To Grandma’s House We Go… One Last Time.

It is bittersweet to think that this will be the last time we see Grandma Ardys in the house she’s lived in for 66 years. Her home in St. Helena was a large part of Rog’s childhood, especially during the summers and holidays. That said, there are a lot of advantages to the move. She will be much closer to Rog’s Mom, there will be more opportunities for socializing in a group residence, and the burden of maintaining her house and property will be lifted. Unfortunately, the safety measures required during the pandemic add a whole ‘nother layer of complexity to the move. Still, after years of waffling (yeah Grandma, talking to you! Lol.) she is ready, so here we go.

Even though Rog’s mom was already in St. Helena with Grandma Ardys, we stopped in Redding on 7/21 for a couple nights at her awesome moochdocking spot. On the way we got a gorgeous view of the backside of Mt. Shasta from Hwy 97.

Mt. Shasta

We had only planned for a two-week trip, so we needed to grocery up, do laundry, and work our way through a long to-do list. Riley got a bath and we enjoyed her back deck as the evening cooled. We were sitting outside around dusk and all of sudden Riley alerted and got real interested in movement in the ravine behind the house. We heard a low growl and Riley started barking. We saw something run away but there wasn’t enough light to get a good look. We found out later that we’d likely been visited by a bobcat that has been sighted in the area. Rog heard it again in the morning. I thought it was very cool, but Riley wasn’t a fan.  

Bath time or play time?

Sunset on the deck in bobcat country. :)

The only downside to the moochdock at Mom’s house is the narrow gate Rog has to back through. It’s a white knuckler (at least for me!) but he’s managed it numerous times without a hitch. Which made the little oopsie when we arrived at Grandma Ardy’s house on 7/23 all the more surprising. To be fair, backing into Grandma’s has its own challenges, the driveway isn’t that wide, the street is busy and I can assure you California drivers are not known for their patience. Rog didn’t quite get the angle right and the back of the Short Bus had a minor disagreement with Grandma’s mailbox. Dang, a little something to remember St. Helena by. Lol.

Suck it in!
Only a few inches clearance on each side. 

Ouch!!

Grandma Ardys and Grandpa Oscar purchased the lot in St. Helena for $1300 and built their house in 1954 and have lived there ever since. Grandpa passed away several years ago and, although Grandma would have liked to stay, it just wasn’t working well. We arrived on Thursday and met with the realtor who said it would be best if the house was emptied and all personal items removed. (We’re talking a lifetime’s accumulation here!) What followed was four long days of hot sweaty work, punctuated by laughs and sweet walks down memory lane. We sorted and culled and packed up everything Grandma was taking to her new home in the Vistas in Redding.

Sorting and culling.

The grandmas supervise.

Rian does a Grandma. Lol.

Rog’s sister, Nancy, and her children, Lexi and Max, came on Friday to help. Randi made the 6 ½ hour drive from her new digs in Rancho Cucamonga and Rian came from Sacramento. Everybody worked and once the family had picked the things they wanted, the rest was given away. On Monday the movers came and we had a hauling company clean out the garage and outbuildings. I’d say we were about 85% done. Mom and Rian will return to finish the areas we just didn’t have time to deal with.

Friday's work crew.
Rog, Randi, Lexi, Nancy, Max, Barb and Grandma Ardys seated.

The door where generations of kids recorded their height.
Memories.

Rian relaxes on the Riley pillow at the end of a long day.

Mom and Grandma drove back to Redding Monday afternoon and we followed in the RV. We had a 9am date with the movers at the Vistas Tuesday morning. No rest for the weary. 😊 After being screened by the staff, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday unpacking and setting up Grandma’s apartment. We were very happy with how it turned out. It’s a bright, airy space filled with the things that mean the most to Grandma. We were super sad to find out that we couldn’t accompany her in and help get her settled. Once she arrives, the staff will help orient her and the 14-day quarantine begins. I’m glad they take the pandemic threat seriously, but Covid-19 restrictions really suck.

Grandma Ardys' new digs at the Vistas. Nice!!

She was supposed to move in Thursday but had a rough night. She perked up by the afternoon, so Friday, 7/31, is the big day. We also delayed our departure a day to help out. It wasn’t hard to convince Riley since he got a little extra pool time. When Rog moved Grandma’s document safe, he couldn’t figure out why it was so heavy until he opened it up and found 8 ½ pounds of Grandpa Oscar’s old coins! He remembered playing with them as a kid, as you can see not much has changed. Lol.

Grandma shares her pizza crust.
Riley loves Grandma. 

Pool time.

Still a kid.
Rog plays with Grandpa's old coin collection.

We are pulling out of Redding early on Friday, 7/31. We have a date in Klamath Falls to get all new shoes on the Short Bus. Assuming that goes well, we’ll probably return to the Williamson River campground and possibly retrace our steps home. Or, who knows, maybe choose a new route. We’ll keep you posted!