Time for sunscreen, Umpqua's last resort, and Bend

In case you can't read that, its the forecast for the next two weeks - sunny, upper 60's to low 70's. And its been this way since last week. It was a little warmer yesterday (upper 70's here). The evenings are still sweater-ish, which is perfect.I've read many posts (and written some) about the frustration/depression of being stuck in the Northwest during the winter months, so I definitely know what its like to be wallowing in the doldrums of darkness. When its bad its bad. . .But when its good, I can think of few places I'd rather be. Don't get me wrong; I like tropical, warm water vacation-like weather too (if Santa Barbara weren't multi-million dollar prices it would be a toss-up), but 70's and sunny is perfect everyday summer weather for me. Even though there are ton of things I miss from our old home, I can say that on days like these I don't miss 90-120 degree heat in the foothills of the San Gabriels.We spent the weekend in southern and central Oregon, vagabonding around the highways from Roseburg to Bend, and points between. After a successful art opening for April's mom (and Jonah chasing a cat that April swears is the reincarnated Duster, her cat from long ago), we spent time at Dustin's campground (Umpqua's Last Resort), where his brother and sister-in-law are managing and improving the park. It has really started to take shape, complete with rock walls, remodeled bathrooms and showers, and newly graded and formed sites for RVs and campers.
We also spent time on a short hike to the falls that adjoin his property, which seemed to us so perfect that it was like a staged set. Mossy rocks, clear, clean air, shadows and sunlight dancing on the water, the whole bit. Jonah had a blast too throwing sticks and rocks into the water, and just generally exploring wherever he saw fit. It was also really great to get some family time over roasted pork, potato salad, gespacho, and a blazing bonfire. The only downside was Rima got a little sunburned on her cheeks, which we are guessing was not her favorite part of the trip.


The next day we headed over to Bend to visit with our friends Rick, Noelle, and Corbin, and had a really enjoyable (albeit too short) visit in their new location. They absolutely love it in Bend, and we could see why. The weather there is much more polar than where we are, with colder snowy winters and hotter, high-desert summers, providing opportunities for just about any kind of outdoor activity you can think of. Rick is particularly enjoying the fly fishing that is abundant, the bouldering, as well as the mountain bike trails and local brew pubs. All of those activities are literally 10 minutes or less from their front door. Their home is also easily twice the size of their previous apartment in Pasadena and in the same price range, complete with an oversized garage, outside storage, a gourmet kitchen, a gas fireplace, a loft space, and a large deck and yard.. We were really happy for them - and they seemed genuinely happy with their new spot, which was really great.

Our drive back on Monday morning took us over the mountains on a road we'd never traveled before, going through Sisters and hundreds of acres of national forest, and eventually into Salem. It was quite a stunning drive for much of the way, and we couldn't help but notice how clean and uncrowded everything is. No noticeable litter, very clear, blue skies, and flowing water in streams and waterfalls for nearly the entire trip. The road was very easy to drive compared to some of the north Cascades roads that get a little hairy, so it was not an exhausting trip home.Finishing up, I'm a little befuddled by the weather thing. . .Its so hard to be objective knowing how I felt a month ago. But it sure does make a difference when you have weeks on end of sun and light clouds with clean air and water, friendly people, and all of the farmer's markets getting into gear. I am sure I'll be bellyaching about the weather again when we get rain in the fall, but I can tell you that for now, this makes the winter depression a little easier to handle.