Thursday, October 7, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
September 11, 2010
We slept in this morning. My sore throat is getting worse. However, the sun is warm, and it has made the tent toasty and comfortable. The day is beautiful. The lake is beautiful. And we are excited to see the wind surfers doing their thing today! We got to visit with Jay and Rochelle a little bit more. They saved some lettuce to give to Petunia this morning. (This pig is so spoiled!) We met several more campers and wind/kite surfers this morning, including Chris, who was visiting from Colorado. And it is wonderful to see people getting out and enjoying life! We decided to walk down to the lake and beach. I haven't actually been to the beach since I started this journey. The ocean is always a special place for me. It's a place that totally relaxes me. It makes me feel free and relaxed and energized all at the same time! It recharges my battery! We take a lovely walk to the lake. And the surfers are amazing to watch! This sport looks like so much fun! Especially the kite surfing! The wind catches you, and you just go!!! It is really cool to watch.
Petunia is having so much fun on the beach. She is running, rooting in the sand, and being so playful (and I must say pretty cute!) We walk over the dune to the ocean. The wind is so strong and cold here and I wrap myself up as much as I can for warmth.
Since I've known Jason, he's been carrying around this kite and string and just waiting for a chance to fly it. Well, today is his day. He takes the kite out of the package and ties the sting to it. Then, effortlessly the kite is up, flying high in the sky with the surfing kites visible in the background. Jason is so cute, with the smile of an 8 year old permanently on his face the entire time the kite is in the air! It was so fun to watch him enjoying this moment.
At some point, I need to dip my toes into the Pacific Ocean before making the trek across America to the Atlantic Ocean. Jason is hoping that I will do this today. But since I'm a little bit under the weather, and since this is supposed to be a healing journey for me, I think today is not the right time for this act.
We walk back to the campsite and plan to take showers. However, Chris offered to give us a ride back to the 101 since he is on his way on a trip to Whiskey Run Beach to do some surfing. (Ironically, this is the only beach I've ever been to on the Southern Coast prior to this trip. I traveled there when I very first moved to Oregon, 14 years ago. At Vanderbilt, I worked with an anesthesiologist who was from Coos Bay. And since this was one of the only cities in Oregon that I'd heard anything about at that point, I wanted to travel there. Forest was 2 years old. Little, cute, sweet. I have wonderful and vivid memories of Whiskey Run Beach and my little boy that day.) We skipped the showers and piled into Chris's truck. (Thank you Chris for the time saving trip today!! It was so nice to visit with you! I hope you have a great trip with your son!)
Back on the 101, we resume our walk. Our next stop will be Port Orford. Before I joined Jason on this journey, The World newspaper did a story on him and Petunia. At that time, a woman named Renee contacted him to say that when he passes through Port Orford he should contact her and that she might be able to host them. So Jason has been in contact with her as we get closer. She told him that she is happy to host and so that is our plan for the night.
We arrive to their home and are greeted by Renee, some members of her family, and 2 sweet doggies, Eddy Spaghetti and Susie (a dachshund). We went inside are are greeted by BIRDS! Beautiful, friendly, TALKING birds! Renee and her husband, David, do bird rescue! I have never been around birds. They are really beautiful and fun! We were also met with a vegetarian stir fry dinner that Renee prepared for us! It was so good, and we were so hungry! (Thanks, Renee!) The birds shared our noodles with us!
Renee has such a mothering presence, and she gave me the opportunity to release some of the sadness that I carry around with me. I talked with her about my babies and the unbelievable 2 years I've had, and she listened and gave me a big motherly hug when I needed it. It was the first time I've really spoken about them lately. But Forest and Zoe are always on my mind, and not talking about them sort of makes the hurt grow heavier in my heart. So this was a wonderful opportunity to talk and cry and release...
Petunia is having so much fun on the beach. She is running, rooting in the sand, and being so playful (and I must say pretty cute!) We walk over the dune to the ocean. The wind is so strong and cold here and I wrap myself up as much as I can for warmth.
