Breaking Away

The hardest thing we've done recently is wait an agonizing two and one half plus months to make our escape. Breaking the bondage of responsibility is not an easy thing. Something is always lurking around holding us back. This year it's electrical problems. Granted, they cannot be ignored, but still, not pleasant to deal with. And then there is the kitchen. When you think you can rip out the old, install the new, have contractors arrive to put in new counter tops, and whammy, the pipes can't be relocated in the wall, you have to rip out the floor and pray the joints are running in the right direction. Then the wiring needs to be redirected, and on, and on. . .So, this year the first day out I announced to Bob that he is taking over The Popeye Express. Too many pictures to review, prepare and upload, and always late thanks in no part to poor or non-existent wifi connectivity and absurdly slow broadband.

Finally we have arrived: day 3 we are at Valley of the Rogue State Park, just south of Grants Pass OR after a tiring but non eventful 800 plus mile drive. Hopefully this will give me a little practice on my writing skills, and although no one will read it, it will be fun for me to review from time to time. Today is day 1 in the park, and as I sit here, the air is filled with smoke from the nearby Glendale forest fire. Hopefully the wind will shift and tomorrow will be a better air day.

One of our favorite places is the little town of Jacksonville, OR, about 12 miles east of Medford and home to Bozo the Clown. We make the short drive, but the smoke is even worse here than at the state park.  We make a beeline for my favorite coffee house, The Good Bean, have some iced tea, and find it's just too smokey to walk the town. Rats, it's back to Valley of the Rogue.

We have reservations for the Harry & David factory tour tomorrow. Maybe the winds will shift and we'll have a better day; something to look forward to!