Returning home from Oregon

Whittington's House near Eugene, Oregon

We woke at 3:30 and dressed for the flight home. Robert was up and ready to leave for work as we were leaving at 4 am. Cindy took us on the 45 minute drive and dropped us off at the Eugene airport. We made it through security with no problems although I was pulled for a screening of electronics since I was carrying a laptop.

Our short flight from Eugene to Seattle didn’t take long and was smooth. There wasn’t an opportunity to gate check our carryon bags so we would carry them to Seattle then to Cincinnati airports. We had a couple of hours in Seattle so we picked up breakfast sandwiches from Wendy’s then a deli turkey sandwich from Pike and Pine to split. We would eat the sandwich for lunch during the flight from Seattle to Cincinnati. We were pleased to get exit row seats and there were only two seats in our row. The flight was a little late leaving since the water to the galley wasn’t working and took about 30 minutes to repair. Although the flight left late, we arrived in Cincinnati on time at 5:30 pm Eastern Time.

We called the Hilton to get the hotel shuttle as soon as we deplaned and were told that the van would arrive in 10-15 minutes. Mary called the hotel again after 6 pm to see when the van was to arrive. She was told that the van had just left for the 5 minute drive to the airport. The van eventually picked us up at 6:35. Needless to say, we planned to give the service a poor evaluation and no tip for the driver.

On the drive back to Georgetown, we stopped at Sam’s Club to buy a few of the Member’s Mark Southwest Salads and some fresh grapefruits, We ate the pizza combo from the snack bar in Sam’s then drove home where we unpacked, turned the water heater on and adjusted the heat.

As always, we enjoy spending time with the Whittingtons.  We all enjoy the same kinds of things: hiking, spending time outdoors, listening to music and enjoying each other's company.  We look forward to seeing them soon at their Florida home.

Working on the fence and programming the sauna

Mark & I started walking the dogs along the canal then turned around to cross the highway and return via Greenwood Road. Mary & Cindy had left later than us so they met us at the crossover to Greenwood Road.

When we returned to the house, Mary continued to remove English ivy and Asian blackberry plants from the edge of the back lawn going toward the McKenzie River. Mark & I moved the temporary fence to enlarge the area accessible to the dogs. Because the order of additional fence panels and posts had not yet arrived from Home Depot, the fence lacked three 8’ panels from being complete. The gate that was damaged in transport also needed to be replaced so part of the temporary fence remained in place. Mary had picked up some wood filler for me when she and Cindy were out yesterday afternoon, so I repaired the superficial damage to the right side of the sauna when the panel toppled during the assembly. We dug around the irrigation line that was damaged when we dug one of the postholes. We dug a trench under the gate to allow redirecting the line. Once we had the ditch dug and the lines cleaned, reconnecting the line was easy. Mark went to the shed and turned each irrigation line on to test for leaks and to help him identify which irrigation circuit fed which area with irrigation water.

Lunch was a sandwich of deli turkey on seed bread with potato chips and Kirkland dark chocolate almonds. Michael came by to visit and have lunch with us. It was good to see him doing well.

We positioned the latch on the gate that we installed earlier in the week and assured that the self-closing mechanism would lock the gate keeping the dogs from getting out. We helped Mary haul some of the cuttings away from the clearing work that she was doing. She had created a space outside the fence that would be an ideal site for a small vegetable garden that is within reach of their irrigation system.

We brought ladders and extension cords to the area outside the front door where Mary & Cindy strung three 90’ strands of white mini-LED lights in the shrubs along the walk. Mary & I worked to set up the controls for the sauna. We were able to get everything to work on using the touchscreen panel inside the sauna. However, it took some time to get Mark’s iPhone connected with Bluetooth to turn the sauna on and off, adjust the temperature and time and control the lights. We were eventually able to get his iPhone to send audio to the sound system inside the sauna. We believe that the major obstacle was my unfamiliarity with settings in the Apple operating system. We were pleased that Mark and completely control the sauna from their bedroom allowing him to get the sauna preheated before he goes out.

We were all filthy after working outside in the wet soil from last night’s shower so we bathed and did laundry before dinner. Mark grilled some wild caught halibut that was given to him by a friend who was fishing in Alaska. Robert came in as we were finishing dinner.

Since we had an early flight, we turned in early.

