The Trip That Wasn't to Be

 I was going to go to Idaho this month, to see my brother.  

At first, I had an elaborate plan, to drive to Bend, leave my car with a relative, who lives a few miles out of town.  She would then drive me to the commuter bus station that goes, once daily, to Ontario, a lengthy trip by bus for sure.  There I would transfer to a greyhound for the last two hours to where my brother lives.  Greyhound sold out to some other company but I still say Greyhound.

I had the tickets, going and coming, for a month before greyhound suddenly canceled the entire route.  Ok, whatever.   I finally got a refund.   Now what.  I decided to just drive, as its the quickest and least expensive.  The train doesn't go to Idaho.   I could take the train, from Albany, but it would go to Spokane WA, then I'd have to get a bus back down from there to Boise.  This would entail about a 24 hour journey.  I can drive to my brothers in a little over 8 hours.

Because my relative where the car would sit only has one day off a week, I had planned to be gone a week, so I could leave and retrieve my car on a day she could take me to the bus station and pick me up.  Otherwise, I'd have to pay a taxi for a 20 mile ride each direction which would be beyond my budget.  

Anyhow, this last week I caught a cold and with the misery of that, and the problems that come with old age, and sneezing/coughing (anyone female and older knows what I'm talking about), last night, when my sister in law called me, seeing if I wanted an out to coming, and I think she was looking also for an out to me coming, I cancelled the trip.

On my side, the realities of an incredibly long drive and my cold had set in, along with the knowledge I'd never stayed overnight with them before, even when they lived in Portland.  In fact, I don't think I've spent more than 3 hours time with them before, in my adult life.  On their side, I knew it would be work for my brother's wife, too much work probably, to have a guest that long.   I had worried about that and knew my brother likely would be oblivious.  But also she told me the basement room, where I would sleep, is usually where she sleeps, since they have only one other bedroom and my brother is a noisy up and down sleeper.   She still works full time, is still dealing with the aftermath of her grandma and aunt dying, and cleaning out their possessions.  I would never have planned to go, if I'd known I'd be taking her sleep space.    At least I found out before I drove off.   

I'd been dreading that long drive, the travel time itself.  Then came the cold.   Sister in law said my brother really wants a trip to the Oregon coast and we can get together then.  That's going to be a much easier scenario for all of us.

I'm relieved.  I'll get over this cold, but for now the sneezing and coughing and drainage made the thought of being in someone else's space with that going on very uncomfortable.

Muffy has become so affectionate in the two weeks since her dental surgery.

I went and picked up three cats today, to be fixed tomorrow, all caught by their caretakers.   I picked up a Lebanon teenage muted torti, one of three siblings fed in Lebanon.  The other two are next on the list.  Then I went and got the last two unfixed regulars at the Sweet Home colony, both former moms.  But the 8 kittens between them were taken in a couple days ago by the vet student's group.   They have 13 kittens from there now.   Want to see a kitten pile?  All related, cousins and siblings.  All from the Sweet Home colony.   I didn't know they were going to take in the last 8.

There are a couple of other adults, who are sporadic visitors to the colony, that they will try to catch and then kittens may emerge from the wilder females who were lactating at spay.   But for now, we're done there.  I did leave them a trap and remote control for it, in case the other two show up, so they can be caught.   Then I'll have to scramble for a place for them to be fixed.

I stopped in at K Family Farms for some strawberries and red onions.  This time of year, I half live on strawberries.  Soon it will be blueberries I'll be eating daily.  I have my own raspberry patch now here and as for blackberries, I have my spots where I pick them myself too.

K Family Farm Stand

I have a history with the property where the farm is.  Long ago, Mrs. Olson lived there.  She had a bunch of cats needing fixed and homes, so I knew her that way.  She was slowly dying of cancer and her son, with his son, lived on the property, to take care of her.  Eventually they rented space to a family with a yurt and I got cats fixed for them too.   But the son couldn't keep up the place nor the taxes and wanted so badly for it to go to farmers and he got his wish, a great berry and vegetable farm occupies the property now.   I only buy my strawberries there.