It's wine month in OREGON!

On Sunday we drove 40 minutes south to Grizzly Peak for a little 2 hour hike.  It was a foggy, chilly morning and we were happy to be wearing our down jackets.  Some trees were dripping moss which dangled in the breeze eerily. We only brought some nuts and chocolate for elevensies, so hoped to be done hiking before we got hangry. It was an easy 750 foot ascent and then a flat loop around the top of the mesa. When we got to the summit, the sun was just starting to break through and we watched the fog blow by as the city of Ashland peeked out below.  Flowers of all colors littered the ground and we finally smelled and identified the wild onions everywhere. 

Grizzly Peak vineyard was only 20 min away and since it's wine month and all, we dropped in for a tasting.We're getting good at pronouncing all the previously unknown blends, even if we can't quite taste the difference between a Malbec and a Syrah 12 or Syrah 14 or a Cab Franc and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  This time, I preferred the Marsanne/Roussanne or Viognier and Judd the Tempranillo. When we leave a tasting, we depart with a new plethora of adjectives which we proceed to taunt each other with inappropriately.  "I think YOU're fruit forward!"   "Well I think YOU'RE full and peppery!"

Now we were really hungry so we finally made it to the Tapas bar Elements in Medford. They served many very tasty small plates. Strolling around downtown Medford , Judd almost beat some dude at chess. We headed home to pop a cork on our own deck.....because wine month isn't over yet.

Healing water and magic mushrooms?

If it's on Wikipedia, it must be true:   "Lithia water contains various lithium salts, including the citrate. An early version of Coca-Cola available in pharmacies' soda fountains called Lithia Coke was a mixture of Coca-Cola syrup and lithia water. The soft drink 7Up was originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" when it was formulated in 1929 because it contained lithium citrate. The beverage was a patent medicine marketed as a cure for hangover. Lithium citrate was removed from 7Up in 1948.
 Gielen, Marcel; Edward R. T. Tiekink (2005). Metallotherapeutic drugs and metal-based diagnostic agents: The use of metals in medicine. John Wiley and Sons. p. 3. ISBN 0-470-86403-6."

Here's someone else with Judd's precise reaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_oBF5IeBL0

We were in Ashland Friday night to have dinner with a friend from work.  Zach started at the VA the same day as I did and we were the only two in "New Employee Orientation" for a week. We bonded. He's a clinical pharmacist with specialty in mental health. He's about the age of our kids but he's been a fun friend to check in with every so often.  He invited us out for ramen at Hiro Ramen in Ashland, confirming with a friend that it was the preferred noodle house in the area.

The ambience was authentic and casual. We had two waiters doting on us and within minutes had a mouth-burning bowl of tasty, hot ramen which we proceeded to splash all over. The curtains between the dining area and the kitchen had this iconic Japanese dude with small hands going at a similarly iconic Japanese lady with even smaller hands. 

After we hugged Zach good bye, we took a stroll around Ashland.  Judd, on his search earlier in the day for morels, had passed Standing Stone Brewery and we went back to see if they were any good at brewing.  Judd said they were. Continuing a walk around Ashland, we encountered the famed Lithia Springs. Judd had just read about Lithia park in our Oregon hiking book, the park designed by the same designer of Central Park  New York. All the trails in the park have a Alice in Wonderland/ Through the Looking Glass theme ; Bandersnatch Trail, Jabberwocky, White Rabbit trail, Red Queen, Caterpillar, etc.  We hiked right to the healing water fountains and Judd had a dose. After he staggered to the curb and spit it out, I chose to forgo my healing.


Saturday, Judd had a date at Blades and Bourbon, a barber with expertise in straight razor/hot towel shaves and a man-cave waiting room with, yes, bourbon at 10am or beer (sadly, the keg-er-ator was not working.) (Aside:  I did not know kegerator was actually a word.) Judd was not used to pomade in his hair. Pomade is from the French < Italian because, yes, they used to include apple ingredients. As soon as he got home, Judd washed the apple juice out of what hairs he had left.

