I did not know there were so many colors in roofing tiles!
This is at Malheur Wildlife refuge. The older building have all of these colors, middle age buildings have red tile, and the newest have red sheet metal!
There was a picture taken the year I was born (1937) that showed the two or three original buildings with these wonderfully colored tiles.

forms

Today I am chasing forms.

Proof of this and proof of that. Nothing complex, but all take time.

The forms are all supposed to be in to the Washington State office by Monday, but that can't happen easily.

So, I will call the case worker and ask for a bit more time. The alternative is to drive 500 miles to hand deliver the envelop, or to pay $20 to 50 for overnight delivery.

I do not begrudge the state (I went through the same process with Idaho a year or so ago) doing a good job to make sure of the rules. That is OK. Some of the questions they ask and the information they seek is wonderfully simple to the one who wrote it, but does not always make sense to those of us out here!

There is one form that has to show all who live at daughters address. There are 7, and all over 18 must sign the form. That includes our 25 year old "challenged" grandson, but that still is OK.

In another week we have a multiple hour conversation with the assigned caseworker. Miriam will be less than gracious I am sure, but I'll bet the caseworker has gone through that before.

stick and stones

easy moving

There are a lot of ways to have fewer possessions.

Grandma used to tell me how devastating a house fire was, and she went through one. My other grandmother would say that three moves is about the same as a fire. Once my parents moved 250 miles (after I was born) as passengers in someone else’s car!

In terms of space we are moving from about 1300 square feet to less than 300. That would be a massive challenge, but I have a different tack on this move!

Since we own our house and have no plans to quickly rent it out (and none to sell it), we are going to do it the easy way. We take what we need and leave the rest here. Then we take more when we go up the next time.

When we were in Texas in the late 80’s that is what we did. By the time we were ready to move back to the NW, it was amazing how much we had moved. Besides, artists not only collect a fair amount of “stuff” we make a LOT of it too!

So we will take what we need and hopefully need what we take. Of course, our daughter’s house is just a few yards from the motorhome.
I’ll take a box of hand tools, but my cabinet shop will stay here, pretty much in tack. Moving 300 pound hunks iron is not my idea of a good time. That too may get moved one day, but this time.

When I need to make something, and I will, I’ll drive down for whatever time it takes. I hope sometimes I can leave Miriam with our daughter, so I can rest my head as well.

Are we having fun yet?

Steens Mountain, Oregon

Near Diamond Oregon.

moving along

I went down to look at the motorhome today.

David and Lynda were busy getting it all cleaned up for us, bless them. We worked on some details.

I talked to my garden friend who will be glad to work my garden and take whatever it produces. That is good too, and one day he may house set, or more.

So it is lining up, whether Miriam is on board or not.

More paper work from the Department of Old Foggies. Daughter One called the office." What if we cannot get all of this complete by the deadline?"

"Do your best and don't worry, we will work with you."

And so it goes, the biggest upset in my life in a good while.

Miriam and Ron (our camping friend, this week) have always been about the same state in this AD thing, but Ron is still hanging on well. This morning I sat with him a few minutes: "Ron, how are you?" "Other than I cannot remember so well, I am fine."

Miriam not so much so. "But," she insists, "you have not changed my diapers yet."

True, and I assured her that when that time comes I will be in deep trouble.

de-nile

For 12 bloody years we have been living in denial.

We are so far down the line that we are going to have to live with a daughter, the better to care for her mother, and still there is a constant huge wall of denial.

I get frustrated with the same non-logic logic and questions, I raise my voice in frustration, which proves that I am an ass and that she is right that there is no reason for any of this, after all I have not changed her diaper yet, she reminds me.

So, this is one of those kicking and screaming projects.

She is still sure there is nothing wrong with her, because the Xray did not show any problem. No number of repeating that Xray don't show this disease matter. When I say I have a doctor and a judge who agree, that is not evidence either.

So, I am frustrated, and I am aware that at some point we will simply do what has to be done and deal with the fireworks at that point.

None of this makes it any easier to be a caregiver.

None.