Last summer I journeyed to Oregon for the Oregon Lavender Festival and I’m packing to head south again! What can be more refreshing to the soul than spending time with one’s best friend and fields of lavender?The Puget Sound Area is definitely different from northern Oregon. That state is our cousin to be sure, but it holds a charm that is a different facet of the jewel that is the Northwest. It’s a little warmer—sometimes a lot—and the hills are softer. Portland has bedroom communities to rival Bellevue and Kirkland, but go a little south and/or get off of I-5 and you are transported into a rural landscape dotted with little towns and villages, each with a unique character and charm so I’m happy to be packing my bag and getting my Neon, the Screaming Yellow Zonker, ready to hit the road.
A year ago I did not see the storm clouds of the recession on the horizon. My girlfriend and I were not extravagant with anything but gasoline, but this year we will be watching our pennies even more closely. Fortunately gasoline is cheaper this year! My friend is between jobs while my Care Provider money for taking care of my adult disabled daughter has been cut due to Washington State’s budget shortfall. The security of my husband’s job is a day to day issue. Right now he’s just happy to arrive at Seattle Flight Service and find it still open. So besides packing clothing and tooth paste, I’m loading up on the bounty of the season and we will be dining picnicking along the highways and byways of rural Oregon.
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