The manly waiting room

Chris, the owner, at Judd's throat

hot towel heaven

AFTER

After the haircut and shave, we hit the food trucks downtown. On weekends, only 3 choices were available but we made do. While Judd was eyeballing the waffle menu, I chose the "Word on the Street" menu.  I got a jungle love taco; Judd got a Korean BBQ taco. My fried plantain, with ginger hash, pickled onions and garlic aioli taco was way better than Judd's.

Judd prepared the morels he had found at the Medford Co-op. They looked scarier than hell. We had them breaded in masa and fried, plated over our leftover eggplant/zucchini lasagna which wasn't exactly virtuous but was pretty excellent since it had real sausage in it.

Last evening we were invited by our landlords George and Jane, to attend the 90th annual Jackson County Humane Society, Toast for Tails auction and dinner. WoW! What a gala! Complimentary Champagne, wine and beer ! Appetizers delivered while you bid early/bid often. Keep-the-glass-party favors.  It was nice to get to know George and Jane better as well as the other table mates they'd invited. A great dinner and a great cause!

Let's go fly a kite!

The highlight of the weekend, which isn't exactly over yet, was the Longsword Vineyard Kite Festival.  From noon to 5:00 Saturday, you could picnic, wine taste, wine drink (NOT the same thing,) fly or watch others fly kites ( from mini to massive, ) or just bask in the sun. We did it all, well, except the actual fly a kite piece.  Judd had purchased a kite but he overheard a kid ask his mom for a kite and Judd gave ours away.  It was a win-win as we had decided pretty early on that we weren't all that excited about leaving our lounge chairs, cold wine and the free music, to go stand in the prickly grass and run around (the wind wasn't thoroughly cooperative. )  Some professional kite-ists (Rogue Valley Wind Chasers) showed up with the biggest kites and longest strings.  Our favorites were what looked like a giant meteor hurling toward earth (or, sometimes with the wind, hurling away from earth) and a colorufl octopus. Someone was giving out mini kites to the kids and then there were all the in-between-ers.  
One kite looked like a black ghost (or leech.) There were butterflies, dragons, whales, boxes and diamonds. We sustained ourselves with the Peruvian Point food truck fare. It was fun to see so many families out together. Three little girls who couldn't have been 4yo. were picking California poppies and giving them away to anyone, everyone.  (See Judd pictured below with one behind each ear.)
Amidst the kiting, we spotted paragliders taking off from the peak above. Judd got to trial his new binoculars. They work!  One glider landed right in the abutting
field. I thought he was out of control, but Judd has much more confidence in the process. 

 

Judd' flowers

Before the weekend really got underway, I read an article about making lists. I can't find it now, but it was non-judgmental--not inherently good or weird to constantly be making lists.  Or adding little chores just so I can check them off. Ironically I'd just compared some of my lists:  one from last August when we just arrived in Oregon and had so many chores to keep track of.  This week, my list was of "things to do before Walla Walla."

We also had some neighborhood fun prompted by a family of passers-by. The little girl in the party admired one of the trees out front because she said the thick ivy you have to duck under is like being in a fairy house. She said she always pretends to be Tinkerbell when she goes by our house. So the next day, Judd and I built some fairy houses and put out front by the fence.  Judd crafted a teepee from corn husks and I found the glue gun and pieced together moss covered sticks around a plastic bottle. We even made a fire ring out of stones with walnut seats and a wee vase with dime size daisies (our intent, to change out the flowers every day or two so anyone would know the fairies are real.)  Big people appear to walk right by as they're pretty inconspicuous. They might even look like trash along our fence.  We're waiting for some little people to walk by with bigger imaginations and eyes closer to the ground. Oh Carol, I see how miniature gardens can get out of hand......

Cutest motel, ever!

Off to California for the weekend.  I had told a work friend we wanted to go visit Weed and Mt. Shasta before the snow was gone and she suggested, rather than camp, we stay in a caboose.  I said, 'Huh?'  So we googled it. And we stayed in a caboose.

