FOUR SCORE EXPEDITION!

 Although this is called Four Score Expedition, it started out in recognition of  the "Five Score" (or one hundred years) recognition of the formation of Route 66---aka, The Mother Road.  (The "mother" in this particular photo is me, standing in the middle of The Mother Road, where a new sculpture has been erected on historic Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri.  

There is also a new sign at the Springfield airport, made in the shape of the historic Route 66 highway sign.  The bottom of the sign shows the 1926 date when government officials convened in Springfield, Missouri, and conceived the idea of a paved highway route, going from Chicago, Illinois, then across the country towards the Pacific Ocean, terminating in Santa Monica, California.  

My United Airlines ticket out of Springfield, Missouri, landed me (on time!), at the airport in Medford, Oregon, where my son was waiting to pick me up.  

 Once we arrived at our Mt. Shasta, California, destination, we took a walk around the neighborhood, where I photographed the thick white cloud, that was encircling the 14,179 feet summit of Mt Shasta.  (Mt. Shasta is famous for its lenticular clouds.) 

After a delicious supper provided by Grover and Stacy, for both their mother-in-laws, we settled down for a card game of Five Crowns.  The Arkansas mother-in-law had been invited out to Mt. Shasta, to celebrate the "Four Score" birthday of the California mother-in-law.  Psalm 90:10 implies that a person must have strength to make it to four score (80 years), saying "The days of our years are threescore years and ten, and if by reason of strength they may be fourscore years....."

I was delighted to be in the guest room, that housed the antique treadle sewing machine that belonged to my grandparents, Grover and Effie Parrish.  To my surprise, my son (named Grover after his great-grandfather) had ordered new belts for the machine, along with an instruction manual.  He said he wanted to get it working again, so he could sew on it himself.    That prompted me to tell him the story about how my sister was using the machine decades ago, (when my grandparents lived in Monarch, Arkansas) and somehow, accidentally impaled her pinky finger with the machine needle.  I remember we dropped everything, drove to Harrison,  and rushed her into the doctor's office.  There was no permanent damage, but it certainly made us more cautious, from that point forward! 

It was gratifying to see that my son and his wife continue to get fresh produce from their garden.  I especially enjoyed the fresh, purple heirloom tomatoes, as well as the zucchini squash and cherry tomatoes.   (See blog in the archives called "Garden Expedition", dated June 12, 2020 to see the history of their garden project)

Several guests were expected on Saturday night for a party to celebrate Jan's 80th birthday, so there were lots of chores to get done to get the place spiffed up.  This included Grover mowing the yard.

 Grover and Stacy worked together to clean the kitchen window, inside and outside.  Grover had "drawn" a heart for Stacy, with the spray cleaner, but it was already wiped away by the time I could get a photo.  

I wanted to be sure there was a photo of me cleaning windows, hoping maybe it would motivate me to clean my windows, when I got back to Arkansas!

This was my first time to meet Lucas, the newest addition to the family.  We got a photo of his older brother in this same highchair, continuing the tradition started when my sister was first photographed in this same chair, in 1943.  We also have photos of both me and Grover in the chair, when we were toddlers.  

 

 In order to take advantage of so many family members being together in one place, at one time, my very photography-skilled grandson-in-law, Dean, had his professional-level camera, positioned on a tripod, and took dozens of photos, with dozens of family combination poses.  It is quite the chore to get little ones to sit still and smile, when prompted (especially when a one-year-old is trying to grab his father's camera, as shown in this photo!)   I had the blessing of knowing Dean's very skilled photographer grandmother, Elna, so I am not surprised that Dean is also very adept at it.  On one of my visits to Oregon several years ago, I got to take a day-long photography seminar with Elna, and learned as much from her, as I did from the man who was teaching the class!

 After the photo session was over, several of us went to lunch in down-town Mt. Shasta, and enjoyed the beautiful weather that made dining outside a joy!

 After lunch, the ladies enjoyed visiting some of the downtown boutiques, while Mike kept an eye on his grandson in the picturesque outdoor seating area.  

