Becks Bug

or my March 2017 visit to the DDRanch Terrebonne OR.

(note: I may make some future edits)
On Monday March 20^th I was up at 4am EDT to catch the limo to O’Hare in Michigan City. Passed through some heavy rains. I like catching the limo as you can park as long as you want, Free, in Michigan City and the limo drops you off at the appropriate terminal. Caught the plane to San Francisco then another one to Redmond OR. Got there about 3:30. Plane delayed about an hour out of SFO for some reason. I actually made it through TSA at O’Hare easily. However. . . I had put my loose change and car keys in a small plastic (sandwich) bag to make it easier to handle in the TSA line. I realized as I got to the United gate that I had LEFT them in the TSA tray, as I did not have the little ‘easy to handle package’ any longer. And it was way too late and too far to go back to see if I could find them. Uh Oh, will I be able to find my secret car key in its hiding place on my way home?

Pictures are at the end.

Son Jeffe picked me up and I was off on a great visit at DDRanch with son Jeff, daughter in law Linda, grandkids Chase, Finn, Eden and Beck. Jeff helped me recover from the long trip by taking me to the Wild Ride Brew Pub in Redmond. It seemed to work well. Was great seeing everyone, and a bite to eat, then to bed about 9pm PDT or so. I had been up for 20 hours. I may be getting older as I could feel it. I let Patty know of my successful journey and could she see if she could track down my lost key package.”OK, I don’t have a clue what to do but will see what I can do.”

Tuesday I took Chase over to meet his ride to high school. Rode with Linda as she took the kids to school and made a bunch of stops picking up ranch stuff. We also stopped at the Redmond Goodwill as I was looking for a ‘new’ pair of ‘work’ shoes. I had good luck there before, and sure enough they had an appropriate pair, that met my ‘no shoes over $20’ rule. Patty contacted me and had solved my lost key problem. My little package would be at the O’Hare TSA lost and found for pickup on my return. Thanks Patty and TSA. I sort of took over the ‘keep the fire burning’ in the wood stove in the new house. I had not had that kind of job for a l.o.n.g. time. After I finally sort of got the hang of it, I don’t know what J & L thought but I decided I did pretty well.

It was great getting used to J&L’s new house. Much better than the previous set up- 2 campers and the big barn.

Wednesday, I took the kids to school. We went over to watch Chase run in his race. Chilly with nice breeze. Chase did pretty well as freshman. I forget his place/time. We picked up a ‘new used’ freezer for the Ranch frozen meats store and had dinner at a nice pub restaurant. Linda showed me the neat welcome Grandpa Tom sign Eden had posted on her marking board in her bedroom. Thanks Eden. I put together a cairn at the entrance to the house next to the lava rock pile.

Thursday Linda had me rake the sheep pasture with the 4 wheeler pulling a spike rake, to keep me busy. I also fixed the big metal gate between the barn/pasture and their house that had come loose from the hinges. That eve Linda and Jeff had a teacher conference and Beck (1^st grade) was sick, throwing up at school. So I brought him home. I also was helping Linda some in cleaning up after him at home. Jeff told me not to do it as I would get sick. I said, don’t worry Jeff I won’t catch anything. This was the last day of school for the lower grade kids as Spring Break was starting. Chases spring break did not start till Monday.

On Friday a bunch of kids came over to visit and Jeff put them to work picking up junk from one side, the front MOL, of the house. I drove the big back hoe while the kids threw stuff in the front end scoop. I then drove it and dumped it into the dumpster. They did a great job and I didn’t hit anything or run over any kids with the backhoe. Beck was still feeling low and Finn was now sick with Becks Bug. I learned from Linda later that the kids who came over also came down with Becks Bug.

Meanwhile during these days, and the following I was wandering around checking out the horses, pigs, sheep, cows, chickens, peacocks, etc. I could not find my previous ‘winter’ coat that I had rescued from a throwaway pile the 1^st time I visited the ranch a couple years ago. I know I hung it up on a nail in the shed. But it was gone, nowhere to be found. So I had to borrow another ‘winter coat’.

On Saturday, the big day. I seemed to feel ok when I got up. Then suddenly, before I had eaten anything, I started throwing up. Made it to the toilet before any got on the floor. All of Linda’s Thursday eve delicious dinner came up in the toilet bowl. The worst throw up I ever remember having. As I told everyone, if I had collected it in the frying pan instead of the toilet we could have had it for lunch. I felt bad that day, Beck was feeling better, Finn still did not feel well. I was out of it and not worth much. Others were feeling a little low but not as bad as we felt.
Sometime, I am not sure exactly when, Beck was trying to learn how to unlock my android 'sort of smart phone'. I would try to hide it the pattern, he would try to see what I was doing with the pattern. Finally he figured it out. From that time on, he would unlock my android for me.

Sunday I was feeling better but still had diarrhea so did not eat much at all. Took Jeff over to one of their workers place to pick up the flat bed truck so he could feed hay to the cattle. Drove back hoe helping pick up trash from the other side of the house. Chase and I played his ‘vote on this song Grandpa’. I don’t think I got above 3 (out of 5) on his selections this time. I read some of Eden’s stories that she was reading for school. One was the story of Pi. I might have to read all of that story.

Monday school spring break so all the kids slept a little late. Except Chase he always seems to be up early. We went to Smith Rock State Park which is about 4 miles from the ranch. It is a really neat park. The sides of the cliffs can be seen from the ranch. Chase was going to meet a running group. They were doing sprints and runs on the cliff trails. It was hard to see them but it sure looked challenging to me. We walked around for a spell. When we got there about 9am there were quite a few cars/people there. Hikers, walkers, runners, bikes. When we left a couple hours later the place was PACKED. Cars had started parking on the entrance roads. It is a very popular park in the Bend Redmond area. I can hardly wait to hear what son Tommy and Tayte and Quinn think of it.

I drove the loader again while Jeff and the kids threw stuff in the bucket, and then dumped it into the dumpsters. Again I did not hit anything, nor any kids. . . so I guess I can add that experience it to my resume now.

They decided we needed to have a going away party for my early Tuesday morning departure. So Jeff and Linda ordered Chinese from their favorite Chinese Restaurant, Jeff and I went in and picked it up. I ate very little. Did not want to get in too much trouble on the flight home.

Beck brought out his game. Shoot a small checker like chip into 2 levels of cups 4 x 4. 1^st one with a 4 in a row wins. He beat me 1^st. I beat him 2^nd. We needed a rubber game and I won. I am sure he is practicing hard for the next time. My extensive search could not find the name of the game.

Tuesday up at 4am Jeff took me to the Redmond airport on his way for his morning swim. Left on time for Denver, then to Chicago. I went to the toilet 6 times. Once on each flight. Not much fun going on the airplane. Both flights hand only a couple seats left.

In Chicago it was a l.o.n.g. walk to get to TSA lost and found. The lady had my little package right at her finger tips. I thanked her profusely. Now I had my car keys. Then the long walk out to the Bus to Michigan City. Low and behold I made it about 5 minutes before the bus left, and did not have to wait another hour. Great and lucky timing. Once I got in the car I decided I could now eat something so stopped at Panera Bread and ordered a Frontega Chicken Panini. 1^st ‘meal’ I had had since Friday eve. It tasted great. And I was not sick after that.

I got home about 6pm EDT. About 11 hours not bad. Another great visit to the DDRanch to put in the memory bank.

Some pictures

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