Heading back to Canada

We're in the midst of our trip back home.  I like being on the road and, in many ways, wish we had more time so we could stop and take side trips.  But I miss my cat, my friends, my wardrobe, and my bed (not necessarily in that order), and I have to start teaching a summer course the day after I return (oh yeah, totally prepping on the road, right), so we're making our way back east.
   Who knew Washington state had this whole desert side to it (rhetorical question)?

(That's the mighty Columbia river.  Gorgeous shade of blue).

(Those are fake horses on a hilltop.  Yeah, really.)
   And then we passed through Idaho and headed into Montana...

    And as you might've seen from my earlier post about the weather, it stayed that way for awhile, and to top it off, the blower for the defrost (and heat) didn't work.  This is where I say "Thanks!" to our friends at Eccles Auto Service in Dundas, Ontario.  We've called them a couple of times about issues with our car and they've been a great help.  Sure, they probably think we're crazy, but that's okay.
    What I didn't have yesterday were these great photos from Liss that showed what Montana and North Dakota looked like after we got out from under the ass weather (totally a meteorological term).
   Montana:

    North Dakota:

   Haven't heard much about food?  Well, it's been a bit of the regular sub-par road food (Denny's was exciting yesterday).  For dinner, I made us go to Bonanza because I used to go there when I was a kid.  Liss was wearing a Carhartt vest and a bright orange knit cap (she'd been cold) that's been kicking around the floor of the car.  I was wearing camo Army pants I got from my dad (a new go-to item in my wardrobe - I'm serious) with a Patagonia hoody.  The manager, making the rounds and checking on everyone's satisfaction, stops by our table and says, "You ladies doing some hunting?"  Yes, that's what's become of my fashion sense on the road.

Cherry on top

This road trip has allowed us, and particularly me, to see family and friends, and the cherry on top of this trip has been my visit with one of my very best friends, Sereatha.  Sereatha knows me almost better than anyone and it had been six years since I'd seen her.  Since that time, she's gotten married and had two children.
    It seems that time and distance (and changing family demographics) don't affect our friendship.  We spoke with the same intimacy we shared when we lived together in San Francisco, way back when Ian was two years old, and I'm happy to accept the pain that our inevitable separation brings with it because it acknowledges that bond.  All my life I've made friends and then found a way to let them go because one or another of us moved away, and it was too difficult to maintain the connection (often we were too young to even try).  I'm tired of that defence mechanism, and I really want to keep the people I love in close contact with me.  It's worth the effort.   
   We spent two nights with her and her sweet, sweet family (shout out to Samuel, Savannah, and Secily!).  Here are some of the highlights with minimal narrative.
   Pike Place Market -

(Sanitary Public Market!  Love it!)
    Sereatha and me with a very friendly vendor.

    Again, look at the produce!  (It's becoming a fetish.)

Volunteer Park Conservatory:
    I loved the colours on this hydrangea, so not what one expects from this plant.

    Another hydrangea variation.

    There were lots of cactuses...

 and cool plants.

(That's water caught in its center.)

   And then, it was time to hit the road again with lots of promises to see each other before another six years passes.  It seems that this trip has also highlighted my desire to stay in touch - letters, e-mails, and visits.  I like the visits best.

Babies

I want to say congratulations to my friend Celine on the birth of her baby and to take this opportunity to share this great video, Pregnant Women are Smug, that Ian showed us.

Oh, yeah - that whole rain thing

The next day, driving from Coos Bay, Oregon to Seattle, Washington, we were reminded of Seattle's reputation for rain and realized that it probably extended along the whole northwest seaboard.

On Carla's (from 1078 Gallery) suggestion, I'd wanted to stop by Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon. Unfortunately, construction and the poor weather deterred us.  Next time.
    She'd also suggested we stop at Local Ocean Seafoods for lunch.  The food was fresh, sustainable, and excellent.  Here are some of Liss' arty  food shots.

   
    Inside was all warm, cozy, and tasty.  Outside, it wasn't so nice, but it was still scenic.

Coastal trippin'

Driving up Highway 101 was amazing.  Here are a few quick shots.
   A scenic view in California...

    A scenic view of Liss taking in the scenic view.

    Here's the Trinidad story that goes along with my earlier rumination about "country" living.  We stopped at this totally hippy joint in Trinidad, California (a tiny little coastal town), and I was in love.  My feeling is that I'd be happy to live outside the city if I weren't the only freak in town.  In this case, my not-so-secret hippy leanings could be nourished.  Don't I look at home here?

Mmmmm, cheese!

There's also nothing as stunning as coming out of the redwoods and seeing the ocean, as happened when we were in Oregon.  I love the huge waves and the endlessness of it all.  Pacific, Atlantic, I'll take either.

That's ocean mist obscuring the cliff.
   And this is a weird root I thought was cool.

Doesn't it look like it'd just get up and walk away when you turned your back?

Travel Update

This is what we drove in for the first part of our day:


We decided to persevere. Montana was pretty ugly for a long stretch, but then, the snow ended, the rain ended, and there were blue skies. Suddenly Montana was beautiful and North Dakota even more so.

Quick Interruption

Not particularly looking forward to today's drive as there is a winter storm watch here.  It looks like we'll be either changing our route or stopping earlier than anticipated.  Awesome, snow in April and we're not even in Canada. (Note:  we're in Montana today and had planned on getting into North Dakota.  I'm behind in posts, but I'm hoping to catch up tonight.)