March 2019: June 2015

05 May 2015

The month of May has been the wettest month so far this year. Idaho looks like Washington. Everything is green and growing. The garden is remarkably advanced for this time of year. The beginning of the month was marked by a trip to Washington to visit with Dawn’s brothers. We stayed in Baker City, Oregon the first night on our way to Vancouver, WA.

Multnomah Falls was a great diversion along the Columbia River road. Christine, Dawn and I climbed to the top of the falls on a beautiful day. Then on to stay with Louise in Vancouver, WA, while we were there we met with Benny, Mike and the Sangalli family. Some of the fun things we did were eating at Sushi Land, golf, visits with Mike and Ben, playing games with Machaela, Orion and Eleanor.

The Kurowski’s joined us in Vancouver and we spent time with Benny and Mike. Christine, Benny, Dawn and I had a golf outing on a beautiful spring day. All the flowers were gorgeous and the lawns green from the rain. The last day we were there we had a meal with Natalie and her boys, Ryden and Brennen.

The long ride to California played a toll on my sacrum. The travel from Vancouver, WA to Cornish, California took all day. We dropped off Christine at her in-laws near Cornish, CA and then back to Cottonwood, CA to stay with Harry and Connie Hunziker. While we were at the Hunzikers we did many fun things. We hiked the Brandy Creek tail, visited the Sun Dial bridge and Turtle Bay museum, movies, Indian restaurant and hiked the West Side trail at night hoping to see the full moon rise.

Harry was scheduled for a surgery on 8^th of May the day we left to return to Idaho. I gave him a blessing at his agreement. Things went well.

Our trip home was without incident, just a lot of back country through Alturas, CA and on to Burns, Oregon. We stayed the night in Burns and visited the “Bell A” ranch outside of the town. I worked there in 1966 with Eric Henningsen . It brought back memories.

Once we got home my back hurt from the long drive. I ended up at the chiropractor adjusting a subluxation and now nursing a priformis syndrome causing sciatica pain. I am still having problems with pain in my sciatic nerve area.

Right after arriving back to Idaho Falls we had planned a flight to Mesa, AZ to spend a few days with the Mariners. While we were there we went to the Phoenix Zoo with Burton, Roxy and Monica. It is such a thrill to be with those kids.

At the end of each May we always visit the grave sites of our dear relatives who have passed on. Julia and I visited the gravesites of Lloyd and Virgie Russell, Ben and Minnie Sage (also Theda Cartwright), Linda Russell (my first wife) and finally Benton Carl Russell my father. Dawn and Christine visited their brother Brian who is buried in the New Sweden cemetery.

As always when the weather is warmer we jog around the Green Belt or walk with Julia and Woody. There have been a few nice days when we have golfed at Heise or Cedar Creek and once at Journey’s End in Shelley. Lastly, we had a wonderful picnic at Woody’s place playing with the grand kids.