| Don's Cabin Fever |
| February 18, 2008 Hi, Good thing you weren’t in Oregon or Washington all winter. You too might have gotten the terrible fever we are experiencing here. It’s called “Cabin Fever”. No vaccine, no ready cure. Joan and I have it so bad that tomorrow we are going for the cure. The cure is simply to make a get-away from home. To the Sandcastle Motel in Lincoln City for a couple nights is where we head in the morning. Ahh, if only we could have gone last Saturday or Sunday when Western Oregon was having our high for the winter of 60*’s and sun!! No wind, no snow on the highways in the mountain passes … no time! But tomorrow we have the time, the weatherman has the rain, we have the fever! We will go and prove the weatherman to be wrong, even if we have to close our eyes and ears. The ear part I have no problem. Grab your hat, Ma, I’ve got the garbage bags as raincoats, an extra pair of shoes, and … I’ve got a BIG net bag for your rock treasures. We missed our monthly outing in January and this week the only chance for February. Push the car out of the garage, close the door. This is the sacrifice it must pay for insisting I wash the winter’s grit and grime from it last Saturday. The Cabin Fever more severe for me this year since the “Box” work has slowed so drastically. Thirty hours work in seven weeks doesn’t buy many groceries! I used to get more work than that in one week. I’m complaining because I got spoiled with not having to find some activity. I’ve made several bandsaw boxes which are really cute and unique but boring, as all cuts essentially the same for all patterns. Probably be less boring if a profitable sale to be found. Sold a few but not enough for excitement! Told the Box people I think I’m ready to quit after these seven years. Panic!! No one else cutting for them. Just a lull in interest. We agreed I would continue but I have to get all these 230 sample designs out of my house so I can finish the concrete walls of our basement and have this rec room for our own interests. Agreed! So, I’m in the process of boxing and cataloging so to find the samples again, if and when needed. I have templates for the parts of each stored in cabinets in an outside room, so the samples not so important. Joan’s sewing a pressure situation through much of December and surely into January for alterations of clothes that aren’t made to fit. February has been a slow down for her too, so greater reason to stuff the car trunk and make our way to the Coast Highway, and trap ourselves at the ocean front motel for a night or two! Guess that’s one of the major problems of older age … you think that free time should be there waiting for you to grab and run, while wanting something to show accomplishment when you’re not! Balance!! We went to my cousin’s in McMinnville Sunday for the second icecream social for any and all relatives that might come. Quite a few relatives thought to attend the first one but a relative’s funeral in Bellevue the day before hampered that one so the second planned. Only one cousin could make this one too. Gee, all these six flavors of icecream, half dozen toppings, few people, how can we not help our cousin rid the refrigerator so nothing goes to waste? Oh, man!!! Twice we return home those evenings and supper was a low priority. Belly, don’t you ache for me!!! Daffodils are coming up and ready to bloom in a week or two. Moss nearly taking over the lawn … and between our toes. But we have no fear. The weathermen are assuring us of a day in July and two in August that will wilt the moss, the fungi, the mold, sunburn our backs, our legs, and heat us to look forward to the cool of Fall, the cold of next Winter. The 400% above the normal snow fall up and down the Cascade Mountain Range this winter, probably wont happen again for a few years. The avalanches that killed a few people, closed the mountain pass highways several times and created conditions where the snowblower trucks could hardly blow the snow over the 15 foot roadside banks, led to unusual conditions. National Guard personal were even called out to help the town of Detroit, OR dig out from under 12 feet of snow and the several feet of snow on roofs of houses in the area. Many homes cracked under the weight. A snowfall of this magnitude unheard of in the area. The abundant snowfall came on the heels of devastating winds up to 129 mph that racked the Coastal areas through Oregon and mid way through Washington during that first weekend of December. Trees cut in half, areas completely flattened of everything, houses damaged, flooding of unknown proportions, I-5 at Chehalis under 10 feet of water. The noise from the winds really disconcerting! Aberdeen in late December after the winds still of devastation. So many roof houses tarped in blue, wooden fences flattened, trees uprooted or snapped I half, debris covering many lawns in the lower lying areas. We here in Hubbard were been spared of all the ravishes of the past winter. Maybe 15 days below freezing and just 5 of those days below 25* with a low at 22* one night. Snowfall here just that one night without freezing temperatures so all the white gone by noon the next day but not before my snowman in all his majesty, arose from the snowy lawn. He withered and melted quickly, becoming only a stump of a man by evening, a glob by next morning. And so we go on with life and living, glorying in the Blessings we have been granted and sorrow for those less fortunate. We pray that all is well with each of you We are expecting maybe our kids and families from Colorado and Michigan to join with many other relatives this June to celebrate with us, Joan and my 50th Wedding Anniversary. Almost seems like everyone else more excited about it than we are. I told them a party not necessary until the 65th, but doesn’t seem like they will listen! Joan and I are doing real well, health wise and otherwise. Enjoying our days. There might even be a camping trip to Yellowstone this summer …….. if Joan gets her way! Ah, who’s going to step in front of that locomotive??? Love, Don |
Updated: 02-05-2019 |