we are on the road.

We left this morning at about 8:30 am.  I cannot explain it, but it just was not as exciting as 4 years ago (yes it has been 4 years since the last great trek.)  Maybe because it is not the first time?  maybe because I am not been  retired and am used to being able to do what I want to do and when?  Or maybe because Bob was feeling pretty sick?   But let me back up.

Last week I got the flu bug.  It took about four days for me to get over it.  I was worried that I was going to give it to Bob, and I did.  He started feeling badly this morning.  We had a lovely evening last night.  We went out to dinner at the east side Spaghetti Factory (just as nice as the downtown one, but smaller).  We came home and sat on the deck and finished our bottle of wine.  It was nice enough that I almost wished that we were not leaving.  But I know we will be back.

We had almost everything ready last night.  We went to bed fairly early.  I got up at about 7:30 am.  Bob was already up, showered, and had eaten breakfast.  Not because he was in a hurry, but because he was feeling so badly.  I went through the motions of getting the final stuff done.  I kept asking if he was all right and he kept saying yes.  But I asked him to take out the three cans of garbage and he was exhausted by the time he finished.  But he is nothing if not stubborn, so we left.  (Yes, all that happened in about an hour.)

We headed out I84 along the gorge.  Now this is a trip I have taken many times.  But I am usually going some place and in a hurry to get there.  This time it was part of the trek, so I looked at the scenery.  Oregon is certainly beautiful.  The clouds disappeared as we went that like look like a crumpled up bedspread on the other.  And in between the shimmering Columbia river.  The only word that Bob and I could think of was awe inspiring.  I would take a deep breath and feel good.  (This was especially nice because both Bob and I had some free floating anxiety as we left.  It could have been because he was not feeling well, or it could have been because things have gone so wrong with the house for the last year.  But the anxiety crept away as we moved east.) 

As we drive the gorge I always think about the pioneers and how they had to work to get to the Oregon coast.  I was especially in awe as we passed isolated houses (30 or 40 miles away from ANYTHING)  and realized how organized they have to be to live their lives.  They can't just run to the corner grocery or even drive a few miles if they run out of milk or building materials.  Even worse, they have miles to go to get any medical help.  They have to be hardy souls.

Once we passed the gorge, it was the usual gorgeous mountains and trees, so typical of Oregon.  It is still early and everything is still green.  Not too long before it all turns brown.

We are now parked in a Walmart parking lot.  We were able to buy most of the things we forgot, but not all.  Oh well.  It is 98 degrees and the sun is getting ready to set so it will cool off soon.  Looking forward to another nice day tomorrow and another 350 miles. 

Oh, and Bob is feeling much better.