SUNDAY~FUNDAY #21

This morning was the 1st Sunday~Funday of 2021 😊

No new adventure ... but a very necessary "DO!" 😉

On my way to Bundy's in Clatskanie, OR

I have itching feet that like to keep moving – I also like to eat at different places when I am able to get away from home base.

It doesn't bother me to drive an hour and a half for a cup of morning coffee ... or half an hour in another state for a hamburger 😉

As long as I know the route, I'm burning rubber and kicking up dust 😊

Taking the right side exit today ... last Monday, I went left; to St. Helen's OR

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2021/03/st-helens-daytrip.html)

Bundy's Cafe Drive-In from Heron Pointe, WA. Crossing from WA into OR, to get to Bundy's Cafe Drive-In from home only takes 24 minutes.

Longview seen from Rainer, OR viewpoint turnout.(https://portblakely.com/us-forestry/log-products-sales)

Litterbugs clearly rebelling against prohibited dumping.

Bob & I checked the Black Buggy Amish Furniture Store out, a few years back.

About 5 years ago, Bob and I were just out for a drive; just dinking around – saw the sign and decided to go see what they had. The road narrowed down to a narrow road, and the shop was behind a private home. The stuff was very nice … and very steeply priced.

Black Buggy Furniture Store; Rainier, OR. 13 minutes from home.(https://blackbuggyfurniture.com/)

Reaching Clatskanie, I didn’t remember seeing this building last time I was through here; so, I took a picture and researched it when I got home. Apparently, this building … across from the Safeway Store, has been here a while.

In my defense, I am going to state that we always had children with us for 44 years straight – and my mind and eyes were always on them when we were on the road; there was little time for sightseeing unless they were napping.And I as in a heart-break widow’s fog all of 2019, and most of 2020.

(https://www.thechiefnews.com/news/clatskanie-museum-reopens-at-grannis-square/article_2c44a1d0-60d6-11e4-b131-07f6c97f2387.html)

Now, I have all the time in the world to sightsee … and I’d rather have my husband, kids, and grandkids back to snag my attentions.

I am enjoying my new solo lobo life – seen through eyes that have been opened over the past 26 months, but, I do also miss my old life now and then.

Windy day in Clatskanie. Windy day in Clatskanie.

A few miles back – just past Alston Corner – I could see where there had been storm blown debris all over the highway – and tree limbs that had been cleared off and laid alongside the roadways; so, that is something else to note and file away for future road trips and Sunday~Funday forays. I need to know when it is safe to get back out on the highways and byways after Winter months fade away to Spring time. Bob would have known … but I don’t: and I have to learn it by trial and err.

The wind gusts along that stretch of the highway, were pretty strong. My upper arms still ache from doing my best to keep the car on my side of the highway; the car kept being "led" from one line to the other by wind gusts.

Hail in the rain! The morning had started out with a peek-a-boo blue sky, and a sunny outlook …

I figured I might have a wait for my ‘burger basket, so I grabbed the paperback novel I started reading last night before the Sandman paid me a visit … and it sure came in handy when the hail arrived 😉.

Sackett Novel I started reading.

I love reading about those highland Tennessee hillbilly Sackett boys.

And this recent adventure storyline kept me safely entertained until it was okay to head back home.

Stimson Mill memory.

(https://www.stimsonlumber.com/company/operations/ & https://www.wweek.com/news/2019/05/31/stimson-lumber-announces-its-pulling-timber-jobs-out-of-oregon-in-rebuke-to-new-taxes-and-carbon-caps/)

Stimson Mill Road; Clatskanie, OR. It's not a long road - but the memory is a long one: I just couldn't do that today.

It was just a passing road sign I had caught a glimpse of, in my peripheral vision … but some days, that is all it takes to take my thoughts backward in time, when Bob was alive-in the flesh.

That’s all it takes sometimes to choke me up.

Still.

I can't make the side trip today ... too emotional. Maybe later this year; but not today.

I have to distance myself from my thoughts, right now.

Reaching home base again, I could see bits of blue sky trying valiantly to push back the gray clouds …

Home, sweet home.

And I was glad I did not try to drive back home in that hail storm:

Car Wreck off Exit 48, in Castle Rock, WA - 3 hours ago. I did not want to roll my car, too, on the wet roads covered with ice balls.

But I never regretted, for a single moment, today’s Sunday~Funday excursion 😉

#20 – the **last of the 2020 Sunday~Funday’s – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/09/sundayfunday-20-deep-river-eden-valley.html (plus 10^th thru 19^th SUNDAY~FUNDAY links)

#9 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020_04_27_archive.html (plus 1st thru 8th 2019 SUNDAY~FUNDAY links)**

obamanite DOOMSDAY CULT

At what point will the insane nonsense from the demonrat hate party stop?

