Redmond Trip: Taylor Clan Visit

Marg & Ging 

Click HERE to view all pictures from our trip

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

     Rick and I left Baker City this morning to make our third trip over to the Redmond area this year….this time to see my California sister, Margaret, her husband, Ron, and his sister, Tinny, and our nephew Tom and his wife, Heather.  It will be a short trip, but a good opportunity for a visit! 

       Eastern Oregon is incredibly green right now!!!  The grasses under the pines, the hillsides, the meadows – how many different shades of verdant (that fancy word is just for Rick who laughs when I use it!)  We drive through a few light showers and several big clouds.  It is cool out, but warmer than yesterday!  Rick drives the whole way to Redmond, but I work the entire time on needlepoint stables!  Good progress.  We receive a text from Marg as we drop down into Prineville – a need for more spaghetti sauce -= so we stop at the BiMart there and pick some up. 

We find some gorgeous iris in
bloom in the residential section.

     Arrive at Eagle Crest around 12:45.  Marg and Ron are out on a hike, but Tom and Heather and Tinny are at the condo.  Quiet afternoon visiting, but also a good walk around the grounds to the soccer field on the north side to a little craft and food bazaar, where Tinny picks up a half flat of strawberries for everyone to share.  We tried to cut through the golf course, but ended up with the long and round about method to get there! 

Marg and her spaghetti!

     Tom and Heather go to hit on the driving range while we are preparing the spaghetti for dinner.  Marg and I also make an overdue call to Mom to let her know we are here and together and all safe, etc. etc. ! 

     Dinner is spaghetti, beans, and the Italian tomato bread I brought over, plus two bottles of wine!  Good meal. 

     Marg shares the slides she took in Africa and the video of Ron’s father’s memorial service, up stairs on the TV there, while Ron and Rick watch the end of the NBA championships.  Eventually we get our mattresses ready and set up our beds out on the back deck patio.  It has cleared off and it going to be cool tonight!!  Yeah!  I am glad to have brought my new 5 lb. sleeping bag rather than my summer light 3 pounder. 

     The stars are glorious!  Even though I can’t see them as well as I used to once I take my glasses off.  I have my sleeping bad puffed way up, but I expect it will deflate some by morning.  Margaret is sleeping out on the upper deck off the room she and Ron are using.  She promised not to throw anything over the railing at us! 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Three Sisters from Hwy 20 near Sisters

Up around 6:10 to go inside and try to quietly read a little of my Bible devotions.  Tinny greets me with a low “Good Morning!” however, to let me know I don’t have to be quiet as she is already awake.    Gradually everyone arises as the rafters must be off and on their way by 7:45 to make the 80 mile drive up to Maupin.  They are heading up in Tom’s car.  Original plan was to use a different rafting service that would have driven them up for $30 more each.  We opted for the cheaper rates and drive ourselves!  Pretty sure it wasn’t going to cost $150 to drive to Maupin, and that’s the amount we saved! 

Sisters Quilt Shop

Marg and I finish up my pictures, check on our dinner items and put the chili into the crock pot, shower, and head for Sisters around 9:45 pm.  Our plan is to explore the shops and offerings of Main Street and the other street just south of it. 

Our plan was effective!  We enjoyed the various stores, the quilting shop, etc.  Lots of places with fun dog stuff.  Beautiful flowers everywhere.  We had a bowl of soup at Ali’s, and then drove out the Mackenzie Highway 242 toward the pass.  The gal in the fabric shop had indicated she heard the pass road was open.  But….no such luck.  We drove up the road 9 miles to find a gate blocking further access.  So sad, because it is such a clear and beautiful day, I thought the pass would be a good place to play for abit.  Instead, we drove back into Sisters and explored the shops of the side street! 

     Back to Eagle Crest around 4:45, having taken the wrong exit from Hwy 20 and winding up and down and all around the upper part of the resort.  Finally to the hotel unit where Marg used the lobby computer to access her email account, and I posted my devotional blogs for yesterday and today. 

