Vietnam. Feb 12, 2026

Ho Chi Minh City

For a long time after my 1970 discharge from the U.S. Air Force, I never gave much thought to revisiting Vietnam. It wasn’t until 2025 that I began to feel interested in seeing it again. So, cutting to the chase, all the planning and preparation were finally completed and our trip was set. At first I felt fine about the whole idea and actually looked forward to seeing Vietnam again. To break up the long journey, we decided to travel to Singapore by way of Fiji, taking three or four days to explore the island before continuing on to Singapore. One night in Singapore was enough for me. I was anxious to set sail deeper into Southeast Asia. We were on board the Diamond Princess by noon. Checking in was easy and everything went smoothly. Our small group of seven processed through the terminal and headed up to the 14th floor to sample the lunch buffet before inspecting our quarters—or staterooms, as some call them. Since we are budget travelers, they seemed more like quarters to me. We did have a small balcony, though, and I enjoyed spending time there watching the South China Sea roll by.

We pulled out of Singapore around 6:00 PM, cruising all night, the entire next day, and into the following night. We arrived near Ho Chi Minh City about 7:00 the next morning. Sometime during that full day at sea, I began feeling different. I became more anxious—perhaps even nervous. Thoughts began to consume me, and I had trouble focusing. That evening at dinner, I told the rest of our group about my anxiety and asked them not to mention anything about my past presence in Vietnam. My reasoning was this: when the United States withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, the North Vietnamese forces quickly overran the country. Many South Vietnamese people were killed, imprisoned, or forced into the Communist system. I reasoned that with several generations now living in the south, there could still be resentment or hostility toward Americans who had been part of the war. I began to wonder if I had made a wise decision in coming back. My wife Debby had created an itinerary that included a private tour of several highlights of the city. It still felt strange calling this place Ho Chi Minh City. During the war it was known as Saigon. I had been here a couple of times in 1970. During the past 50 years the physical changes to the city have been tremendous. One of our stops was a coffee shop on the 76th floor of a downtown high-rise building. From there we had amazing views of the city. It reminded me a lot of looking down on Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. Our guide said it has more than 12 million inhabitants. There are many high-rise apartments near downtown in what they call the high-rent district. He also claimed there are about 18 million motorbikes in the city. I’m sure I didn’t see 18 million, but I did see a lot! One of our visits included a Buddhist temple where we had to remove our shoes and hats before entering. Photography inside was not allowed, so I have no pictures from that visit. Our guide explained much of what we were seeing. One smaller room was dedicated to the god of Hades. People were coming in, bowing down, and praying there as well. It was a strange custom to me. I believe our guide told us that about 71% of the Vietnamese population is Buddhist. I also saw evidence of Muslim and Hindu influences. This is one country that could certainly use Jesus. Seeing this made me appreciate even more the work of the World English Institute, which reaches people around the world by teaching English using the Bible as their primary text. I personally have had two students from Vietnam. Liam, our guide for the day, told us that Vietnam wants to remain neutral and avoid future wars. The French had been here for many years, and the United States was involved for about twenty years. The war ended in 1975 when the U.S. withdrew. Since then, the country has been rebuilding and expanding at an amazing rate. It makes me wonder where all the money has come from.

Our guide repeatedly referred to the conflict as “the American War.” From his perspective, that is how it is remembered here. Of course, the United States entered the war in the early 1960s at the request of South Vietnam because of Communist aggression from the north. It is interesting how history and indoctrination shape the way events are remembered. Liam also used the phrase “when Vietnam won the war.” In reality, the United States withdrew from Vietnam. Today, Liam said, Vietnam holds no grudges and simply wants peace. China has a strong influence in the region, but he said Vietnam wants to remain neutral. Many Vietnamese admire the United States. They enjoy our movies, our music, our language, and our fashion.

Liam also mentioned that many Vietnamese like President Obama because he once visited the country. According to Liam, they even named a pagoda after him when he came to pray to Buddha for a son. As it turns out, he actually has two daughters. Oh well.

