my butt is weary

We got in over 600 miles today.  Sometimes, Kyle gets the bit in his teeth and he just won't stop driving.  If he could figure some way to handle those excretory processes while  still keeping both hands on the wheel,  . . . oh, I'm just cranky right now.  He is a sweetheart and it's not as if I got down on my knees and begged him to stop.  We grabbed a couple of hard-boiled eggs and left Watsonville about 7:30.  We drove north past SanJose, past Los Gatos (I waved to the cats but couldn't get a photo) past Silicon Valley.  San Francisco was buried in a fog bank to the west of us.  The scenery went from lush greenery with maples, pines and oaks, to gently mounding brown hills with the occasional cluster of oak trees like a beauty mark on the breast of a dusky young woman.  We slid past Sacramento, and those swelling brown hills flattened out into the bare, dry basin.  We finally stopped for gas.  I know we took a break so Kyle could eat some left-over pizza.  And then it was "'Drive,' he said!" and we continued to drive for home.  The closer we got to Mt. shasta, the prettier the scenery got.  Things like trees hold a great deal of appeal for me.  Clouds were building above the mountains, and we could see those fuzzy grey patches where the rain was bucketing down.  Finally, about 20 miles from the Oregon border, we drove into a thunderstorm.  It came down so hard that it washed the bugs off the windshield.

On we drove.  and on.  Finally, about 6:30 we stopped for dinner in LaPine, Oregon.  The Harvest Depot cafe has great chili, good fried chicken, cheerful, personable service, and decent prices ($10 - $20 per person for dinner.)   Give them a try if you get hungry in LaPine.

And then, sigh, back on the road.  We have finally thrown out the anchor in my home town of Redmond.  We will meet my brothers for breakfast tomorrow morning at 7, then head north again.  Cheryl, we are planning on stopping by the Cup'n'Cake for cupcakes and hot beverages - 9 ish?  We'll call when we're leaving Redmond.  I have two fish hats to deliver to Cera.  Hugs and love till then!