All That is Beachy From a Wheelchair Point of View

Scenic views again, seen from the top of the hill. I love looking outside every morning to see what nature has created. Lovely views and lots of time spent admiring them. 

Last week at the ranch, like I said in the last post, only having to accomplish tasks puts a damper on everything! You have to garner some very clever ways to do what you need to do or what you want to do if that's the case. I'm trying to work on all of it while remaining in the chair to reduce the fall risk. This adds to the fun. 

Early Tuesday morning, I chose to eat some oatmeal while waiting for my physical therapist to arrive. My daughter had a doctor's appointment and had to leave. She knew the therapist would be here soon and all would be okay. Once she left, I chose to get inventive to make some oatmeal. 

Luckily, my daughter has all the fixings for a bowl of oatmeal close at hand. I wheeled over to her pans and pulled one out. Found the measuring equipment and began the process. Sitting in the chair, I could not see above the edge of the pan, so that took a reason to stand. I locked the wheels, grabbed the countertop and stood for a second to see what was happening. It was perfect!

The brown sugar substitute and the keto maple syrup choice were found in easy-to-get to spaces and it was finished! I was proud of myself. I'm transferring home on Friday, so anything I can do on my own without risk of fall is that much better. 

Oatmeal done, I sat the bowl on my lap and headed for the table. Breakfast was complete. I rinsed out the bowl and the pan as best I could. Now I had to sit in front of the large windows to see what all I could view. The love of seeing this property is strong and will never fade. 

The reflection of the window is included in the photo, only because I can't step outside to snap pics. I wish I could. There is a light layer of frost on the grounds this morning. It's going to be a chilly day. 

Fog banks are rolling across the land, making a beautiful yet eerie sight. Today, Tuesday, February 13, 2024, we are driving to the coast. Dawn and Marina, Kylee, Jessee, and Zyrah would like to get me out to see the ocean before they take me home on Friday. Once inside my residence, I can't go out. There are far too many stairs on the side and even in front to tackle. It's a process!

Physical therapy comes first and then off we go. I'm not sure yet if the trip will include Florence, Newport, or another oceanside town, but the possibilities are there. Most of the adventure will be in the car to keep me from having to transfer in and out. This will also reduce the risks involved. But the best part is, I'm going to the coast!

I am missing my fur babies and husband, so the girls are also trying to maintain some fun in my life. I bawled when we drove to Roseburg and I saw my Togo. I didn't realize I had been missing him quite that much, but apparently I had. Jasper? Same thing. I couldn't see Kit because he's strictly indoor-bound, like I will be soon, but I did catch a glimpse of his face peering through the window. Ugh. I do miss them so much!

So to the beach, it is! It's going to be very cold, as the Oregon coast typically is during this time of year. There has been some talk about going to the lighthouse via drive instead of hiking. This is an awesome possibility as well. Anywhere we go, the views will be spectacular and pictures will surely follow. In fact, all the places I go leave me saying, "Blog post!"

Off we went toward Florence. We had our time cut short from getting everything ready, waiting for the physical therapist, and another appointment my daughter had. But the time came when everything pulled together and the group was ready. The beautiful, sunny day was not going to go to waste! 

My Jasper boy was all set to travel and so was Dawn's little girl, Bella. Dawn brought both pups to make sure they had a good day and it gave me a chance to see my boy. 

Driving to Florence typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour from Eugene. Today it was taking what felt like forever, having to stop two to three times for tree cleaning crews to finish their chores along Highway 126. With the ice and wind storm we had a week or two ago, trees fell into the road all over the area. Cleanup is still going on and will continue until the dangerous debris is taken care of. 

Finally reaching the tunnel, we knew we were getting close. 

I used to love driving through the tunnel, honking the horn of our car. Why? I have no idea besides it is tradition. It echoes and is about three times louder than it should be, but as a kid, it was cool. The driver could always garner giggles and smiles from their younger passengers by laying on the horn. We have no idea why we laughed or smiled, but we did. Like I said, it was tradition and was apparently some sort of fun.

I would lift my cast and fold it over onto my good leg once in a while to allow a shift in position. It felt good. The toes on my bad foot would fall asleep periodically and the change in weight on the leg felt great. 

Driving alongside the Siuslaw River, the idea of being closer to the beach became a bit more real. 

We parked in the large lot in Old Town, Florence. It was time to take little Jasper and Bella out for a bathroom break. Dawn was working with her leash that held two dogs at once. It seemed to get tangled a lot and was a pain in the derriere.  

Jess and Zyrah stood by patiently as the little guys went potty. The sun was warming us while we waited and felt so great. We definitely chose the perfect day to go to the beach. The chill was still in the air due to the time of year, yet the sun was warm enough to make the day perfectly comfortable. Today was a great day to just go outside in general.

