THANKSGIVING WEEK 2025
A Trip to Salem...TSO and Family!!
SATURDAY, November 22
Baker City to Salem via Hwy 26 (middle of the state)
355 miles
We are off shortly before 7am bound for the west side of the state. Taking the 'scenic' route through the middle. It is foggy in Baker Valley this morning! But by the time we hit Bowen Valley and leave the river areas, the skies clear and it is a beautiful sunshine day through the mountains! The peaks of the Cascades going through Redmond and Sisters are glorious - they definitely have more snow than the Elkhorns!
Rick drove until Dayville, and I then drove until Redmond where we stopped for a coffee refill and a driver change. Between Detroit and Salem we dropped back down into FOG again!! But a safe arrival at Jed's around 2:30pm.
Evening meal was the ham and bean soup I brought over and some sourdough biscuits (not my best!) And then of course, Jed and I played a game!
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| The sun on the ponderosa pines so gorgeous! |
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| Quick view of Three Fingered Jack |
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| Even quicker view of Mt Jefferson |
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| Amazed to find nasturchims blooming at a rest stop |
SUNDAY, November 23
Family & TSO!
After a relatively quiet morning, we head up the interstate (in a good driving rain storm - so glad Jed is driving!) at 1pm to meet with Liz in West Linn. Our visit ends up being just Liz and Dave until 4pm when Doug arrives after he gets off work. At 5 we leave for Portland proper and our concert!!
Smooth sailing so we get to the Moda Center a half hour before the gates open for the evening concert! But they have a shelter tent up so at least we aren't standing in the rain! Good seats once again on the side...a little further away from the stage, but closer to the floor level than last year.
The concert? Amazing as always! A few new light features including some sparkly drones buzzing around toward the floor back. Some new songs, some familiar (but not my favorite! 😞) By the time we left, the rain had stopped. Smooth drive home, but didn't arrive until nearly 11pm!
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| I spliced Doug in! |
MONDAY November 24
Visit with Clint, Kathy, and Tom
Jed has to work today and with volleyball afterward, we won't see him at all probably! He won't be home until 10:30pm!!
Rick and I have made arrangements to visit Clint and Kathy at their south Salem home, and Tom is driving up from his daughter's home in Albany to join us. A regular Habitat reunion among good friends! Clint is currently battling lung cancer and undergoing some infusion treatments. Not feeling his best, so we don't plan to go out for a meal. We all gather around 11am at Norrell's, chat for an hour, then Kathy and I take a good walk around the neighborhood and down the hill to the nearby park. A good chance for the guys to visit and for Kathy and I to do the same. Once we get back, we take food orders and the two of us head down to the nearby Mexican restaurant to pick up some lunch, which we take back to the house. Clint isn't eating alot, but he does finish a fish taco! Rick and I split a quesadilla and a fish taco meal! We all head out around 2:30 to give Clint a chance for a brief rest before he had to head to Kaiser for a 4pm infusion. My disappointment? I forgot to take a single picture!
But...we get directions to the back way to Costco, so we visit which was probably a mistake. Total chaos late in the afternoon! We did pick up a few things including a 12lb turkey and a GIANT apple pie, but couldn't find some of the simple stuff still needed. We finally said 'forget it' and I plan to head to Safeway in the morning! Quiet evening as Jed is gone. We eat a catch can dinner!
Good news received during the Norrell visit. A text from Jed saying to buy a little bigger turkey because Luke and Kady would be joining us! Hurray!! Not sure of the details, but excited!
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| Hot lips salvia or baby sage - from my walk with Kathy |
TUESDAY November 25
Quiet morning. Jed get up in time for an 11am conference call related to work. I take about a 2 mile walk doing laps around his neighborhood (I feel relatively safe there!) Rick goes out for a walk as well. I do a little Safeway shopping and then prep the salad and make some cookies.
Most importantly, Jed and Rick visit Home Depot and get the plywood needed for the 'cat project' - a frame of wood with a denim insert held with grommets and cup hooks that is bolted to the server frame. Currently Jed has a box with a pad on top for the brothers, who like to sleep there because it is warm! The box is breaking through! I have the denim (thank you Rick and Zach Eggers for the old jeans!) stitched, but not together yet because I need exact measurements. Progress is made - we'll finish up on Wednesday!
Dinner tonight is raviolis, pesto, salad, and sourdough tomato bread. So good! Enough ravioli left for Jed to have another meal which I put in the freezer. Evening games!! Also get Luke details - they will arrive by noonish on Thursday in time for 2pm meal. Kady also! Stay overnight and head back up to Seattle for their flight home Friday night.
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| Flowers I found on my walk around the neighborhood |
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| Beautiful fall colors...Japanese maple? |
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| I did get a batch of pippernutters made AFTER I bought more flour! |
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| Jed and Rick begin cutting the board. |
WEDNESDAY November 26
Cat Bed and Pies and Rolls
Had to make a run to Walmart early afternoon to purchase pie pans - I forgot to bring and Jed doesn't have any!! But we manage to buy more groceries in anticipation of Luke and Kady as well! (Eg milk, bread, etc!)
