Darn Knee

 My darn knee!   I am trying to come to terms with living in pain again.  

Not that I'm not used to it.  The good thing is my knee really only hurts when I drive and at night.  

Its just that I so much wanted to enjoy the summer and go camping, if possible, go to lakes often.   I may ignore the pain and do it anyway.   The pain involved is getting to the lake, the driving.

I had xrays done yesterday but don't know the results and its quite possible they will show nothing, as its likely soft tissue injury.   

I had to go and get the born in trap kittens.   The workplace trapper could no longer care for them.  She'd been fostering them and they were the ones supposed to get fixed Monday then go to her aunt.  But her aunt is now moving out of her mother's place.   Her aunt's elderly cat loving mother will still care for the adults that have gone there from her great niece's workplace. But her aunt doesn't believe her elderly mom can also care for five kittens.  

The workplace trapper had taken in two kids, one an infant, just born, to a friend of hers who is also an addict.  The addict vanished after the infant was born, back to drugs, and the kids were in need of foster then, and she and her husband, like saints, took them.  But that's a lot to take on--two more kids, one an infant.  She couldn't also take care of those kittens.  An employee at the vet clinic took them on.  I picked them up and took them over on Wednesday.  Just taking them over to Corvallis and driving back was extremely painful on my knee.  I made the doctors appointment for yesterday, after that, realizing something is really wrong and I need to be able to drive.

 I put a wedge cushion in my car seat, which is supposed to elevate hips slightly over knees when driving in a car without adequate seat adjustment capacity.   But the inch high wedge wasn't enough.  Yesterday I put a cushion under the wedge, which significantly increased my knee angle on the gas pedal.   I only drove to the doctor's office yesterday and home with that set up but am hoping with my knee angle now increased closer to the recommended 120 degrees, instead of what was going on, with a 45 degree angle, my pain could ease up some.

I mowed the front lawn yesterday.   My knee doesn't hurt with walking.  Nor does it hurt mowing the lawn.  Usually mowing inflames my back too, a day or two later.  I assume it will inflame my knee by today or tomorrow.   But it had to be done.   Neighbors, you know.

Almost all my traps are loaned out now.  8 went to one party alone.  But they only caught three cats to be fixed last week.   Thursday I think it was.   They said construction noise next door (new development going in) has spooked the cats.  They got three more appointments, at later date.  I am not sure how many in all they need to catch.   Both my drop traps are loaned out to two different parties.  One party has one of my smaller traps also.   And yesterday I loaned out two more traps.  I feel a little bit naked without a drop trap here, at the ready to be used if needed.

I have five spots Monday, in Salem, my last spots for the summer.   I am hoping the folks with one drop trap, can catch the mom and her kittens, using it, tomorrow.   I'd take the mom to be fixed Monday, if they do.  They want to tame the four kittens and find them homes.

The folks who borrowed two traps, have two boys they want to catch.  Hopefully they will be successful.

Then the good old trailer park--lady there had an unfixed female.  So I offered to take her up.  Well, she says that cat is "in foster" whatever that means, but now she has another male.  I've already gotten four cats fixed for her.  Then she suddenly has a female, now gone, and now another male?  I think she might be a fake rescuer, one who takes in cats but doesn't provide any medical of any sort, then hands them out.   I don't know that for sure.

But a guy in the park I'd sent photos to, awhile back, of cats near his place, to suggest he had some he feeds that need fixed, had responded then that they were all fixed cats from neighbors, but now he has kittens under his place.  I told him to catch the mom this weekend.

None of these folks are supposed to contain their cats til tomorrow, so I don't have to hold their cats.  Its only supposed to get up to 71 degrees today, so the garage should not end up very hot.  

Maybe I'll have five cats to take Monday, for my last appointments, and maybe I won't.

Yesterday on my fb page, I posted about my knee issues.  I should expect nothing from fb posting.  My fb friends are for the most part people I never see in person or who live far away.  One in particular, is a "you need to" do this or that type, and there's nothing that turns my stomach like the "you need to" comment people.   

It's Not Just Me

 When I read this article, about how much the Lewis and Clark expedition hated winter on the northern Oregon coast, I felt better about myself.

All they went through in their expedition and they were nearly broken by an overwinter on the Oregon coast and the constant rain--the soul eating misery of the long gray.

They remained there, in the small fort they built, 106 days.  There's a recreation of the fort at a State Park in Astoria.  I've toured it a couple of times, when waiting on cats at the affordable clinic.  It rained all but 12 of those days.  They only saw the sun on six of the 106 days.

Here's the story, in writing, but its really a podcast.

Last Minute Decision

 I made a last minute decision.

I took off to Waldo Lake late this morning.  Today was not supposed to be very hot, unlike the two days prior, when we were in the low 90's.

Given the fact my right knee has been extremely painful when I drive lately, I wasn't so sure it was a good idea.  But I figured I could make it.  And I did--holding an ice pack on it the entire drive.

I don't have cruise control and if I drive much I can inflame my knee and the ligaments and tendons from my foot up to my knee.  It's that weird angle--bent knee, foot constantly cocked backwards, since my legs are too long for the car seat.  It won't go back far enough to be comfy. 

