Oh, it was another long drive yesterday from Idaho to here, Madras, OR. It happened again, Carol should of printed a topographic map for the drive through eastern Oregon, because of all the huge mountains, up and down switch back roads-the full and running stream always parallel to the highway- a beautiful site around every corner, but that means stopping and staring and ooooing and ahhing.
I am really getting the hang of things now-Carol found some food at the Subways that I really like and yesterday they found a great little cafe at Austin Junction. They were so happy when they returned to the car and after Carol unwrapped my treat, I understood why-we were all happy campers all the way through the forest-listening to Peter Gabriel and Eric Clapton-what a show!!
I heard Carol on the phone, trying to find someone to give me a bath-and I only thought this was a vacation!! Seems I am to make the acquaintance of some really special people today and she wanted me especially soft and cuddly-so we will see.
We are headed north around the Mt. Hood area and then into Portland by this afternoon and then back into the car with the "kids" for a short ride to the beach (whatever a "beach" is) tomorrow.
Well, I'm going to finish my chicken treat and take a nap before I have to be bathed.
See ya at the beach!!

I finally saw a bison!! The first one was white and really gave me the cold shoulder..and cold everything else for that matter. Then the brown one...didn't really see anything to get excited about so I ate a cookie. The island was nice....the air smelled real strange...kinda like that pile of shrimp tails I tried to eat once. But lake was really smooth and blue-very peaceful. We had hamburgers at the top and these loud birds started hopping around the car after Carol threw some bread out the window (she always says "white girls shouldn't eat white bread".) Of course we stayed alot longer than we had intended so Carol was on the phone changing the reservations when we started north towards Idaho.

With a new destination and fortifications, we hurled towards Mountain Home,,ID and arrived at the Best Western about 7:00. We all had salad and pork chops from the cafe next door, except Carol, she had something in a glass.

Idaho is very quiet looking, people watering everywhere-potatoes-for McDonalds no doubt!

We have a new destination tomorrow-Madras, OR--we'll see-they are talking about the fossil beds that are near by....so we will see.

Lets,see, no cabin by the snaked rive, no fish-just a great piece of pig! works for me!!!!!

We will arrive in Portland on Saturday, Jenny and Nathan will be at work. They are to have all their clothes ready and food for us, because we will all leave Sunday morning for Cannon Beach where this wonderful ocean view home awaits us for a few days. Then we come back and stay with them for about 7 more days--yea!!! what fun--new people to love and hug on me!!!

goodnite Jackson

ps. Hey Charley, i can't wait to meet you soon-and try on that Harley suit of yours!! jack

It is so late..we didn't make it to Layton after all...no bison to chase.....all because Carol and Barney just HAD to drive for hours around another rock filled park called the "Arches" man, if you've seen one huge red rock, you've seen them all..but NO, they have to stop at every turn jumping outa the car, and making that "box click".. and I'm saying...." I want to get a piece of one of them bison". So, we start up the first of many high mountains and around massive red curvy rocks, it was really exhilarating.....and then I ate a cookie. Maybe you can tell I'm not at my best....seems it is kinda hard for me to get used to not being in my bed and running around alot in my yard...I even miss the walks in the park. I haven't felt much like eating or playing, but just tonight I started getting a hang of noisy people walking in the hall outside and not being threatened about it.
Well, all I know is that we are headed north to Idaho..seems there is a another cabin waiting for us in Haggerman, it is at the Sportsman River Resort about a stones throw from the Snake river....good fishing I hear...ummm fresh trout.
Later,

Carol and I woke up from our nap just in time for Barney's arrival from Mesa Verde. He was smiling from ear to ear because of all the great petroglyphs and rocks he had seen. We all settled down to another scrumptous dinner Carol prepared and then watched the colors on the huge mountains fade to darkness.
We all woke up early to get on the road to Canyonlands National Park (although as you can see in this picture, Barney and I were a bit slow to actually get out of bed). Packing the Kia has gotten a little easier, Carol puts the stuff on the porch and I tell Barney where to put it in the car-works for me!!
The canyonlands was beautiful, so many things to look at all at once and a beautiful scene around every corner. They decided that today would be the day to try out those boots-it was very warm and I was not allowed on the dirt...so here we go....I didn't walk much, just too weird!! I did get treated to a bunch of loving hugs from some kids from Australia who were touring around America.....that was special. Barney saw artwork all over the huge mountains of rocks, he was amazed!!!
We got to our place for the night here in Moab at the Redstone Inn about 7:00, Carol whipped up strawberry/blueberry protein smoothies and we all settled in to watch Boston Legal.....Carol just loves Alan.
Now we are getting ready to go for a stroll and to smell the honeysuckle behind us and return to watch Bill Maher...Barney likes him, but he makes Carol mad!!
Oh, well, here we are off to Salt lake City to stay in Layton at the Comfort Inn-we plan to take in Antelope Island and see all the bison that live there as well as many different birds...I like birds, I really like to chase birds, maybe I will try to chase bison....hmmm..Carol, what IS a bison????