Assembling the sauna

We woke around 5 am this morning and did our morning language lessons and had our hot beverages. We took the dogs on a walk along the canal and met the project manager for the decommissioning of the EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) canal. Jeremy told us that the EWEB property would be returned to a more natural state with a winding stream and gentle slopes. He was very pleasant and informative. After returning from our walk, Mark & I loaded a huge amount of cardboard (mostly from the sauna) for recycling as well as several bags of trash (mostly Styrofoam from the sauna) to take to the nearby transfer station. The older lady checking us into the transfer station was very friendly and helpful charging us $13 for our large load. Mary & Cindy worked on removing English ivy and Asian blackberries from the slope going to the McKenzie River,

Assembling the sauna

We continued on to Home Depot in Eugene to return the damaged fence gate. The person at the customer service desk told us that since the gate was part of a larger kit, we would have to return the entire order for exchange. Since most of the materials were already in the ground with concrete, that was impractical. However, Mark has an additional gate on order and the damaged gate could be exchanged using that order. While at Home Depot we got some Christmas lights for Cindy, a section of 1 inch PVC and fittings to repair the irrigation line that I cut into while digging a post hole. We also picked up a few pavers to place under and in front of the sauna. This would made a stable base for the structure.

We made a quick stop to pick up dry cleaning for Cindy then returned to the house for a lunch of turkey sandwiches and potato chips. After lunch Mary & Cindy went into Eugene to shop at Costco, Walmart and Albertsons. Cindy is hosting a holiday party on Saturday and needed to get supplies. She contracted a chef to come to the house and prepare beef wellington for the 8 people expected.

While the ladies were gone, Mark & I started assembling the sauna. It took over 30 minutes to place and level the five pavers under the sauna. Assembling the sauna was fairly easy attaching the four walls and roof to the base. Connecting the wiring between wall panels was straightforward. The only mishap was when attaching the right wall. In the process of lining this panel up, we inadvertently disconnected the left panel. While grabbing the left panel, the right panel fell to the ground sustaining some minor damage. Once both side panels were in place, the front panel with the door was attached and the roof was added the structure. We connected all of the wiring and added the door handles completing the build. Once the base was in place and level, the assembly took only 40 minutes. We blew leaves from the bigleaf maple tree off the driveway then came in to relax.

Ike's Pizza & Broasted Chicken

Mary & Cindy arrived around 5:30 with a large load of groceries and supplies from Costco, Walmart and Albertsons. After we helped them bring the supplies in, we went to dinner at a local favorite called Ike’s Pizza, known locally for their “broasted chicken” and potatoes. There were only two older ladies working and they appeared to be moving slowly. The menu in chalk above the counter amused us with the grammar and spelling errors including “potatoe” wedges, 4 “peices” of chicken and “Ceaser” salad. Everyone except me had the broasted chicken but I ordered a Canadian bacon and cheese sandwich. The chicken was fine but not exceptional. It was moist and tender but the coating seemed odd. Cindy ordered a to-go order of 4 piece chicken dinner for Robert. After we finished our meal, we waited for Robert’s dinner to come to our table. Around 7 pm, music started playing loudly and we asked the waitress about the meal. She told us that it was being held in a warming oven for us and that the restaurant closes at 7. The music is a signal for diners to leave.

Back at the house, we sampled some mixed drinks that Cindy would prepare for her guests on Sunday evening. She was wanting a tasty bourbon or gin based drink with a fall feel. I preferred the whiskey sour with a little apple but we all had varying recommendations. Robert came in from work and enjoyed his chicken followed by his usual large serving of popcorn as he watched television.

Hiking at Clear Lake in Willamette National Forest

After a breakfast of cold cereal, Mark and I drove into Eugene to pick up the Hosauna T-59C3 infrared outdoor sauna that we would assemble on Thursday. The sauna was in a large semi trailer that would be unable to get into their driveway or turn around to leave the house. Mark decided that it would be easier to pick the sauna up at the trucking company office so we drove into Eugene to get it. The man working at the freight company was very helpful and placed the three boxes containing the sauna into the pickup. The boxes were too wide to fit between the wheel wells so he put the boxes on four pallets and placed them into the pickup’s bed. The sauna weighed over 600 pounds and being raised made the load top heavy so we secured the load with rachet straps and started back east toward their house.

After arriving at Whittington’s house, we unloaded the boxes into a bay in the garage. We changed clothes for a trip to the Willamette National Forest where we planned to hike around Clear Lake, Since it was nearly 11 am by that time, we had an early lunch of rice cake and a yogurt parfait.

The drive to Clear Lake took over an hour northeast through the Willamette National Forest. We paid the $9 day use fee and took the path around the lake. As the name implies, the water in the lake is remarkably clear. The lake has a maximum depth of 170 feet and was created over 3000 years ago when a lava flow created a dam in the stream coming out of the mountains. As we walked along the five mile path around the lake, we went by the spring that is the origin of the McKenzie River lava fields and hemlock forests.

Sahalie Falls

After returning to the car, we drove down the McKenzie River to Sahalie Falls, a 120 foot waterfall in the McKenzie River. Sahalie Falls is the first in a series of three waterfalls and many rapids in the river within a short distance. The trail out to the falls from the parking area was short and provided great views of the falls.