While we were downtown, we saw a firetruck and police car, get parked on the busy main street, so that visitors could look inside the vehicles, and the personnel could explain the equipment.  They even gave (pretend) fire truck hats to the youngsters, (or those "young at heart" who wanted one!)

Dean and Grover took advantage of a few hours of "escape" from chores, to play golf at Mt. Shasta Resort.  Thankfully, Dean took a selfie of them, which shows Mt. Shasta in the background, and the beautiful blue skies, that were the hallmark of my entire week in Mt. Shasta.    Having also visited when the skies were filled with rain, snow, or smoke from forest fires, I was extremely thankful for the weather that some would call a "Chamber of Commerce" type day!

One of our group activities was to take a stroll around the neighborhood, so Grover could show us the storage building he recently constructed.  I wanted to have more of a close-up photo, but Conner wouldn't budge from his scooter stance, so I had to move farther back to make sure he was in the photo!

On Saturday afternoon, shortly before the party, the "Cool" owners of the Mt. Shasta Supermarket (that is their real name!) delivered an insulated hot box, containing their famous smoked ribs, smoked chicken, and barbecue beans.  I can see why they have been in business for decades and AI described their store as a "beloved, family-owned neighborhood grocery store and deli, known for its friendly, hometown atmosphere and community roots."  

For decades, using the red "YOU ARE SPECIAL TODAY" plate for memorable occasions, has been a fun practice, so I was glad to get a photo of Jan holding the plate, in recognition of celebrating her milestone birthday.  

 

 Jan's great grandson asked if he could be the one to blow out her birthday candle, so she obliged and held one of the beautifully-decorated cupcakes for him to puff on!   This was after everyone had gathered around to sing the HAPPY BIRTHDAY song to Jan.

 After everyone enjoyed their birthday cake, the yard games resumed for some of the guests.  Although Razorback corn hole boards were available, the only outdoor game I observed was a spirited game of croquet.  The lady pictured on the left, with the red sweater, was the winner of the match. 

 

Many of the Jan's family members who came in for her celebration, were from Oregon, so it is not surprising that the Oregon folks were watching the Oregon Ducks play USC, while the party was in progress.  Thankfully, Oregon won!

Jan's grandson and great grandson, were especially pleased with the Oregon win!  (Notice that Uncle Caleb, and nephew Lucas,, are wearing matching outfits!)

In addition to the celebration of the "Four Score" birthday on Saturday, Grover and I attended the "Three Score and Ten" birthday celebration for one of his climbing buddies on Sunday.  The neighborhood where it was held, could be nicknamed "Green Thumb Cul-de-Sac", because of the lush gardens growing there.  One of the guests took a photo of my son and me, at her garden gate, with an arbor covered in grape vines.  

 

Monday, September 28, 2026, was National Sons Day, and I was very thankful to be able to spend the day with my son!  His wife took out photo together, complete with Indie, the wonder dog!

 Since it was Son's Day, Grover agreed to let the "Mamarazzi"  take a few more photos of him and his wife, at this scenic spot in their back yard.  The two large fir trees make a lovely frame, for the red-barked manzanita tree below them.  

This trip out west gave me a heart full of gratitude, with "Four Score and More", "MILES OF SMILES"!   Tricia

MAID OF THE MIST EXPEDITION!

In case I forget the chain of events that led to being able to get this photo of me holding a bottle of Niagara water, while simultaneously being in a boat cruising on the Niagara River, I am writing it down in this blog post!

Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the United States of America!  It is always free to walk into the park and experience the falls! 

Visitors walk along a scenic path beside the river, to get to the falls area. 

The green cylinder is the ticket booth to start the process of purchasing tickets to ride the famous boats, Maid of the Mist (www.maidofthemist.com).  I was with the Making Memories Tours group (www.MakingMemoriesTours.com) that came to New York via motorcoach, and our tickets had been purchased in advance, so we did not have a long wait in line.  I had visited this state park in the past (see blog dated September 12, 2008 in the archives), but the line to purchase tickets for the boat ride was so long, and my time there was so short, I had to forego the boat ride.  Hence, my excitement at the prospect of getting to cruise under the falls on this trip!