Singapore Feb 9, 2026

Welcome to Singapore

It was another long flight on Fiji Airways to get to Singapore. The 10-hour flight began at 9:30 PM and arrived at 4:30 AM. Customs was much easier than we had imagined. Fortunately, we had filled out the necessary documents in advance, so entry went smoothly for us.

Originally we had transportation arranged to take the seven of us to our hotel along with our ten pieces of luggage and backpacks. Unfortunately, we got the date mixed up and our ride showed up a day early! They were not happy. After clearing customs, we took the elevator down to the ground floor taxi area. Because of our group of seven—and of course a couple of tons of luggage—we needed two taxis. When we requested taxi service, we were told we would need to pay cash and that there would be about a 30-minute wait. Eric, Nancy, and I went back upstairs to find an ATM so we could get some Singapore dollars. On the way back downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee caught our attention and caused us to make a slight detour. We had time, after all. While waiting for our order, Debby called to tell me the taxis had already arrived and were waiting for us. Needless to say, we took a few minutes longer to grab our coffee and then made a beeline downstairs to the impatient taxi drivers. The oldest driver appeared to be the most irritated of all. Sandra later said it wasn’t until they were halfway to the hotel that the old man finally calmed down from chewing them out. Both drivers made it very clear they were not happy with our delay. Fiji had just introduced us to the idea of being “laid back,” operating on “Fiji time,” where schedules are loose and nobody is in a big hurry. These Singapore taxi drivers, on the other hand, demonstrated the exact opposite attitude.

After being scolded in broken English and warned that absolutely no food or drink was to be consumed inside their pristine vehicles, we proceeded to our hotel. Hopefully we could drop off our luggage and find a tour to see the city. By the time we arrived at the hotel, the drivers had calmed down enough to carry on a civil conversation. Our driver was very proud of his immaculate black Toyota, which he said was “very expensive” and could only be purchased in Singapore. We told him that we owned a Toyota as well, but he seemed unimpressed. He then informed us that Singapore is a very civil and law-abiding country. We were warned that chewing gum could result in a very expensive fine—something like $1,000. Murder was punishable by death. Kidnapping was punishable by death. Drug trafficking was punishable by death. It became very clear that we should avoid killing anyone, kidnapping anyone, or selling drugs during our visit. We also needed to help keep the city clean and respect the laws. As the driver passed the front entrance of Hotel Mi, he informed us that he would instead drop us off in the back at the loading area. We walked up a ramp to a plain, windowless steel door that led into the rear of the hotel lobby. Before we left the car, the driver carefully inspected the floor on my side where I had been holding a cardboard carrier with two hot cups of coffee during the ride. He leaned in to check the floor mat for any signs of spilled coffee. Finding none, he seemed satisfied. With luggage in tow, I headed toward the steel door. I can’t be certain, but I thought I passed a trash compactor on the way inside. From that point on, I felt very welcomed to Singapore. The Hotel Mi lobby itself was clean and welcoming, and the hotel staff were friendly and accommodating as we checked in and stored our luggage. The Pinkertons’ room was already available, so they were allowed to check in early. Debby and I had to wait until our room was vacated and cleaned, which meant later that afternoon.

We decided to find some breakfast and asked about a nearby restaurant. The hotel staff directed us up the street. After wandering around for a while and discovering that nothing was open yet, we returned to the hotel. At 7:00 AM sharp, Eric and I found breakfast next door while the others changed clothes, cleaned up a bit, and probably caught a short nap or two. A couple of hours later, we headed to the bus stop to catch the Big Bus for a hop-on, hop-off tour of the city. The weather was nice. Temperatures were expected to reach the mid-80s, and although the humidity was high, it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Singapore sits about 80 miles north of the equator in Southeast Asia along the South China Sea, so it was a perfect day to ride on the open-air upper deck of the bus.