Since I've known Jason, he's been carrying around this kite and string and just waiting for a chance to fly it. Well, today is his day. He takes the kite out of the package and ties the sting to it. Then, effortlessly the kite is up, flying high in the sky with the surfing kites visible in the background. Jason is so cute, with the smile of an 8 year old permanently on his face the entire time the kite is in the air! It was so fun to watch him enjoying this moment.
At some point, I need to dip my toes into the Pacific Ocean before making the trek across America to the Atlantic Ocean. Jason is hoping that I will do this today. But since I'm a little bit under the weather, and since this is supposed to be a healing journey for me, I think today is not the right time for this act.
We walk back to the campsite and plan to take showers. However, Chris offered to give us a ride back to the 101 since he is on his way on a trip to Whiskey Run Beach to do some surfing. (Ironically, this is the only beach I've ever been to on the Southern Coast prior to this trip. I traveled there when I very first moved to Oregon, 14 years ago. At Vanderbilt, I worked with an anesthesiologist who was from Coos Bay. And since this was one of the only cities in Oregon that I'd heard anything about at that point, I wanted to travel there. Forest was 2 years old. Little, cute, sweet. I have wonderful and vivid memories of Whiskey Run Beach and my little boy that day.) We skipped the showers and piled into Chris's truck. (Thank you Chris for the time saving trip today!! It was so nice to visit with you! I hope you have a great trip with your son!)
Back on the 101, we resume our walk. Our next stop will be Port Orford. Before I joined Jason on this journey, The World newspaper did a story on him and Petunia. At that time, a woman named Renee contacted him to say that when he passes through Port Orford he should contact her and that she might be able to host them. So Jason has been in contact with her as we get closer. She told him that she is happy to host and so that is our plan for the night.
We arrive to their home and are greeted by Renee, some members of her family, and 2 sweet doggies, Eddy Spaghetti and Susie (a dachshund). We went inside are are greeted by BIRDS! Beautiful, friendly, TALKING birds! Renee and her husband, David, do bird rescue! I have never been around birds. They are really beautiful and fun! We were also met with a vegetarian stir fry dinner that Renee prepared for us! It was so good, and we were so hungry! (Thanks, Renee!) The birds shared our noodles with us!
Renee has such a mothering presence, and she gave me the opportunity to release some of the sadness that I carry around with me. I talked with her about my babies and the unbelievable 2 years I've had, and she listened and gave me a big motherly hug when I needed it. It was the first time I've really spoken about them lately. But Forest and Zoe are always on my mind, and not talking about them sort of makes the hurt grow heavier in my heart. So this was a wonderful opportunity to talk and cry and release...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
September 10, 2010
We woke up to beautiful sunshine and started breaking down our camp. While working, Sweet Andrea brings us breakfast of farm fresh eggs, toast with homemade strawberry jam, and coffee. Plus, she said that we could pick a couple of handfuls of blueberries. It was all soooo good and was a perfect start to our day. (Thanks, Andrea for all of your hospitality and kindness!) We found out from Andrea that we ARE actually in Langlois. It's so nice to find out that we made our goal! We're about a mile away from the famous Langlois Market and they also have a post office. (Which is hopefully the LAST post office stop we will make!)
So we're off. The countryside is beautiful here, and we are enjoying our day so far. We get into town and go by the market. We meet the owner, Lee who is a very nice man! He gave Petunia some veggies. We also meet lots of nice locals outside the market. It's fun to just hang out here, because everyone who comes in or out of this place knows each other by first name. There are lots of smiles and hugs exchanged, and you just know that this is a special community. It gives you a good feeling just to be in the middle of this kindness for a little while! We head down to the post office and pack up 2 more boxes to send. And then we head down to the library for some much needed computer time!
My favorite thing that I saw today was on the way to the library...a sign that said "Gone for the weekend. See you Wednesday!" And today is Friday! How awesome is that? I want weekends like that...or wait a minute, I guess I have them now! We spend a lot of time at the Langlois Library. We had a great talk with Vern, who recently moved back to Langlois to be closer to family. He did live in Eugene, and we talked about High Street (ah, how I miss High Street!) This morning, Andrea suggested that we stop by a restaurant called La La Belle's. We leave the library so that we can make it before it closes at 6:00.
