20 W edn e sd ay , O c tob e r 7 , 2015 Th e Nugg e t N ew spap e r , S i s t e r s , O r egon O f a c e r t a i n a g e . . . B y D i a n e G o b l e C o l um n i s t “Bu t now th e d ay s a r e sho r t , I ’m in th e au tumn o f my y e a r s and I th ink o f my l i f e a s v in t ag e w in e . . . ” I c an remembe r moon ing ove r o ld b lu e ey e s a s h e c roon ed th a t tun e m any d e c ad e s ago (F r ank S in a t r a , fo r tho s e too young to r em emb e r ) . Bu t now th a t I am a c tu a l ly in th e au tumn o f my y e a r s , I f e e l mo r e l ik e an o ld bo t t l e o f mu s c a t e l . I s i t h e r e and w a t ch th e l e av e s ou t s id e my w indow g r adu a l ly tu rn ing d e ep e r sh ad e s o f r ed and r em emb e r a l l th e t r a i l s I u s ed to h ik e th rough som e o f th e mo s t sp e c t a cu l a r ly b e au t i fu l l and - s c ap e s f rom C a l i fo rn i a to O r egon . . . and a l l th e pho- tog r aph s I took a long th e w ay . I e sp e c i a l ly lov ed f a l l fo r th e sp e c t a cu l a r d i sp l ay o f co lo r s . Fo r s ev e r a l y e a r s b e fo r e I mov ed to S i s t e r s , I u s ed to d r i v e u p h e r e , j u s t m e a n d m y dog , a f ew t im e s a y e a r f rom M ammo th L ak e s , C a l i fo rn i a , to v i s i t my d augh t e r and h e r f am i ly — an 1 1 - to 12 -hou r d r ive depend ing on the numb e r o f pho to op s a s I v e e r ed o f f H ighw ay 395 to ch e ck ou t a c ap t iv a t ing v i ew . I a lw ay s look ed fo r- w a rd to my f a l l t r ip s e i th e r no r th o r sou th to exp e r i- en c e th e r ang e o f co lo r s . I ’d s e ek ou t h idd en l ak e s ju s t to c a t ch th e r e f l e c t ion s and w i ld r iv e r s to con t emp l a t e th e v a r i e ty o f co lo r s among the g rove s o f dec iduou s t r e e s in t e r sp e r s ed among th e ev e r g r e en s . T o ju s t s i t a lon e and b e p r e s en t w i th th e qu i e t b e au ty o f n a tu r e , su r round ed by a k a l e ido s cop e o f co lo r s sp a rk l ing in th e sun l igh t , r e f l e c t ed in a m i r ro r pond , b r ing s m e to a s en s e o f p e a c e and p ro found conn e c- t ion w i th th e un iv e r s e . My b e au t i fu l Au s s i e - l ab , Sp i r i t , w a s my p e r f e c t comp an ion and n ev e r f a i l ed to amu s e m e w i th h e r an t i c s . Sh e wou ld run in to any body o f w a t e r w i th r e ck l e s s ab andon , in c lud ing snow - cov e r ed i cy r iv e r s and l ak e s , th en ju s t s i t th e r e in th e m idd l e o f i t and look a round l ik e sh e w a s a t th e sp a . R e a l ly ! I h av e th e p i c tu r e s ! Ah , bu t I s a id “u s ed to ” h ik e b e c au s e I don ’ t h ik e anymo r e . Sp i r i t i s gon e and I c an no long e r t ru s t my body to m ak e th e t r ip w i th- ou t som e th ing go ing aw ry . Th e l a s t f ew h ik e s I w en t on a coup l e o f y e a r s ago , my kn e e s a ch ed and my f e e t f e l t l ik e th ey w e r e on f i r e . . . I though t th ey w e r e go ing to h av e to c a r ry m e ou t . I l i v e i n t own so I do w a l k a s mu ch a s I c an , and I h av e a f r i end who mo t iv a t e s m e to g e t ou t s ev e r a l mo rn ing s a w e ek . I c an s t i l l s e e th e S i s t e r s f rom a d i s t an c e bu t I c an on ly t ak e so m ay pho to s f rom town . On e th ing on my Bu ck e t L i s t i s to go th rough th e t en s o f thou s and s o f pho to s I ’v e t ak en and p i ck ou t th e on e s wo r th s av ing . Wh en I w a s do ing a l l th a t d r iv ing and pho tog r aphy , I k ep t a jou rn a l and ev en d id som e t ap e r e co rd ing s wh i l e on th e ro ad . I ’v e though t abou t g e t t ing b a ck in to th a t m a t e r i a l and m ayb e tu rn ing i t in to a book . I t ’ s a l so on my L i s t . Th en a f ew mon th s ago , I w a s sudd en ly , fo r no app a r- en t r e a son , in so mu ch p a in I cou ldn ’ t s t and up r igh t . I h ad to s top ev e ry th ing I w a s do ing and ju s t d e a l w i th th e p a in f a c to r . I s t a r t ed to th ink abou t wh a t wou ld h app en i f I c o u l d n ev e r s t and up and w a lk a round on my own ag a in . I s t a r t ed l o o k i n g o n l i n e fo r hom e h e a l th - c a r e d ev i c e s l ik e s a f e ty g r ab -b a r s and r a i s ed to i l e t s e a t s . I go t ou t th e hom e h e a l th s e rv i c e s b ro- chu r e s I ’v e co l l e c t ed f rom va r iou s agenc ie s to f ig- u r e ou t wh a t h e lp I cou ld a f fo rd . I s t a r t ed th ink ing abou t a s s i s t ed l iv ing . OMG , no ! I ’m so no t r e ady fo r a s s i s t ed l iv ing . I ’v e b e en to H e l en ’ s Hom e s ev e r a l t im e s to in t e r- v i ew th e T o l l e s fo r a r t i c l e s and th e i r adu l t - fo s t e r - c a r e home concep t i s g rea t . Ann a ’ s Hom e i s v e ry p l e a s- an t and th e r e s id en t s s e em qu i t e h appy . I h av e b e en in m any f a c i l i t i e s a s a ho s - p i c e vo lun t e e r , and a s n i c e a s som e o f th em a r e and a s g r e a t a s th e p eop l e a r e who wo rk th e r e , I ’m f a r too ind e- p end en t to l iv e w i th in th e i r n e c e s s a ry r e s t r i c t ion s . N ev e r w a s v e ry good a t fo l low ing B end M emo r i a l C l in i c B end M em o r i a l C l in i c in S i s t e r s h a s b e en t a k in g c a r e o f l o c a l f am i l i e s f o r y e a r s . D r . F an p r a c t i c e s a t th e S i s t e r s C l in i c , wh e r e sh e f in d s b e in g a sm a l l - t own d o c- t o r r i ch l y r ew a r d in g . F r om r ou t in e sho t s t o r e gu l a r ch e ckup s , f r om h e lp in g f o l k s g e t o v e r i l ln e s s t o h e lp in g th em p l an t o im p r o v e th e i r h e a l th , B end M em o r i a l C l in i c i s th e r e f o r th e S i s t e r s c omm un i t y . T h e BMC S i s t e r s C l in i c t e am t r e a t s th e wh o l e p a t i en t , n o t ju s t a c o l l e c t i on o f s ym p t om s , and th e y t a i l o r a h e a l th c a r e p l an th a t i s un i qu e and r i gh t f o r y o u . B end M em o r i a l C l in i c a l s o o f f e r s u r g en t - c a r e s e r- v i c e s in B end and R edm ond , in c lud in g im a g in g and l a b s e r v i c e s . A nd r em em b e r , n o m a t t e r wh e r e y ou s e e y o u r B en d M em o r i a l C l in i c p r o v i d e r , a l l y o u r in f o rm a - t i on i s k ep t in a c en t r a l e l e c t r on i c h e a l th r e c o r d s y s - t em s o a l l ph y s i c i an n o t e s a r e k ep t in on e , c on f id en t i a l p l a c e f o r y o u r T o t a l C a r e . ™ ce? ran su th in l Need hea you t to s t no co ce a i v Ad A f fo rdab le Ca re A c t Open En ro l lmen t Beg in s 11 /1 /15 and End s 1 /31 /16 Ca l l 541 -549 -6946 fo r you r appo in tmen t ! L inda A l ld redge 5 4 1 - 5 4 9 - 6 9 4 6 178 S . E lm S t . , S te . 100 , S i s te r s l i n d a . a l l d r e d g e@ c o u n t r y fi n a n c i a l . c om c o u n t r y fi n a n c i a l . c om / l i n d a . a l l d r e d g e isto Ckphoto .Com /ale -ks th e ru l e s . I ’d h av e to b e in a com a . W e l l , my h ip i s mu ch b e t- t e r , 90 p e r c en t b e t t e r , s in c e I h ad th e ep idu r a l s t e ro id in j e c t ion a mon th ago , bu t I s t i l l f e e l th e bu rn o f t en enough to qu e s t ion wh e th e r I dodg ed th e bu l l e t o r th e r e ’ s mo r e to com e . Do c to r s a id som e p eop l e n e ed s ev e r a l sho t s b e fo r e th ey g e t i t und e r con t ro l . So I c an ’ t end F r ank ’ s song w i th “ I t ’ s b e en a v e ry good y e a r , ” bu t i t h a s m ad e m e look in to o th e r op t ion s i f I n e ed ed ex t r a h e lp a t hom e o r cou ld no long e r d r iv e o r m an ag e on my own so i t won ’ t b e su ch an o rd e a l i f i t do e s com e up . Bumm e r , bu t wh en you g e t to b e a c e r t a in ag e , th e s e th ing s do com e up and w e do h av e to d e a l w i th th em .