The tour of the city was excellent. The architectural imagination of Singapore is amazing. The buildings are unique, breathtaking, and fascinating to see. We spent most of the day riding the routes and then switching to another one. The first leg of our Big Bus tour was a 12-mile journey through downtown called the Yellow Route. We got off at the main bus station and switched to the Red Route. As we continued the tour, we traveled through different ethnic districts such as Little India and Chinatown. Chinese New Year was only a few days away, and Chinatown was already decorated with banners and lanterns. This year marks the Year of the Horse. It seemed lucky for us that we would soon be in Hong Kong for New Year’s Day. That should be exciting. After completing the Red Route, we decided that enough sightseeing was enough for one day and cut the tour short. Eric and Nancy arranged a large taxi, and we headed back to the hotel. We were so tired from the day’s activities that we skipped dinner and went straight to bed. It sure felt good. The next morning we had coffee in our room and then met up with the rest of our group for breakfast at the same little café next door. It was just as good as the day before. Today the menu included scrambled eggs instead of boiled eggs, and chicken nuggets instead of chicken sausage. It was nice to see they changed things up a bit. The green salad and noodles at breakfast threw us off a little, but it was still a good meal. After a little last-minute shopping, we called for a taxi large enough to carry all seven of us to the port where we would meet our ship. Soon we were checking in with the crew of the Diamond Princess. The process went smoothly. We crossed the gangplank and rode the elevator up to the 14th floor for lunch while waiting for our rooms to be ready. Our luggage would soon be delivered to our door. It would be nice to unpack for a while instead of living out of a suitcase. We were looking forward to cruising the Far East for the next two weeks and were eager to get underway. First, however, we had to attend the mandatory safety drill so we would know exactly what to do if the ship were ever in trouble. Yes, that would be good to know. Our dinner schedule would be at 5:20 each evening in the International Restaurant. We enjoy sitting down at a nice table with well-dressed waiters taking care of us. The food is always good and the service professional. The seven of us on this trip include our lifelong friends Ron and Nancy Pinkerton, Ron’s brother Mike and his wife Sandra, our son Eric—who is along to make sure we don’t get lost—and of course Debby and me. It was good to visit Singapore, although it wasn’t exactly what I had expected. I think the taxi drivers got us off on the wrong foot from the start. They made us feel more like unwanted outsiders than tourists hoping to enjoy their country. Still, Singapore is a very beautiful city with magnificent buildings and architectural designs we had never seen before. Perhaps if we had stayed longer and had more time to explore its history—and see something besides skyscrapers—I might have a different impression.

It is certainly a very clean city preparing to celebrate the coming New Year. Decorations and flowers were everywhere, and people seemed excited about the upcoming festivities. At 4:00 PM we left port, heading north toward Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Fiji

Feb 7, 2026

Nadi, Fiji We are thoroughly enjoying our time in Nadi, Fiji. Lounging around this gorgeous swimming pool with an ocean view, listening to the random sounds of music and drums, watching warm-weather sunsets, and seeing the pathways and pool area lit with tiki fires all combine to create lasting memories. This morning Debby and I sat on our second-floor veranda drinking coffee while the wind blew and the rain fell. It was beautiful to watch, even though it was still dark. Yesterday we loaded

into a van with a driver for a look around Nadi. We stopped for a short visit at a local farmers market. I was impressed with the huge displays of fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Some of the vegetables were new to me, although I did recognize taro root. I had eaten some a few years ago during my first visit to Fiji.

There were also many craft items available for purchase. We picked up a few things we really needed—like trinkets and doo-dads. You can’t have too many of those things, you k

Back in the van, we drove out toward the Sabeto Mountain Range to visit Fiji’s Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a 49-acre botanical garden located near the base of the Sleeping Giant mountain. For the record, the Sleeping Giant is actually a mountain formation, not Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Yeti, or anything like that. The mountain range simply resembles the shape of a giant sleeping head. The property was once owned and developed by the American actor Raymond Burr—better known as Perry Mason. Mr. Burr loved Fiji so much that he practically lived here. He even purchased a 4,000-acre island. He imported many varieties of plants, trees, and flowers, including over 2,000 varieties of orchids, which were his favorite. He also cultivated new varieties, including one he named the Barbara Hale Orchid.