After one has their tickets, they proceed across an elevated walkway at ground level, where they wait to get onto an elevator that will carry them to the bottom of the river gorge.  The photo below shows a docked Maid of the Mist boat, waiting to take on more passengers.  

While I was waiting for the elevator, I snapped a photo of a glass door with the maple leaf emblem saying "All are welcome here", so that means that even the Arkansas hillbilly reflected in the glass, is welcome!

On the walkway, there is good view of bridge that spans the Niagara River, and connects the USA to Canada.  

 When you purchase a ticket to Maid of the Mist, it includes a "one size fits all" blue poncho, intended to keep passengers from getting completely soaked, when they are at the falls.  

The front of the Poncho has the Maid of the Mist logo, noting its origins go back to 1846!

Apparently most people discard their wet raincoat after the cruise, as evidenced by the huge bags of thrown away raincoats.  However, I kept mine, as did several other people in our group.  

The Maid of the Mist is proudly celebrating America's 250th birthday, as seen by the painting on the top deck.  The name Nikola Tesla on the side of the boat, is a reminder that all the boats in their fleet are now fully electric.  

On my previous visit, I had gone down the stairs pictured in the photo below.  However, there were no people on the steps this time, and I could later see that the top was closed off, with several pieces of heavy equipment apparently doing repairs at the facility.  

Across the river on the Canadian side, we could see a boat full of people in pink ponchos, which is their signature color vs. the blue colors of the American side.  

I was amused at this sign as I exited the Maid of the Mist area, knowing that, indeed, a ride on Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls, is a "BUCKET LIST" item for thousands around the world!  In fact, these falls produce 750,000 gallon-BUCKETS PER SECOND!

As our motorcoach was driving across the bridge, I noted there was a walkway on the bridge for pedestrians, so they could say they "walked from the USA to Canada".   That is exactly what several friends and I did in June, on a much longer bridge.  You can read about that adventure in the archives, in a blog dated July 7, 2026, titled "International Bridge Walk Expedition!".  

Once our boat made it across the bridge, it was time to go through Customs.  Everyone had to get off the bus, go inside the building, then stand in line, to show their passport.  While we were doing that, officials were inspecting our bus for contraband.  Apparently, we all passed, because we were able to reboard the bus, in just a few minutes.  

 

 It was just a short drive to our hotel on the Canadian side of the Falls, so after I was settled into my lodging, I went outside to explore the area.  Since so many of the hotels have the word "niagara" in them, I took a photo of the exact name of my hotel, with the landmark tower in the background, so I could find my way back "home" after walking around the area.  

When I made my way across the street to the sidewalk above the falls, I was delighted to see there was a rainbow over the falls, so I asked another tourist admiring the sight, to take my photo with the rainbow in the background.  

The photo below shows the top of Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side, as seen from the street-level of our hotel.

 In case there was any doubt as to which side of the river contain the Horseshoe Falls, the Canadian flag, with its red, maple-leaf center, removed all doubt.

To get from street level, down to the level of the river, one can take a long walk, or simply pay for a ride on the funicular, that transports several people at a time, down the steep slope, to the bottom of the gorge.  

The next morning, I was out as soon as it was daylight, to see what the falls looked like, in the early morning.  Because of the temperature differences in the air and the water, the scene was completely obscured by mist from the falls, but the sun could be seen, peeking through, from the American side.  

After my morning walk, and a nice breakfast at the hotel, we boarded the bus to go see the "Floral Clock" (www.niagaraparks.com), pictured below.  It is situated close by the river, and the hands of the clock are powered by the hydroelectric energy generated at Niagara Falls.  It also has Westminister chimes that ring every quarter hour.

I am very thankful I had the opportunity to visit the world famous Niagara Falls, on both the American and the Canadian sides.  When our Maid of the Mist boat was next to the falls, with nothing being heard but the roar of millions of gallons of falling water, I was reminded of the Scripture verse from Revelation 1:15 that says, "The sound of Jesus is like the sound of many, many waters."  Thanks to this trip, I now have a better idea of what that verse means!  Needless to say, this "Bucket List" trip, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia