Spring Silences

Our weather is finally turning. Spring is a beautiful time in eastern Oregon, but in Hermiston we get fierce spring winds. Today brought bright sun, vivid blue skies and no wind.  I love a hot day with just enough breeze to keep the bugs off. I ride my bike down the lane to the mailbox and revel in the warm wind floating over my body.


The neighborhood is quiet this time of year. Kids are still in school and their parents are at work. It’s only us retired people puttering around the neighborhood. On my bike I can sneak by the quail and pheasants without disturbing their routine. The neighborhood is serene and I can hear the birds, mostly the annoying magpies, twittering in the trees. The sun is on my back and the balmy breeze washes over me as I pedal around my kingdom. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Life is good.

Lions Roar for Easter - Only the Good Friday

I've been participating in the "Only the Good Friday" meme that was started at http://thiseclecticlife.com/only-the-good-friday
Below is my weekly contribution to the optimism virus sweeping the blogosphere.

The Hermiston Lion's Club held an Easter egg hunt last weekend.  For the past eight years the Lions have invited special needs children to hunt eggs in a local park.  I have been a Lion for three years and the Easter egg hunt is my favorite activity. 

The kids are greeted by students dressed as Peter Rabbit, Thumper, and, of course, a lion.  The children each have their pictures taken with Peter.  High school students volunteer to wear the costumes and they do a great job of encouraging the children to participate.  They patiently help the kids to adjust to the unfamiliar giant plush animals.

The Lions "hide" hundreds of eggs across the lawn and the kids find all of them in just a few minutes.  This hunt is designed for special needs students.  There are a limited number of participants and lots of eggs.  Even the child who needs to flap his arms and turn in circles three times before starting to hunt is assured of securing eggs before they are all claimed by other participants. 

One of our members brings a llama and an alpaca for the children to pet.  The kids all marvel over how soft the animals are.  They take turns feeding them and giggle as the alpaca's lips sweep across their palms seeking the offered feed.

It was a cold and windy spring morning in the park, but my heart was warmed watching the smiles on the children's faces. 

I am grateful for community organizations like the Lion's who make our communities good places to live.

A Moment of Clarity on I-82 - Only the Good Friday

For several weeks I've been participating in the "Only the Good Friday" meme that was started at http://thiseclecticlife.com/only-the-good-friday/ Below is my weekly contribution to the optimism virus sweeping the blogosphere.

Is there a sixth sense that warns us of impending danger? I do know that there is an instant of clarity on the way to meeting destiny. The clarity of vision appeared in slow motion, the future was seen and the outcome was immediately known. It happened to me several years ago on I-82.

The sky was blue, the pavement dry and straight and I was headed west to Portland at speed. As I passed under the overpass at Three Mile Canyon I saw the twisted metal bar in the road and I knew, in that instant, that I was in trouble. The loud bang and the shudder of the steering wheel confirmed my premonition. I hit the brakes and muscled the car to the side of the road. My left front tire sported a six-inch gaping hole and I was in the middle of nowhere.  It may be an interstate highway, but in eastern Oregon the traffic is sparse and I was 10 miles from Boardman and the nearest service station.

Like McIver I quickly assessed my resources.  I had neglected to pack a Swiss army knife or, what would have been even more useful, a cell phone.  Fortunately I had the owner's manual. I put my skills to the test and, following the pictures, I managed to locate the spare tire and the jack. I had to read the page several times to figure out how to get them out of the trunk. I then turned to page 118, Changing a Tire. The first step was to block the car’s tires and this was easily accomplished. The second step was to loosen the lug nuts…that’s when I shifted to Plan B…get help.

I left the tire and jack by the side of the car and started walking to a warehouse that I could see in the distance. As I reached the freeway on ramp at the opposite side of the freeway, a woman stopped and asked me if I needed assistance. She drove me to a nearby farm and introduced me to Juan, the farm mechanic.

Juan loaded a big jack from the shop in the back of a farm pickup. I jumped in the cab and we headed back to the freeway,  As we approached the Three Mile Canyon east-bound exit, my car was visible across the freeway. I couldn’t see the spare tire. “Oh no,” I said to Juan “I can’t see my spare tire. I left it propped up by the flat.” The tire was gone.

Juan drove over the overpass and on to the westbound ramp so we could get to my car. As I got closer I could see that the trunk was closed. I had left it open. Sure enough, there was no tire by the side of the car and the jack wasn’t there either.

A stranger had come across my car abandoned by the roadside and seen my dilemma. This stranger changed my tire. Put the flat and the jack away and closed the trunk. No note, no business card, no clues as to who my rescuer was.

I’ve read about random acts of kindness. This was the first time I experienced it. It’s one of the reasons I love Eastern Oregon.

Life is good in rural America!

Peeps for Only the Good Friday

For several weeks I've been participating in the "Only the Good Friday" meme that was started at http://thiseclecticlife.com/only-the-good-friday/  Below is my weekly contribution to the optimism virus sweeping the blogosphere.

Spring is finally here. We had a little rain today, but this week we’ve also had sunshine and cloudless skies. Although my tulips and daffodils haven’t bloomed yet, around town I’ve spotted trees in flower and patches of yellow blossoms in the sunny spots. The quail were in the yard this morning. There are more than a dozen from the last summer hatch. Our pheasant wandered across the lawn a little later. There was no sign of his hen. I hope that she is busy sitting on eggs. I love the hopefulness of spring. It is a time of rebirth and renewal. Everything is new again and the future is bright.

Easter is just around the corner. Today I picked up little Easter treats to send to my grandchildren. I will miss being there to see them search for eggs. I will include a package of yellow peeps in their parcel. I don’t remember when it started, but every year my children looked forward to gathering around the microwave and watching a peep get nuked. The peep grows to several times its original size. My daughter carries on this silly tradition with my grandchildren.

I am grateful for spring blossoms and the almost forgotten feel of sunshine on my face. I am thankful for all that spring brings including those gigantic nuked peeps…and making memories.

Life is good.

A Special Birthday-Only the Good Friday

For several weeks I've been participating in the "Only the Good Friday" meme that was started at http://thiseclecticlife.com/2010/03/19/the-best-thing-about-a-carnival/  Below is my weekly contribution to the optimism virus sweeping the blogosphere.

I substituted in the life skills classroom at the high school on Friday. It is always a challenging but enjoyable experience. It was one student’s 17th birthday and part of the morning lesson was to bake a cake so we could celebrate in the afternoon. (And if you’ve ever tried baking with a group of special needs kids, you know what an exciting teaching experience I had.) The birthday student basked in all of the attention and announced to everyone who came in the classroom “Today is my birfday. We’re having cake!” We heard about the cake all day.

After lunch two high school students who serve as student assistants came to the classroom. As the girls entered the room the birthday student announced “Today is my birfday. We’re having cake!” They told her that they knew it was her birthday and they gave her a bright pink gift bag. I don’t know who was smiling more, the birthday girl or the two student aides. The birthday girl tore into the bag and discovered a princess birthday crown, a princess wand and princess jewelry. For the rest of the day the student announced to everyone who walked in the room “Today is my birfday. I got a princess gift.” And then we ate the cake.

Two caring students reaching out to brighten the day of a special needs students…it gives one hope for the future. Life really is good.