Remembering Adele Knerr Rodriguez

July 15, 1920 - April 21, 2011

Adele Rodriguez died quietly in her sleep on April 21, 2011, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Born in Seattle, Washington, Adele grew up in the Hollywood district of east Portland. She was blessed with a community of close childhood friends, several of whom attended school together from Fernwood Elementary through Grant High School and on to Oregon State College. Though her childhood was shaped by the Great Depression, it was filled with family adventures, including cherished trips to their summer cabin on the Washougal River in Washington. At Oregon State College Adele majored in home economics and, in her senior year, was elected president of the Association of Women Students. After graduating in 1942, she entered a dietetics internship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. In October 1943 she joined the US Army as a Lieutenant in the Hospital Corps and deployed to England, France and Germany. After the war she worked as a dietician at Langley Hospital in San Francisco, before marrying Sumner Rodriguez upon his graduation from Stanford Law School.

The young couple chose to settle in the frontier town of Madras, Oregon in 1949. The area was growing rapidly due to an agricultural boom made possible by the recently completed North Unit Irrigation project. In Madras they formed life-long friendships that would enrich Adele’s life for the next 60 years. A bundle of energy, Adele dedicated herself to her family and the Madras community with wide-ranging activities such as nurturing the Jefferson County Library Association, passing along her homemaking skills through 4-H leadership, and serving as the first dietician at Mountain View Hospital. With a dear group of women friends, she enjoyed a book group called “Study Club” for over 50 years which inspired her to sponsor the Madras “Community Reads” events. Adele loved the sunshine and stark beauty of Central Oregon, exploring its landscape on foot, horseback and cross-country skis. Birds were special favorites, and she found joy in the yellow brilliance of goldfinches and the melodious songs of the western meadowlark. The greatest satisfaction in her later years was sharing in the exploits and adventures of her eight talented grandchildren.

Adele is survived by her three children and their spouses, Kay and Jim Young, Sally and Doug Cramer, Glenn Rodriguez and Molly Keating; and her grandchildren, Sarah, Heidi and Karl Young, Lee and Dan Cramer, Alex, Evan and Luke Rodriguez.

She was preceded in death by her husband Sumner C. Rodriguez, brother-in-law James G. Rodriguez, and brother Lewis E. Knerr. A celebration of her life, truly one well lived, will be held at the Madras Methodist Church on Saturday, May 7, at 11 AM. Remembrances may be given to the Jefferson County Library Association and the Madras Aquatic Center.

Sailyaking Movie

Yet Another Bear Siting

Out on Schofield Creek again today to try out my new Canon bear sensing camera ... and it worked!

More Bear Sitings

Last Thursday I went on a kayak ride up Schofield Creek in spite of a lingering pesky cold and I spotted 3 bears (mama and 2 cubs), took a swim and somewhere along the way, I lost my cold. Wonder what other ailments that creek can cure?

John Day River Trip

Here is our planned John Day River route next week (shown in blue). Use the controls to change the magnification, location and map type. If the weather co-operates, we should be floating on June 5,6,7 2009.

Update : Well the weather didn't co-operate and we cut the trip by 1 day and only did a day float. We still had loads of fun camping and some of us (Sally, Candace and Bill) visited Ritter Hot Springs for a nice warm soak and then took a long scenic route home along some of our previous cycling routes.

Speaking of weather, following are weather and river flow links for the area:
Weather
River Flow



View John Day Rafting Trip in a larger map

Memorial Day Bear Siting

Had a fun day this Memorial Day. Departed in SailYak from home and sailed on the approx path shown. Saw military jets fly low overhead, parachutists jump out of a helicopter, explored a new (to me) creek (Butler Creek) then ended it all with a bear siting (red stickpin on the map). She was a large black bear on the bank of the Smith River wandering slowly in the reeds along the bank. I got about 100 ft from her when she stood up and spotted me and then scooted away. My first bear siting in Reedsport. Very cool !


View Memorial Day Bear Float in a larger map

Seesaw Ride Day 3

Broke camp this morning and drove to Lorane where we parked the vehicles and did the "Wolf Creek" loop. Today's hilights included spotting a couple of coyotes along the route, a visit to the Jackson family home near Lorane, and no rain. We ended the trip with lunch at the Lorane store and wine tasting at King Winery.


View Seesaw Ride - Day 3 in a larger map

Seesaw Ride Day 2

Today's route took us along the bike path around Dorena Lake and then on to Sharps Creek Campground. On a recommendation from some locals, we next visited a small waterfall on Brice Creek. We continued exploring until we arrived at Rajada Park where we had fun on the brand new seesaw at this recently renovated but not quite open park/campground. We then hastily retraced our route back to camp through light rain showers. Click on the icons for additional descriptions.


View Seesaw Ride - Day 2 in a larger map

Seesaw Ride Day 1

Day 1 of a three day ride with Sally in the Cottage Grove / Lorane area. Today we rode from our campsite at Dorena Lake to friends Dale & Brenda's home and back. Our route over included a long stretch of unexpected unpaved road (shown in red on the map) so we avoided that on the way back by taking a somewhat longer route through Lorane.


View Seesaw Ride - Day 1 in a larger map

Twitter

I recently joined Twitter and added my most recent 2 'tweets' and a link to my feed in the right hand column.

Hawaii 2009

Cousin Sally invited me to join her and Doug and Dan at their timeshare in Hawaii for a few weeks in mid Jan. I have just returned from that very fun trip and have posted a set of photos from that trip here:

HawaiiPhotos

Here is a quick summary of the trip from Sally's notes:
Jan 9   Honaunau (Place of Refuge) snorkel and picnic at beach
Jan 10 Crescent Beach near boat harbor, snorkel
Jan 11 Wind/Rain storm for Bill's first morning; snorkel at Kahaluu; night snorkel at same, eagle ray
Jan 12 Kakeha Kai St. Park, swim, snorkel, read on beach; snorkel at Old Airport
Jan 13 Honaunau snorkel; Hookena Beach watch dolphins, snorkel; Manta Rays in eve at Sheraton
Jan 14 Mauna Kea Beach, snorkel, body surf; Puako view turtles
Jan 15 Drive south; Black Sand Beach, South Point, Chameleon hunt; Big waves  Sheraton; star gaze
Jan 16 Relax at Holua Resort, swim, read; trip into Kailua-Kona (Dan, Doug, Sally)
Jan 17 Drive to Hilo side; Akaka Waterfall, Rainbow Waterfall, Boiling Pots; Hawaii Botanical Garden
Jan 18 Hapuna Beach closed; Walk in to beach N of Kakeha Kai St.Park, body surf, whale watch
Jan 19 Snorkel at Kahaluu; body surf at Hapuna Beach
Jan 20 Snorkel at Honaunau (shark); Picnic/hike Honaunau;snorkel old airport; manta rays
Jan 21 Kayak to Kealakekua Bay, snorkel, swim with dolphins
Jan 22 View whales from Holua; drive North Kohala area view whales; walk to waterfall; Pololu Valley; Mauna Kea Beach body surf; Dinner out in Kailua-Kona
Jan 23 Snorkel at Old Airport; one Manta Ray at Sheraton
Jan 24 Leave Day

LOBAA

Check out the LOBAA (Lost On Bikes Across America) website for details and up to date info on Sally & my trip across the US . We completed our trip in mid July.


View LOBAA in a larger map

More Photos of Mom's 90th BD

I am trying something new (again!). Click HERE to go to a carousel of photos taken at the party plus additional photos taken after the party at mom's home, Peg's condo in St Augustine and at DisneyWorld. Mom wanted a party for her 90th and then wanted to go to DisneyWorld ... she got both.

Mom's 90th

Mom had a great BD party as this photo will attest. About 55 folks at the party. Everything went very smoothly and she had a wonderful time. Then the next day, about 35 of the party guests also showed up at the house for snacks and more reminiscing. I am about to catch an airplane home so more later. Check out the videos on the right.

In the Creek

Paul and Julie were visiting this week so I had hauled out the kayak and canoe so we could float the river between rain showers. As part of their entertainment, I went on an unscheduled swim in the cold waters of Scholfield Creek. I stepped into the river while attempting to move the canoe from the dock back into the water. This happened in the morning before Julie was stirring, but Paul witnessed the swim and to his credit, didn't crack a smile though I am sure he was cackling inside. Hope they will next visit in the summer when the weather is better and the water is warmer.

On the Creek

A short movie of my adventures with Paul and Julie this week.

Jack & Libby Keating visit Reedsport

Molly's folks dropped by for a short visit today. They were traveling home to California after visiting with Glenn & Molly for the holidays. It was great seeing them after so many years. Jack is the proud owner of a new sailboat so hopefully they will come back in the summertime to try out my sailyak.

Colcannon

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted

Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

I found this yummy recipe in Reader's Digest while at the Dr.'s office and have made it twice already. RD credits allrecipes.com with this recipe.