We drove off Saturday morning and had brunch in Weed.  (It's only 1.5 hours drive.)  En route, we were asked to pull over for the agriculture check at the California border.  The patrolman asked if we had any fruits or vegetables.  [OMG!! Canandian border patrol deja vu all over again. Do I let Judd make something up 'no, we don't have Cuban cigars from Quebec' or do I just tell the truth?]  I blurt out, "we have two oranges and some strawberries," prepared to turn them all in.  (true!) The patrol man said, "Just FYI, we don't let you bring into California, anything we grow here." Then he almost winks and says, "But I didn't hear it from you," and waves us into the Golden State with our secret booty.

Much to our surprise, the town  of Weed is NOT named for the Emerald Triangle's cash crop. It's named after Abner Weed who started a lumber company there.  The Hi-Lo Cafe was also not-a-pot reference. It was so named because some of the primo real estate was up higher on the mountain than the lower property.  We had one breakfast each but it came with double proportions that we couldn't finish. Just FYI, day old biscuits, gravy, hash browns and veggie scramble do NOT microwave well after getting partially frozen in the motel mini-fridge.  Note to selves (again):  buy one meal and share!

We knew we were too early to check in so we went on our hike first.  We were stunned by the size of Mt. Shasta, even in the cloud coverage, filling up the horizon when you come around a bend in Highway 5. About 15 miles south of Shasta we found Castle Crags State Park. Well, actually at first, we didn't find it even though we were looking for it. (Damn Mapquest-- my Australian Siri got us to a locked gate on the Pacific Coast Trail where we could have walked to the State Park trailhead.  But Judd phoned the Ranger who talked us through to the next freeway exit  (they're FREE highways IN CALIFORNIA!) and we found the scenic view point and trail head. 

The Castle Crags State Park had an easy (baby buggy/handicapped accessible) trail, a moderate hike  (we took it to Indian Springs) and a strenuous hike to the dome. (We skipped it this time.) Our trail was like climbing a staircase UP for 1.5 miles.   But the thigh-master was worth the quiet, sacred-appearing waterfall when we arrived at the springs. We saw about a dozen day hikers and it got progressively warmer and clearer as the afternoon evolved. We were under shade enough not to need sunscreen and not a black fly or mosquito in sight. Jinx! We did see some busy little lizards parading over the rocks.

Aprés le hike, it was only a 15 minute drive to our lodging: the RailRoad Park Resort in Dunsmuir. Someone had taken their train hobby to the nth degree!  Old train cars have been converted into motel rooms and the dining cars into a restaurant. At check in, the gift shop is brimming with every book about trains you ever knew, many from our childrens' upbringing:  Tootle's, Thomas the Tank Engine, etc. Judd was gaga over the actual steam engine out front, with the Petticoat Junction-like water tank, buzzing with bees,  and the snow plow attachment car, citing how the hydraulics and pistons would work, how steam engine innovations intersected the book he's reading on Lewis and Clark. It really exceeded our expectations.  AND THEN, the cabooses!  Each "room" at the motel is an entire train car. Our caboose  (originally Dutch for 'cabin' where equipment was stored) has been remodeled into a perfect suite with either a queen or king bed, a bathroom with tub/shower, a microwave, mini-fridge, coffee maker, tv, free wi-fi!  AND access to the hot tub and pool with pool towels. ALL underlooking the Castle Crags at sunset.  WoW!  While poolside, our Maine neighbors group-phoned us during the Cinco De Mayo-Kentucky Derby festivities that we were missing--we had a 17 year run  (first Cinco party was when Ryley was in Kindergarten and his teacher Mrs. Scates came!)

We finished books in the sun and then walked to dinner at the "Dining Car" which was actually 8 train cars arranged together into a bar, a kitchen and a big lovely restaurant with curtains over the windows and memorabilia on the walls. I had a brain cramp about which movie Judy Garland sang, "the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" but we found it--thank you, Google: the Harvey Girls.

Judy Garland "The Harvey Girls" - YouTube

▶ 3:16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXvBPw6Uqc

Jul 10, 2010 - Uploaded by classicfunisnumber1

Judy Garland Sings and Dances in "The Harvey Girls" the world famous Academy Award Winning, "On the ...

The worst thing we could say about the Resort was the hot tub at 8am was not as hot as at 4pm. 

