Five Simple Things (July 3)

 Hello.

Nothing really more to report on the Coronavirus pandemic here in Oregon, but reading the numbers they just keep going up and up. We just keep wearing masks, social distancing from others, and only going out for supplies. Our emergency stock of food is almost gone. I'm pretty upset about that; it took awhile to build that up. But, I can't be too upset, it is the reason why you have a stock, to use it in emergencies and I think this is an emergency. There are a few items in there that needed to be rotated out, anyway, so it's a good thing we were able to go through those before they expired. Otherwise, we've just been staying at home and not going out as frequently. Jeff has been still coming in through the garage entrance and keeping things clean otherwise. The sun was out all week and we got a chance to actually go outside and enjoy some of it. It's been really dry here, though, so we've been watering a lot more than normal. Hopefully, it won't be too dry of a summer. Here are five things this week.

1. These Snails.

Skylar has been keeping a few pet snails lately. He has three in this small jar, but we are looking into getting them a large terrarium and maybe making it a snail habitat for our homeschool classroom. More on this later.

2. Hardy and Fern.

Fern (our male mallard duck) has been following Hardy around and standing "guard" next to him lately. We think it's because Fern has taken a liking to Hardy, but sometimes he pecks at him, so we are watching them closely. 

3. This "Jacket."

I still can not believe how many yellow jackets, or tracker jackers, as Skylar calls them (Hunger Games reference), there are here in Oregon. It's as if the summer months hit and they are out in swarms. We've had issues in the past with the yellow jackets making their nests in the car rearview windows, garage door handle, or even in the clothes line poles. They may help with pollination, but they are annoying, to some degree. 

4. These Mallards.

While getting and moving more Skylar and I have been walking down a lot of side roads and roads outside of town. These wild mallards were swimming along the roadway in the flooded ditch. They let us get just close enough before they took off. It was a nice moment I was able to capture.

5. These Ducklings.

While out getting some supplies and groceries for our house, we spotted these ducklings along the side of the road in downtown Albany, Oregon. We were kind of shocked to see them in the city, but they seemed to know what they were doing. The mother duck wasn't anywhere around at the time, but they were very alert and seemed to know how to protect themselves. 

Positive affirmations this week: "What are your tips on grounding for anxiety, stress, PTDS, and/or emotion overload?"

One of the most affective ways is THC, low doses. I use a lot of CBD and THC products lately in order to help me calm myself more affectively. Sometimes I need a bit of a boost along with my breathing techniques and mind calming procedures. This flyer has a lot of great information, as well. I don't do all of these options on the flyer, but I do burn incense, use essential oils, take belly breaths, eat or drink something, laying down, or even going for a walk/run. All of these things have helped me a lot. They don't always work, but for the most part, they do.

Have a nice weekend. 

End of June 2020 (1 Second Every Day)

Highway 101 Road Trip (Tragedy)

Skylar and I decided to hop in the car and take an overnight trip to California during the weekend of June 24-25. We stopped at the Trees of Mystery and got a few more redwood tree saplings and ended up down in Brookings. We stayed the night in Brookings, Oregon, had lunch at a wildlife refuge, and on our way home ended up being first on the scene at a single car accident. The man fell asleep at the wheel of his car and hit the embankment and flipped. His car, which was a Jeep Cherokee, caught fire and was completely destroyed by fire. The road trip overall was a great time, but that car wreck was pretty traumatic. On a side note, Skylar and I always enjoy taking random road trips. Mostly our trips are day trips, but from the where we live to Brookings was a lot way to drive. There were parts of Highway 101 that we haven't seen before, so overall it was a nice trip. 

 

We didn't make a lot of stops on our way to the Trees of Mystery, but once we crossed over the California border, we started to slow down some and enjoy the view. Highway 101 through this area of California is beautiful and the entire redwood area of the northern part of California is one of our favorite drives. Trees of Mystery put face masks on Babe the Ox and Paul Bunyan. We were actually happy to see that the gift shop was still open so we could get our redwood tree saplings. 

