Madras Airport

Jets are being rebuilt for fighting fires at the Madras Airport. A new company has bought out Butler air and is also going to be moving an air museum here so our little airport is really growing.

Rob Berg is a great airport manager and has improved everything so much that we soon we really be known for many things.

The view of the planes and Mt. Jefferson is great. Landing at Madras with the Cascades on your west side is a great view.  The sunsets are out of this world.

Every year they also have a airshow in August that is good and people come from all over to watch.

So keep August 23 and 24 of 2013 clear to come to Central Oregon and Madras and watch the 2013 air show. This is the web page with the schedule: http://www.cascadeairshow.com/schedule.html

Rainbow tunnel

There is a book about the railroad wars in Oregon. This tunnel is from the losing railroad that was not in existence for very long.  Through the years it has been used for a lot of things, not all of them good.

When we were kids we used to play in the tunnel on hot days because it was cool inside.

They used it as a potato shed for awhile and then someone grew mushrooms inside but he went broke.

Now a lot of homeless live in it because it is cool in summer and warm in winter.

Many terrible crimes have occurred in this tunnel and it is no longer safe for people to go in. The crimes have not all been by the homeless either.  It has become a garbage dump outside the tunnel. I have not been inside for years since it became a crime center so I don't know what condition the inside is in or even if the tunnel is still safe from collapsing.

It can be seen from highway 26 just east of the bridge that crosses the Deschutes River behind the Rainbow Market.  A gravel road goes by it to this side of the tunnel away from the highway.

Loving the rural life

I have to laugh at city folks and I know they laugh at us country bumpkins but I love the rural life. I love the smell of the fresh air instead of smog.  I love the quiet and the birds singing instead of sirens and horns honking and brakes squealing and yes I love the sound of a rooster waking me up. So much better to hear his song then the buzz of an alarm clock.

I also love the sound of the cows in the posture mooing away. It always reminds me of the city people who come to our area to camp and enjoy the outdoors and I actually took a few 911 calls where people wanted us to come out to the campground and make the cows across the street shut up.  Now how do you tell a cow to be quiet as people want to sleep?  I mean come on, traffic runs all night in the city and I can't sleep but I would never call 911 and ask them to stop the traffic where I can sleep.  If you don't like an area or the sounds or smells of that area then don't go there.

So if you want to come visit the rural area be prepared to deal with the rural area's sounds and enjoy them. I knew a guy who came out from New York City for the first time out of the city limits and he loved to sit and listen to the cows. He said he wanted the sound in his memory for when he went back to New York never to hear it again except in the movies.

Elderly do not have to be old acting

 There are a lot of people that work their horse while in a wheelchair and you would be amazed at what they can do.  They might not ride but the interaction between human and horse can still be very rewarding as this 88 year old shows as she works with her horse without even a halter in a large field. Don't give up on a dream just because you are elderly. If you love horses you can still do trail courses from the ground, teach them tricks etc.  Even hold horse shows for the special needs or elderly. It is all up to you and your dreams.

 This photo shows how large the pasture they are in actually is. There are other horses that the horse can go be with but you see she chooses to be with her person even though they have not seen each other during the snowy winter months at all. They still have a bond and a connection to each other. Horses have amazing memories.

A hug showing how much they both care. It is a hug by choice not by a halter and rope.

Went to the senior citizens the other day and fell in love with one of the ladies there that also refuses to get old. She is 89, she says her wrinkles are 105 though. She still has personality plus and lots of action as she says she refuses to get old and she proved she lives by those words.

Many things in life don't go the way we want and our bodies sure don't cooperate about staying young but you can continue to do things you just have to do them different.  Live by the words "where there is a will, there is a way".

It is like a pie, we can't eat the whole thing does not mean we can't enjoy a piece of it and slowly the whole pie disappears. As we age we slow down and enjoy things more instead of rushing through them.

Don't think about what you can't do, think about what you can do. Many people would love to do what you can. I have an aunt that has been bed ridden with MS for 20 years and she would love to be able to use a walker. It is all in the way you look at your blessings.  Many have more then we do but we have so much more then others do.

Fire on 11th street

 Another lucky home owner as they were home when the chimney fire started. The wife stated that she always worried about a chimney fire and would always tell her husband "I think we have a flue fire" but she said it roared so loud that there was no questions this time.

The owner had already got on the roof and sprayed water down the chimney. This can be good or bad as some chimneys will crack when you add water. I do not know the details on this fire but the house was saved and that is the important thing. The only injury was  a small cut on the owners hand.

This is a good reminder to keep our tetanus shots currant as he got cut by some rusty metal and it only takes a small cut.

Another good job by Jefferson County Fire District #1 and its volunteers. If  you see a firefighter be sure to thank them for the time they put into this volunteer position to help our community.

Fire on "D" Street

The firefighters going in under the smoke to make sure no one is in the residence. That is a firefighter risking his life to save others. Our department is mostly volunteer and people don't always realize how many hours are required in training to be able to fight the fire with all the rules and regulations. They give so much to our community.

Even the police jump in to help in anyway that they can and they are so appreciated by the firefighters.

The people who lived here were really lucky they did not lose their house.  No one was home and no one was injured and the house did not burn down...YAHOO!  Good job Jefferson County Fire District #1 for the hard work and long hours you give to our community.

Busy

Life kind of got away from me and I have not done a thing with my blog and I apologize for that. Will try to get it caught back up in the next few days. Thank you for your patience,