We walked along a covered pathway surrounded by amazing plants and flowers while our staff guide explained everything we saw. Not only could she identify each plant, but she also knew its history and country of origin. She was amazing. We might ask, “What’s that small bush?”

She would reply, “That is a ______ palm. It is believed to be one of the oldest palm varieties. It originally came from ______.” Or someone might ask, “What kind of tree is that?”

She would respond, “Those three trees are mahogany trees from the Philippines that Mr. Burr imported and planted himself.” The trees were very tall and probably about fifteen inches in diameter. Our guide could talk endlessly about any plant we pointed out. Her knowledge was impressive. After the covered walkway ended, we continued into a forested area where gardeners carefully maintained the plants. The path eventually opened into a small clearing with picnic tables and a gazebo located a short distance up a hill where weddings and special events are held. It was a beautiful setting near a small pond with a bridge crossing a stream. Lily pads and small fish made it a peaceful place to sit and think.

Afterward we drove up one of the mountains to a property owned by Rosie’s Travel. The dirt road leading up the mountain was rough and rocky, probably from previous rains washing away the loose soil. The view from the top was spectacular, and the landscaping was beautifully manicured. After taking many pictures, we were served dishes of tropical fruit and fresh coconut. We sat around a long picnic table beneath a canopy. That was fortunate, because the wind and rain arrived just before we climbed back into the van. Fortunately the shower lasted only a minute or two before moving on.

From there we visited a Fijian village for a guided tour. The women in our group were given cloth wraps to wear around their legs, which looked like dresses. This is part of Fijian custom and the garment is called a sulu. The older matriarch of the village guided our tour. She explained many of their customs and showed us their church. I believe she said about 300 people lived in the village. We took pictures of their community center and the inside of the church as well. The Fijians were once known for cannibalism, and that fact was mentioned several times during the day. We even saw a replica of a stacked rock oven that had been used by cannibals back in the 1800s. Today, however, Fijians are very religious people, with Christianity making up about 73% of the population. Today Eric and I hired a taxi and driver for three hours to go downtown to Nadi for some shopping and lunch. It was great. I invited our taxi driver to join us for lunch and offered to buy his meal. He graciously accepted but ordered only a bowl of ice cream. Eric and I enjoyed a vegetable dish with prawns and white rice. It was very tasty. When the food arrived, I offered a blessing. Our driver told me that was the first time he had ever heard a tourist pray before eating. He was impressed and told me he was an elder in his church. He then asked about my religion, and I explained that I had served as an elder in our church for 23 years. He seemed very pleased to hear that. While Eric and I were downtown, Debby relaxed around the pool while the Pinkertons took a tour to another Fijian village where they experienced a jet boat ride and a traditional kava ceremony. Mike Pinkerton was even named the chief of his visiting tribe. A good time was had by all.

Later we all enjoyed swimming and relaxing around the pool while listening to groups of Fijian men playing guitars and enthusiastically singing American songs—loudly and slightly off-key. Priceless. Our condo complex is the Club Wyndham, the same place Debby, Nancy, Ron, and I stayed several years ago when it was called WorldMark Resort. Now, twenty years later, the vegetation has matured and the palm trees stretch high into the sky. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and carefully maintained. Several new buildings have been added and many renovations have taken place. For some reason, however, there is no longer a beach. Along the ocean’s edge there is now a berm of stacked rocks across the property. Twenty years ago there was a sandy beach several feet wide. I’ll have to check some old photos when I get home because I’m curious about what changed. The swimming pool is still the resort’s main attraction. They claim it is the longest swimming pool in the Southern Hemisphere. Because this is the warm season, it is well used and enjoyed by everyone. The giant hot tub is a magnet for children. I’m not sure I want to share the same water with a bunch of little kids, if you know what I mean. Our second-floor condo has an amazing view. The garden below is beautiful, with running water flowing beside a wooden boardwalk. We ate our meals at a large table overlooking the whole scene. No sooner would we finish eating and step inside than the myna birds would swoop down to gather crumbs and carry them away. One day we accidentally left the sliding patio door open. When I walked into the living room I discovered three myna birds inside the condo! They simply turned around and walked back outside when they saw me. Debby, Eric, and I stayed in a three-bedroom unit on the second floor. We also rented a two-bedroom unit on the ground floor for the Pinkertons. Sandra had broken her foot a few weeks earlier and was using a knee scooter to get around, so the ground-floor unit made things easier for her. Although we stayed only four days, we had to rent the condos for an entire week. What a waste! Not only that, but we used only two of the three bedrooms in our unit, and there was also a full-size Murphy bed in the living room. The Pinkertons had another Murphy bed in their unit that no one used. Did anyone want to come along with us? Fiji is a wonderful place. The people may not have a lot materially, but few people express more contentment and happiness than the Fijians. They live relaxed lives, appreciating what God has given them. On Sunday—the same day we left for Singapore—we attended worship at the Fiji Church of Christ. Their main building was being renovated, so the congregation was meeting in a large tent near the airport. It was a surprisingly comfortable setup with windows, glass doors, and covered chairs.

