2021 Brings New Adventures

Ken experienced the reality of "back surgery" at Oasis Hospital in Phoeniz, AZ in Dec. 2020, a second related surgery at Banner Hospital in Mesa, AZ in early 2021, and then the repercussions all winter! Hopefully each month ahead will bring desired healing.

This was definitely a unique year with the Covid Pandemic. We were very grateful for our "bubble of friends" in Arizona City. The happy hours and celebrations together continued!

After Ken's back surgery, there were many things he couldn't do such as lifting heavy weight. The Arizona City Fire Dept. is phenominal. They literally came to our home and assisted Ken by lifting our motorhome's needed replacement batteries into the proper compartment. Now that's community service and thoughtfulness!

We arrrived back in Oregon by the first part of May. The fishing at Thief Valley Reservoir was super for large trout in May. By June and July the water is exceptionally LOW!

Memorial Weekend we so enjoyed the visit of daughter Melissa and our granddaughters. They experienced life in rural oregon, we put flowers on family graves at the cemetery, they made bird houses with grandpa, and we had many other fun times.

Springtime also brought out the beauty of nature. The butterflies were exquisite!

The evening sunsets to the west over Mt. Emily were also spectacular this year!

In June Joanne had a trip to Portland for the first time in a couple years. A visit with Aunt June and Janice at June's Senior Living Center was a very special time together.

A gathering in Wilsonville at a park with OSU friends and some of their families was another definite 2021 highlight. Of course the fact that my U of O daughter Melissa provided the napkins brought lots of chuckles.

This was the first time some of our Gamma Phi's from the 1960's had been together in several years.

On May 30th, Ken and Joanne celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. (The joke was daughter Michelle called to congratulate us and we'd actually "spaced it".) Fortunatly there was time to decorate one of Ken's favorite rhubarb desserts!

The weekend was especially fun in that son Jon and friend Haida joined us on the farm in La Grande.

In July we visited Jon and the grandsons in Sunnyside and then went on to Gleed to visit son Chris for a few days.

While visiting Chris one afternoon, we headed east to Yakima and the sky was shocking with the smoke from a nearby wildfire. Evidently even the freeway to the north was shut down for awhile.

Heading on to the west over the WA mountain pass we again were greeted with the BEAUTY and GRANDEUR of Mt. Rainier!

We stayed at a lovely RV Park, Maple Valley RV in Randal. Among the many guests was this beauty and several of his friends!

Certainly our week-long visit with Ron and Barb McClinton was another summer 2021 highlight!