Salem to Champoeg to West Linn

This is why it's called Wheatland

Golf at the Illahe Country Club with high school classmate Denny Young, followed by dinner at the club with spouses Janice and Jan. Nice day on the course and an excellent dinner. Later went to the Young’s house to pay our respects to their 20 year old cat, who though getting rickety, is still able to jump up on the couch. The jumper still works---a good sign. When a cat’s jumper goes out…well, never mind.

Janice presented at the Mission Mill Museum as a heat wave descended on northern Oregon. Her room was without air-conditioning, so the gathered fans deserve credit for even showing up. Next a.m. we rode out to the Willamette Mission S.P. and biked the area, crossing the Willamette River on the Wheatland Ferry with our bikes—a first. Nice bike trails.

As the heat continued, we headed to Champoeg, one of our favorite state parks in Oregon. A bike ride along the river under the trees to the Butteville General Store was remarkably cool, but back at the rig, it was A/C time as the heat exceeded 95— a regular Oregon cooker. The author spoke to the gathered ‘campfire’ crowd, who didn’t need a campfire, ‘cause it was still over 90 at the 8:00 ‘showtime.’ As Janice wrapped up, the bats swooped out of the trees against the full moon.

A nice 11 mile bike ride the next a.m., then Janice went solo to the Butteville store for a 3 p.m. talk and booksigning. Nice group gathered indoors to beat the heat. After dinner, we returned to the campfire to see a “post-1861 flood” interpretive performance by docent volunteers. Maybe when we are older geezers we can do the same. A thunderstorm rolled in about 11p.m., beginning to break the heat-wave.

Sunday we headed to our private park at the von Tagen’s in West Linn, where we jockeyed the rig in their front driveway, trying to get a bead on the satellite while remaining close enough to the power outlet. Took a quick trip back to Wilsonville to Camping World, Target and Costco for supplies.

Rain started during the night and threatened the planned golf game in the morning at Stone Creek (near Oregon City). Reaching the parking lot at the course, the cats and dogs were still falling out of the sky. A look at the weather radar indicated that the systems would pass to the east and west of the course, so play began at 9:15. A minor deluge hit at 11:30, but I finished dry and happy with an 85...beat a couple of 30-somethings, who were regularly driving the ball 280-300 yards. Janice graciously finished the wash on her day off. Fritz and Dee (the von Tagens) are at Crater Lake for a few days, so we are performing security guard and cat feeding services at their home.