STARS AND STRIPES:

What a busy week. I don't know if having a day off in the middle of the week is such a good thing. Went to the Ashland 4th of July Parade. It was so much fun. This is a big event here. People place tarps and chairs in the medians and on the sides of the street a day in advance to reserve a good spot for the parade. You can see a little bit of everything...from politicians to scantily clad tattooed women walking with carousels to bald eagles to colorfully decorated cars complete with legs, troll dolls etc. attached to them. Point is, not what you would expect from a 4th of July parade but lots of fun!!! A day of kayaking followed the parade. About 8 of us paddled our way down the Applegate River. Good thing the river was so cold because it was very hot (but still no comparison to the south and our humidity). A little side note: I have learned that when talking to people here that I have to specify that the "south" I am referring to is the "deep south/south shall rise again" and not Southern California. Okay, back to kayaking. Wrapped my kayak around a rock and had to get help getting it off. Even though the current we were in was not significantly strong, it is amazing how powerful it is when your kayak is submerged in a rapid. Anyway, no injuries...made it out okay. After a day of paddling in the sun, we were all beat. Had just enough energy though to purchase some sparklers, crash a cookout, and catch a somewhat limited view of some fireworks. All in all, a fun but exhausting day.



Friday night had to be one of the highlights of the week though. Went back to Britt festival and heard Allison Kraus. I can't begin to explain how peaceful and relaxing it is to sit back and recline on a blanket, partake of a picnic and some local wine, and listen to great music all while watching the sun set on the mountains in the distance. It truly doesn't get any better than that. A big thanks to Eric for scoring some tickets!! Saturday was a cleansing day. By that I mean I cleaned up and did laundry. Had a cookout by the pool with several friends and played "washers"(a fun yard game). Sunday went to church and met a friend for lunch in Ashland. Walked through the arts and crafts fair and finished the day with some ice cream.



It is starting to heat up here. The job is a little busy since I am the only therapist right now, but I do love the overtime pay! Summer is in full swing and I am looking forward to all of the festivals and recreational activities. Hope you are all doing well. Miss you tons.



Daphne

Kayaking on the Applegate

The weeks seem to fly by here. Kinda had low key weekend. So, it would seem that my new fun sports (tennis, ultimate Frisbee) are creating some over-use of my muscles and I now have shin splints. I am having difficulty running more than 5 minutes. Now I must decide what to eliminate to give my legs a rest. Spent the majority of my weekend moving into an new apartment. Long story short...my neighbor smokes and it was coming into my apartment. I couldn't handle it any more and since the maintenance guy's idea of a quick fix (cardboard/duct tape covering a hole in the wall in the closet) did not work, they had no choice but to move me. Had a cookout this past week for some of the other travelers who are about to leave. Lot of fun...yard games, food, music.

Saturday was a long, fun and active day. Started off with a bike ride in the Applegate Valley and then went kayaking down the Applegate River. This was my first time to go kayaking. Luckily, only had one accident and got stuck under a tree, but I was able to get out with a little help. It was so peaceful and serene for the most part.

Got up and went to church this morning. It is so pretty. It is an outdoor service in an amphitheater. There are enough trees to provide shade so it is comfortable. I have never experienced a service like this...surrounding the stage area are beautiful flowers, plants and a waterfall flowing into a small stone pool. This is where they baptize. It not like what I am use to where you schedule when you are going to be baptized. Instead, when you walk down and make a profession of faith, you are baptized right then and there. Very neat.

I hope you are all doing well. I miss you all. Come visit. It is beautiful here!!!

"The San Francisco Treat"

Wow, I have two weeks worth to catch you up on. Where do I start. I am torn on Thursday nights now between playing Ultimate Frisbee and going to EdenDale Vineyard for "Jazz in the Garden". It was so pretty to watch the sun set over the vineyard while listening to music and enjoying sampling the local wines. The Britt Festival is going on now and lasts until September. It takes place in historic Jacksonville (a cute little town but almost too perfect) in an outdoor amphitheater. Musical acts from all over play all during the week. Went to see Indigo Girls and Brandi Carlisle. How relaxing to sit on a blanket, enjoy a picnic and watch the sun set while listening to music. Minus the lesbian love fest (sorry I know that wasn't too PC), it was wonderful. Going back to hear Lyle Lovett soon. Still taking tennis lessons and surprisingly getting better. Went hiking up to Pilot Rock with some friends. Reaching the summit was very difficult and involved some actual rock climbing. The view from the top was amazing.

The most exciting thing that I have done recently was my weekend trip to San Francisco. While the trip was more business than pleasure, I loved it. Went down for a conference. Got to visit with 2 cousins that I have not seen in over 6 years. Both live in SF. It was a great and fun reunion. Tried my best to avoid all the festivities associated with Pride Weekend. Also got to visit with Stephen, Nick and Mike at the Giants and Yankees game. Thanks again Stephen for the invite....I had a great time!!! It was awesome to sit and watch a baseball game while viewing the bay and sailboats surrounding the stadium. Even joined in with a few "boos" after B. Bonds was consistently walked and not allowed to hit. Hiked on a trail with my cousins until we came out to a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Was only my first visit to SF, but I will definitely go back and visit again.

Hope everyone is doing well. Looking forward to coming home to visit soon!!!

Cultural Experiences

Well, nothing too exciting to write about but definitely some cultural experiences to share. A few weekends ago, I went to "Baga Fete". This is a traditional celebration of West African music, dance and culture. The Baga ethnic group is located in Guinea, West Africa. The drumming (by hand, not with drum sticks) was fascinating as they produced rhythms by which the girls danced to. We are not talking the two-step or the waltz but full out African dancing with flailing hands and big movements. At the end, the raising of the "Kakilambe Mask" was performed which is invocation of positive hopes for the community in the coming year. You were invited to dance around the mask and throw what looked like crushed corn. While this was very interesting I must tell you about the location of the event. It was held at Wellsprings which is a natural hot springs spa. Until that night, I had not seen a lot hippy, granola, tree hugging people like I expected to see when I first arrived to Oregon. That all changed. It was like a little hidden community. They had tents, trailers and RVs everywhere. Lots of dreads, long hair, no make-up, tie-dye, flowing clothes, etc. We went to view the natural springs before the performance began. There were several people in the water and walking/lying around. Apparently after 8pm, clothes are optional. I believe it was about 8:30 at that time. You get the picture.


This past weekend, I went with a group of people on a jet boat ride through Hellgate Canyon. If you remember the movie, A River Wild, it was filmed in this canyon. It was a fast, wet ride. We sped over the water very quickly and then suddenly did a 360(many, many times). No staying dry on this ride. We saw a sea otter, 2 bald eagles, osprey, and wild goats on the mountainside.
Coming home for a brief visit at the end of July. Hope to be able to visit with some of you. Miss you all.