We wanted to find a restaurant where we could squeeze in the wheelchair safely and without incident. Since it was Tuesday, not all the restaurants were open along the boardwalk. Not only that but the powers that be were moving stores around town. One or two were opening around the corner, along the next street. A crystal, rock, and other beautiful artifacts shop wasn't there. This saddened me as it is one of my and Terry's favorites. Another is the spiritual shop. Moved out of sight or closed down. Either way, sad. Sweet man and I loved both of those places and visited them often when in Florence. 

As we walked up the sidewalk, we saw three restaurants; one was an Italian food service, the second a bar and food joint, and the third was seafood and other eats. Now, the choice was ours. There was Mo's, a local eatery, but we all felt it had gone downhill over the years. Another restaurant, the International C-Food Market sat next to Mo's, but the consensus was the same for that eatery as well. The idea of eating there was not at the top of the list as a good choice. Dog-friendly and outdoors, with views along the Siuslaw River, yet these components were simply not enough to pull us in. This particular restaurant had also moved down the list of good places to eat in Florence, Oregon. 

We chose 1285 Restobar, the Italian eatery in the Old Town lineup. Great food, as we had eaten there before and the thought of pasta and salad was enticing. Now to get in there and order our lunch. 

Both girls set my wheelchair directly in front of the troll-sized doorway. Dawn opened the door and Marina began to push me in. Suddenly, a small waitress appeared in the opening, asking us to go to the other door to fit the apparatus into the building. I was pulled out of the doorway once again, feeling slightly embarrassed since I couldn't find a way to get in to select lunch. 

This awkwardness woke me to those who are permanently handicapped and confined to a wheelchair. Some buildings are still not wheelchair accessible, leaving out so many people. It's simply not fair to a decent size of the population, yet all of these places were open to being dog-friendly. Something was so wrong with this, even though I'm such a dog fan. 

The building was so old that the doorways were not wide at all. We pushed our way into the eating house after struggling with the width and the steps, plus little bumps along the way. Once inside, some tables were in the path that needed to be pushed aside. I rolled myself up to the table, the awkwardness still there as the chair was sitting out into the walkway. My leg needs to remain extended on the footrest to keep it raised. This adds to the inability to fit it into places. I dropped my footrest and slid myself closer to the tabletop, despite the surgeon's wishes. 

Once settled, we were greeted by a friendly smiling face. As everyone ordered their drinks, I looked around. The restaurant was nice enough to give us an option to enter, yet we seemed to be pushed off into the back section where the chef and waitresses were resting and taking their breaks. The other part of the eatery was where actual customers sat. It was nice to be given a table, but felt as though we were being seated to keep a lawsuit from happening. Very odd. 

When it came time to order food, there were group selections of garlic cheesy bread, garlic potatoes for Zyrah, mushroom ravioli, salads, chicken parmesan, and a couple of plates of manicotti, which was my choice. Plates of food began to appear in front of us. All of it smelled wonderful and was welcomed. 

Ideas of what adventures of the day should follow were the topic of conversation. 

I'm not sure what was going on with the camera, as Jessee's face seemed to be distorted. 

Kylee and Jessee spent time talking to Zyrah, my great granddaughter. Zyrah was actually being good, in an active, two-year-old sort of way, where the silverware became toys. 

Dawn, Marina, and I threw comments into the conversation here and there. Our idea was to eat, shop in a couple of places, and then head to the beach long enough to at least see it. Our visit was turning out to be awesome. Just getting outside for the day was exciting, and the sun so warming. Yes, at this point in the juncture, it's the small things that excite and please me. 

Still waiting for food, a napkin and a couple of ink pens became Zyrah's toy of choice. She drew pretty pink flowers and remained occupied until it was time to eat. 

Pineapple margaritas and adult conversation were the adult toys of choice for the rest of us. Good times, good drinks, and awesome, but odd atmosphere. 

Once the food arrived, our focus switched to the hot cheese melted on both red and white sauce laid across the manicotti. 

Soon the conversation ceased and the cheesy goodness helped us settle into a wonderful silence. It all tastes wonderful. Great food at the Restobar. I just wish they were better equipped to host those in wheelchairs. The waitresses were friendly. Good service. The chef even kept us entertained in the backroom.

 It was a nice experience, although I did feel like we were the embarrassment of the day. People who were related to those embarrassing relatives the rest of the family puts up with but never advertises that they exist. The family puts up with that relative when they are around, but are always happy when they exit. 

After our delicious lunch, we traveled up and down the boardwalk in search of shops we might like to visit. Marina tried to push me into one shop so we could look at the Polish dishware, when a woman in charge stated, "Oh. It's small in here. We are moving our shop down the street too. It will be much larger in there." Well, now. This made us feel welcome, especially with the barking tone she used to inform us of the lack of room and fear of me slamming into their wares. Marina chatted with her for a moment and then pulled me back out of the doorway. 