I made it, and had a blast.  It was windy there, with heavy swell and white caps.  Doesn't bother me.

I headed to the shore across from the boat ramp then down it to the island on the south end and Sandy Beach campsite, a popular place to camp by boat (or trail and backpack).   The Cygnus was moored in the lagoon other side of the campsite.  It's a small sailboat I've encountered many times at Waldo.

Hope and Charity were glowing in the sun, north of Waldo's north end.  Two of the Three Sisters.  The Middle and the South.

I went on down to the southwest corner of Waldo to the sandy beach there to eat my lunch.

There, a mountain biker said hi.  He was intent on riding the trail around the lake.  I told him I didn't think it had been repaired since the fires.  He went on anyway and I saw him over in the burn area and he had to turn around there.  Said there were too many trees across the trail.

After awhile, I meandered back towards the island.  The Cygnus was pulling up anchor and starting an electric motor, heading back to the boat ramp.

With the Sandy Beach campsite vacated, I lollie gagged around there for an hour.

The water is so beautiful

Anyhow, that's what I did today.  On the spur of the moment.

Summer Drownings Begin

 At least three people died by drowning this weekend.

It's always this way.   

A teenager drowned after he or she fell off a jet ski near Oregon City into the Willamette.

A teenager died after jumping off a rock into the Siletz outside Newport.  Couldn't make it back to shore.

Then word this evening the St. Helens city administrator was seen struggling in the Columbia River just off the docks by a city park.  He is presumed drowned, although it can be difficult to locate a body in the Columbia.

I didn't leave the house today.  It was over 90.  Still is.  The lake would be overrun with people.  I don't go there on weekends.

Yesterday I got two watermelons, on sale at the Grocery Depot because their refrigerated truck broke down so they had to sell all the fruit it held fast.   2 for $5!

I had seen a facebook reel on making watermelon slushies.  I cut one up into chunks and froze them overnight.

Today I put them first in the food processor on ice crush, then into the blender with some water and honey.  Oh my--delicious!

Cheers!

Lets hope no more young folk lose their lives in the water this summer.

The River Rising

 I went up to the lake today.  I think I arrived just after 1:00.   I just got back too at 7:30 p.m.

I got carried away.   I first paddled across the arm from the boat ramp.  I'd had to park my car in one of only two single car spots left available and it was a long way from the ramp.

Oh well.  I need the walk, I rationalized.  

I then paddled around the point and down the other side of it and finally cut across towards the 2nd bridge area.  I wanted to find a beach so I could eat my lunch.   But I got hungry and ate it out on the water.   These things happen.

So on I went, under the second bridge and past the Sunnyside campground boat ramp.   I decided to keep going up the Middle Fork.   The middle fork of the S. Santiam river runs roughly along Quartzville road up to Green Peter Dam, five miles from Sunnyside.

But rapids prevent going very far up it in a kayak.

I passed the three sets of mooring docks people can rent and leave their boats there, for convenience.

On I went.  Just a little further, I told myself.  But then, way off in the distance I saw something that looked like a light.  No two lights and one blinked.  I realized then it was probably the sun glinting off metal but I wanted to see what that was.  That was farther than I thought too.

Oh, its a bumper or maybe a side bar from a truck. You know, that thing you step on to get up into a truck.  I don't know.   

Then I thought, its not that far to Deliverance Beach.   I call it that because I had something of a Deliverance experience trying to get by a bunch of hooting hollering threatening campers there once long long ago.

On I went.

Warning sign number one.  There are three of these signs.  They warn water level could increase suddenly, if water is released from the dam.

Ok, I thought, maybe I'll get lucky and get to ride a water release back, give me a little surge help.

Deliverance Beach was there but lots of debris in the water and everywhere.   Warning Sign number two here.

After warning sign number three I thought ok, the rapids are very close.  I could see the big rock up ahead on the left.  The rapids are just beyond that.  I could also see a lot of debris in the water.  On I went to have a look.  I knew I couldn't go farther than the rapids.

But as i approached I heard the change.  The rapids were suddenly bigger and louder.   Wow, I thought, I lucked out.  A water release from the dam.  I can ride that back towards the lake.   Indeed I did get quite a boost for awhile on the way back.   It sent the debris field moving too so I just had to make sure I stayed ahead of it.

Perfect timing I'd say.  I appreciated the boost.

If that water hadn't come down, and helped me back, I don't know if I would have made it before like 10:00 p.m.  The wind had come up and was in my face as I paddled back from the 2nd bridge to the point and around it, to the boat ramp.  Then the long walk to get the car.   Ahh, finally, back home.  

I had a blast.

June Weather Today and in Recent History

 

Above is June phone app weather forecast for next few days.  Originally we were to get into the 90's this weekend, but the heat wave has been downgraded.   I thought I'd review weather in June, from blog posts for the past few years for fun.  It's been pouring here, but we'll have sun by Thursday.

Saturday, June 07, 2025

Hot

Today it was 88 degrees high here.

Tomorrow and Monday it will be mid 90's.