Will it ever stop?

Or will it just continue to morph into an absurdly bizarre level of delusion?

(https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-mainstream-media-doomsday-cult-police-state)

Hysterics over a Trump-Russian collusion: False

“Forever” Impeachment of President Trump – twice: False – twice

blm anarchy & violent riots viewed as demonrat applauded “summer of love”: False

The obama-biden’s rigged ‘electoral win’ coup viewed as legit by {vast majority}: False

America is predominately racist: False

DC ‘insurrection’ a threat to The People, & The republic of America: False

Military presence in DC is a safeguard for The People: False

President Trump viewed as covid angel of death … biden viewed as covid savior: False, on both counts. The demonrats never plan to get a handle on covid: covid is their golden goose egg – without covid, their entire ‘plan’ is moot. The covid hysteria will go on, and on, and on.

The People plan a ‘March 4^th Insurrection’: False. March 4^th has come and gone … now the hysterical cry for military protection in DC has been bumped to March 20^th; and the ‘target date’ will be stretched as far into the future they can stretch it. A {killer} insurrection, like a {killer} virus is all the demonrats have to grasp power/keep it – they are not about to give either up.

At what point, should the obamanite lunatics’ crazy quilt paranoia be considered viable – or sane?

The party of hate has been wrong on every point they have tried to score; by any stretch of the imagination, the obamanites have lost all credibility.

When are The People going to finally have enough; end the political race-baiting bullshit, and boot every single demonrat out of Congress, out of DC, and out of State seats of leadership?

Enough is enough!

**********

WTH? (Access Denied: You don't have permission to access "http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-mainstream-media-doomsday-cult-police-state" on this server.)

Uhhh … Tucker Carlson is a PUBLIC speaker, Fox News IS a PUBLIC news source, and Blogspot IS a PUBLIC server.

This is MY Blog! I now {need permission from the shadow obamanite cartels spies} to post on MY Blog???

This obamanite cartel communist censorship is going too far.

PHASE 2

Cowlitz County is now in Phase 2; and a few other southwestern regions have also been bumped up …Clark, Skamania, Klickitat, and Wahkiakum counties. Of course, this only means something to nazi insleeze and his goose-stepping minions – most of us have been freewheeling and enjoying life, like the free American Citizens we are.

DC tyrants, and their evil twin governors, haven’t been running the lives of free people living a free life.

And in truth, 98% of WA State has been bucking insleeze’s insane mandates since well before November 2020: the maskless ‘woke’ anarchist blm race riots that torched cities and mindlessly destroyed business’s … driving a bulk of business owner to close permanently and move to other states; and insleeze’s bold faced lie that he had heard nothing of the destruction/founding of ‘chad’ following a violent governor/mayor supported {summer of love} installment of politically motivated anarchy … has seriously angered legit WA State citizens . Since the onset of 2021, most of the small business owners have boldly refused to obey the aimless shutdowns and politically motivated mandates.

Friendships have been sunk.

Businesses, and livelihoods, have been destroyed.

Families have been seriously divided and fractured; many beyond repair.

Neighbors have spied on each other – and communities have become distrustful.

People have died without the benefit of familial comfort in their final moments.

Children have begun to exhibit the destructive effects of isolation and separation from friends and grandparents.

People who have received the first injection of biden’s “approved” vaccine, refuse to get the second injection – stating they would rather risk covid than the debilitating effects following their first injection. The vaccine is for all intents and purposes, a failure.

Phase 2 doesn’t really change anything, because the political climate is still selling fear to the mass populace – feeding on fearmongering tactics; who believe political elites are gods, and science is the religion to follow.

The deputy health officer (the regional SS officer, under nazi insleese’s command), has said: “we must continue to wear face masks, maintain physical distancing, and avoid social gatherings despite the bump to phase 2 …”

So, insleeze’s move to declare a phase 2 stage in our small corner of WA State really doesn’t mean that much – and it does not endear this nazi tyrant to us.

It’s a little too little … a little too late. 

The {phases} are meaningless.

The ridiculous shenanigans need to stop, and WA State needs to be fully opened.

AMERICA’S 'woke' MOSCOW

DC has become a ‘woke’ tyrannical dictatorship … both sides of the isle.

Saggy-assed political elites have the full run of “The People’s House” – and The People are forbidden to visit the grand house they built and fund.

Truth is silenced, and wild, paranoid lies flow as freely as Niagara Falls (NY or Oregon).

