Cute!
Posted on 07/07/2009 4:14:49 PM PDT by OregonRancher
GALICE - Laura Bush walked down the concrete boat ramp at Almeda Park with four lifelong friends from Midland, Texas, to begin a three-day raft trip down the wild Rogue River.
The former first lady graciously granted an interview, clad in long sleeves, long pants and a wide hat like her four pals on this sunny Monday morning. More of this story
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailycourier.com ...
"I just 'Blackberried' him a happy birthday message and turned it off," she said. "We're out of touch now. He's probably mountain biking on the ranch."
Bush, Jane Ann Fontenot of Berkeley, Calif.; Marge Petty of Topeka, Kan.; and Regan Gammon and Peggy Weiss of Austin, Texas, call themselves the "Midland Five."
"We travel together all the time. We love national parks, and we like to do rivers too," Bush said. "We've been adventurous all our lives."
She listed Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Denali, Zion and Death Valley among their scenic destinations. They plan to see Crater Lake after their raft trip. Gammon is on the National Park Foundation Board.
The Midland Five were joined by five guides from Rogue Wilderness Adventures, based in Merlin, and 10 Secret Service agents, said Bob Rafalovich, leader of the trip. Rafalovich and his wife, Myrna, picked up some oysters and crab on the coast a couple of days earlier, and guide Mike Springer supplied a fresh-caught salmon for Monday night's meal at Black Bar Lodge, 12 miles down the river. Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent at Paradise Lodge not far below Blossom Bar rapids.
Myrna Rafalovich provided a picture of George Bush Sr. taken on his salmon fishing trip in 1988 on the Rogue, a few months before he was elected president, to give to Laura Bush. Myrna, who was on the kayak scout team for that trip, and her son Howard Stevens are in the photo.
She and her friend Breda Barragan chatted with Mrs. Bush at company headquarters in Merlin, and had their photo taken with her.
"I'm a fan of hers and she met all of my expectations," Barragan said. "She was so nice and down to earth. She didn't put on any airs. Just what I expected."
"It was an honor and privilege to meet someone of her stature," said Myrna Rafalovich, who owned Rogue Wilderness with her husband before they sold it to Brad Niva a few years back.
Niva said the company kept the trip quiet for a few months for Bush's sake. But they did photocopy a check from George W. for $989 as a keepsake.
"You don't get to see his personal check too often," Niva said.
On the boat ramp Monday, guide Drew DeChenne gave out some instructions before Bush and two of her friends got in the magenta-colored Myrna May raft, named after Myrna, and rowed by Bob. It was old hat for Bob, who has taken former governors Neil Goldschmidt and John Kitzhaber, former senator Mark Hatfield and Las Vegas hotel magnate Steve Wynn down the river.
"I'm pretty excited," added Aaron Fox, 39, one of the Rogue Wilderness Guides, who said he once rowed a boat with Martha Stewart down the river.
Soon they were bouncing down the Rogue, through Almeda and Argo rapids, headed for Grave Creek and the Rogue's Wild Section.
"We're just thrilled to be here," Laura Bush said.
This is one of the great rafting trips, three days through
the wilderness and stopping at some great river resorts.
I sure miss her. :(
Sounds like fun duty for her SS detail. Beats tailing the current First lady...lol.
An okie drifter behind a hook with a little red yarn, on a 5ft. leader. A few cold PBR’s in the water near the bank. Our most decent, charming first lady in decades floating by...
You get wet and the waters cold but you never notice you’re having so much fun....
You see eagles, ospreys, otters, bear, salmon, trout, goats, hot and tired hikers, and a cold beer at days end.
Often told myself, if I ever leave So. Cal, it will be to Central Oregon area near Bend Oregon, near the Deschutes River.
We'll be passing through there tomorrow, perhaps staying the night at Grants Pass.
I miss having a real lady as first lady.
Stay at the River Lodge on 6th st and the river. You can
walk the bridge and enjoy Riverside Park on the south bank.