Coming into Eureka, California we took some pictures of the "Ghost Train" and along the side of the road was a dead bear. I've never seen a bear alive up close, so this was almost fascinating to us. It's sad to know that it probably got hit on the road and someone pulled it to the side. It wasn't a full-grown bear, and it's sad that it met his fate to a car.

We ended up staying the night in Brookings, Oregon, and video chatting with Jeff, since he had to stay and work. It was a nice night just checking things out in and around Brookings and relaxing for a bit before driving back.

We stopped for a bit in Gold Beach, Oregon. The last time we were here we road the Rogue River Jet Boats. Gold Beach is kind of a hidden gem of Oregon, really. There's a lot of beautiful things in and around this area. 

In Gold Beach, Oregon, the wreck of the Mary D. Hume sits and slowly is reclaimed back to the earth and salt water. The history of this tugboat is amazing and it's sad to see it just slowly falling apart and deteriorating. But, it had a good life when it was still functional.

We then came into Port Orford and as you can see from the sign, "Oldest Townsite on the Oregon Coast." Port Orford, Oregon, is one of my favorite little towns along the Oregon coast and Highway 101.

Not sure where this giant rock was headed, but that's the first time I've ever seen a rock this large being transported by truck on the roadway.

We stopped for lunch at a wildlife refuge in Bandon, Oregon. We pack light when we take road trips and make sure to eat foods that are filling, but won't be too unsettling in our stomachs. The items shown here are all organic, believe it, or not. They are:

  

Woodstock Organic Dill Pickle Spears

Mission Organics Flour Tortillas

Miyoko's Creamery Vegan Cream Cheese

Organic Chili Cheese Corn Chips

We like to take the flour tortillas, spread cream cheese over one side, lay a pickle down in the middle, and roll it up. It's a quick, easy, on the road-type of snack and it's filling. You can click the images above to purchase this exact meal shown on the snack plate.

We arrived in Coos Bay, Oregon, which is about 50 miles from Port Orford. The drive along this area of Highway 101 is a bit boring, but there's still a lot of sites to see once you get to Coos Bay. We didn't stay long in Coos Bay, but took the time and checked out the pirate/fishing boats along the bay. 

I'm always drawn to tiny houses and this one was sitting along the bay front in Coos Bay and we stopped to admire it. I think it would be a great adventure to travel for awhile in a small, or tiny, home across the Pacific Coast Highway. Maybe one day soon.

We stopped at the Umpqua River Lighthouse once we left Coos Bay. This lighthouse is located in an area named Winchester Bay. It was build in the mid 1800s to give a point of reference for the river head. 

We stopped along the way to take some pictures of the fog and Heceta Head Lighthouse. We were really enjoying the trip until we came around the lighthouse viewpoint and saw this...

A man fell asleep at the wheel of his car and hit the embankment and flipped. As stated above, his car caught fire and burned completely. It exploded, and gas came burning out of the car like a hot torch. Skylar, me, another man and his son, as well as an off duty sheriff were right there when it happened. We helped get the man out of his car, get him stable, but there was nothing we could do about his car. He said he had been down on his luck and living in his vehicle. I felt helpless. You can read more about it in the following images. Skylar posted a story online about our experience. We are still pretty shaken up over it all. I do hope the man is going to okay and that he gets back on his feet soon. Definitely a road trip we won't be forgetting.

Five Simple Things (June 26)

Hello.