We get to La La Belle's and are greeted by Dawn, the owner. She is a sweetheart! We got to meet her father in law and her little boy, Jack, who is 4 and was recently in "My Fair Lady". He sung the song he did in the play for us ("Wouldn't It Be Lovely"), and it was adorable!! Dawn served us yummy broccoli and cheese soup and a beautiful salad with local greens and locally made dressing! It all tasted so good! We mentioned that someone suggested that we camp at Flores Lake tonight and she offered us a ride, since it's a bit off of the 101. (Thanks so much Dawn!)
We arrived at the lake, and it is so beautiful! We set up camp and meet some of the other campers. As it turns out, this lake is the most western fresh water lake in the continental US, and it's a popular place for wind surfers and kite surfers.We spent some time with Jay and Rochelle and their puppy Jake, who are from Eugene and came to do some surfing. They are so sweet and shared some of their dinner with Petunia. The sunset is beautiful tonight. And Jason made a fire so we could warm up while eating our peanut butter sandwiches. We didn't have much wood. But as soon as our fire started to die, Jay came over with a whole armload of wood for us. (Thanks, Jay and Rochelle!) I feel like I'm starting to get a bit sick...(sore throat). So the warm fire was wonderful before bed!
So we're off. The countryside is beautiful here, and we are enjoying our day so far. We get into town and go by the market. We meet the owner, Lee who is a very nice man! He gave Petunia some veggies. We also meet lots of nice locals outside the market. It's fun to just hang out here, because everyone who comes in or out of this place knows each other by first name. There are lots of smiles and hugs exchanged, and you just know that this is a special community. It gives you a good feeling just to be in the middle of this kindness for a little while! We head down to the post office and pack up 2 more boxes to send. And then we head down to the library for some much needed computer time!
My favorite thing that I saw today was on the way to the library...a sign that said "Gone for the weekend. See you Wednesday!" And today is Friday! How awesome is that? I want weekends like that...or wait a minute, I guess I have them now! We spend a lot of time at the Langlois Library. We had a great talk with Vern, who recently moved back to Langlois to be closer to family. He did live in Eugene, and we talked about High Street (ah, how I miss High Street!) This morning, Andrea suggested that we stop by a restaurant called La La Belle's. We leave the library so that we can make it before it closes at 6:00.
We get to La La Belle's and are greeted by Dawn, the owner. She is a sweetheart! We got to meet her father in law and her little boy, Jack, who is 4 and was recently in "My Fair Lady". He sung the song he did in the play for us ("Wouldn't It Be Lovely"), and it was adorable!! Dawn served us yummy broccoli and cheese soup and a beautiful salad with local greens and locally made dressing! It all tasted so good! We mentioned that someone suggested that we camp at Flores Lake tonight and she offered us a ride, since it's a bit off of the 101. (Thanks so much Dawn!)
We arrived at the lake, and it is so beautiful! We set up camp and meet some of the other campers. As it turns out, this lake is the most western fresh water lake in the continental US, and it's a popular place for wind surfers and kite surfers.We spent some time with Jay and Rochelle and their puppy Jake, who are from Eugene and came to do some surfing. They are so sweet and shared some of their dinner with Petunia. The sunset is beautiful tonight. And Jason made a fire so we could warm up while eating our peanut butter sandwiches. We didn't have much wood. But as soon as our fire started to die, Jay came over with a whole armload of wood for us. (Thanks, Jay and Rochelle!) I feel like I'm starting to get a bit sick...(sore throat). So the warm fire was wonderful before bed!