Wednesday and Thursday it should be near perfect, in the mid 70's, then it drops down into the low 70's for awhile

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

Latest Cats and a Whole Lot of Rain


It's been raining here since Sunday. An atmospheric river type event.
Today its supposed to taper off and stop. By tomorrow we should be back to 70, then hotter the days after. Low 80's maybe, I'm not sure, haven't kept up like I should.

In June of 2024, I took a 24 hour trip to Bend, to see my Idaho brother.  He and his wife were visiting their daughter who lives there.

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Scewed Any Which Way

Summer! Tomorrow we may end up with record setting lows here. But that should be over with by Wednesday. Today its just clouded over, with a bit of wind and now and then some spurts of rain.

June 2023 was the month I was going to go to Idaho to see my brother, but pouring rain that left the road washed out between Bend and Ontario, buses that cancelled, broken down AC/heater in car, and a head cold ended that plan.  Instead later on in the month I went on a four day camp trip to Crescent Lake, but ended up at Waldo Lake, when I had unpleasant neighbors at Crescent.  I had a great time, snow still on the ground in spots at Waldo and nobody else in the campground!

June 12, 2022

It's pouring this morning. You have to turn the sound on for the video above to appreciate how hard its raining.

We were hit with the old atmospheric river again. I think some places near Portland got more rain in one day than is normal for the month of June. As you can imagine, we may once again break rain records for all time for June. Great.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Heat Wave Over. Only 96 Today.

Heat wave is over. Only going to top out at 96 or so today.

In what new world, do I say such a thing, with relief?

Well, in the world that produced 117 degree heat yesterday just north of here, in Salem.

I was there too, in it. My sandals melted apart in fact. I was at a friends place who had a small pool.

I don't suppose I'll ever forget that heat wave of June 2021, it was so unusual for Oregon and extreme.

Monday, June 08, 2020

A Very Wnter Weekend

Temperatures fell in the state Saturday and the rain came down like winter.

I am not sure we even made 60 degrees on Saturday. Or Sunday.

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are increasing in the state since our re opening. But we continue to re open.

Protests continue in some areas of the state, particularly in Portland where vandals contribute more pain to the already pained business community.

We here in Oregon can never forget the summer of 2020.  Labor day weekend, fires roared through many of our mountain canyon, with hurricane force winds, consuming all in their path.  Covid was raging at the same time.

That's my recap of June weather since 2020, from a few sentences in random June blog posts.

Sad Day

 My old gal Juno died suddenly yesterday.

She'd been living in the cat yard and I didn't know she was struggling, although I did know she was very old.

She came from a seed warehouse colony a few miles south of Corvallis.  I spent a lot of time out there catching the cats to be fixed a long time ago.  I had finally caught her and her kittens.   She was an adult then.

Juno at the warehouse with her kittens before I caught her

This photo is from November of 2012.  She was not a young cat when she came to live here.

She loved Teddy.  This was from 2013

So long old gal.  Juno had a good life here and many many friends over the years.

She went to a friend in another town as she could not return to the warehouse with harvest in full swing.  But it became very very hot and the lady had a metal roof.  She brought Juno here, with heat stroke and blindness from heat stroke.  I took her to the vet who said she might get her sight back and got her temp down from 106 but warned me not to return her to the warehouse as heat stroke is easier to get once you get it once.

So she stayed here.  She loved Sam and playing and running in and out to the cat yard.  She remained feral.  I found her yesterday in the bathroom, when she lived mostly in the cat yard and knew immediately she had come in to die.  I touched her for the first time yesterday.  She died within a couple hours.

I had made an appointment Tuesday in Corvallis for her and for Tugs end of days.  Tugs is my tiny torti who has been here almost 20 years.   It is hard for me to give up on Tugs, I love her so much, but there is no cure for old age.   She is beyond skinny, requires fluids to be alive, and I have to let go.

I was trying to get rid of that huge chair yesterday.   I cleaned it well and took it to Habitat Restore and they said they didn't want it.  I could not figure out why since its in good shape compared to much of what they have but it was near closing and that alone could have been the reason.  So I just took it back to the neighbor woman.   I knew she'd either give it away on marketplace or need it there.   She's got two former homeless folks living there now.   Costing her lots to even feed them but they help her out around her new place.

Her family is coming to see her soon, two of her daughters and at least two grand daughters.  I can tell she's excited about that.  I think she has 3 daughters.  Her sister comes to visit a lot too.  

I did not yet find a box big enough to ship back that useless mattress.  Today I'll try again.   

Our weather will be lousy, gray and unseasonably cool, with rain, until Thursday.  So said the weather report.

I have two cat spots for fixing at Radpets on Wednesday.  I got them at the request of the lady who traps where she works but I have not heard back from her, regarding the upcoming appointments recently.   My nonprofit will also pay for another group out just south of town to be fixed but they'll trap and transport.   I also have five traps loaned out in Scio, to a family helping a Crabtree man get the cats he feeds fixed.

So although personally I have not been trapping, my nonprofit is still paying for quite a lot of cats to be fixed and loaning out traps on a consistent basis here and there.