Tammy

With Augie Doggie 1967

Blowing Bubbles for CeCe Serena

Prom Night

With niece Mandy August 1975

With Baby Mari Spring 1977

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Family Photos:

 1960 or so

At the lake 1961

Thanksgiving 1963?

Dad and the girls at the beach

 Easter 1963 with the Cawthorne family

  Painted Desert 1965

  With grandfather Ira Harris May 1967

 Easter 1968

Easter 1970

 Bridesmaid for Tom & Carolyn's Wedding August, 1971

Winter 1972 or 73

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Tamara Susan Harris Kirkpatrick, our beloved Tammy, passed away Christmas Morning following a lengthy illness. Born December 8, 1957 in Encino, California to Joseph (Cal) Harris and Patricia McIlroy Harris and joining big sister Carolyn Lee Harris (now Cannon) to complete the family.

When Tammy was just 8 months old the family left southern California  for Lakeport, California where she spent the next 18 years of her life. Living on Clear Lake, she loved fishing, swimming and outdoor sports. While in school she participated in 4H, Band where she played the flute, and she played the piano very well. She was Musician for Rainbow Girls and went through the Chairs to become Worthy Advisor in her Senior year.  Upon Graduating from Clear Lake High School in 1975 she moved to Fresno, California to be close to her sister. There she met and married Carl Kirkpatrick. Tammy’s first daughter Mari (Marion Rose) was born there in 1977 as was Carl Jr in 1979. Soon after C.J. was born the family relocated to Oregon, where they remained. Their 3^rd child, Kari Lee Kirkpatrick was born in Medford in 1980.  Tammy’s life was her children and later her Grandchildren. She was always there for them through endless soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, softball and baseball games, transportation to-and-from school, and baby sitting duties. Tammy was preceded in death by her husband Carl and is survived by her mother, sister, three children, nine Grandchildren and one Great-Granddaughter.

MAGA Roller Coaster

We are trapped on a roller coaster
A Great America roller coaster
A Great America again roller coaster.
It’s like an airliner:
the front carriage is first class
reserved for those with the means and wealth
to make their ride both thrilling and fun.
The rest of us sit behind
And because it is an “again” roller coaster
in an echo of a past better forgotten
those with darker skin sit in the back.

The train starts at a high elevation
amid blue skies and hope for the future.
We obediently board and take our seats
and start the descent.
At first there are a few rises
which excite those in first class
though others of us look beyond
and view the steady decline
always spiraling to the right
Not the right of correct,
not the right of inalienable rights,
the right that rhymes with white,
and with night.

We pass through a dark tunnel
and when we emerge we see
the carriages have separated,
become divided.
Those in the lead are on a different track
heading up another incline
while we continue down.
An angry voice sounds telling us
that it is the brown people behind
who are pushing us ever faster.
People around me are shouting with rage.
I turn to look
but no longer see those cars.

I struggle to look ahead
hoping for clear skies
But a mist surrounds the future.
Where does the ride end?

We are on a different kind of journey

I'll be catching up the blog at some point in the near future. I have pictures from May through October to share.

We are busy preparing for winter in Gold Hill. Our first "winter" in several years.

Happy Trails with Dora - Fort Stevens - May 2018

When you go camping at Fort Stevens and you get to go to the beach, make sure that your people take you to the right place for dogs.  Don't go to the Peter Iredale beach where there are too many people all of the time for dogs to play good. That where the blue marker is on the map.  Go over to the other side where the Columbia River is and you can see Washington.

Another good place is out by the breakwater at the very end of the land.

Here is me and my sister Kady on the river-beach. There are very good tings to smell and taste here.

Oh, wait.  WATER!!

Our brother Hiro and his family came and played and Hiro likes the water almost as much as I do!

Here we are with Hiro's mom and human-sister Nora who has almost the same name as me.

Break over, back to the water!

Come On In!

A Week of Rest and Cinco de Mayo - May 2018

After the Portland National Specialty we spent a week on the Columbia watching posting results and watching boats.

A few walks along the river were thrown in.

Jamie, Catherine, and Nora came to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a taco fest.

Nora was a good little tortilla presser