Unlawful and iron-fisted mandates are issued forth (sold as ‘for your own good’) by delusional demonrat governors, drunk on poisoned koolaid.

A permanent military presence will be installed in DC! Not to protect The People … but solely to protect the saggy-assed political elites; who are (as they should be) quaking with paranoia, concerning their unrepentant guilt about what they are doing to The People.

The demonrat party of hate – that screeched for 4 years about “Russian collusion” is behaving like the Russian dictators they scream about.

(https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-washington-military-occupation-liberal-fear)

 

**********

WTH? (Access Denied: You don't have permission to access "http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-washington-military-occupation-liberal-fear" on this server.)

Uhhh … Tucker Carlson is a PUBLIC speaker, Fox News IS a PUBLIC news source, and Blogspot IS a PUBLIC server.

This is MY Blog! I now {need permission from the shadow obamanite cartels spies} to post on MY Blog???

This obamanite cartel communist censorship is going too far.

LIFE UNFOLDING

Tomorrow it is supposed to start raining again, so today I did as much outside as I could to get my Spring tasks underway.

This morning, I thought I’d drive to the Four Corner’s Farm & Garden Store in Castle Rock, to buy a few seed potatoes and a container of Sluggo Slug Bait; before I tackled tidying up the stored geraniums.

The early morning drive was nippy, and foggy:

Foggy morning. 8.48 AM - Ocean Beach Highway.

While, still on Ocean Beach Highway, I remembered that a friend had told me about a nursery on 44^th, so I thought I’d check that tip out …

(https://www.watershedgardenworks.com/nursery)

The nursery itinerary wasn’t what I am in the market for – it specializes in landscaping items: I need vegetable garden items.

I’ll continue driving to Adna, to purchase what I need; I actually like the country backroads drive to Adna, so the lengthy drive is a win-win situation, as far as I am concerned 😊

Topping the upper end of Virginia Way, the fog had lifted – and not a minute too soon, either: a doe was standing close to the road, munching grass. Deer can be testy creatures, and nearly impossible to see when shrouded by a fog bank. Thankfully, the fog had dissipated for clear vision … and the doe didn’t startle:

It was clear vision driving all the way over Virginia Way, Nevada Drive, and West Side Highway through Lexington – nearing Sandy Bend, though, the fog was laying low and heavy …

Thick fog patch on West Side Highway, near Sandy Bend.

A Truck was creeping up on my slow-moving bumper; so, I pulled over the first chance I got, and let him zip past me; I was in no hurry to get to Castle Rock, and the rest of the day was scheduled to operate in slo-mo 😉

When I arrived at Four Corners Farm & Garden Store, I was told the seed potatoes’ arrival has been delayed; so, I will have to go back to Castle Rock next week. But I did bring home the slug bait 😊

The weather had warmed up to about 50-degrees, so I settled back for a relaxing drive: when I reached the top end of Nevada Drive, I decided to take the Lone Oak Road home, instead of retracing Virginia Way to Old Pacific Highway (my normal route). Lone Oak is a twisting snaky road, but it is a nice country drive that would drop me close to Coal Creek – seconds from home.

Midway along the road, I came upon three robins skipping down the center line; it made me smile. I always smile when I see robins: peppy robins herald the onset of Spring … and seeing one, make my feet itch to get outside and embrace all that life is birthing in this new Spring season 😉

Nevada Drive from Four Corner's Farm & Garden Store, Castle Rock, WA. 14 minutes.

Columbia Heights Road from Nevada Drive Road, Longview. 3 minutes.

Heron Pointe from Lone Oak Road, Longview, WA. 9 minutes

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu0HCKbPTmU)

When I got home, I pulled the geranium pots from their overwintering storage, to start trimming the dried parts back to lively green growth. But first, I needed to sharpen the vintage pruning clippers (these are my favored clippers, but they have not been attended to in 3 years). I had watched Bob sharpen knives and my garden tools for decades – but his youngest brother, Kerry, explained how to do this last year when I asked him how it was done.

While going through the motions, I drew the first blood of this Spring season when the bottom jaw of the dull and rusty clippers jumped the file and bit me – the jaw blade wasn’t sharp, but it did jab me and pierce skin. By the time I got back outside, the small bubble of blood had stopped oozing:

Sharpening Garden Clippers. 10:38 AM - home.

First gardening wound of the season. LOL

Making the bottom jaw's bite sharper ...

The weather by then had inched up to 59-degrees, but it was a chilly 59-degrees. The sun was shining, and the sky was free of clouds; but it was not really a ‘warm Spring day’, yet.