The worship service included guitar and bongos, although much of the singing was still a cappella. The preacher, a young man named Matt from Australia, had moved to Nadi about eight years ago and married a part-Fijian woman. He was an excellent preacher. The people there were some of the friendliest we have ever met. Many of them came past our row after the service just to shake our hands. It was one of those congregations that you would be happy to be part of. I’m very glad we went. Now we are cruise ready. 🌏🚢

Road Trip ‘23, Part 2

Grand Canyon - Brice & Zion Road trip – part II

  It was nearly mid-morning on Wednesday , June 14, when we drove away from Bob and Ann’s to continue our road trip back to NW Arkansas.  Aaron was driving as we left Bakersfield and headed towards Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.  Before our arrival in Bryce, we just had to stop and take a few photos of the beautiful Red Rock Canyon.  It was such a sharp contrast to the miles of brown desert country we went through in Nevada.  This part of Utah is very scenic.  

Bryce Canyon did not disappoint us.  I suppose it will always amaze tourists who have never seen it before.  Aaron and Melody had never been here and they were quite taken with this scenic wonder.  The canyon is, of course, colorful and majestic.  The awesome part is the in-canyon rock formations called “Hoodoos” These rocks appear as columns of rocks as if standing at attention.  It is said that these columns are formed by pieces of rock breaking away from the main cliff whenever winter ice forms.  These columns are also pushed around by the winter weather and erosion.  Anyway, it is a gorgeous and unusual sight.  The entire

canyon can be seen from different lookout vistas along the rim.   We stopped at the visitors center before driving to the overlook.  The sign suggested we take the tour bus as the parking lot on top was full.  We decided to take our chances and upon arrival, found 8 or so parking places available.    

