We are now in southern Oregon.  We have spent an amazing 2 weeks catching up with friends and visiting old haunts. 

We spent 13 years living in Oregon and they were pretty significant years in our lives. Our kids grew up there, and we experienced some of the most amazing years  in our lives.  I remember even thinking at one point, “these WILL be the best times of our lives”.  It is an odd thing to think, or to even quantify, but somehow I knew. 

Ken and I decided early on when we moved there that we would take the same day off each week. We took off every Friday. Ken would cycle and I would run.  Initially I ran the highways and he cycled the trails, but there came a time when I decided that  running on the highways would eventually catch up with me, both the hardness of the path and the risks of cars. I used to sometimes run from our house in Bandon to Fred Myers in Coos bay, it was just a marathon 26.4M. My own little marathon.  Once we settled on trails, Ken and I had a loop we did that was a 21 mile loop we did every Friday.  It is hard not to imagine how great these years were.  To be THAT fit💪🏻

The Iraq war broke out, we started organizing protests and found an amazing group of friends, and one day I was quite upset about the invasion, I started writing songs.  We had a band, we traveled around for events, DC, Texas, Missouri, California etc etc…. We made 5 CDS!!!  They really were amazing years.  Then in February 2009, I was diagnosed with an advanced form of endometrial cancer and somehow all of that ended.   Looking back it did not necessarily need to end, but I guess the momentum was gone.  After all the treatments were done we moved back to Canada because the insurance was so costly for me in the US, and we did not know where things were going with my cancer. (THAT chapter ended too).

Going back to Bandon this time I was totally overwhelmed with the loss of THAT life.  Of course nothing lasts forever, and many of my friends from then have now passed on, so sadly.

What made that part of life so special?  I guess anything can be special if you put your mind to it, right?  Why did I stop running?  I did run ONE “marathon” after coming back to Canada,( I call them marathons but they are really just a 26.4 mile run 🤔)

Ken and I always thought that these Friday run/cycles were how we survived all  of the conflict at work. (and there WAS a lot of conflict at work). Small town hospital politics   etc….  The trails were difficult with roots and rocks and that is what levelled the playing field and he did not have to wait too much for me.  Ken would say at about 5 miles, “ I just got _so and so______ off my back” 

So can you go back?  Was I just on a runners high for all those years? 🤔  Well the first day back at the trails we walked one of our favoured loops, and the next day I ran it, and another one. It was so wonderful.  (not 21 miles, but a few…) Perhaps you CAN go back? We shall see.

We had wonderful visits with friends, walked a few beaches.

We went to our favourite restaurant in Bandon, Bandon Brewing … (where they make beer and pizza.)HOWEVER…… despite a poster on entering saying that by the governors order masks were mandated, NONE Of the staff were wearing masks (and they seemed to have LOTS of staff).  Most of the customers were wearing masks though.  The last time we were in Bandon we went there 3 times, this time, just the once. 

Depoe Bay, coming down was quite an experience. There were “king tides” which are = “A tide just after a new or full moon, when there is greatest difference between high and low water” When these high tides are combined with very high swells, and lots of rain, they usually lead to flood situations AND large waves crashing on the beach (rocks etc). I guess when also combined with higher oceans the spray caused by these waves go much further, in this case across the highway and onto the stores on the other side of the road.

We hung around trying to get a good picture of water flying in the air, without it landing on me while I was taking a picture, …. and this was the best shot I got… but then we found a nice, warm, dry place to watch the waves…

Fortunately for us, we had brought our growler and so took home a jug of the great beer. The other customers were not so fortunate because the bar had no empty growlers, (because of the supply chain issue).

So Bye for now love Ken, Janet and Tucker the “svelte” beach dog….