NEWSFLASH..!!!

Okay, this is pretty astounding news. We just bought a house. Good grief. Three weeks ago we had just landed in America. I told Alan everything seems so surreal. One minute I'm in Edinburgh, Scotland...and the next I'm in Roseburg, Oregon, USA. Eventually I will truly have to slow down to catch my breath.

Here are a few photos of the house, though not very good ones. It's on top of one of the mountain ridges that overlooks Roseburg on one side and the Garden Valley/Coast Mountain Range on the other.  Three bedrooms, two bathrooms (yippee..!!!!), and many other great features.  It's a beautiful place.

The house looks very ordinary and plain from the outside.

Then you open the front door and see something entirely unexpected.

It's an open plan "great room" style, with the dining room, living room and kitchen all in one big room.  There are three walls of windows, which let in so much light my camera overexposed itself.  Plus, there are two skylights in the cathedral ceiling.  From the kitchen sink you can see out all the windows and you almost feel like you're floating in the clouds.

To the left of the above living room, is the dining room, and more windows.  These have a view over Roseburg.  (The owner had the venetian blinds closed, which is why the views from the windows look sort of fuzzy.)

Front door, stairs down to the laundry room and double car garage, and this cute little niche for a breakfast corner.  Ozzy had to check out every detail, including the chairs.

The kitchen is really big.  I couldn't get the whole thing into my photos.  In this view, I'm leaning against the kitchen sink.

This is a shot over the counter from the living room, and still not showing the whole kitchen.  I can't wait to have all the geegaws from the owner removed so I can get a real feel for the kitchen, the house, etc.  (That mirror to the left is on the wall leading down the hallway to the master bedroom).

And now for the amazing part.  This is one view from the deck--it's easily a 180* panorama.  There is a lake down there, and the Umpqua River.  Believe me, it's a hundred times better in person.  We could hear the cows mooing from a farm way down below, and watched a hawk soaring across the Valley.

View from the dining room, and the front porch, of Roseburg.  We are truly "up the mountain"...and thrilled with the house, the quiet, the sheer luck of finding such a great house.

We won't get the place until the first of August, which leaves us homeless for the month of July, but also allows us time to get organized, figure out what furniture to purchase, and deal with all those other pesky details.  We'll be in and out of my mother's, in the cabin for three days over the 4th, and have a small trip planned to drive through the Redwood Forest, which Alan has never seen.  Hopefully the time will go fast, but not too fast.  I really, really need to catch my breath.

Tuesday, and back in Roseburg

Best laid plans. We expected to be back in Roseburg on Monday, but ended up staying at my mother's as we didn't really need to return here until today. We may have found a house, and in fact found two that we really liked. At the risk of jinxing things, I won't write about either one until tomorrow.

We had a most beautiful drive down to Grants Pass on Friday. The southern mountains of Oregon are beyond compare. Unfortunately I was driving, which translates to no photos. There are five mountain passes to climb and descend in the 80 or so miles between Roseburg and GP, and with each new vista, Alan kept up a running commentary on the spectacular beauty of the landscape. As we will no doubt be going back to Mom's, I will be taking those great mountain photos soon.

On Saturday Mom took us into downtown Grants Pass to see this exhibit of "Bears on Harleys" which was hilarious. We walked around the town a bit, then went to the Farmers Market, but it was in the high 90*s and just too hot for Ozzy, let alone me. GP is very much warmer than Roseburg because it's in a valley between mountains, while Roseburg is actually in the mountains.

This will be the one and only time anyone will ever see Alan on a Harley.

However, if it hadn't been too big for me, I could have fired it up and driven away.

After the Harley Bears, we walked about five blocks further to see the Harley Pig.  I'm not sure what the significance of the pig was, but it was funny all dressed in leathers and sitting right on the street corner.

Sunday was equally hot so we did our running around in the morning, and relaxed in the air conditioning during the scorching afternoon. Yesterday we bought Mom this adorable garden bench for her front entryway and Alan and I sweated and bolted and screwed it together for her.  It looks great as you enter her front porch area. I forgot to take a photo, but will the next time we're down there.

So.  We are back in Roseburg, waiting to hear from our realtor about houses.  We will be going back to Mom's at some point, depending on what happens with the house situation, but this coming weekend we are going to a cabin in the woods over the Fourth of July to avoid the noise and mayhem inherent with the celebrations.  Ozzy does not cope with fireworks.  We found this great place to stay, in the tiny hamlet of Remote, Oregon (too funny).  We're staying at the Remote Outpost, in a log cabin with all the amenities, including a deck and BBQ.  I am soooo looking forward to silence, no highways, peace and solitude.  We'll be there from Saturday to Tuesday.  I'm not sure if there will be any kind of internet access, since it's remote (hahaha) and in the mountains, but I'll be able to take loads of photos regardless.

Maybe some interesting news tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Weekend Off...