From Bryce, we headed for Zion National Park.  In our minds we were headed for the main entrance but in reality, we were on the road to the north end entrance, which is much less populated and busy.  It took a while but soon we pulled off road onto the canyon entrance and a stop at the visitor’s center.  The sign said the canyon entrance road has been closed due to a sink hole forming in the middle of the road at about the two-mile mark.  So, we drove on to that point just to see what we could see.  We were able to get out of the car and take a couple of photos of the entrance canyon.  The small part we could see was very scenic.  We could have walked in as only the road was closed but our tired old bones had no desire to do that.  The grandkids were also of the same mind.  So, we drove back out and headed towards the same way we came to find our motel.     We stopped for a little dinner at a crowded food trailer and then headed to our motel. Aaron quickly headed down the hallway to the hot tub to soak away the stiffness.  He struck up a conversation with a man who had just taken his family to the main entrance.  He suggested that Aaron get there at 6:00 AM to avoid a long line.  Considering that the park did not open until 8:00 and the part about “crowds”,which sounded like a long wait anyway, so we opted to continue on towards the Grand Canyon.  So we did.   We passed alongside the canyon rim, stopping a couple of times to take photos and look over into the deep canyon.  It was awesome, as usual.  We drove on out and pulled into the Red Feather Lodge, where we had motel reservations for one night.  We found some dinner just across the street and had a nice sit-down meal followed by some relaxing time in the motel.     The next morning, we took advantage of their free breakfast and coffee.  I was not hungry but Aaron took advantage.  I did grab a cup of hot coffee and sit outside at one of the picnic tables.  After we packed our car and checked out, we drove over to one of the small airports where we would board a helicopter for a Grand Canyon tour.  Debby did not go with Aaron, Melody and me, but remained behind with Toronto while we were gone.     The Chopper had room for six.  We sat in the front seat, side by side while two other passengers sat in the seats behind us.  Melody sat next to the pilot.  She had been apprehensive about this ride for a while but I kept reassuring her we were safe enough.  She actually did really well and enjoyed our scenic flight.  As the GC is a National Park, aircraft have elevation restrictions.  We were not able to fly down inside the GC but were able to see quite well anyway.  The mighty canyon was even more amazing from our vantage point.  The Colorado River was quite visible.  We could even see kayaks on the water.  The pilot showed us the Little Colorado, a smaller tributary off the main river, looking very pristine.  He said the water is turquois because of the mineral deposits in the creek bed.  With the water crystal clear, it appears to have colors of turquois and purple.   It was a most enjoyable flight with a great pilot.  Our flight lasted less than an hour.  It wasn’t cheap but it was well worth the cost.  Debby and Toronto were on deck waiting for us to land.  We made our way through the visitor’s center and out to the Sienna.  We soon merged onto the Interstate and headed east towards home.  We stopped for the night in Tucumcari.  The next morning, we got an early start for a long drive back to Springdale.  We stopped for lunch and a short visit in Oklahoma City at our son, Matt’s house. He and Brent fed us some great sandwiches! After resting up a while, we continued traveling.   We had a great trip but were happy to sleep in our own bed tonight.   We had a great week spending time with Aaron and Melody.  We enjoyed much time around the pool and in the hot tub. We enjoyed looking over our photographs and laughing over the helicopter ride.  “Ethyl”, our Sienna, was a trooper!  We were blessed to have a van that gave us absolutely no trouble.  We put about 5,000 miles on her and she never complained.  With nearly 200,000 miles of cross-country road trips, she may need to think about retiring.  I’m not sure Debby and I have long road trips in us anymore.  Sitting for so many hours is hard on the old bones.  It’s either hang it up or get new bones! Mike  

