We arrived at the Lacey, Washington home of Herb & Barbara (former neighbors in Cary, NC) the afternoon of September 12, 2013 and had a nice meal with them after relaxing around the fire pit in their back yard overlooking the golf course. Barbara is very active in this “55+” community promoting wellness programs and serving on the emergency preparedness planning team from the community’s very nicely equipped activity center.
View from Herb and Barbara’s back yard in Lacey, Washington
Herb & Barbara with Dapper Dan at their home in Lacey, Washington
Jean with Dapper Dan in Lacey, Washington
We got back on the road mid-day Thursday, September 13 for the trek to Corvallis, OR about 50 miles south of Portland, OR to visit our niece Deborah and her husband Oscar. The 8 hour trip was quite tedious. We attempted to travel I-5 for a couple of miles, but very quickly realized that we were going to die. Our 55 mph Jeep was no match for the continuous onslaught of 70 mph semi-trailers. We elected to take the circuitous route through city and township to reach our destination.
Deborah is a naturopathic physician with an active private practice in Corvallis. Her husband Oscar is an accomplished woodworker who has designed and constructed several attractive large furniture pieces – mostly using reclaimed wood.
Corvallis places a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility and personal health. Recycling, composting, exercising and use of organically produced food items is prevalent throughout the community. Deborah and Oscar fit well in this setting, growing a variety of food items at the home – including 3 egg laying chickens.
Niece Deborah and Dan with hens in Deborah’s back yard, Corvallis, Oregon. Can I wash my hands now?
Jean holding a hen in Deborah’s back yard, Corvallis, Oregon
Dan, Jean with Deborah & Oscar in front of their home in Corvallis, OR
Jean, Deborah, and Oscar with Luna, Corvallis, OR
We had a delightful variety of meals during our three day stay with them. They had invited us to stay through Monday to get caught up on our paperwork (internet service in Mt. Rainer and Glacier regions was very sketchy), do laundry (always a good idea), and reorganize our clothing for anticipated colder weather at Crater Lake to which we will trek on September 17th.