While Rick and Jed work on the cat bed frame, I stitch my denim together, and then concentrate on baking two pumpkin pies as well as some basic dinner rolls (internet recipe!) because I'm not sure the 9 rolls I have will be enough for 5 people. Turns out the 9 more I made were HUGE!
Easy dinner - I bought a small lasagna and we ate the rest of the bread from last night!
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| The cat bed...minus the cats Demos and Phobos |
THANKSGIVING DAY November 27
Surprise!
Morning spent prepping the turkey, cleaning the PURPLE sweet potatos we picked up at the Senior Center, etc. Took a short walk with Rick. Right at 12:15 a car pulled into the driveway and I went out to greet what I thought was Luke and Kady. I did notice another car parking across the street. Turned out Casey was in the driveway and Luke and Kady beyond! Casey??! Surprise! What fun...we doubled our Thanksgiving table from what I expected when we came over! Suddenly I am VERY glad I had multiple boxes of stuffing and plenty of food.
But, as usual, they arrive with tons of appetizers and snacks which quickly grace the table and we begin to consume! Some tasty ones!
With plenty of help we manage to get all the food prepped and on the table shortly before 2pm. A quick picture and we dig in, grateful for the abundance of both food and family to share the holiday.
And then? It's game time!! (Rick is grateful for football games to watch!) After one game, we stop for dessert (apple pie, pumpkin pie, cool whip, ice cream) and then take a walk - neighborhood loop to see the lights and then Jed takes us down Hawthorne to cut into the park and return. A good walk. Rick stayed home as he has been fighting a bit of sinus problems today.
More games until 9pm when Casey hits the road to drive back down to Eugene. We pull out the inflatable bed for Kady and Luke opts for the pad from the PapaSan chair and the floor. Not sure when they all crashed but Rick and I were in our room by 10pm!
A blessed day!
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| Our Thanksgiving table and crowd |
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| Nearing the finish line of Flame Rouge |
FRIDAY November 28
Black Bear Diner and Christmas Lights
Jed has to get up before 11 today, as we are meeting Liz and family at 10am at the Wilsonville Black Bear diner. Kirsty and family, plus Gretchen and Tyler (Shawn and Tucker and Doug all had to work), Liz and Dave and the 5 of us! Thirteen in all! The diner was a zoo, parking nearly impossible, but thankfully Liz had arrived 20 minutes early and got her name on the list so we only had to wait about 15 minutes before we got seated...at the same table we use back in April!
A delightful time of conversation, laughter, memories and sharing! Kady was overseas many of the past times we have all been together, so she hadn't seen some of the kids since they were born! And too long for Luke and some of his cousins!
Then goodbyes - all others heading north to home or Seattle airport, the three of us south to Salem. However, that drive took us over an hour as the freeway was CRAWLING along at 5mph (maybe) prior to the Woodburn Outlet Mall exit. (It's BLACK FRIDAY!!!)
But...the day is turning out to be almost sunny (at least not rain) so when we get back to Jed's, the first order of business is to put up the Christmas lights! I make another small batch of Ritz PB cookies, take a walk, and start prepping food to freeze or take home.
Jed and I manage to play 4 more games before the evening is over. Everyone eats leftovers for dinner, and Jed and I take a neighborhood walk noting how many others put up their lights today. Jed's look wonderful!
Just to note....I ended the evening crushing Jed in some deck building game we were playing. A rare happenstance!
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| A full table at Black Bear diner |
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| Putting up lights is SUCH hard work |
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| But the end result is beautiful! |
SATURDAY November 29
Salem to High Country Lane via I-84
345 miles
Once again, we are pulling out of the driveway just minutes prior to 7am. Quick stop at the Arco station for a gas fillup (paid cash for a $3.29 rate!) and coffees, and we are on our way. We couldn't ask for smoother sailing through Portland on I205 - pays to leave early! Mt Hood was beautiful as a white shadow in the rising morning sun clouds. So much water cascading down every crack in the gorge walls. We stop at Celilo Park to switch drivers and listen to Christmas music as I drive us to Deadman's Pass. THICK fog between Stanfield and Pendleton, and again some fog on Cabbage. The snow thickens as we near Meacham and the pass - the trees beautifully flocked in white!
Our Elkhorns are boasting a bit more snow in our absence, but still the line lingers around 6000 feet. We pull into the garage at 12:35pm - an easy 5 1/2 trek home. The gorge route is only 10 miles shorter than the middle of the state, but nearly an hour and a half faster! Freeway cruise control blessing!
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| Sunrise as we head up I5 |
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| Snow up on Meacham |
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| Oh to come home and see the sun setting on our Wallowa Mountains! |
