Did battle with Comcast last week.  It’s really the only game in town. Bought a new Airport (Apple router).  Drove all the way across town to my most unfavorite street (Lancaster) and took a number to wait my turn to pick up a new modem. Spent so much time holding on the phone to speak with several sweet-but-heavily-accented employees in various Asian countries that my phone went dead. Ultimately, I pointed out that I was elderly and it was a safety issue for me to stay connected with family members by WiFi.  I was just about to say that I needed to stay in touch with my elderly mother but realized that I could not play that card twice in one hand 🙂    Indian accents are very charming.  My new best friend somewhere in the Far East was so apologetic that he gave me three free months of a block of HBO channels. I am now seeking advice regarding what to watch there.   BTW, my WiFi is so fast now I don’t even have time to get up for a snack while it’s loading.

Beautiful today.  Headed out to the Santiam with my good friend Jim for a nice paddle from Green’s Bridge to Jefferson.  I’ve done this run many times and it’s one of my faves.  Left Jim’s car at the take-out in Jefferson and drove mine to the put-in.  A nice family there was kind enough to say they would keep an eye on my car.

River looked lovely.

So we put in and headed out.

Then something unexpected popped up around a bend and proceeded to detain one of our boats! (Read: A giant strainer suddenly appeared and ate the smaller of our crafts.)

After convincing Jim that he just needed to “leave it,” he and I sat down on the bank and discussed our options, one of which was not to do business with a raging river.  We were definitely up a creek without a paddle.  Actually, we were down a river without one of our boats and a paddle and out in the middle of nowhere with no option of hiking out on foot.

We could see our location on my cell phone and ultimately decided to call 911 and share that information with those good folks.  Soon we we received the confirmation that a crack team was putting in at Jefferson and would be heading up river to execute our rescue. (We were referred to as “the two victims.”  At least they did not say, “elderly victims.”) We had been prepared to abandon the boat to that hungry strainer, but our team got the boat out too!  Loaded up us and  both boats and sped us (We’re not used to speed!) safely home.  Even drove me back to Green’s Bridge to get my car.  Pictures tell the story best.

Here’s your boat, folks!

The take-out at Jefferson was a bit more impressive than we had planned earlier in the day.

Jefferson Fire District:  “Proudly serving and protecting.”  Thanks, guys.

Having a lovely, cool drizzly morning here, so postponed kayaking until Friday and Saturday when we’re expecting some warm sunshine.  Gave me an opportunity to cut back the roses after their first bloom and bring some into the house.  Can’t really describe the way they smell in the rain.

Yesterday, Joannie took Mother to renew her driver’s license.  They stopped by DQ afterward to celebrate with a Blizzard.

There is a family legend that mother’s mother (Mama) taught her to drive at the age of twelve on the country roads of Oklahoma with her mother-in-law (Grandma Harrison) in the back seat.  It is said that Mother once steered into and right back out of a little ditch on the side of the road.  Mama was very sanguine about these things and said nothing as Mother executed the corrective move.  I can recall some years later a similar experience in much the same area with me in the driver’s seat, Mother riding shot-gun, and Mama in the back seat.

Let’s see? Mother was twelve when she learned to drive and will turn ninety later this summer.  You do the math.  She’s never had a moving violation.  I think perhaps she has received a parking ticket or two though.    You go, Girl!

The Lunch Bunch brought lunch and champagne over to 1880 on Monday to help Connie and me celebrate the publication of our book.

It was such a nice day, we carried everything out under the arbor to eat.