your members of Congress about this.

Fact Sheet on this http://www.wecansolveit.org/content/pages/341/

Here is a copy of a letter to send your members of congress http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/-/Handout%20to%20Elected%20OfficialsMONDAY.pdf

And while you are at it just go to http://www.wecansolveit.org and learn more.

And while I'm on my soapbox. There has been a collapse of the salmon fishery off the California and Oregon coasts. They do not know why. So there will be No salmon season this year. It is just not the fisherman who are effected but all up and down the coast business will be effected a lot of jobs depend on the salmon season. This is important for another reason if this a man made collapse we need to fix it and learn from it. One of days man will be the one who is not here and it will be of our own making.
Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqxy06NmCvA

Ok I have now come down from my soapbox.

Waiting

I hate waiting. I am ready to go. The next three weeks can't go by soon enough. The other day I said shoot and Brian made like he had a gun and said there. I said no I got something to live for now. He said what is that, and I said I'm going to Oregon. The look on his face was well stunned.If he hasn't figured out by now what this means to me, he never will.

Been spending time trying to figure out what I'm going to do while there. I know I want to get at least one picture of all the lighthouses including the lightship in Tillamook. Tillamook Rock might be a little hard as the hike out to where you can see it is a long one and it is far out so I don't know if I will be able to get it. And the other ones even with fog will be easy. Ok Cape Arago is never easy. But that is OK. I know the place where I get the view that to me is the most beautiful.


Have finally know which way I'm going when I leave Portland. Go down I5 to Hwy 38 head west to 101. On the way stop and see my sister for a bit. Thought about going over to the coast and going that way. But I wouldn't have enough time to do the things I would like to. So I will go up the coast to Astoria spend the night of the 19th there, then the next morning go over to Portland and return the car. And fly home on the 21st.

Plan on breaking the coast down one day go south to Gold Beach, then one day go up north as far as Newport. And do the things I want. Then on the 19th get up early and hit the places North of Newport to Astoria. One day I know I am going to go to Gold and Sliver Falls. The last time I was there was gee 24 years ago when we went out as a family.

More later on the places I want to see and the things I want to do.

The hows and whys and the changes

The planning for this trip home to Oregon started in the middle of this past South Dakota winter. Funny how all my trips get their start in the middle of winter.

It has been nine years sense I have been back to Oregon. When someone asked me where I'm from I say I reside in South Dakota but I am from the Oregon Coast. Then the question is how did you end up here and I say love does stupid things to you. ( but that is a whole another story)

Well the plan was that I was going to drive out and be gone about a month. I was going to take Bess with me. Couldn't really trust her at home by herself. Even with Brian home for a couple of days a week and others coming and checking on her. She would be lonely and would just get herself into trouble.

Bess is three yrs old and has six toes

We were going to take it slow and go to places that I haven't seen in years or just wanted to see. Believe it or not I live in South Dakota and have never been to Mt Rushmore. Was going to a few of years ago when we were going to Sturgis.

Some of the other places we were going to see besides Mt Rushmore were Little Bighorn Battlefield, Glacier, Follow US 12 from Missoula MT to Lewiston ID the way that Lewis and Clark went. Go down the Gorge maybe up to Mt Hood. Up and down the coast. And over to Crater Lake. And anywhere else I wanted to go and on the way back up into Canada.

But when gas prices started to climb I started to pare the trip down. And then then got to be up over $4.00 and there was no way I was going to be able to drive out there. So the planed changed, I was going to fly and rent a car in Oregon. By this time Brian is in and out of the house 5 days during the week but Bess would still be lonely so I went and got her a friend named Bailey.

Bailey is two yrs old and the first short haired cat I have ever had.

Well I checked airlines and Amtrak and it was cheaper for me to fly and rent a car then to take the train out and rent a car. So on July 7, I bought my ticket.

And will leave on Sept 3 pick up the car on Sept 4 and then the fun begins. More on that later.