DRINK COFFEE - Do stupid things faster and with more energy.

No, this pic has no connection with our vacation. I don't have any fresh shots of tent living in NW Oregon but should by the next post...whenever that is. It may not be until tomorrow night.

We're sitting in a coffee shop in Newberg, OR eating a very good b'fast. I don't think I'll be able to finish mine, but the caramel latte will definitely be drained. Then we'll head out to Tillamook to tour the cheese factory, take in some of their treats, and then do some hiking along coastal trails. Back to Newberg for dinner with the Macys, VIF's from way back. Sherry and I sang in a small group called Adoration back when we all lived in Michigan. It's been many years since we had an opportunity for leisurely conversation, so we're looking forward to the evening.

We'll be up EARLY tomorrow morning so we can be on the road no later than 7 a.m. I'm not thrilled about packing up a tent wet with dew but it has to be. We're due at my home church in Seattle by 11:30, and traffic through the city is always a huge variable. Seattle grew tremendously back in the 80's and 90's but didn't add the infrastructure to deal with it. The freeways can become parking lots any time of day or night.

The reason for the rush is to be at the church in time for the annual salmon bake for the seniors'
Sunday School class. No, not the one we'd be in; my folks' class. We'll meet them there for the luncheon. It will also give me an opportunity to visit with the very good people who were my Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders and camp counselors when I was a kid. These saints played a key role in my development as a person and a Christian.

We'll spend the weekend with my folks. The place they now live, the Ida Culver House, has a guest unit we'll stay in. I'm going to do some projects for my dad, but mostly we'll just visit. Mom's upset because she's still in a sling following her shoulder replacement surgery but she's the only one who cares.

My next post will probably come from their place tomorrow night. I promise pics of the beautiful OR countryside. The state park is in a hilly rural area a few miles outside of Newberg with farms of all sorts. Made for a GREAT bike ride yesterday. I needed that after three days of sitting behind the wheel. Unlike the SW desert there are NO flats; I was either going uphill or downhill. The former can still be felt in my quads this morning, but it's a good feeling.

OK, off to Tillamook and the coast, a 2-hour drive through the countryside.
If you're not jealous you should be.