Rogue Rafting Trip - 6

Sunday / Monday photos (click to enlarge)

The end of the rafting trip came way too soon. Jacob did a great job of paddling into the heavy winds and then it was time to pack up and leave the river. Sally & I headed to Reedsport where we had dinner and crashed early. The next morning we briefly tried our hand at Sally's new little kayak which was very difficult to control and then taught Sally how to peddle and sail the sailyak. She was a natural, so we both hopped on the sailyak and headed to the Umpqua in search of some wind. We found some but it was mostly in gusts and with the added weight of me and the light winds we were only able to max out at about 5 mph. It was great fun nevertheless and I was pleased at how well the sailyak handled with 2 on board. An added bonus was that we saw a pair of bald eagles on a sandbar near us - I had only seen one before in Reedsport. This day also ended way too early as Sally had to get back to Oregon City ... so we headed back to my dock and off she went.
Thanks to John and Ginger for organizing this trip and inviting me along. Thanks to Candace for the use of her raft and kayak and teaching me to row the raft. Thanks to Jacob for being such a happy fellow and great tent mate. And a special thanks to Sally for talking me back into going along after I had cancelled out ... it was a blast.

Rogue Rafting Trip - 5

Sunday - day 3 on the river. (click to enlarge)

This last day of floating was a very fun day. Most of the serious white-water was behind us but we still had some fast moving rapids. We were also on the section that the large (50 passenger) jet boats use. Jacob joined Sally and Candace on the raft to try his hand at rowing and I hopped in the kayak. The second photo shows the 'pirate raft' which kept attacking me with their water cannons. I was also 'burped' on by a jet boat - the boat gets it stern near you and then blasts a wall of water at you by gunning its engines momentarily . It delights the passengers as well as the burpee - in this case me. It was all great fun.

Rogue Rafting Trip - 4

Paradise Lodge
More photos (click to enlarge)

These are photos taken at Paradise Lodge. That's our new friend mama Nicki from Brookings, OR in the background of the butt shot.

Rogue Rafting Trip - 3

More Saturday photos (click to enlarge)

Why was this day so exciting you ask - because this was the day of the biggest white-water and most violent potty bushes. In a nutshell:
1- While on a lunch stop Sally slipped and fell on her face during a private visit to a bush (but she didn't tell anyone)
2- Sally then flipped her kayak in a part of the river called Mule Creek Canyon (and was rescued by John and Jacob who righted her kayak)
3- After expertly navigating the tough part of Mule Creek, Candace turned the raft over to me and I immediately got us caught in Coffee Pot ... a broiling part of the river in Mule Creek Canyon that doesn't let go. I finally managed to pull out of it as the water wasn't as bad as it can be.
4- Blossom Bar Rapids - by the time we got to this hairy section, we decided not to push our luck and deferred to our rafting expert John who had to navigate this section twice (once with each raft - we deflated the kayak).
The second 2 photos on this page are of John, Candace and Sally heading down in the second raft through the Blossom Bar Rapids. I took these photos from shore and walked the several miles to our Paradise cabins.

Rogue Rafting Trip - 2

Breakfast by Candace on Saturday and the start of what turned out to be the most exciting day.
(click to enlarge)

Rogue Rafting Trip - 1

Here are some photos from our Rogue River rafting trip. More commentary and a video will follow soon but I wanted to get the photos online quickly so that the participants can view them. The first 2 photos are of our Almeda camp where we camped Thursday night and the second 2 photos are of our sandy campsite on Friday night after our first full day of floating. I think we went about 14 miles this day ... not sure exactly where we were ... maybe someone can leave a comment to clarify this. (Click the photos to enlarge)

En-route to Almeda on Thursday, where we had a yurt reserved, Sally & I stopped at Lu and Wally's home near Grants Pass to visit & swim. The temperature there was in the 90's. We then hooked up with John, Ginger, Candace and Jacob and spent the night at Almeda. John, Ginger and Jacob used the Yurt and the rest of us camped outside the Yurt. Candace had chosen to sleep under the stars on some nice green grass . Later that night she found out why that grass was so nice and green as the sprinklers forced her to beat a hasty retreat to a less green area.
The next day we inflated the 2 rafts and the kayak, loaded up all the gear on the rafts and off we were for our first day of floating. Sally was in the inflatable kayak (i.k.), John, Ginger and Jacob were in the large raft, and Candace and I were in the small raft. I would dub this first day as 'the education of Bill day' as I learned (almost) how to row a raft. I sort of got the idea but my dyslexia and hearing deficiency usually made me hit the obstacles I was supposed to avoid - especially when the action got fast. The weather was hot and the river was cool so it didn't take me long to hit the water ... it was wonderfully refreshing to float the calmer sections of the Rogue in the water with the beautiful scenery floating by. On this upper part of the river, it was surprising how little raft traffic there was ... though there was one large contingent of about 20 kayakers and a few large support rafts. As it turned out, we had gotten a late start and also started farther upriver than most so we floated until the sun was getting low and finally picked a spit of sand on the side of the river to camp since most of the best sites were already taken. We had no mishaps this day (unless you consider me running into every large boulder in sight a mishap) but we were really pooped because the wind really picks up in the afternoon and of course it was against us. Ginger fixed us wonderful dinner and we all hit our tents early on a beautiful starry and moonlit night.