After arriving back at the house, we had dinner of a Caesar salad and butternut squash soup that Mark made. I went upstairs to read but was asleep by 7:30. I woke around 10 pm, brushed teeth and went back to bed.

Working on the fence

I was awake especially early so I went out to the loft area between the two upstairs bedrooms and read then did my morning German lessons. After hearing Mary stirring, I went downstairs to make tea. After Mark and Cindy awoke, we had oats with raisins and nuts before taking the dogs on their morning walk. We walked downstream along the EWEB Canal then crossed Rt. 126, the McKenzie River Highway to Greenwood Drive parallel to the highway and along Greenwood Landing Park. There had been a light rain last night and we saw several banana slugs on the path along the river. I took a few snapshots of the slugs to send to Nicholas who seems amused by them.

Banana slug

After returning to the house, we went out to work on the fence. We put concrete in all of the postholes that had fence posts over to the break for the second gate. We used T posts placed at an angle to support the fence panels vertically straight while the concrete hardened. Mary and Cindy relocated some ferns and heather plants then worked on removing some of the English ivy on the bank leading to the McKenzie River.

While digging the posthole on this side of the property, we hit a few rocks that we had to remove before continuing. There were a lot of roots from the plantings along the property edge that we had to deal with. We used Mark’s cordless Milwaukee Sawzall to cut through the roots allowing us to get to our desired depth. Although we had used all of posts and panels that we had, we continued to dig the rest of the holes back around to the porch. When we started to install the second of three gates, we found that the gate had been badly damaged by the shipper so we sat it aside to return to Home Depot on Thursday.

We came in for a quick lunch of a salad of the leftover chicken and lettuce as well as potato chips and some of the Costco dark chocolate covered almonds.

Because we had a gap for the gate, we were unable to set additional posts in concrete. However, we could dig the postholes for all of the remaining posts and panels. In order to complete the fence, we figured that we would need an additional 4 panels and 6 posts as well as some hardware for connecting the panels to the posts. We would need six more bags of concrete and 2 bags of landscape stone. Mark placed an order with Home Depot for the remaining fence components to enclose the area that they wanted to use for the dogs. While digging a posthole, Mark cut into the coaxal cable running from the house to the satellite dish. We weren’t concerned about it since it is highly unlikely that they would go back to satellite television.

Dinner was enchiladas from the roast beef leftovers from Saturday’s dinner along with steamed broccoli. Mary & Cindy finished the 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle while Mark and I talked about plans for finishing the fence and assembling the sauna that we were to pick up tomorrow morning.

Walking along the EWEB Canal

As usual, we were up early. While the clock said 4:30, our brains told us that it was 7:30. Robert has Sunday and Monday off, so he slept in. After a breakfast of cold cereal, we took the dogs on the canal but this time south toward Greenwood Landing. We saw a number of waterfowl as we walked including mallards, buffleheads and mergansers. A home with several pens holding chickens, ducks and goats was to the west of the canal. The two large geese were especially noisy. As we walked, we saw a bald eagle fly over us and perch in a fir tree near the canal path.

When we returned to the house, we placed the post across from the gate allowing it to swing and strike in the latch. We continued digging more postholes along the edge of the area to be fenced. Each hole had to be at least 27 inches deep and spaced 8 feet apart for the steel fence panels. We placed the posts in the holes, attached the panels to the posts then put concrete around some of the posts allowing some to remain free until we got another gate installed going to the path to the McKenzie River. We stopped for a lunch of deli turkey sandwiches with potato chips. I had a parfait of blueberries and granola in Greek yogurt.

Mark and I programmed their garage door opener to work with the built-in openers with their Highlander and Dodge pickup. It was easy to program but both of us needed to press buttons on the opener as well as the cars.

We continued working through the afternoon digging more postholes and assembling fence panels until we quit around 5 pm to shower and relax. Mark grilled chicken breast strips that he had marinated then glazed with a savory Asian flavor. After dinner, Mark and I watched an episode of Justified on streaming television while Mary and Cindy continued to work on the puzzle.

Starting on the fence at Whittington's

We woke early by Oregon time. Although the time was 5 am, our bodies thought it was 8 am. We did morning Duolingo lessons and had tea while we waited for Mark and Cindy to wake. Since Robert has Sunday and Monday off work, he slept in until late morning.

After a breakfast of bacon and eggs, we walked the dogs along the canal for their morning exercise. When we returned to the house, Mary and Cindy did some cleaning, unpacking and organizing while Mark and I started preparing to erect the Fencer Wire metal fence from Home Depot. The materials that were shipped to the house included 14 fence panels that were each 8 feet long as well as posts and connecting materials. The fence is all steel with a system of clips and bolts to attach panels to posts. Self drilling screws secure the clips.