September 9, 2010
We woke up to pouring rain and water in our tent. The RV park has a common use room, so we moved everything in there to dry things out and repack before beginning our walk. They do have nice showers, and I took a nice long shower before packing up. Jason was sweet to completely hand dry and pack the tent. We were making good progress when the lady who runs the RV park stopped by to say that we can't have Petunia (who was just laying on the floor minding her own business, btw) in the common room. And she said "I let you stay last night, but I probably shouldn't have." I asked her why she felt that way, and she said "Well, all pets are supposed to be on a leash." Anyway, she kicked Petunia out which meant that one of us had to be outside with her because she was constantly trying to root up the grass, while the couple running the park kept their eyes on her the entire time. Since Jason was handling the wet tent, I went outside with P. Luckily, the rain was now very light. Unluckily, Petunia was being really difficult. And she refuses to listen to me. She keeps rooting, I keep scolding her, the couple keeps watching us...and finally, I had a breakdown! It was more like a temper tantrum, when I said to her, "Fine!! I'm going to tell your dad!", and I stormed away to the common room. Once inside, I broke into tears and declared "I CANNOT BE THE PIG SITTER ANYMORE!! SHE'S TERRIBLE AND I DON'T LIKE HER ONE BIT!" And this is the first time that I am seriously considering how crazy I must be to have agreed to this trip.
Eventually, I pull myself together and finish getting ready. Jason is frustrated, I am frustrated, but away we go...back across the street to the Mexican restaurant for a breakfast burrito and coffee. There, we decide we will try to have a good day. And by the time we leave, the sun is shining and we are walking down the 101. Jason asked, "Are we there yet?" And I was thinking the same thing...
The first exciting thing that happens today is that an RV pulls over and a family crosses the street to meet us. We are greeted by Margie and Alan and their 3 beautiful children Lizzie, Josh, and Matt. They are interested in our walk and invite us in for lunch. We had a great time getting to know them and their story! They recently made the decision to RV indefinitely. They travel around the country and home school the kids. The kids are so sweet! And Matt even goes outside to pick some fresh blackberries for us to munch on for dessert! Plus, Margie had just made a homemade blackberry pie that was delicious! We had a lovely visit with them, and we look forward to staying in contact!
As our walk continues, so does the beautiful day! We are trying to make it to Langlois, but the sun is starting to set and because I never know what lies ahead, I am starting to get nervous about where we might sleep. We pass a U-pick blueberry farm called "Common Ground Farms". There is a house with the lights on and a phone number on their sign. So I call and ask if they have anywhere on their property where we might camp for the night. I spoke with a sweet woman, named Andrea, who told me that we could camp anywhere we want to in the blueberry fields!! How fun is that?! So we found a nice, open place beside a scarecrow to set up our tent. While setting up, Andrea came to meet us and brought us a thermos of hot water, a variety of hot tea bags, and some homemade blueberry honey! This was, hands down, the BEST honey I have ever tasted in my life! It hit the spot on this chilly night! Outside, the night is perfectly clear! I had forgotten that there are this many stars in the sky!! It actually makes me a little bit dizzy to stare up at them, but I can't stop staring! The sky is breathtaking! And I'm sitting in the middle of 60 year old blueberry bushes and a beautiful farm, drinking yummy hot tea. Life is good!
Eventually, I pull myself together and finish getting ready. Jason is frustrated, I am frustrated, but away we go...back across the street to the Mexican restaurant for a breakfast burrito and coffee. There, we decide we will try to have a good day. And by the time we leave, the sun is shining and we are walking down the 101. Jason asked, "Are we there yet?" And I was thinking the same thing...
The first exciting thing that happens today is that an RV pulls over and a family crosses the street to meet us. We are greeted by Margie and Alan and their 3 beautiful children Lizzie, Josh, and Matt. They are interested in our walk and invite us in for lunch. We had a great time getting to know them and their story! They recently made the decision to RV indefinitely. They travel around the country and home school the kids. The kids are so sweet! And Matt even goes outside to pick some fresh blackberries for us to munch on for dessert! Plus, Margie had just made a homemade blackberry pie that was delicious! We had a lovely visit with them, and we look forward to staying in contact!
