Dry Enough for You?

Current Weather Forecast :  Is This REALLY September?

We got back home to West Linn last Saturday, and the weather is just like we never left.  Still warm to hot and dry.  Neil took a look at the weather stats for July, August, and September and Portland had a whopping 0.25 inches of rain.  September (so far) is at 0.04 inches, but nobody down here is complaining.  The rainfall totals for Portland are actually above normal for the year, because of a very wet Spring.

We are looking forward to the rain and being able to shut off the irrigation system for the year and saving some money on the water bill.  We did have a leak repaired and the City of West Linn was gracious enough to give us a credit on our water bill, by comparing the water use from last year to this year for the two months that we had the leak.

We had a very enjoyable US Forest Service Reunion in Vail, with an opportunity to visit with colleagues past and present.  The fantastic weather and scenery were real highlights, and we have not suffered any long term affects from the high altitudes.  Here are a couple of photos from our Monday field trip to the White Mountain National Forest.  We both know the Forest Supervisor and District Ranger from our time in Alaska.  If you have to leave Alaska, this is a pretty nice country to work in.

The Maroon Bells on the White River National Forest

Another View from the Maroon Bells Recreation Area

We had a layover in Seattle on the way back and both of us had a massage in the airport, and felt much better for it.  We also saw a chiropractor on Monday to get adjusted from the hotel beds, carrying luggage, and the trip in general.  All seems to be well.

On the flight from Seattle to Portland we had good weather and saw clearcuts in the forest which made us think about our buddies in Juneau, Sam and Dave who have bumper stickers that say "I Love Clearcuts".  Not really, but they would put them on if I made stickers for them.  

Mount Saint Helens from Horizon Air Plane

Neil was finally able to get a coat of paint on the shop he is building and is planning on getting the roof shingled (thanks to Seth Finney's help) this weekend.  We already have moved a lot of stuff into the shop, and have actually made room in the garage to put the VW Passat in it.  That was our goal, and we made it before the rainy season.  

When we transferred our medical care from Juneau to Oregon, Neil's doctor recommended that he get a shingles vaccine shot.  He had not got around to it, and found out that a friend of ours from the Forest Service who is undergoing some cancer treatment got shingles because his immune system wasn't at its best.  Neil did some research and found out that getting shingles can be horrendous.  So, he did the research with Blue Cross and found out that Fred Meyer pharmacy would give the immunization and the cost was zero, zippo, nada.  Just the right price.

Neil's Shingles Vaccine

As we continue to work on house projects like getting hauling wood, concrete, and other supplies, Neil sure missed his GMC pickup truck.  We are glad that we were able to trade it in on our used motorhome, but there are times when the pickup would sure be handy.  Neil still has a number of yard projects that the hauling room of a pickup would be handy.  

Neil's Good Old Pickup Truck in Juneau--We Do Miss It!

For as long as the good weather holds, we will work on house and garden projects to get ready for winter.  Neil says his list is still plenty long even after he gets the shop finished.  There is more "power gardening" in store as we do more pruning and trimming of trees and shrubs.  There is also gravel to haul and other fun projects like that.  Plenty to keep us busy in retirement, as it turns out.

While in Vail, We Were Welcomed by President Teddy Roosevelt

We are looking forward to a visit by Jim and Elaine from Juneau this weekend for about a week.  If the good weather holds, we will take them to the Columbia Gorge, the Evergreen Aviation Museum, and some other Oregon sites while they are here.  Jim and Elaine were our Best Man and Matron of Honor when we were married in Tracy Arm back in 1984.  It will be great to see them again.

Thanks for visiting, and we hope you have a good rest of the month of September.

Neil and Pamela