A quick trip home

We drove over the pass to say hi to my family yesterday. On the west side of the Cascades, the land is so green.












Here is a classic shot of the snow-capped peak of Mt. Hood from the south west.











And here, having come through Blue Box Pass (4,500 feet) we come down into the Great Columbia Basin on the East side of the Cascade Range. In the distance we see Mt. Jefferson.

A fire went through this area a few years ago. You can see in the distance how the swampy little creek worked as a fire-break. Burned trees next to the road, green trees across the swamp.











This is what the country I grew up in looks like.








This is rimrock. Yep, this place is a stinkin' desert. The trees you see are juniper. Hardy, stubborn, selfish trees that smell like cat pee and manage somehow to cast very little shade.












And this is the point of the whole exercise. This is my oldest brother, Chuck(69 years) , my mom (who is pushing 90 years old) and my sis-in-law, Arleen (who is a saint!!) I am not standing on a box. Arleen is 4'10".

DH and Chuck went to a gun show but didn't stay long because prices were so high. Mom, Arleen and I chatted a bit. Mom hasn't lost all her marbles yet, but there's a hole in the bag and a few keep slipping away every month. We all went out for lunch, and DH was the only one at the table who didn't qualify for the Senior Discount. (Marry younger men. They last longer.)

After lunch, when Mom started to fall asleep, and Chuck was yawning, I figured it was time to hit the road. And 3 hours later, we were home again! Yeah, it's a long drive for a day trip, but the guest room beds tweak our backs. anyhow, I'll be spending several days with Mom in August when Chuck and Arleen take a few days off. I'm not a good daughter, but I'm the best I can manage to be.