Trip log  Day 14  Leaving Florence; Former neighbors, Forever friends and Club Blok

 Morning View from Bill and Kathy's    It's hard to leave them and this peaceful, comfortable place  but I'm heading down the coast of Oregon to Eureka, CA. Florence was voted one of the best towns in OR and USA by whoever does the voting on those things.  I'm a travel magazine junkie so I read them all.  I would have to agree; Quaint harbor, unique little shops and restaurants.  Sand dunes. Ocean. River.  Water.  Any water works. Tears, too.  I shed a few leaving here.
                                                                     I will return!
                                               

My footprints coming and going

Journey's End. 3 weeks, 5,000 miles and 7 pounds later

Under the Rainbow

After the journey of 5,000 miles and 7 pounds, I am home.

The kids and I watched "The Wizard of Oz."  Hard to believe they hadn't seen it before since it was my favorite movie most of my life. (Now, it's "Love Actually")

Seeing the story from fresh eyes, I understood the appeal.  We all share this journey called life.     As I watched Dorothy click the ruby slippers together for the hundredth time,  repeating "There's no place like home." it really sunk in.  I had an amazing adventure but it is great to be home. Home.  What is home for me?  The rental home we will be moving from in a month?  The newly renovated Foreclosure we're moving into?  My dream home, delayed again by the rain?  Home is where I am.  Wherever I am; On our home planet or the stars from which we came, an universe in motion; Constantly changing, evolving.

The purpose of both my recent journey and my life's journey is to be in the moment.  Yes, I will reflect upon my recent road trip, which I stopped Blogging after day 14 because I was too busy doing, being and experiencing it to write about it.

Although another purpose was to visit dear friends and family, solitude played an important part.  Thanks to my IPod, the driving was entertaining, although so many songs reminded me of Dard and Hawaii...of all my loves and special places. 

 Love leaves it's footprint, like a fossil.  Music stirs emotions, like a flood. "Memories light the corners of my mind, misty water color memories."  

 I never really liked that song much, even as schmaltzy as I am, (that one is a bit much.) but it sure touched me on this trip.  "The way we were." "The way I was.  They way it was...once. Reflections of memories burned into the brain and etched upon the heart.  Also a recipient of the repeat button,  Faith Hill, "Stronger"   "This is a letter to my heart. I just want us to be free... 

We both will be stronger."

So, I will be  And so I am.

Day 13. Neighborhood reunion.

3 sets of neighbors from tiny Ancient Trail Rd, Napoopoo, captain cook, HI

We all met up in Florence (love that town!) Oregon.

Bill & Kathy lived  over 30 years in Napoopoo.  Pat & Steve were the neighbors directly below us.

The moved back to Corvallis, OR after 15 years.  Dard & I performed their wedding ceremony at PU'uhonua O Honaunau.  Dard was married to Lora at the time & I was married to Bruno.

Little did I know, Dard & I would be married there a few years later.  

Even less did I know we would end up divorced after 13 years together.

Life is full of surprises!!!

Day 14.    Oregon Beach day with Kathy Blok.  Bill & Kathy were my neighbors for over 20 years

In Captain Cook.  Here's what kind of neighbor Kathy was.  When Bruno was very ill with cancer, and we had family visiting, Kathy dropped by with 2 huli (rotisserie) chickens.   Perfect.  We had no dinner planned.  Then she asked if there was something else she could help with.  I said, " yes, I could use help making his bed.  So she helped me with that. This is true, neighborly giving.  They hosted me for 4 days at their home by the water, with it's own little beach.

It was such a healing & peaceful time.   I was so sorry to leave today.  Good friends are forever!

With Samantha. The birthday girl.  In Springfield, OR.

Deb Hollembaek,    Springfield. OR

Annie.  In Eugene, OR.  Met her in Kona.

Today I drove from near Seaside, OR to Springfield.

Visited my former neighbor in Capt. Cook, Pat, 

At her beautiful home in Corvallis.

"Ocian in view!  O!  The joy."
Written, including spelling, by Capt. William Clark Nov 7, 1805, after traveling over 4,000 miles across North America.  I feel the same way.  Ocean!  Yay.
View from the condo at sunset.  It rained our first day here.

We had the best lunch ever here in Astoria, OR

By the sea.  Quant little town.

Good friends are forever!

Sacagawea, Monna, and me.  Fort Clatsop, OR.  End of the road for Lewis and Clark.  They wintered here from Dec 7, 1805 to March 23, 1806, with the help and friendship of the local Indians, the Chinook and Clatsop.  We know what ended up happening to them!

Monna with big fallen mossy tree

Cozy room in Portland.

                                            My comfy & cozy bedroom at Monna & Jim's.

Day 5.   The Coumbia River. driving to Portland along the  Columbia River Gorge.

Impressive how wide it is!  Looks wider then the Mississippi but not muddy.  So beautiful with the train tracks on either side of the river.  Wish I had a better photo but it was raining and no place to really stop and shoot.  Drove through another dust and wind storm in the middle of Oregon and then hit the rain.  The road is called the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.  That has special meaning to me.  This is also the 45th parallel, halfway between the North Pole and the Equator.  The Big Island of Hawaii is the southernmost point in the United States.
The Columbia River is full almost to overflowing.  California should be so lucky!   I passed some impressive Dams and I love bridges.   There are no rivers in Hawaii, but who needs them when you are surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

Now, I am on the other side of the Pacific, having arrived safely in Portland.  For 4 relaxing days, I am hosted by my dear friends, Jim and Monna, two of my favorite people, in their beautiful and comfortable home.  Monna, one of the funnest and funniest people I know, has a real green thumb with a gift for flowers. (Also, the gift of gab. We both have that.)

Here's her little flower garden.  There are flower arrangements all throughout the house.  I love them and I love it here.