As our walk continues, so does the beautiful day! We are trying to make it to Langlois, but the sun is starting to set and because I never know what lies ahead, I am starting to get nervous about where we might sleep. We pass a U-pick blueberry farm called "Common Ground Farms". There is a house with the lights on and a phone number on their sign. So I call and ask if they have anywhere on their property where we might camp for the night. I spoke with a sweet woman, named Andrea, who told me that we could camp anywhere we want to in the blueberry fields!! How fun is that?! So we found a nice, open place beside a scarecrow to set up our tent. While setting up, Andrea came to meet us and brought us a thermos of hot water, a variety of hot tea bags, and some homemade blueberry honey! This was, hands down, the BEST honey I have ever tasted in my life! It hit the spot on this chilly night! Outside, the night is perfectly clear! I had forgotten that there are this many stars in the sky!! It actually makes me a little bit dizzy to stare up at them, but I can't stop staring! The sky is breathtaking! And I'm sitting in the middle of 60 year old blueberry bushes and a beautiful farm, drinking yummy hot tea. Life is good!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September 8, 2010
Well, we didn't exactly get an early start. We did get 2 boxes mailed away. But, my gosh!! It is really difficult for some of us (I won't mention any names) to get going in the morning!! The people at The Shining Star were super sweet about it and gave us extra time to get out of the room. So at about 1:00 ish we finally started walking again. It's a beautiful day today! I'm feeling good and excitied about what adventures lie ahead. Luckily, the 101 seems to be staying more populated with shops and houses than it was between Coos Bay and Bandon. We're getting a lot of waves and honks. People are really excited about the walk, and we're getting great energy from all of the positive vibes.
We passed by a place called "Misty Meadows"which is an adorable shop that makes all kinds of homemade jams!! They have beautiful property with lots of blueberry bushes! They have honey bees, and you can watch them while they work! The nice women working there were so excited about Petunia. They even went to pick some apples from her, fresh from their trees. Too bad we're trying to lighten our loads. I would have LOVED to take some of their yummy jams with me.
Further on down the road, we stopped by a market to use the restroom and fill up our water bottles. The woman at the counter said that she didn't have a bathroom we could use or a place for us to fill up our water. (Really?!) So, there appeared to be another shop across the street from the market, although it had no signs out front. But, needing water, we decided to go see if they were open. We knocked on the door, and the sweetest lady appeared. She said that we could call her "Pat" or "Granny" (so we call her "Granny Pat") and this is actually her residence! She asked us, "Do you need to use the facilities? Do you need water?" We said, "Yes, please!" And she invited us in! How wonderful that people are so trusting and giving! We had a wonderful visit with her! (I could have stayed all day!) She gave us her phone number and said that if we need anything to call her and she'd come and pick us right up. What an angel! And we continued walking, comfortable and refreshed...
Before long, we found ourselves in front of a used book store and a local Mexican restaurant. We spent a few minutes in the bookstore and then decided to have a late lunch/early dinner next door. We shared a yummy veggie burrito with chips and several yummy salsas! They have a lovely patio and they allowed us to roll Petunia's cart right up there while we ate. Petunia was a very good girl. While we were there, Jason noticed some additional issues with the wheels/tires of the cart. And he decided that we need to lighten our loads (or at least what he's carrying on the cart) AGAIN!! Yes, I said AGAIN!! I fiind myself getting frustrated with our slow progress. And the consistent trips to/expense of the post office! We actually spent 2 1/2 hours at this Mexican restaurant reorganizing EVERYTHING!
By the time we left, I was frustrated, cold, and irritated. One of my biggest issues for this trip is making sure that we have a safe place to sleep every night and not walking the 101 in the dark. There happened to be an RV park across the street. And I kind of insisted that we ask them if they'll take campers. Lucky for me they do. Jason is anxious to keep walking tonight. But I don't know that lies ahead on the 101, and it won't be long before it's dark! So, we set up our tent and settle in for the night. Jason promises, "Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow we'll have fun!"...
We passed by a place called "Misty Meadows"which is an adorable shop that makes all kinds of homemade jams!! They have beautiful property with lots of blueberry bushes! They have honey bees, and you can watch them while they work! The nice women working there were so excited about Petunia. They even went to pick some apples from her, fresh from their trees. Too bad we're trying to lighten our loads. I would have LOVED to take some of their yummy jams with me.