     Back to the unit to cut and chop all the ingredients for tonight’s Frito boats (stuff, mountains, etc.) – Fritos with chili, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, avocados, and sour cream on top!  I cut up the watermelon, pineapple, plums, apricots, strawberries, and blueberries for a fruit salad.  Both were well received!! 

     Report from Rick on the rafting trip:  enjoyable!  They got to raft an extra 5 miles of the Deschutes since all was going well and the water was still high.  Rick swam the “swimmer’s rapid” (only one of our group to do so -  And he said it was just a little intimidating!  He didn’t do it twice as one of the other gals did.  There were two rafts in the group.  All our people in one, and the other 4 in the other.  Lunch was served right in Maupin.  Ron seemed pleased with the change in charters that we proposed - turned out to be a good choice!   Rafters were back in Redmond by 6:30, showered and ready for dinner shortly after 7pm!! 

    Tom goes back out to hit a couple holes of golf; Tinny and Heather take a short walk.  I write herein and Marg begins reading the new book she got today.  Quiet evening!  And everyone drops off early! 

    G’night!! 

Thursday, June 21:
     What a beautiful night out on the deck.  Besides a glorious sky of stars, it was warmer and the dew didn't soak our sleeping bags!  I didn't take the camera out with me, which was a mistake, as the Eastern sky greeted us around 5:15 with a colorful sunrise on the scattered clouds.  I thought about getting up to take a picture, and then decided to record it in my imagination and return to sleep!
      I did arise around 6 to read, reflect, and write, and then I asked Ron's sister if she would like to take a walk!  We had a delightful time in the early morning sunshine, walking and visiting down the length of the river path and coming out on the other side of the soccer fields. Saw several deer including a tiny little fawn.  Returned to the condo around 8am to find everyone up and stirring.  Breakfast, pack up, and by 9:15 Rick and I are pulling out of Eagle Crest, bound for Baker City, via La Grande!   After the required family group picture:

Tinny, Margaret, Heather, Tom, Ron

      This was NOT our fastest trip back through the middle of the state, but it was quite enjoyable. We stopped first in Redmond to visit the Wal-Mart store, checking out TV's and mounts for the new trailer, plus picking up a few other items on our list.  We thought about heading north toward Madras and then cutting over, but weren't sure we would be able to stay on paved roads the whole time.  So...back down through Prineville and over the Ochoco's to Mitchell.  Rick drove all the way while I worked more on the needlepoint creches.

Dayville store

     We had purchased some sandwiches/salad at the Walmart in case we weren't in a town for lunch.  So we stopped in Dayville, purchased a drink at the Country Store with its beautiful flowers, and then went to the city park to eat.  Classy restroom with FRESH flowers in each side!

Old barn on hillside

     At Mount Vernon we turn north on 395.  New road for Rick.  I traveled as far as just north of Long Creek years ago with a group of women attending an EOPW gathering.  Terrain is dry for a few miles, and then as we gain in elevation, the hillsides begin to green up with the grasses and pines that have marked our travels this spring.  Lush hillsides.  Over a couple of passes and we open out to the wide high mountain plateau region.  The town of Fox has a tiny abandoned little community church - classic building.  Plenty of old barns and ranches in disrepair to provide photo opportunities (if you are fast to click from a moving car!)  Hillsides covered with balsam root, but we also saw lupine and paintbrush, buttercups, and penstemon.  Camas Creek from Dale north to Ukiah was a gorgeous little stream, lined with thick grasses.

Camas Creek

     We located the B&K Auto Salvage on the Union Hwy just south of La Grande, picked up the wheel for the Honda, and I volunteered to drive the last 45 minutes to Baker City.  Rick had been at the wheel all day!  Home by 5 pm.
     We were glad to have the air conditioning in the car today - it was around 85-90 most of the way home.  WARM summer weather.  Good trip!  Family time always makes for a good trip!