I'll be offline for the weekend. Alan, Ozzy and I have arrived in Grants Pass, Oregon to visit my mother. She doesn't have a wireless connection, so until we leave on Monday, I won't be able to post anything on the blog. However, I will take many photos over these next few days, and will bore everyone senseless at the first of the week. Have a great weekend, everyone...!!!

At last...Roseburg, Oregon

I have some wonderful photos of the Oregon Coast, taken this morning as we left our motel and drove south to connect with the highway that brought us to Roseburg.

The day started out in typical coast fashion: cold, foggy and windy, but after awhile, the sun burst through and it was a glorious day to be driving and sightseeing.

Here are some shots of a few vistas along the Coast Highway.

Very picturesque, isn't it..??  I just love the Oregon coastline.  It's rugged and rocky and beautiful.

Then we drove to this very high viewpoint so I could take this photo:

And I couldn't understand why no one else was interested in this great shot of the Hecata Head Lighthouse.  I walked over to the crowd and peered over the edge to see what was so captivating.

Seals and Sea Lions.  Check out this big boy.  He was just snoozing in the sun and must have weighed as much as a whale.  We were very high up and he still looked massive.

Shortly after leaving this area, we turned left and drove into the mountains for about 80 miles.  It was the most relaxing and enjoyable drive we've had in ages...even with me driving.  The road was very twisty and mostly deep forest, so there aren't any photos, but it was a most pleasant afternoon.

We got to Roseburg a bit after 2:00 this afternoon.  It is 84* and roasting hot.  When we left the coast this morning it was cool and damp, so the contrast is a little hard to adjust to.  After checking into our hotel, we drove around for an hour or so to get a feel for the place, but it was just too hot for Ozzy so we have retired to our air conditioned hotel and will wait until later before venturing out again.  Right now he is laying all spread out on the bed taking a nap in the refreshing A/C.  Dog's life, for sure.

Tomorrow we meet with our realtor, who is going to show us some houses and help us get the lay of the land.  I'm reserving judgment at the moment, so won't say anything right now about my first impressions of the town.  Enough said.  Stay tuned...tomorrow should be interesting, to say the least.

On the Road Again...

We left my sister's around 11:00 this morning and headed for the Oregon Coast. I did the driving since we're in my neck of the woods, and I only had a slight meltdown driving through the congestion and chaos of Portland. We managed to survive that experience though Alan had to pry my hands from the steering wheel later on. Then we had a most pleasant drive through the Coast Range Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Since I was the driver, there aren't as many photos as normal, but we stopped at a few viewpoints along Highway 101. Our hotel is right on the beach, with crashing waves and big rollers. Ozzy, so far, isn't too impressed with the sea spray or the noise. Here are some pictures:

Our first real sighting of the sea was Boiler Bay.  I tried to photograph the waves crashing against the rocks, but wasn't too successful.  Still, the ocean smell, the sound of the sea, the mist in the air, was great.

Next we stopped at a viewpoint called Seal Rocks, though we didn't see any seals today.  This is a shot from the right side.

Here's one from straight ahead.  Can you see the man walking by the tide pool?  It gives you some perspective how big these rocks are.  (Click on the photo to enlarge it if you can't spot the guy).

And this shot is from the left side.  It was a beautiful spot to stop for a panoramic picture.

Now we've arrived at our motel, around 4:00 in the afternoon.  We are right on the beach.  Well, not actually on the beach.  We're separated from it by a grassy area, then some boulders, but as I sit here typing, I can look right out the front window and watch the waves crashing into the rocks as the tide rolls in.  I love the Oregon Coast...sigh.

These next three photos are the view from the edge of the grass (above).

This is a lovely piece of driftwood that is perched on some rocks off to the left of the above shots.  It looks like a sculpture, and I guess it is, in a Mother Nature sort of way.

And, last but not least, this blog has been brought to you by Chevrolet.  Too bad they aren't paying me to advertise..!!  (I told Alan this was the last bloody time I was taking a picture of the car.  I think he's obsessed.)

Tomorrow we head off down the coast to Bandon, Oregon, then take a left, and wind for 70 miles through the mountains to Roseburg.  I'm looking forward to seeing the place that might become our new home.  Possibly.  Maybe.  Good grief.

Two Wee Dogs

Ozzy, and my sister's Jack Russell, Cooper. Though they look adorable and calm in these photos, trust me, there have been "moments". Coop is a lively, beautiful 2-1/2 year old, while Ozzy is a grown-up 7-1/2 with apparently a low tolerance for the exuberance of a younger dog. Sort of puts paid on getting Oz a sidekick younger than he is..!! Still, after a chaotic first day, they seem to have worked things out, as these photos prove.

Isn't Cooper the cutest thing..??

And then there's the old guy...

The New Car...

