A Gramping We Will Go

Oh joy, finally a quick trip to break up the heat here in the Treasure Valley of Idaho. If I'd have known it got this hot I might have gone on to Alaska from Phoenix three years ago. I hear it's against the law to sweat in Alaska.

Funny how life can be isn't it. Straight line for some, jagged line for others. For us it's been a fairly large circle. We moved from So Cal to Bend Oregon in the 80's and first two years of the 90's then moved to Phoenix, Arizona. From Phoenix we were able to ride dirt bikes and quads in the Anza Borrego Desert where Lynn and I rode when we lived in California before moving to Bend. Huh? First part of the circle, maybe it's to be a concentric circle in the end. When living in Bend we used to take our two young daughters for a six hour drive east to camp in a place we stumbled on while traveling in our motorhome. Even then the Cascades, right next to Bend, were crowded, hence the six hour drive the other direction.

Now, from Meridian Idaho it's only a three hour drive to the east side of Oregon. So now with young Granddaughters in tow we went back to see the place again. It was 1992 the last time there...

Stylin, we were loaded for fun.

This was the spot in 1991

And it's a great joy to say the place was still there and available to camp. After the closing of so many roads and camp spots we always hold our breath these days. I was ecstatic.

Unfolding camp was done very quickly, after all there were two little girls to entertain. Or be entertained by, it all changes every other minute doesn't it?!

Budding arteest, they jumped right in.

A snack of Gummy Worms. "GrandMa, Baba said to put this Gummy Worm up your nose."

"I think not." said the surly GrandMa. "We'll put it up YOUR nose."

Ok well, we'll make a Gummy Worm sandwich instead. 

Don't you want mayo or ketchup?

After Gummy Worm lunch we had a break in the creek,

and talked about very important things.

Like how to walk in the creek and hold Baba's hand.

And walk on a log...holding Baba's hand.

And, how to sit on a log over water, hanging on to Baba's arm. All for the safety of a little girl.

And when things get a bit boring, Baba has an answer for that too.

 This is Aunt Jess and Jennifer their Mother, hah, in 1991 in the same place, what a trip! Like I said in my last trip report, wasn't I just here? Twenty-seven years gone by in a flash.

With my then two year old youngest daughter and now Aunt Jess to the twins.

It was time for creek fun,

or at least a bath.

Ok I should have named him Corona instead of Duke. Sounds better than Bud! Weiser people won't agree though.


Checking out baby trout. An inch or two larger and they'd be the size I usually catch.


So I got creative and made a whittle boat, just big enough for Lilliputian Granddaughters.



We ended up losing it in the rapids though.

Back to the camper for bubble trouble.

Oh no, GrandMa's blowing bubbles, run away!


Two sisters 2018


Two sisters 1991


Don't feel bad Parker, ol Baba has the same problem with that hammock.


We've had issues with the hammock before...long before




T-ball, kind of. The first baseman takes a break while the pitcher confers with the umpire at the mound.




Just goofing off




That night was their first fairy walk, looking for the elusive forest fairies. 

It's ok Parker, that noise was just a frog, I might have stepped on one.


What? You've never seen a Fairy GrandFather? Live and learn.


Well if that wasn't enough to make them want to go to bed I don't know what would.


Next morning the sun came up,

Lessons were given on the correct way to finish a bowl of cereal.

There were some scraps of wood left by others. Parker was ingenious to put them together as a wagon while Zoey added the tail. Too much fun...

Then it was time to wrestle as Bailey goes to referee the match. Oh for the sound of little girls squealing for fun every morning, we've forgotten how we miss it.

I call her Stumpy, but don't know why.

A short walk, a gift for GrandMa.

A short walk turned into a long walk. A very long walk. There is an old historic cabin on up the forest road, we walked there with our daughters twenty-seven years ago when the road was just a rutted dirt road, this time graded to perfection. I wondered what that meant as we started walking, and walking.

A stop was made to climb a tree, well...


ok maybe not. Photoshop is sure fun, that's all I can say.


Ended up that the walk was five and a half miles, no joke, and the historic cabin is now a rental and we could not walk up to it, there were people staying in it. Doggone things have changed a bit.


Then more creek time.




Everyone looked bored so I pulled out the moss again. I guess I like moss and didn't know it. Shoulda put it on my head where it would do the most good.








That evening the girls still had gas in the tank and ran around for a while,


and ran,


and ran,


and, ran.




Finally a break in the action. Boy I was tired, from watching.






Dinner was alphabet spaghettiOs,


I won the spell-your-name game. Of course it took me an hour to find the four letters and everyone else was gone. I had to celebrate alone, sadly.






That night we read an fairy story in the dark,



We were in mourning that morning,


we hated to leave the great little creek, with running water. With running water. Well look close, there you go,


and camp spot.


We had a snack to hit the road with. And yes I am.


Driving home I said out loud that I wished for a picnic table next to a river for lunch. True, five minutes later the Roaring River came into view with a picnic table and bridge, a prefect ending to a perfect gramping trip.


Thanks for reading...