Further on down the road, we stopped by a market to use the restroom and fill up our water bottles. The woman at the counter said that she didn't have a bathroom we could use or a place for us to fill up our water. (Really?!) So, there appeared to be another shop across the street from the market, although it had no signs out front. But, needing water, we decided to go see if they were open. We knocked on the door, and the sweetest lady appeared. She said that we could call her "Pat" or "Granny" (so we call her "Granny Pat") and this is actually her residence! She asked us, "Do you need to use the facilities? Do you need water?" We said, "Yes, please!" And she invited us in! How wonderful that people are so trusting and giving! We had a wonderful visit with her! (I could have stayed all day!) She gave us her phone number and said that if we need anything to call her and she'd come and pick us right up. What an angel! And we continued walking, comfortable and refreshed...
Before long, we found ourselves in front of a used book store and a local Mexican restaurant. We spent a few minutes in the bookstore and then decided to have a late lunch/early dinner next door. We shared a yummy veggie burrito with chips and several yummy salsas! They have a lovely patio and they allowed us to roll Petunia's cart right up there while we ate. Petunia was a very good girl. While we were there, Jason noticed some additional issues with the wheels/tires of the cart. And he decided that we need to lighten our loads (or at least what he's carrying on the cart) AGAIN!! Yes, I said AGAIN!! I fiind myself getting frustrated with our slow progress. And the consistent trips to/expense of the post office! We actually spent 2 1/2 hours at this Mexican restaurant reorganizing EVERYTHING!
By the time we left, I was frustrated, cold, and irritated. One of my biggest issues for this trip is making sure that we have a safe place to sleep every night and not walking the 101 in the dark. There happened to be an RV park across the street. And I kind of insisted that we ask them if they'll take campers. Lucky for me they do. Jason is anxious to keep walking tonight. But I don't know that lies ahead on the 101, and it won't be long before it's dark! So, we set up our tent and settle in for the night. Jason promises, "Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow we'll have fun!"...
September 7, 2010
We woke up to heavy rain this morning. We decided that since it's raining, and we need to really go through everything and send much of it back home, we will stay an extra night here. We plan to get an early start tomorrow. So we had a bit of a lazy morning. And slowly, the rain is lightening up. So we decided to walk down to "Old Town Bandon" for some fish and chips. We stopped by the Human Bean for some much needed java. Then, we had a lovely stroll through Old Town. There are so many cute shops, including a shop called "When Pigs Fly" (so we had to stop in) which was started by 2 retired nurses from California. They said that they talked about starting this shop for a long while. Their friends always said, "Yeah, you guys will do that when pigs fly!" Hence the name! It's an adorable shop. They said that as soon as they get weiner dog things in they sale right away! (Which reminds me that last night I had a dream about my Stretch! He was with me on my journey! My goodness, I miss my babies!) Anyway, if you go through Bandon you should definitely stop in When Pigs Fly!
So we had some yummy fish and chips by the water. And we walked down by the water for a while. It was a lovely day. We stopped by the store on the way home, but decided that we will order out tonight. We got some boxes for packing some of our extra stuff in, and headed back to the motel. Next we went through the process of figuring out what falls under the category of "essestial" and "non-essential". This is not an easy process since we've already determined (a few times, btw) that everything here IS essential! But we managed to get some things into boxes and will mail them first thing in the morning...
On a side note, Petunia is the star of the show so far on our trip. (I can't even count how many times she's been photographed!) However, we seem to like each other less and less. I am hoping that this will change. But for now, it's frustrating...
So we had some yummy fish and chips by the water. And we walked down by the water for a while. It was a lovely day. We stopped by the store on the way home, but decided that we will order out tonight. We got some boxes for packing some of our extra stuff in, and headed back to the motel. Next we went through the process of figuring out what falls under the category of "essestial" and "non-essential". This is not an easy process since we've already determined (a few times, btw) that everything here IS essential! But we managed to get some things into boxes and will mail them first thing in the morning...
On a side note, Petunia is the star of the show so far on our trip. (I can't even count how many times she's been photographed!) However, we seem to like each other less and less. I am hoping that this will change. But for now, it's frustrating...
Friday, September 10, 2010
Computers are few and far between!!
Sorry for the delay in blogging. We aren't coming across many computers that we can use. I'll try to catch things up now...