Done this trip myself. I bet she walks around some of the hairier rapids though. Didn’t stay at Paradise Lodge, went across the river to Half Moon, both are pretty nice, and secluded. Blossom bar is a bad a$$ set of rapids. That poor woman who drowned there last year and then got caught in the rapids for several weeks was awful.
The setting wasn't pleasant anyway last year -- they were running sprinklers a *lot*, presumably because of the fires, and it was *way* too warm and humid for our liking. Unlike previous stays years ago.
“...tailing the current FL” — you’d have to stay at least 5 car lengths behind to keep from ramming the caboose during sudden stops.
Yea, verily. Baby got back.
“Often told myself, if I ever leave So. Cal, it will be to Central Oregon area near Bend Oregon, near the Deschutes River. “
Visit there in the winter, you might just change your mind.
You’re in the Grants Pass region aren’t you?
Thanks for joining me in detention :)
She and her friend Breda Barragan chatted with Mrs. Bush at company headquarters in Merlin, and had their photo taken with her."I'm a fan of hers and she met all of my expectations," Barragan said. "She was so nice and down to earth. She didn't put on any airs. Just what I expected."
Don’t you just love our First Lady — there’s certainly nothing ‘former’ about Laura Bush!
Cute!
I love how they said how down to earth Laura is. I guess she doesn't hate America, like our current First MOnster does.
Some of the most beautiful and scenic wilderness rivers on the planet. Great fishing and hunting too. Welcome to Oregon First Lady, we are proud to have you in our fair state.
Pray for America
I just think it’s so cool that she’s remained friends with these women from Midland, through all the changes in her life. I’m sure that’s how she’s remained so grounded. Hard to put on airs with old friends. ;o)
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I’ve gone Galt in Jacksonville, OR, 17 minutes from a nice steelhead run on the Rogue.
Mt. Bachelor is perfect in the winter. Beats the hell out of Portland, which is where I’m stuck during the winter weeks until the weekend.
My please. What’s your poison? Gin, whist, pinochle or hearts?
Yech. My pleasure (of course).
Special guest on the Rogue River...
Her husbands last name didn’t start with a C did it?
I go mountain biking there all the time!
I was up there last Sunday riding on an old abandoned logging road, and this forest service guy came driving along in a law enforcement rig.
I asked him about some road closures and he was NOT very friendly...I wonder if he was checking things out before laura came to the Rogue?
Thanks, Oregon Rancher!
Ed
Every time I go through that area I go back in time and think of how beautiful and delightful it must have been for the Native Americans from that area. The rivers full of fish, wild game all over the place, Oak trees full of acorns and most of the time fantastic weather. They must have thought it was heaven.
This is near where I grew up. It’s nice to see it visited by such first class individuals.
thanks for the ping STARWISE... Looks like a wonderful time with good friends in a beautiful area. My only surprise is she did this during GWB’s birthday. The gossip rags will surely speculate on this one.
A side note - I am sure she looked more fashionable on a mere rafting trip & the side hikes, meals etc than the current FLOTUS has done on the current trip abroad:
I LOVE our First Lady! (The real one, I mean.......)
You’re in the Grants Pass region aren’t you?
Yep, along with several other Freepers...
I’ve been to the Rogue. Brrrr... The water is cold. Brings back good memories. I hope she enjoyed her trip.
The waters cold for a reason. The Cold Spring dam up river, way up river, releases water from the bottom of the lake, and
by federal law, releases just enough to maintain a water temperature of 60 degrees or lower. This is for the returning
salmon that can’t tolerate warm water. If it wasn’t for the dam, we’d have more floods and low, warm water in the summer.
Is this basically correct?
We've been there a few times and it's just beautiful...I know their economy has been pulverized in the past 2 years or so....Of course they were growing by leaps and bounds, and housing went up way too fast, over heated, and literally melted down from what I understand.
Basically correct. The climate here has been compared to
the Napa Valley and checking climate maps, I can see why.
Bend is colder, dryer, and a lot hotter during the summer, plus it has been devastated financially. We like to visit
Bend, and that means VISIT, then we come home to the Rogue
Valley which is so different from the rest of Oregon.
The weather changes at Roseburg going north, from there up
you have the classic gray winters with a lot of rain.
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