We drove to Jerry’s Home Improvement to get 8 bags of Sakrete, 4 bags of crushed stone, two treated 2X4s and some Tapcon screws. The stone would fill the bottom few inches of the holes then one bag of concrete would secure the posts. The boards and Tapcon screws would provide an attachment point to the house. Jerry’s is very much like Menards with a large selection of hardware and other items at competitive prices.

Mark digging postholes for the fence

Back at the house, we used Tapcon screws to attach a 2X5 to the stone house foundation to attach a fence panel. We dug post holes for the other end of the first panels and the gate. The soil was not very hard or rocky so digging the 26” deep holes wasn’t very difficult. While digging the hole for the hinge side of the gate, I hit a PVC waterline about 12” down, however, it was a line for the irrigation system and shouldn’t be a difficult repair. We filled the holes around the steel fence posts with concrete and positioned the fence for the concrete to harden overnight,

We took the dogs on a walk along the EWEB Canal (Eugene Water and Electrical Board) where we saw markers and some equipment of possible construction soon. The path was a little damp from the overnight rain but was a pleasant walk.

View of the McKenzie River from Whittington's deck

When we finished, Robert was back from visiting some of his friends then Michael arrived around 5 pm. Mary had made meat loaves with the Schmidt’s Restaurant recipe and Cindy made a huge macaroni and cheese with several varieties of cheese. Mark made hard rolls and everything was delicious. We enjoyed visiting with the boys and catching up on their lives. We are hopeful that Robert can navigate through his divorce from Sheena and get shared custody of Zella and the baby that is expected.

After dinner, Mark and Michael watched a football game while Mary and Cindy worked on a 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of Las Vegas at night. Robert worked on some lessons and questions provided by his attorney that would help him in gaining custody of his children.

Since our bodies were still on Eastern Time, we turned in early and slept well.

Traveling to Whittington's new home in Oregon

We left home before 4 am for our 7 am flight to Eugene, Oregon with a stopover in Phoenix. Mark and Cindy used some of their Alaska Air miles to bring us to Oregon to assist them in moving into their new home. We were concerned about our flights since we were in the middle of the longest government shutdown in US history. TSA agents and other federal officials have not been paid in weeks, and many airports have had to cancel flights because of a lack of workers.

We reserved parking at the Hilton on Turfway Drive in Covington, Kentucky through onestopparking.com for less than $50 using some of our points and a discount code. We parked at the Hilton a little before 5 am and caught the shuttle to CVG at 5 am. We ate a breakfast sandwich of Clifty Farms ham at the airport then went through security without a problem. There seemed to be plenty of TSA agents, and we had no problems with our personal items or carryon bags. Since we had some time before our flight, we walked through some of the concourses at the Cincinnati Airport then made our way to our gate. The American Airlines employee at the gate was asking passengers to agree to gate check any carryon bags. We were pleased to get our bags checked all the way to Eugene so we wouldn’t have to mess with them until we arrived.

On the four-hour flight to Phoenix, we both read. I enjoyed Anne Hillerman’s Shadow of the Solstice in the Leaphorn and Chee books. We were fortunate to not have a crying baby, an uncontrolled dog or someone hacking from a cold or flu nearby. At Phoenix, was had lunch at Panda Express splitting a meal of orange chicken, broccoli and fried rice. It was surprisingly affordable since one meal fed both of us.

The flight from Phoenix to Eugene was delayed by about 30 minutes waiting for the aircraft to arrive at the gate. This was a much smaller aircraft and carried fewer passengers. Like the flight from Cincinnati to Phoenix, the flight and landings were excellent.

On our arrival to the Eugene, Oregon airport, we were met by Cindy at the arrivals area of the airport then made the 40 minute or so drive to Whittington’s new home stopping at Albertson’s grocery store for a few items for the week.

The living room in Whittingtons Oregon home

We had a tour of Whittington’s beautiful new house then Mark showed me where he wanted the new fence and what the materials. We took the dogs on a walk along the Leaburg canal that formerly brought water to an electric generation plant near their home. We were impressed by the growth of horsetails and invasive Asian Blackberries. The Whittington’s house has four bedrooms, three of which are upstairs. One of the bedrooms is concealed behind a bookcase. There are many large, exposed beams that are six inches thick, 16 inches wide and up to 30 feet in length. There are three huge fireplaces and lots of windows overlooking the McKenzie River.

Robert was living with Mark & Cindy for the time being until there was a resolution to his upcoming divorce from Sheena. He was happy telling us about his job driving a semi carrying waste forest products like sawdust, wood chips and bark. We are hoping that the legal and personal issues surrounding the divorce are settled soon, especially custody of their daughter, Zella and the unborn baby.

Dinner was a beef roast from Idaho that Mark cooked in the Instant Pot then shredded for slider buns with cole slaw. Since we were up at 4 am this morning, we turned in early and slept well.