September 4, 2010
Jason tells me that his mother always says that he is slower than a 90 year old woman! And I do agree. We did finally begin our walk today...at about 5:00 PM!! Petunia draws lots of attention! We met lots of nice people on this first afternoon. We walked south on 101 for a few miles. We aren't walking very fast. Our packs are heavy, and Petunia's cart is, too. We will be mailing more things back to Angel as soon as we reach a post office! Not finding ANY camp grounds so far, we saw a church, Coos Bay Christian Fellowship. It's starting to get dark. So we walked up to the church, hoping to find someone there. No one answered the door. But there was a phone number on their sign. So we called it. Luckily Pastor Jim answered and gave us the OK to camp in the church yard, which was lovely. While we were setting up camp we met 2 chuch members, Terry and Chris and also got to meet Pastor Jim. We had a comfortable night's sleep after a peanut butter sandwich dinner...
September 5, 2010
We woke up and broke down our camp. We were invited to and attended the church service, while Petunia went to Sunday School with Terry! She was a big hit with all of the kids. And she got to eat some marionberry licorish. We met so many nice people after the service, including Bill and Sharon Meyers, who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary next April. Bill is an avid walker and has walked over 10,000 miles! We enjoyed visiting with them. We also got to meet Susan, pastor Jim's wife. She is delightful! We said our goodbyes and headed on down the 101. Our next stop will be Bandon. The 101 between Coos Bay and Bandon is hilly and there is no where to pull off of the highway to rest or camp. Luckily we made it Bandon as it was getting dark. I got to see my first glimpse of the ocean since starting the trip. Tonight, we are hoping to stay in a motel so that we can go though our stuff and lighten our pack (not to mention take a shower!). We went to one motel, who called themselves "pet friendly" but wouldn't take Petunia. Luckily, the next motel would take her. We got a warm pizza from a place across the street, took a hot shower, and hit the hay.
September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day! It's a beautiful day in Bandon. We woke up refreshed and ready to start our day! We repacked our packs/cart and walked across the street to the Ray's Market for some food to eat and to pack for the day. We met so many nice people while we were hanging out outside. And, I got to have my picture taken with Santa Clause! Really! I'm not even joking! Now, I don't know what he usually does during the off season, but he had a black eye and was wearing a "Norwegian Beer Drinking Team" T-shirt!! He was a doll, and we had a nice visit! Luckily, I've been a very good girl this year! I really did get my picture made with him (how could I resist?) and as soon as I figure out how to put pictures on this blog, I will post it! So the day is beautiful and we are cruisin' down the 101 when disaster struck! One of the tires on Petunia's cart had a blow out! We made it to a Shell Station where Jason tried tirelessly (pun intended) to fix the darn thing. As soon as it seemed like that tire was all fixed, the other tire decided to start leaking air. The leak was right at the pin. We couldn't get it patched at that difficult spot. And it was again, starting to get late. So I started going to the motels/hotels that were within walking distance and all of them said "no pigs allowed!" Finally, I called a motel willing to take her, The Shining Star. And they said they would even waive the usual pet fee. Fantastic! Now...how the heck are we supposed to get our too-heavy-packs and broken down burley cart, not to mention the pot belly pig to the motel? That did present a problem for us. Luckily, one of the sweet gas attendants from the Shell Station had a pick up truck and was willing to give us a ride. (Thanks, Kevin!!) So we go into The Shining Star office and meet Karen, the manager. She is such a sweet woman and so excited to have Petunia there. She bent over backwards to give us the most convenient room for all of the stuff we're carrying! While we were checking in, we got to meet the owner, Shahab. He is so generous! He gave Petunia a whole plate of cantelope (which she did not share with us) and then gave her lots of yummy grapes. I think it's safe to say that she made some new friends today at The Shining Star! We settled into our room. Karen made a special trip to bring us the menus of all of the places that would deliver food to the motel. (so nice of her!) We left Petunia to hold down the fort and walked to the True Value to get a replacement tube for the leaky tire. We stopped by the grocery for some dinner supplies and made a nice big salad and risotto (boxed, of course) for dinner.