It was, however, an enjoyable Spring day 😊 

I got the geraniums tidied up, lightly fertilized, and slug baited; and set out in the breezeway to rejuvenate them …

Overwintered geranium's trimmed, fertilized & sprinkled with Sluggo.

All the geraniums have been tended to ... and set in the breezeway to ‘wake up’ in a protective environment.

Herbs putting out new growth, Daffodils blooming, & Tiger Lilies planted.

And I met my new backyard neighbor – and we visited over the fence; she seems like a nice lady. She as widowed 8 months ago, and she moved here three months ago, from Yakima.

Yakima to Heron Pointe.3 hr. - 21 min.

Tired, and feeling accomplished, I settled into Bob’s recliner when I got back inside … and enjoyed a phone convo with my BIL, Rick (my sister Iris’s husband), as well as the vociferous honking of geese flying over the house:

Noisy flock of geese flying the airway, right over my head ... 4:23 PM 

And I finished up two more preemie baby gowns …

Preemie Baby Gown; 4 pounds, or less. Knit.

Today was a promising and productive day; full of life unfolding 😊

KIOSKS MAKE ME FEEL STUPID

They are soulless.

They are inanimate. 

They are digital robots.

They are basically rubbish.

But they have the power to make me feel stupid.

Yesterday afternoon, I received a notice from Xfinity that on February 26^th, Xfinity had decided I needed to receive my billing via a paperless route, so they set up an account for me … and I only had a week {window} to opt out.

Well, that whole thing pissed me off ☹ (1) Xfinity did not ask me if I wanted to go paperless (2) Xfinity took it upon themselves to make a decision for me – without my expressed permission (3) The week’s window began four work days ago … and the window was quickly closing before I had even yet been informed there was a necessary window.

So, this morning, I was up and out of the house … and downtown, with the papered notice in hand – by 9 AM.

Only to find out the downtown office had closed and relocated.

Standing in the vacant parking lot, reading the relocation poster, all I could think was, ‘I have no freaking idea where 740 Ocean Beach is’. So, I walked back to the car, and pointedly tapped the address into the map app on my inherited smartphone: all that did was add more confusion to an already frustrating situation – the {quick} route was an endless maze of blue lines going nowhere fast.

I pulled over as quickly as I could find an empty parking spot along the confusing highlighted phone app route … and entered the address into the car’s GPS system: 5 minutes later I was parking in Xfinity’s new parking lot; which, until recently, had been the Army/Navy/Marines/Airforce Recruiting Building in the Strip Mall.

Who knew?

The notification poster taped to the abandoned Xfinity office could have made things less frustrating by simply stating: ‘we are now located at the Twin Cities Shopping Center Strip Mall’.

As I entered the new downtown Xfinity office, I saw right away that it had indeed morphed into a downtown entity – the interior was streamlined: it was mimicking the AT & T office … in every way. There was an open floor plan with nappy gray upholstered ottomans strategically placed near a wall-mounted large-screen TV. There were Formica topped islands with tall-legged stool style chairs. The attendees wore wired chat headsets. There were kiosks lining one wall.

For one brief moment I thought I had entered the wrong building.

I explained to the greeting attendee that I had received notification that Xfinity had moved my monthly billing to a paperless thing; and I wanted to opt out – could I do it here, right now?

He said, yes – I could opt out: and then he fixed the issue 😊

Then I asked him if I could pay my bill also, even though I had not yet received my bill (I will no doubt receive that tomorrow). Again, I was told ‘yes’ … then he added … ‘you can pay at the kiosk’ – and he waved his hand in the general direction of the offending soulless machines.

I said I wasn’t sure how to use the kiosks (I really hate those things!)

He said, “Just tap the screen, and follow the directions.”

It sounds so simple.

Yet, it is anything but.

There is always a glitch somewhere; sometime.

And true to form … it made me feel stupid.

After the third time of being frustratingly rebuffed by the inanimate jerk, I terminated the transaction and turned to the attendee, saying, “I’m going to need some help over here.”

He came to me, and I said, “I’ve tried 3 times … but when it gets to the card part of the transaction, it just stops and times out.”

The guy said, “Yeah – what the machine doesn’t tell people is that when you insert your card, you have to pull it back out quickly – or it won’t read it.”

I just looked at him. 

And glared at the soulless machine. 

That is an important ‘instruction’ to know!

The transaction was finally finished; I pocketed my receipt, and left the building.

It helped defuse the frustration … and restored my confidence … by reasoning that the actual stupid person was the designer that programmed the robotic digital kiosk.

And if I ever have to go back to Xfinity for anything, I will park in the larger Strip Mall parking lot, and walk the distance to the building because the parking spaces in Xfinity’s designated locale is very, very tight – in all directions.