Ashland, Oregon via Eugene…

I left the forests of the Olympic Peninsula on Friday… driving toward Oregon. 

I wanted to stay in Eugene, Oregon, because it was a reasonable distance to drive in one day in the van, and because my friend Dennis Rivers lived there. I decided to stay in a hotel that night to make it simple to visit with him and then head out early. I didn’t know where to stay, so I picked a hotel near the breakfast place we were to meet. It was called The Graduate. It was very comfortable, and everything was decorated in the theme of the Oregon University, the Ducks. Here is the view from my room and the bathroom wall. The Oregon Ducks, Little Richard, and toga wearing. A big change from my previous dwellings in the forest…Please note the instructions for wearing a toga properly, just in case you need them some day. 

Dennis and I enjoyed a long breakfast at the Morning Glory Cafe near the train station in Eugene. I have much to share of his work at another time. He is 84 now, with an eternal mind and heart. And this was the view of Eugene from my room.

I headed on to Ashland after our enlightening breakfast. I have loved Ashland every time I have lived there. It is a breath of comfort in the midst of chaos. An open meadow in the forest, waiting for a lovely picnic.  Today, I began with meeting Silvia in Lithia Park, a lovely friend who I met in my Hakomi training in 1989. We have been friends forever. 

The campground at Emigrant Lake is more special than I even imagined. In all the years I lived in Ashland, I am embarrassed to say I never went to the lake. And now, here I am.  That is Pilot Rock in the distance, an old volcanic plug that was a guide for many early pioneer travelers to this area. I am its latest pioneer, seeking my next steps…

And then tonight, this sunset… I think it looks like a hummingbird! I had withdrawn to the inside of the SilverStar because of the hornets wanting to eat my dinner, when this pink glow began to draw me out. 

This week I visit many friends I have had through the Ashland years, and some who just happen to live here now as well… More to you later.