Sunday, we chose to drive back to Oregon further east via Klamath Falls. It must have snowed overnight as Mt. Shasta in the sun was even whiter than yesterday in the clouds. (How many pics of snow covered mountains can you take in May?)  We lunched with a friend from the VA clinic in Klamath Falls and got to see the back side of our local snow capped Mt. McLoughlin. We were back to J'ville by 1:00--all the California poppies seemingly popped over night.

The Jacksonville Trolley was running (right by our house every 20 minutes--ding-ding.)  We missed the Jacksonville Home and Garden tours.  We toured our own garden, dodging the deer poop to hang our swimsuits on the line to dry, watering the primrose and pansies and picking the kale I planted last August. We have a list of "move to Walla Walla" chores to start. 

He's back!

 He's back! Judd's been found!  About 11am , I got 6 texts buzzing my muted phone during my work conference. All his messages from last-pm-with-no-cell-service showed up the same time as his texts while he was leaving for breakfast this morning. His phone is back in Jacksonville.

He says: he went out 6 miles and should have left half his gear and food at home.  The hammock was comfortable but he was glad he took his "vitamin I and J." (ibuprofen and Jameson's) Says he met a dozen hikers. All but two using rafting company to schlep gear on the river.  Much like the Kennebec but much bigger. Left Grave Creek boat ramp at 10:30am and admits to being not in shape for a 3 day back pack.


My time in Long Beach is over. The sun and palm trees came out today. I fly back to J'ville in the morning.  The shuttle plans the pick up 3 hours before the flight-- you know, pre-planning for  traffic in LA.

Judd's phone is missing again

I leave town, for work, for a few days, and, before I know it, Judd's phone is missing. My app, Find My Phone, says he's "offline."  That could mean it's turned off (intentionally to save battery,) out of cell range (it's rural Oregon!,) or broken at the bottom of a ravine (like the owner.) Use my imagination!

It's the Appalachian Trail angst all over again. He did text me a message this morning that he's going on a hike on the Rogue River Trail. The text said, "I'm leaving this (see pic) on the kitchen counter." SO, does that help me at my Long Beach conference? or do I wait until Friday, when I'm back, to look for his body?  He mentioned he's taking his hammock. He claims he can't find his extra large-charge-your-cell-phone-battery. I know he can't find the hand-warmers we never used skiing this year. Apparently, he hasn't had time to shop for new hiking shoes which he's told me he needs. So, it sounds like he's underprepared, certain to be cold,  and, damned if I can tell: did he chose option 1 or 2?  Can                                                                                                                    you tell?


Last weekend was rainy so we spontaneously altered our drive-to-the-mountains-for-views plan.  On Saturday, we shopped Ashland (for new job work clothes for me), lunched in Ashland and did a Wellspring natural hot springs soak.  We can only hang in the hot water and intermittent sun for about an hour. Just as we were about done, 10 high school age girls got into the pool, talking about the boys right behind them. I beat Judd out of the shower, and while putting on my shoes, about 10 teenage boys came in, searching for cubbies for their shoes.  Good timing!  Time to get out! 

 On Sunday, I internet-checked, "things to do near Grants Pass" as we found Black Panther still at one theater within an hours drive, but not until 2:50pm. Elk Mountain Highland Games were happening only 36 min away, so off we went. We parked for free at the fire station and had a hay ride to the fair, much like a mini-Common Ground Fair. Unfortunately, most of the Scottish athletic events had occurred on Saturday.  We did witness some of the "edged weapons competition"  (men in kilts throwing axes at a mock-Shrek) but we totally missed the beard and costume contest. We heard some live dulcimer and harp music, accompanied by 3 year olds dancing alongside 20+somethings dancing in full butterfly costume, blowing bubbles for the crowd in the gentle showers. The Sunday May pole wasn't going to happen until noon. We walked around the vendors in and out of the rain. Bought some authentic shortbread.  Could have purchased authentic sporins or daggers. We ate massive sweet rolls from Heavenly Bakery and were off to Grants Pass before noon (which means we missed the May Pole had more time to kill before the 2:50 movie.) It was a good Sunday and a good movie....... and tomorrow, I'll look for Judd's phone again.