EEKS !!!

John has come up with the perfect name for our Rogue River rafting trip which starts early Friday morning. Because we are having to bring a lot of camping stuff for the 1 night we couldn't get lodging, he named it "EEKS !!!" because we're bringing "Everything Except the Kitchen Sink". He was originally planning to bring the kitchen sink, but decided not to because we couldn't pronounce EIKS.

3 Badger Ride - Epilogue

The trip is over and it was great fun. Once again we totally lucked out with the weather which except for the heat of the first day was cool and pleasant with tailwinds almost every day. The BikeR is a super bike for riding in the hills and I am very pleased with it. Jim and Kay even tried it out at the end of the ride. I still owe Sally and Doug a ride on it. The ride name was originally going to be the 'Unplanned Ride' but it was too well organized (by Sally, Kay and Jim) and somehow the name just didn't fit. So I changed it to the '3 Badger Ride' in honor of the 3 badgers we saw at different times on the ride. This is 3 more badgers than I have ever seen. After the ride Sally & I again stayed in Cramalot Inn on the Ratliff's basketball court. The next morning we ate breakfast with Adele in Cramalot Inn which we had set up behind Adele's place and then headed back to Oregon City.

Trip Facts:
Total mileage - 245 miles
Total altitude gain - 12,110 ft
Most flats - Sally - 3
Highest speed - Bill - 44 mph
Most bee stings - Sally - 1 yellowjacket on pinkie
Most bike crashes - we didn't have any
Best sag driver - Jim
Best cook - Jim
Best fisherman - Jim
Best first time rider of BikeR - Kay
Person who got the wettest in a sprinkler - Sally
Best comments to being filmed on bike - Kay
Best sleeper on the edge of a hammock - Kay
Loudest snorer - Jim
Animals seen by someone in the group - 3 badgers (1 smushed, 2 alive), many deer, brook trout, white faced ibis, several coyote's, white throated swifts, yellow meadowlark, golden eagle, bald eagle, great blue heron, antelope, toad (not a frog!) ...

3 Badger Ride - Day 5

July 20, 2007 (40 miles, 1960 of climbing)
Parish Cabin - backside Strawberry Mtns - Prairie City forest rd 16 - 62

3 Badger Ride - Day 4

July 19, 2007 (55 miles, 2680 of climbing)
Rd 63 S Fork - Izee - Hwy 395 - Seneca - Parish Cabin Camp

3 Badger Ride - Day 3

July 18, 2007 (56 miles, 2700 ft of climbing)
Elkhorn-Paulina-Rd63-S Fork John Day River-Camp with style on BLM land

More details to follow as I have time and can squeeze them out of the few creases left in my feeble brain. Will also add pictures and maybe a video clip or 2 ... thanks to Sally for jotting down some notes on our routes.

Bill

3 badger Ride - Day 2

July 17, 2007 (35miles, 2060 ft of climbing)
Prineville-Post-Elkhorn Camp via Coombs Flat Rd & Road 280?

Nadine fed us breakfast (Thanks Nadine !) and we were off again. The day was about 25 degrees cooler than day 1 due to a front passing through and the riding was very comfortable. We got spritzed a few times but there was never enough moisture to get the roads wet. It seems that we were riding eastward at about the same speed as the front was moving so we were under our own personal cloud all day. We had a brief stop at a small town called Post. This town has a population of 2 so we tripled the population when we arrived. The owner of the store was very chatty and informed us that there was a marker in the field that we just passed that marked the geographical center of Oregon. Onward to Elkhorn Camp. This turned out to be a short riding day as the campground was up a very gravelly forest road that we could not negotiate with our road bikes. So we piled the bikes on Cramalot and drove the 10 miles or so to camp. We had our choice of campsites as there was no-one else there. In fact, there was virtually no-one on the highway this day either ... only one convoy of fire fighters and Jim with the Jimmy and Cramalot. The area we were riding in had been very hot and smokey from fires the week before but the air was fresh this day. Sally had seen a sign pointing to some Agate Beds so after dinner Sally, Kay & I (Jim wisely stayed behind) drove several miles to find them. We found them ... at least the sign. I am sure that rock hounds know how to find agate but we were not well equipped with the tools or knowledge. All we saw were lots of holes in the ground where others had dug. It was a pretty location , though. When we arrived back in camp, Jim showed us a piece of agate he had picked up in camp and later Sally found a few more pieces that had apparently been discarded in camp by others. We had a restful mostly quiet time in camp that night. The only noises we heard were local herds of cattle chatting with each other from time to time.