Resting up from Saturday

Yesterday Jeannie brought the girls over to my house in the morning since Donald was working on a cake.  We went to the Farmers' Mkt. and then to Costco.  I can't believe how much two little girls can eat from all the samples available.  I spent my time getting napkins for them, more samples, and taking the used paper cups & napkins to the trash.  

After getting everything home and put away, we went to Mather Field to walk, and took along the kids' bikes.  It wasn't long when they didn't want to ride their bikes any more, so I was glad to quit walking and take them over to the kids' playground where I could sit under a canopy and stay cool.  I kept one eye on the kids and the other on the skateboarders who were practicing nearby.  A very elaborate concrete area has been built for the skateboarders with ramps and whatever.  The group out there was the second tier - not beginners, but in the process of becoming very good as well as confident.  I love watching them.  The real pros skate towards evening.

By the time we got back to my house where Jeannie and I tried to research camping cabins for a trip this summer, the girls began having a meltdown, and they soon left.  Jeanne called to tell me they were both asleep after they had only gone a mile.  I was exhausted after a day of walking around, shopping, being in the sun, and dealing with two little girls who sometimes like to annoy each other.  The younger one is usually the culprit.  They are absolute darlings though, and I love being with them.

The camping cabins will be necessary as Donald will be recuperating from knee surgery.  He will have to wear a brace for 6 weeks after which we wanted to make a trip up to Oregon.  At first we were confident we could spend a couple of days at Burney Falls in No.Cal., on to Oregon and Crater Lake, then head west to Ashland and see "Midsummer Night's Dream" and the Shakespearean theater, and then maybe to the coast.  Since Donald won't be able to deal with all the work of camping such as setting up the tent, carrying all the boxes of gear, food, etc., Jeannie and I would be doing it all.  But we realized he won't be able to deal with sleeping on an air mattress, which is a lot more difficult to get on and off than the regular height of a bed.  Thus, we are looking for cabins.  

Almost all of them are for four people - we will be a party of five.  Jeanne called the reservation people at Burney Falls and was told they really monitor the number of people, and 4 is the max.  In subsequent searches for just about all of southwestern Oregon I find that public and private campgrounds alike that have cabins, only allow 4 to a cabin (unless you rent one of the very expensive ones at private campgrounds).  I even looked at RV rentals but the cost is prohibitive.

I'm also finding how difficult it is to plan something in the summer at a popular National or State Park.  I believe Burney Falls is California's most popular state park, or close to the top of the bunch.  Crater Lake is the same for the National Parks.  

So I don't know what we will eventually do, and we also face the problem of not knowing if and when I'll ever be in surgery as well as the recuperation period.  I might not be able to deal with lifting heavy items and I won't let Jeannie do it on her own.

Today I will just have a quiet day at home.  It's a beautiful day in the 70's, and I might do some light work outside for an hour or so.  I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend.