the short and long of it

With the unexpected trip back to Indiana some rather unexpected outcomes developed.   We didn't quite know what to expect when Josh, Eury and I boarded that flight early Monday morning.

 This child radiated peace, calm and joy for everyone in such an intense, emotional atmosphere.  She was a dream all through the flight and even managed a nice long nap.

Days were arranged around a regular evening visit taking Eury to the hospital to say hello and bring her charming personality to the hospital lobby.  I tried to bring food and sit to visit as much as possible.  There was so much love, hope, prayer and emotion gathered around Joanna's bedside.  I felt so grateful to get to sit by her side and give her hand a squeeze while her siblings and parents took turns having a visit with the youngest member of the family.

 It just so happened that there was only mild snow the week we were there.  As providence would have it our trip fell right between the intense snowstorms that shut down much of the country.

I spent most of my time running here and there and trying to help in any way generally sticking to Pacific time and seeing very little of my siblings or parents.  The Purdue contingent of brothers had made plans to come home for a visit Friday evening.  We designated Saturday as a Telschow tribe day.

 It doesn't take long to whip up a smile with these guys around.

 Our group, ten in number, went in mass on a shopping trip to pick up this and that.  It's nice to see the brothers with ladies silly as them.

Being that I had only purchased a one way ticket back to Indiana I realized that it would be the prime time to drive back to Portland.  Having spent many late nights trying to draft out a good public transportation route to classes and coming up with nothing, I realized having my car would be a great asset.  Having missed my first class, my second one was not until Wednesday and I knew this was the time.  Not keen on me making the two thousand mile journey along there was some discussion about someone going with me but schedules were too tight.  It was not a good time for anyone to take a week away.  But, I did end up with a wonderful co-pilot.

It was decided that now was a good time for Stella to join life in Pacific time.

 This was her position for about nineteen hundred of the two thousand miles.

Not having made it to the library before they closed on Saturday, I was at a loss for how to keep my mind occupied as the sole human on the journey.  Jason suggested I ask Josiah if he had any audiobooks.  Josiah responded with the whole Harry Potter series, all seven books, in audio format.  I handed him an ipod and he loaded them up.  Though I did watch all the films, I would have never read the series in print.  After listening to the first three and a half on the drive I would highly recommend the audio version.  They are read by Jim Dale and he is so entertaining.  Each character has a different voice and he pronounces all the words I never would have pronounced correctly if I tried to read them. 

I loaded the car early Sunday morning and Stella, Mr. Dale and myself took off for our first leg of the journey.  As it was such a long journey, my first goal was to make it to Colorado to stay the night with the Josh's mom in Littleton.  That was a very long day, but we made it.  After a wonderful breakfast, Robynn is a great cook, we hit the road once more.

 Wyoming was full of sunshine, I may have gotten sunburned on half my face.  There were signs to beware of rattle snakes at this rest stop.

 Utah was beautiful.  I was actually very shocked at the landscape of this state that seems to carry a bad rap.

 We stayed the night in Boise.  Stella was quite uncertain about staying in a hotel room but enjoyed the option of her own big bed.

 Idaho had an eerie and magical hoarfrost for miles.  It was in the frost that I encountered my first intense fog of the trip.  There is nothing quite like driving into a thick fog.  Though it did remind me of the white-knuckled downpour through the mountains in the trip home from Savannah in September of 2009.

 The route I took had plenty of mountains but the driving was only a steady incline.  There was far less curves around cliff-faces than driving through the Carolinas.

 Then, the vistas of Oregon came into view.

 And more fog.

 Eastern Oregon has more snow and cold than the more temperate Willamette Valley where Portland lies.

 Finally, the highway wound toward and along the Columbia River.

 Stella and I took in the rest stop with a view.

 The differences in climate in elevations was noticeable.  Where sun had not shone the frost remained.

 Then, things started to get moss-covered once more.

 The majestic fir forests came into sight and we pulled into Portland shortly after sundown.

Note to self, next time I drive halfway across the country make sure I have a house key.  Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long for a spare to arrive and Stella and I were home at last.  She was not to keen on even going through the front door.  Though they were at the kennel maybe she could smell the presence of other dogs.  After dragging her through the front door she remained in the living room for an hour or so until she ventured into my room.  It wasn't until the next day that she would step foot in the dining room or kitchen.  Only in the last few days has she finally over come her fear of the floor grate to want to pass in the small hall between my room and the kitchen - until then she went around.  It was quite humorous.   

 Stella met up with the boys at the dog park when Josh, Rachel and Eury returned the afternoon following our arrival.  She and Atticus we happy to see one another and Reuben was more excited to see Stella than she was to see him.

 I think Stella is settling in fine to this now home.  She enjoys her frequent walks and doesn't seem to mind the rain.  Being that she is terrified of water this is quite the milestone.

Stella spends most of her day sleeping.  This is, after all, what made me know she was mine when I met her almost seven years ago.