Hindsight 2021, continued.
As I write this, I’ve been housebound for five days. Not that we’ve had much snow here in Portland, but it doesn’t take much to make the ramp inaccessible for me. I may be able to slide down in my wheelchair for a thrilling, heart-stopping few seconds, but getting back up, if it’s at all icy, is another story. The good news is: Laurie’s been on her winter break the whole time, so I don’t have to sequester away from the toddlers in the house. It seems to be melting enough today that I *might* get out to the cottage for a much-needed shower!
We had a very sudden change to our back yard landscape in November: our neighbors’ huge walnut tree crashed down into our yard (and a few others) and took with it our beloved apple tree. Most importantly, there were no injuries (close call though!) and very little structural damage. We keep trying to look at the bright side (pun intended: we have a LOT more light now!) – this means that solar panels will work on the house and possibly the cottage; and it gives us an opportunity to redesign the back yard into a more accessible space. It will happen in stages, as it still has to work for children for the next 18 months until Laurie retires, but then we can go wild: put in poisonous plants and ponds and beehives! Kidding. It will be nice to not be restricted by childcare rules though. We’re looking forward to having more light for vegetable and flower growing. I’m NOT looking forward to the lack of shade on the cottage – it has been a very cool spot on hot days. And with summers getting even hotter (yes, we hit 116 on June 28th under the heat dome) it is a worry.
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| The base of the walnut tree was like a sponge. |
Goodbye, beloved apple tree.
Toward the end of Laurie’s summer break in August we attempted a couple of day trips. I say ‘attempted’ because they did not go to plan. One was to the marina to check on Silkie; my scooter stopped part way back up the very steep ramp. I’d forgotten about the reset button until after Laurie and a helpful stranger pushed me and the scooter the rest of the way up. Oops. We’d intended to do a trail on Sauvie Island, but I didn’t discovered the reset button until we got home, so we had to be content with driving around the island.
The next misadventure was to Powell Butte, on the east edge of Portland. We knew there were good accessible trails throughout the park, but we managed to pick the one that wasn’t. After a few hundred yards down the packed dirt trail, we encountered a step – and by ‘step’ I mean a 6 inch drop. What?? And why did we not turn back right then?? But we were determined. There was some room to the side of the step, so I wrangled the scooter around it and carried on. Then, another step farther on…and another. Well shit. By the fourth step my luck ran out – the scooter tipped and I ended up on the ground with the scooter on top of me. No bodily harm done. Laurie kept her cool, put the scooter back together, tried to soothe Liza, who by that time, with the heat and the stress, was having a seizure and probably heat exhaustion. I decided my best option was to stay on the ground and call 9-1-1. I sent Laurie and Liza down to the van to get them cooled down and watch for the rescue crew. Within twenty minutes a fabulous crew of firefighters arrived to lift me up and carry me and the scooter back up the hill. (But not before a twenty-something guy walked right by me, didn’t even look at me, let alone ask if I needed help. WTF?? I called after him, “No, I’m OK, thanks!” but he probably didn’t hear me, being plugged into his device.) We all survived, and I hope we are a bit wiser now and won’t attempt anything like that again.
Lest you think I’m a walking -er, rolling – disaster, I did have some wonderful outings with Gwenlyn in spring and summer. We went to several wildlife areas (Fernhill, Jackson Bottom, Smith and Bybee Wetlands) and had a great time photographing birds and, well, just hanging out together. And no scooter mishaps occurred!
Speaking of scooters again, still — I’ve ordered a new one. This one comes with shock absorbers! for our awful bumpy Portland sidewalks; a headlight; extra storage - because I can never have too much; and a few other features I’m happy about. My current scooter has been such a trooper, I’m almost afraid to let it go (I’ll donate it to the MS Society). But it’s the same brand and model (Pride Go-Go), and they have a great track record. The new scooter is caught somewhere in the web of the supply chain, so who knows when it will arrive.
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