One of the shops we always visit while in Florence, Oregon is BJ's Ice Cream. The shop is always good for ice cream cones, fudge, salt water taffy, sundaes, and various ice cream delights. I chose a sugar-free chocolate shake and Zyrah got an ice cream cone. They also had a wheelchair-accessible ramp and entrance, making it much easier to get into the shop. I was grateful. Now that grandma and the baby were appeased, off we went again. 

One or two people in the group headed into various shops while we sat on the corner to enjoy our ice cream. I was not in the mood to make another attempt at going into stores, as they just didn't seem to be accommodating to those in my position. That's fine. The sun was heading into the horizon and I wanted to get those last few rays of warmth before it set. 

Marina was holding my chair, pushing me along the rocky sidewalks as we peered into the windows of shops along the way. Behind each window were beautiful sundries, just out of reach of our ownership. I was looking for mine and Terry's favorite gem shop. I wanted to bring home a gift for him, but could not locate the storefront. Disappointed, I continued down the boardwalk with the girls. 

In front of the shop that had Polish pottery, Marina began to window shop since I was unable to go in. Suddenly, she spotted a piece that had her interested. While she ogled the pottery, she released her hold on the chair. As the rest of the family members watched, I began to laugh hard as the chair rolled down the decline in the sidewalk. Yes, I could have stopped it using my good foot and leg, but it was funny. I was having far too much fun to stop it. All of us, minus Marina, began to laugh. Marina turned to see what had us in an uproar and noticed I was on my own little adventure in heading for the street, although I would have and could have easily maintained my space by braking.  

My daughter yelled, "Mom!" and rushed for the handles. I was laughing so hard by this time that I barely heard the lecture on how I should have stopped the chair myself. I continued to laugh at the incident, drowning it all out. It was just too much fun and had everyone giggling. 

Everyone returned to the waiting spot. We loaded up the cars once more to head out to the beach. I wanted a couple of photos of the oceanfront before we drove home again. 

The pups were eager to load up and move on. Sitting next to a curb made it easier to load up into the vehicle too. We kept my transferring to different places and things to a bare minimum to prevent higher fall risks. But this was my last transfer. It was the ride home after seeing the beach. While I was out, the fun was there. I got to see a lot of things and was able to feel that warm sunshine. It was good. Transferring was at a minimum by one when we got there and one when we left. Safety was of the utmost importance during our trip. 

Even the ocean was relaxing in the sun today. Waves were at low impact and all was perfect. 

We chose to stick around to see a bit of the sunset. Not a complete dropping of the sun, but enough to make it beautiful. 

The surrounding brush came into focus against the orange tint in the sky. The sun was setting and it was time we headed home. I was glad we got out. Once I arrive home, my stairs are far too dangerous at this juncture of my healing process. Being homebound for several weeks will be difficult, but doable.

Feelings of missing my husband and fur babies lingered, driving me to go home. Yet the idea of learning the moves around a new place was not pushing the idea home completely. Learning how to live here was difficult, but I finally have everything down. Simple things such as trying to pull your pants up and down while balancing on one foot became a hard thing to do. I would have to grab the wheelchair arm rests and hold that position for a while to be able to pull on the pants. 

Typically I put my knee on the toilet seat to be able to balance without touching my foot on the floor. These are the daily tasks we do to take care of ourselves, yet we take them all for granted. At least I did. Not anymore. 

Our ride home was filled with discussion about our fun day. Still laughing over my rolling down the decline in the sidewalk, we realized how much fun we had today. Finishing the day with a tinge of orange in the skies above the sea, it was time to return. The ride home was typical in almost every way, besides the chat about the day. 

I love the ocean and this day is embedded into my memories. The fact that I was taken out to enjoy the view of the beach, the sunshine, and Old Town Florence was great. My heart soared. My blessings are in abundance, for sure. Now once I see my husband and fur babies, the joy will be complete. 

The return was quick. It was an end to another perfect day spent with family, besides my hubby and other daughter living in Roseburg. Missing them! After dropping Dawn and the pups off at their house, Marina and I returned to the beauty of all that is Wolf Tree Ranch. Next up? Showering day tomorrow! After a few days, it becomes a real treat. 

Home health CNAs were slated to come out and help me shower, but we never saw any of them. The shower bench had yet to arrive, so I believe that was some of the hold up. I took one today (Wednesday, February 14), and will take one in the morning before I return on Friday. Hopefully, this will suffice until home health workers can shower me once I return home. 

Anyway, it is only Tuesday, leaving us the rest of the week to have adventures. My trip home Friday is one. We will plan on having all of you stop in to be with us during our next adventure. Have an excellent, blessed week and stay safe and have an amazing Valentine's Day, filled with love. 

My two other great grandchildren, Elena and Spencer.