After a couple of days to decompress, I'm feeling more settled and relaxed. It helped that we bought a very nice car today and can return the rental car tomorrow. On Wednesday we're leaving for a long, leisurely drive down the Oregon coast before arriving in Roseburg. I'm a bit anxious about that--Roseburg, not the drive--as I don't have a clue which direction we will go in if Roseburg doesn't suit. Oh well. Life is just one adventure after another, isn't it..??
 
I will have some wonderful photos of the Oregon Coast, starting Wednesday, so stay turned. Until then, here's a picture of the new car, a Chevy Trailblazer.

3,201 Miles Later...

Yes, that's the total number of miles we've traveled since leaving New York. Astounding, isn't it..?? We arrived at my sister's house today at 3:00pm after a leisurely drive of only 215 miles. Alan and I are feeling somewhat anti-climatic about the whole deal, but also have a great sense of accomplishment that we have survived phase one of The Plan.

Our first glimpse of the great Columbia River. I think this river far exceeds the Mississippi and Missouri for beauty, and excellence of scenery.

More river views. I was so happy to see my favorite river, I couldn't stop taking photos.

After about 50 miles or so, the land changes and you enter the Columbia Gorge, again one of the great wonders of the Northwest.

Halfway along the drive we took a little side road that climbed to a viewpoint and gave a most spectacular view of the Gorge.  Along the crest were great masses of native wildflowers.  Though the road was very narrow and winding, it was worth the drive.

Blue Mountain Buckwheat.  They were so blue and dainty.

These were called Oregon Sunshine.  I love the name.

3:00 in the afternoon and we finally reached our destination.  I jumped out of the car to snap this photo of my sister's house, then realized she was standing on the porch.  Hugs ensued.

And so the first phase of our journey ends.  I am so relieved to be across America, though now another journey begins.  We need to find our place in the scheme of things, and see where the next bend in the road takes us.  I'm going to take a day off from blogging and just relax with my family, take some long breaths, and enjoy the satisfaction of being exactly where I am.

Penultimate day...

Tomorrow the trek across America ends. I'm very happy that I only have one more day to stare down the long highways of this vast and varied country, though it will be strange to have this portion of the journey over. I feel like I have molded myself perfectly into the passenger seat of the car. Wherever will I fit so comfortably again? On the other hand, being able to move at will rather than at the whim of the highway department rest stops will be heavenly.

Today I also realized I was done. I didn't want to drive another mile, see another truck, drive over another mountain. It seemed endless to go from Twin Falls, Idaho to Pendleton, Oregon, though it was only 367 miles and we've driven more than that in the course of a day over this past week. Still. I guess today I had just reached my threshold. When we pulled into the hotel, I nearly wept with relief. Tomorrow we will only have a little over 200 miles until we're at my sister's. That will seem like a short trip to the market compared to our other days.

This morning we walked Ozzy along the rim of the Snake River Canyon in the early morning sunshine. Beside the trail were these beautiful, wild Bearded Iris (Irises?), growing amongst the weeds and cattails.

We walked underneath the bridge to the other side and discovered two new things. The first was this great stone statue called the Twins (for Twin Falls). The statue sits on the rim of the canyon and was very cool.

Then, amazingly we saw this:

Whoa. I don't think so. After this guy jumped, several more guys threw themselves off the bridge, but I got captivated by watching them plummet and forgot to take more photos. What a way to start the morning.

We left Twin Falls--a wonderful little town that we liked very much--and headed toward Oregon. Along the way I wanted to take a side trip to see the "Melon Rocks" that were formed from the Great Bonneville Flood (13,000 years ago) that also carved out the Snake River Canyon. These rocks were swept in the flood, rounded in the turbulence into melon-like shapes, then left scattered for many miles all over the countryside when the flood finally receded. The best ones we found were at a rest stop, but we did find some in their natural state where they have been sitting for thousands of years.

After what seemed an eternity, we finally crossed into Oregon. There are parts of eastern Oregon that are very bleak, though somehow still have an austere and timeless beauty.

Alan thought these hills looked like Scotland. We had a long discussion how neither distance (6,000 miles), nor country, changes certain types of geography. (Yes, it was raining, hence the little spots).

These are the Wallowa Mountains. Directly across the valley (behind me as I'm taking this photo) are the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately, the Blues were buried in clouds and fog. I think Alan is perhaps not destined to see many of the American mountain ranges.

I could have taken more pictures, but like I said in the beginning of this post: I lost it today. I'm tired, the journey is nearly over, and apparently so am I. Maybe it's "America Overload." Too many states, too many hotels, too many everything. I might need to spend some time in a decompression chamber.

After we checked into the hotel and walked Ozzy, I called my sister. It was great to hear her voice...it will also be so very good to be at her house instead of in a hotel. It will be great to do laundry; sit in a chair that doesn't vibrate with highway rumble under my butt; have a cup of coffee whenever I want without driving through strange little towns searching for it.

Stop doing 80mph and pull off the road for a spell.