This week was a bit better than the last. We had a small low-key Father's Day and drove over the pass to Bend to check out their "surfing" area. We didn't stop anywhere other than to get out and take a few pictures. We packed a small lunch and ate in the care while we were there. It was very calm and that's just how we liked it. We had a few milestones, I was able to get released to be able to take showers now and all of my bandages are off. I am really happy about this, so much so, when my surgeon told me, I started crying. My appointment checkups haven't been at the times that they are supposed to be because of the Coronavirus pandemic. But, my surgeon's office has done the best they can and I am extremely grateful for them and everything they have done for me to keep me safe and healthy during this time. On another note, the riots here in Portland, Salem, and even in our own city, are just getting to be too much. Parades of cars go driving through the city with flags and honking, and since I'm not sleeping that well anyway, it's starting to take a toll on me a bit. Jeff brought me some ear plugs, but it doesn't seem to help. People yelling and just the additional stress they are causing isn't okay. People are pissed, it's understandable, bit those not related to the issues are suffering, too. I just hope a compromise comes sooner than later. Over 200 people have died in the state of Oregon from the virus. Eviction notices were put on hold for tenants and landlords are able to apply for a relief package to help everyone. With people being laid off and furloughed, the world is weird right now. We've been getting some weird weather lately, too. Windy during the day and then getting darker than normal at night. I don't go outside much after 12:00 in the afternoon, because it's just too weird. I have been more tired than normal, but we must truck on. Jeff has been cooking dinner each evening to help keep us eating on a normal schedule. I took two showers this week, so things are looking up. Looking forward to my next checkup to see how things are progressing. And, one more thing, wear a mask. Don't be an asshole. 

1. This Bread.

Skylar and I have been doing some more quarantine baking this week. We are using some of our emergency stash of food to be able to make things. This week we made the banana bread recipe from the New York Times. I've found their recipes easy to follow and kind of "simple" for someone like me that hates cooking and tends to mess everything up. This banana bread was delicious!

2. This Surfing.

This is Whitewater Park in Bend where the Deschutes River flows through. The way the land and the bridge is laid out along the river it's created a surfing wave, of sorts, and is perfect for surfers to practice their surfing skills. It's a soft landing, too, if you happen to crash. It's one of the areas we are looking forward to trying in the future.

3. This Crabapple.

This was the first spring that it has bloomed. This is a Sugar Tyme Crabapple. It's blooms are pinkish white and flower in the spring to early summer. We got this at the Oregon State Fair when Skylar was about four years old and this is the first year we've seen blooms on it. We are going to try and replant it into a more stable container, and I hope we don't mess up the blooming. Fingers crossed we don't hurt it, because it is beautiful. 

4. This Giant Keg.

Not sure what this is going to be used for, display, beer, wine, who knows. But, we just loved it and turned around to just to snap a picture of it. I'd love to have a giant keg like this, but I'd fill it with lemonade, instead. 

5. This Walk.

Been doing a bit more getting out and about. Instead of running, I've been walking a bit. At the start of the week, as you can see, was less than half a mile, but on Thursday I decided to push myself a bit more and try to go longer. I'm hurting a bit today, but it was worth it. Hopefully, it will help me sleep better, too.

Positive affirmations this week: "What are some positives that you've added to your life?"

Well, as I've started to navigate myself more and shut out looking for validation from others I've found a few things that I love and can actually be thankful for. Of course, it took me 40 years to get to this point, I am the happiest I've been in a long time, mentally that is. Here are few things I've found to be a positive for me.

*1. Cooked new meals, or baked new things.

*2. Meditating on the deck in the sunshine.

*3. Practicing self love and better thoughts to myself.

*4. Dancing and ballet.

*5. Deep talks and connections with Skylar and Jeff. (they are my tribe)

*6. Taking time to look at the sky more. During the day when it's blue, or cloudy, and at night.

*7. Finding positives around me, even in people. Love actually is all around us, if we look.

*8. Telling people I love them, more. I try to tell Skylar that I love him every day, and I hug him. Same with Jeff. Showing appreciation for them makes them feel good and in turn makes me feel good.

*9. Holding onto the good things on the bad days, as much as I can.

*10. Knowing some good will come out of every struggle.

Have a nice weekend.