Oregon ‘23

Oregon ‘23 June 11, 2023 OREGON

  Our week in Portland was busy with events and people.  Sunday morning services at church brought back a lot of good memories.  It was great seeing our friends and fellow Christians once again.  It was good to hug our grandkids and see how they had grown.  We drove down to Newberg and spent the night with Rick and Mona, Debby’s brother and family.  We were proud to see that Violet, our Niece was also graduating from high school.  Unfortunately, her graduation party and actual graduation ceremony was at the exact same time as Dawson’s event.  We love Violet but would have to participate in Dawson’s graduation, as that is the reason for our road trip.  We have been active in the life of Dawson since the day he was born when we held him at the hospital.  It has been fun watching him grow up into a wonderful young man.  We have been with him through the days of growing up that included soccer, baseball, basketball, camping, hiking and fire building.  I taught him how to build his first fire when he was three. I would have liked to have taken him hiking and backpacking more, but he was more interested in just staying home or playing sports. But he was so much fun as a little tyke and we have so many good memories of him and his three brothers.  We also did things with them; especially enjoying camping and taking trips to the beach.  All the boys loved playing basketball and playing in the state championship playoffs.     Dawson had a great graduation party.  We arrived in Portland early enough for Debby to organize and help with that event.  Dawson asked for several dozen Little Smokies dogs for his friends.  I helped Debby by helping prepare the tiny hot dogs.  I think I made nearly 100.  We had a lot of other snacks, too.  We tried to take photos of all the guests.  Hopefully, we were successful.   Dawson said he wasn’t going to college this year.  He wasn’t sure what he was going to do.  Perhaps he will work part time and attend nearby Clackamas Junior College, until he decides what to do.  In the meantime, we were busy visiting everyone and enjoying our vacation.  It was great seeing Dan and Ami once again.  She has been like a daughter to me.  I love her like my own.  Our Great-Granddaughter, Melody, is the love of our life.  She is so smart, beautiful and has a great sense of humor.  Her personality is independent, having a strong will and a mind of her own.  She and our grandson, Aaron, will be driving back to Arkansas with us.  We have some adventures planned for them.   The week went by rather quickly.  Sunday morning came and Debby dropped me off at the airport.  I would be flying to Bakersfield, California to spend a couple of days with my cousin, Ann Wood and her husband, Bobby. Ann has Macular Degeneration like me.  Her’s might be a little worse than mine and it’s certainly different. She has had no organized training on how to better use her remaining vision and I thought I might could help her.   My reason for this visit was to try to help her with her mobility and to use magnification and OCR (Optical Character Recognition).  I brought an OCR device with me to loan her and see if it will work for her.  She will need to practice a lot but I believe it will help her with seeing pill bottles, paperwork and photos.   I also want to work with her as she uses the cane.  The blind cane is very helpful with checking the space in front of one walking for any obstacles or hazards.  With practice, confidence increases as the blind becomes more and more self-reliance   Bob and Ann picked me up at the airport about noon and we drove to their home.  Bakersfield appears to have grown a lot since my last visit here to see my grandmother in 1967. They have a beautiful home with an amazing backyard.  There are so many plants and flowers surrounding a well-manicured grass lawn that looks more like a putting green on a golf course than a backyard.   We spend the next couple of days getting reacquainted as we had not seen each other for more than 60 years.  She was a lot of fun to talk to and get to know.  She is in her 80’s but very sharp and spry.  It was a lot of fun reminiscing about common stories and things we still remember.  I had never met her husband, Bob.  He was also fun to get to know.  We went out to eat a couple of times.  For the most part, I worked with Ann learning to use the OCR reader, the cane and her iPhone   As planned, Debby, Aaron and Melody showed up Tuesday afternoon.  They left Portland Sunday afternoon and drove to Bakersfield via Yosemite National Park, where they spent some time checking out that beautiful place. Aaron was our designated driver.  Debby is not too keen on driving busy roads. But even worse, she isn’t too keen on letting me drive, either! Mike

Road Trip , May 27, 2023

Road Trip 2023

May 27, 2023   Towards the end of May, we began final preparation to pack our 2012 Sienna for another cross-country trip to Oregon.  Our good friends, Greg and Dottie Woods have been spending the past few weeks with their grandchildren in Oklahoma.  They would be taking the road trip back to Portland with us.  Our grandson, Dawson is graduating from high school and we certainly want to be there.  We were there the day he was born and have watched him grow up into a nice young man and all the way to graduation.   Our traveling companions, the Pinkertons, will not be making this trip with us as they have other plans with their own family.  But Greg and Dottie are excited to be taking this adventure with us once again.  It will be like old times as we have taken this trip with them before.  Not to mention that Greg and I drove our car from Portland to Oklahoma City in 2020 when we moved to Arkansas.     Ron Pinkerton was kind enough to drive me to the Oklahoma City area to rendezvous with Greg at a famous Route 66 iconic stop called “Pop’s”, a gas station and burger joint boasting selling over 600 varieties of soda pop.  I always like going there because it’s one place where you can buy sodas that are nearly extinct; like Big Red, Orange Crush, Nehi Grape, Grapette, Jolt Cola and many, many others.   Greg and Dottie arrived on time with his daughter-in-law and two grandkids.  After a few hugs and tears with the kids we headed back home to Arkansas.  We spent the next two days relaxing and driving to Branson to see Silver Dollar City.  It was a short trip but long enough for us Codgers. On Friday we relaxed around the house and began packing our Sienna.  Saturday morning, we finished the loading and said goodbye to our Pinkerton friends.  Nancy would be busy the next few weeks watering and taking care of things around our house.  I had rigged up an automatic watering system for my garden so she would not have to worry about that.      We drove away a

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Back Home

​                         Arkansas 

     

   After the cruise we called an UBER. In a short time we were loaded up and headed for Miami International. We had a waiting time of about 8 hours before our flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma, via Houston . Once in Houston we had a layover of a couple of hours before takeoff. 

