Interesting people on our travels, in no particular order

1) Island Creek Rest site: a dude clearly camping there with his dog under the Day Use only sign-- approached us holding open a Bible. He says,  "I need a little help for a new Bible."  I point out the obvious, "But you're holding a Bible right there." He tries to tell us it's because he's found a typo in it.  We apologized and high tailed it outta there.... having another 10 miles of kidney-shaking drive down the dirt road on our way out of the Rogue Wilderness.

2) The waitress at the Tadpole Cafe saw us perusing a hiking book and told us which trail she runs over the interesting lava beds. She, like many Oregonians, appears to have total body tattoos, at least all the body parts we can see. It reminds of the book, The Man Called Ove, where he wonders to himself why anyone would get a tattoo that looks like you're going around wearing your pajamas. We're just old and curmungeonly like Ove.

3) Then there was the Italian hiker who showed up during our Fish Lake tea time.  He had been hiking about  5 days from Ashland and said he was already out of commission, although we didn't overhear why.  He was apparently hoping for a ride back to town. The local guy at the nearby table making friends with him had a bunch of bravado about his trips on the PCT. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut about, "my husband is a hiker too and just completed the AT." I did keep my mouth shut but I couldn't stop eavesdropping because of that flattering Italian accent.  When asked his name by the American dude who was going to drive him to town,  "I don't have a trail name yet so it's just Rocco."

4) Last Sunday morning we drove about 1.5 hours from Fish Lake to a little south of Ashland to Pilot Rock.  I thought I was up for the 3.2 mi  (350'  elevation) easy loop hike around the base, but somehow, when we decided not to "bushwhack up a meadow" per hiking manual, we ended up on the moderate (1000+ft elevation on loose, steep, scree...)  I don't know if it was the elevation, rapid ascent or greasy potatoes and omelette for breakfast, but I was struck by waves of nausea and abdominal cramps.  I told Judd I wasn't having fun. It was a well traveled hike--MANY people going up and down nearby so, VERY motiving to get off the trail to the "bathroom" quickly. Feeling much better, I was able to resume the ascent but we stopped short of the peak-with-views-of-Mt.Shasta, due to the loose rocks.  I know Judd could have done it but he politely kept me company.  A young dad with a 1 year old in his backpack was also stopping to rest and not summit the peak. He chatted with us while awaiting his spouse to return from the top. He wanted to inquire of Judd about his hiking shoes.  This is Judd's second pair of Vasque because he finds them suppportive, especially on rocky trails.  The young dad said he was just the opposite and wanted to wear the least supportive (five finger-shoes) so he could feel the rocks.  We'll see how that works out for him.

                        VS.













5) Since we were on the southern Rogue Valley wine trail after the hike, we decided to taste at two, new-to-us wineries. Simple Machine was a pretty new tasting room not in a vineyard but in an old garage.  It was stylishly renovated, over-air-conditioned because it was so hot out and the wine has to stay cool. The couple running it was friendly and generous. We randomly chose Pebblestone Vineyard. The tasting room was run by the owner and we stumbled upon live music outside on the shady deck overlooking the growing grapes. Little girls were running to the field, picking poppies and decorating each bistro table. Jeff Kloetzel was playing.  http://dailytidings.com/archive/jeff-kloetzel-04-27-2018 When he isn't providing music at one of the neighborhood wineres, he's pouring at our wine club winery: South Stage Cellars. It's taken 11 months, but some of the pourers there now really do seem to know us, by face at least, if still not by name. 

, it ain't.


6) "Bo" 
Back when we first started to visit South Stage Cellars, we made the acquaintance of Bo who was there often. The tasting room hostess would warn us to 'watch out for Bo' and we didn't know if that meant he got too long-winded throughout the evening of wine, or he was a danger to self or others when driving himself home from the winery.  One day when it was cold and wet out, we hung out by the fireplace and had a longer conversation with Bo. He visits his wife in a nursing home every day, even though she can't speak his name anymore from her Alzheimers. When we admire his Army Veteran hat, he told us stories of his time in Vietnam.  Turns out he's an author on a blog too.

http://www.155-th-ahc.org/bmt-stories/bmt-teams/155th-team/