On the Road Again...

Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pendleton, Oregon: First of all, exciting news from my nephew, Taylor. His dog (known as Ella to some and Godiva to others) gave birth today. Actually, she is giving birth as I type this and the count at this time is 5 and she is still going. Ella is a beautiful black lab and was bred with another beautiful yellow lab from England. They are very excited. I will report the final count when it is available.

We planned to leave at noon, and were actually out the driveway by 1 pm. Again, our wonderful housesitter, Karri, will be taking care of our house and Snickers in our absence.

Our first stop when we head east of Portland is always Multnomah Falls. It is a quick stop, about one hour from home. The drive into, and out of, Portland can be quite stressful, so it is good to stop, stretch your legs and refill your coffee cup at the beautiful falls. We have had so little rain, the water wasn't really falling very much. Even when not very full, Multnomah Falls is still gorgeous.

Multnomah Falls

DT only stopped one other time until we arrived to the Wildhorse Resort and Casino, just east of Pendleton. Frequent readers will recall we often stop here. The Wildhorse RV park isn't bad, but there is a nice golf course at the Wildhorse Resort. (The campground is behind a huge casino - imagine that, a casino on an Indian Reservation? - but we don't go in there because it is so smoky.) The weather is again terrible. Temperatures in the high 30's, dark and rainy.

We set up camp and put the satellite up for the first time since January 4th. We had to phone Direct TV to have them bump our receiver and it took me a few moments to recall which buttons I have to push to get my internet up and running, but after a few moments we were connected to the planet; the radiant tile floor heating was warming us and a cork came out of a bottle of wine. Not like camping when we were kids, eh?

DT and I are expecting a fun-and-sun-filled trip, lots of adventures with friends and family! Check back often to see where the wind blows us... and tonight that is a serious possibility. With the weather and the snow on the pass east of us, we are even unsure if we will be able to leave tomorrow! Bummer too, because it is too cold and wet to golf!

Added later:  I spoke with Taylor (our eldest nephew) at 8:30p pacific. The count is now seven puppies - 5 female, 2 male - and the system seems to be still in operation. Taylor said Ella started labor at 4 pm and had four puppies right away. The four puppies started nursing and one hour later Ella/Godiva delivered another puppy and she has delivered a puppy-per-hour since. I will report more as details become available.

Added much later - Final puppy is count is TEN. Five female, five male, no runt, all healthy and Ella is a good mother.

RV Park: Wildhorse Resort RV Park