September 4, 2010
Jason tells me that his mother always says that he is slower than a 90 year old woman! And I do agree. We did finally begin our walk today...at about 5:00 PM!! Petunia draws lots of attention! We met lots of nice people on this first afternoon. We walked south on 101 for a few miles. We aren't walking very fast. Our packs are heavy, and Petunia's cart is, too. We will be mailing more things back to Angel as soon as we reach a post office! Not finding ANY camp grounds so far, we saw a church, Coos Bay Christian Fellowship. It's starting to get dark. So we walked up to the church, hoping to find someone there. No one answered the door. But there was a phone number on their sign. So we called it. Luckily Pastor Jim answered and gave us the OK to camp in the church yard, which was lovely. While we were setting up camp we met 2 chuch members, Terry and Chris and also got to meet Pastor Jim. We had a comfortable night's sleep after a peanut butter sandwich dinner...
September 5, 2010
We woke up and broke down our camp. We were invited to and attended the church service, while Petunia went to Sunday School with Terry! She was a big hit with all of the kids. And she got to eat some marionberry licorish. We met so many nice people after the service, including Bill and Sharon Meyers, who will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary next April. Bill is an avid walker and has walked over 10,000 miles! We enjoyed visiting with them. We also got to meet Susan, pastor Jim's wife. She is delightful! We said our goodbyes and headed on down the 101. Our next stop will be Bandon. The 101 between Coos Bay and Bandon is hilly and there is no where to pull off of the highway to rest or camp. Luckily we made it Bandon as it was getting dark. I got to see my first glimpse of the ocean since starting the trip. Tonight, we are hoping to stay in a motel so that we can go though our stuff and lighten our pack (not to mention take a shower!). We went to one motel, who called themselves "pet friendly" but wouldn't take Petunia. Luckily, the next motel would take her. We got a warm pizza from a place across the street, took a hot shower, and hit the hay.
September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day! It's a beautiful day in Bandon. We woke up refreshed and ready to start our day! We repacked our packs/cart and walked across the street to the Ray's Market for some food to eat and to pack for the day. We met so many nice people while we were hanging out outside. And, I got to have my picture taken with Santa Clause! Really! I'm not even joking! Now, I don't know what he usually does during the off season, but he had a black eye and was wearing a "Norwegian Beer Drinking Team" T-shirt!! He was a doll, and we had a nice visit! Luckily, I've been a very good girl this year! I really did get my picture made with him (how could I resist?) and as soon as I figure out how to put pictures on this blog, I will post it! So the day is beautiful and we are cruisin' down the 101 when disaster struck! One of the tires on Petunia's cart had a blow out! We made it to a Shell Station where Jason tried tirelessly (pun intended) to fix the darn thing. As soon as it seemed like that tire was all fixed, the other tire decided to start leaking air. The leak was right at the pin. We couldn't get it patched at that difficult spot. And it was again, starting to get late. So I started going to the motels/hotels that were within walking distance and all of them said "no pigs allowed!" Finally, I called a motel willing to take her, The Shining Star. And they said they would even waive the usual pet fee. Fantastic! Now...how the heck are we supposed to get our too-heavy-packs and broken down burley cart, not to mention the pot belly pig to the motel? That did present a problem for us. Luckily, one of the sweet gas attendants from the Shell Station had a pick up truck and was willing to give us a ride. (Thanks, Kevin!!) So we go into The Shining Star office and meet Karen, the manager. She is such a sweet woman and so excited to have Petunia there. She bent over backwards to give us the most convenient room for all of the stuff we're carrying! While we were checking in, we got to meet the owner, Shahab. He is so generous! He gave Petunia a whole plate of cantelope (which she did not share with us) and then gave her lots of yummy grapes. I think it's safe to say that she made some new friends today at The Shining Star! We settled into our room. Karen made a special trip to bring us the menus of all of the places that would deliver food to the motel. (so nice of her!) We left Petunia to hold down the fort and walked to the True Value to get a replacement tube for the leaky tire. We stopped by the grocery for some dinner supplies and made a nice big salad and risotto (boxed, of course) for dinner.
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