When life throws you a curve, lean and enjoy it

You never know what is going to happen, so make the best of everything.

Ken and I have interrupted our sailing trip due to mechanical difficulties, but we plan on picking up where we left off next year.

Ken will continue on t o Mexico as crew on another boat, very similar to AllyMar. I have the opportunity to return to my career, and isn't it fortunate that I have a profession that allows me to find a job basically at the drop of a hat.

So keep my blog page on your desk top, and check back in September 2009.

I want to thank all of our dear friends who have made this transition much less painful than it otherwise would have been: Dick and Di for their home and their kitties, John for his car, and Cyd for a beautiful cottage in a peaceful space.

Thanks to Cheryl R, Cheryl F, Rebecca V, Holly C and all the above for their moral support. You make it all worthwhile.

Harp--

Home again, albiet briefly

Hot dry air, balm to my marine chilled bones, bathes me for our week or so back ‘home’ in the Rogue Valley. It’s a feeling of familiarity, or rememberence of 30 years of all those summers of cool mornings and the subtle scents of lilac, cherries and the warming day. It’s the hard wiring of memory that settles the soul into comfort.
It’s been a whirlwind of activity provisioning and seeing friends and family. An all to brief trip to chico California to see Ken’s Mom who broke her hip and fell, now fortunately recovering apace. Ken and his sister Marty (and Brian!) investigated assisted care homes, and found one that they all agreed would be the best for Mom. We helped in packing Mary’s belongings and had dinner with Ken’s brother and his wife at Mary’s apartment. Mary’s absence was palpable.
On our way back from Chico, we did something I had wanted to do for years, but we never had time: climb to the dome at Castle Crags, a granitic spire that juts out of the evergreen forest. It was a hard hot hike, rewarded by a gorgeous view of Mt Shasta and the dripping green wall of Indian Springs.

Ken's daughter Allyson was in town from Corvallis where she is in Vet school, and it was serendipitous that we were able to see her.
It was great to visit with my Mom, who keeps tabs on the world at large from her apartment at Horton Plaza. She saved us a bucnh of money by letting us use her car while we were back home in the Valley.
Back home, we had the luxury of staying at our friends’ Dick and Diane’s house, who were away having their own adventure canoeing on the Green River. It was the perfect place to stage and organize our provisions. Thanks again D&D.
My former dog Casey, still remembered me, but is clearly happy and adjusted to her new life with her new mom Wendy. We shared a couple walks and Wendy updated me on all the latest goings on in Ashland.
We had rented a full sized car to take us back over to the boat, but as we started to pack it, it quickly became clear that either we had too much stuff, or we needed a bigger car! Back to Enterprise for a truck Ken went, and soon we’ll be back to Winchester Bay.
Our next stop will be somewhere near San Fransisco, then on to the Channel Islands. Stay tuned……