   There were reports of storms in Western Oklahoma that even mentioned tornadoes. All went pretty well with the exception of a rough flight and even rougher landing. We were great full to have landed bottom side down. Most of the passengers applauded. While Nancy and Ron went out to find her minivan, Debby and I picked up all the luggage. Nancy soon pulled up and we got it loaded up. 

   It would still be 2 or 3 hours before Steve and Rhonda would land. Their flight was on another airline out of Fort Lauderdale at a later time than ours out of Miami. In the meantime we drove over to Denny’s for a late burger and fries. With their takeoff delayed by bad weather out of Dallas, we had plenty of time. After dinner our eyes were droopy enough that we decided to go wait for their plane at the Tulsa Airport cell phone waiting area and catch a nap. So we did. 

   They landed well after 1:00 in the morning. It was a tight fit cramming all that luggage and 6 people in that Honda minivan but with luggage in our laps and a 90 minute drive we  were glad to arrive home. It’s a good thing we didn’t have Toronto with us!  I don’t know where he would sit!

   Matthew had already driven to our house and was waiting for us. He had been caring for Toronto the past couple of weeks. Toronto was glad to see us. We were happy to see him, as well. 

   We slept in for an hour or two. Matt had already made coffee and fed Toronto and he was ready to socialize.  He stuck pretty close to me all day; for the next few days for that matter!  I think he was afraid I might abandon him again!  

   It has been a little over two weeks since we got back. Things are becoming routine and normal again. 

   We stay near the warm fire and out of the cold. We aren’t used to this cold. We are still dreaming of warm tropics and sunshine. Here, it’s dipped down into the teens with cold rain coming down as soon as it jumps back up into the 40’s and 50’s!  

   It was good to get back to church and see all of our friends. We are thoroughly enjoying normal food, especially the southern style with southern flavors. Ron and I have already enjoyed Arkansas BBQ a few times!  

   A cool thing happened while we were away.  Forty 32 Animal Clinic, Toronto’s veterinarian, had a drawing for company thank you gift for their clients.  Toronto and I won!  The prize was a large, free-standing outdoor BBQ tool, a Blackstone 28” Cast Iron propane Griddle that now stands proudly next to my BBQ grille on the back deck!  Very nice!  This will add to my ability to burn chicken even more!  

   With the approach of Spring and the last Daylight Savings time change we will have to experience, we patiently await warm weather!  In a couple of weeks I will pull the cover off my bird house and let the nesting begin!  The Purple Martins begin arriving in NW Arkansas about April First looking for a place to build their nests and lay eggs. Right now the local Sparrows are picking out the prime  building nooks, cranny’s, trees, bushes and hanging plants for their nests. The baby Martins from last year’s crop should come back to what they know and look for a place in my Purple Martin condo. I would like to give them a sporting chance to fight over their claim this real estate with other birds. 

   I am preparing to start the seedlings for my garden. I am making plans to buy some good raised bed garden soil mixture and plan the layout of this year’s garden.  I figured it will cost me more than it’s worth in vegetables but, what can I say?  It’s a hobby. I will do this in Lou of planning for a big Moose hunting trip to Alaska or buying a new bass boat to go fishing. Even a blind Codger needs a hobby!  But, It will be much better than last year where battling with the Bermuda grass and contending with a bunny rabbit invasion pert near wiped out my crop of young plants. Raised beds should do the trick this year. 

  In a couple of weeks I will also pull the winter cover off my swimming pool and get it sparkling clean and warm for the summer. I’m looking forward to laying around our pool this year. Why, between the sweet smell of BBQ and the cool of the pool, we might even entice a few of our friends to come visit us in NW Arkansas to relax at the Thomas Resort. I promise I’ll not make you take my little John Deere out and mow the grass………much. 😎