Here's a first: Tonight we're blogging from a tent. A big old mansion-like family tent, lent to us by a friend. The whole clan is on hand. The moon looks pretty full, and it's got a planet next door. The lanterns are turned off, and they weren't really needed.
One of the local guys came around and made us as welcome as could be. He even brought us some of his awesome homemade salsa to go with his stories of growing up in this place. He and his foundling dog have a little comedy routine that was a big hit. Probably done it hundreds of times.
Several things about this fellow reminded us of a friend of ours who passed on last year. We're listening to several levels of messages all at once.
We shared of a bottle of red wine that showed up just today, as a thank-you for a good deed. A nice coincidence.
The night air is telling us that summer's checking out. We hate to see it go, but we won't clutch at it desperately. We had some deep drinks of it this year, and fall is always a blast anyway.
The traffic on the nearby road has stopped now. The air is still, cool, damp and quiet, in true western Oregon fashion. There may be better places to hang out, but at the moment, it's hard to think of one.
Comments (12)
You're a talented writer, Jack.
It sounds like the narrator's wrap-up of a Wonder Years episode.
It's funny, I finally decided to cancel home delivery of the Oregonian last night and awoke to find that ... a little message from the gods saying "good move." Wrappers like that are just the dead-tree equivalent of pop-up ads ... I can get those on line, I sure don't need to pay for them.
You take your puter camping? There must be some time when you turn it off. I personally want you to keep up the posts but perhaps you should consider taking a breath.
I will be floating down the Middle Fork of the Salmon next week. No phones, computers, nada bupkis
Keep the tent handy, your family and friends close, and the nose of the camel probing under the tent not so much. Add: Seeing Costco now sells Emergency Food and Crisis Kits, Survival (eFACKS?) -- 1 person, 3 days, 15 bucks.
... times family of 4 ... times 'How long you want, 30 days?' ... including barbecued rooster? camel chops? ...
I plan to leave my computer at home next weekend when camping at Wallowa Lake with family. It will be the first time back for us since 9/11 - the trip I missed due to car troubles the night before the planned departure. I understand it was quite eerie - the State Parks folks let campers know what was going on, and the RVers with satellite TV kept everyone updated.
I hope to not see anything remotely momentous next weekend.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (12)
You're a talented writer, Jack.
It sounds like the narrator's wrap-up of a Wonder Years episode.
Posted by BillyBob | September 4, 2009 6:14 AM
And you would deny Moammar Qaddafi this enchanting experience?
Posted by Allan L. | September 4, 2009 8:07 AM
I can see why Moammar likes this big tent thing. Except for the local roosters at 4:30 a.m.
Posted by Jack Bog | September 4, 2009 8:13 AM
Thank you for sharing this with your audience. Enjoy your time with the family. Oregon is indeed a wonderful place to experience the outdoors.
Posted by jmh | September 4, 2009 9:16 AM
It's nice you could go camping to get away one last time before summer officially ends.
The rest of us woke up to see that the "O" sold the front page of this mornings paper to Standard TV for advertising. Sign of the times.
Posted by PD | September 4, 2009 9:43 AM
It's funny, I finally decided to cancel home delivery of the Oregonian last night and awoke to find that ... a little message from the gods saying "good move." Wrappers like that are just the dead-tree equivalent of pop-up ads ... I can get those on line, I sure don't need to pay for them.
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | September 4, 2009 11:01 AM
It's a rare person nowadays who knows a planet from a star. I think that's Jupiter, & it's magnificent, even in the burbs with the streetlights.
Posted by Morbius | September 4, 2009 12:53 PM
Jack,
You take your puter camping? There must be some time when you turn it off. I personally want you to keep up the posts but perhaps you should consider taking a breath.
I will be floating down the Middle Fork of the Salmon next week. No phones, computers, nada bupkis
Posted by Dean | September 4, 2009 12:56 PM
Other people read fiction. Jack blogs. So long as the missus doesn't mind, stay at it.
Posted by BillyBob | September 4, 2009 2:42 PM
This post was done on my iPhone. Pretty unobtrusive.
Posted by Jack Bog | September 4, 2009 4:42 PM
Keep the tent handy, your family and friends close, and the nose of the camel probing under the tent not so much. Add: Seeing Costco now sells Emergency Food and Crisis Kits, Survival (eFACKS?) -- 1 person, 3 days, 15 bucks.
... times family of 4 ... times 'How long you want, 30 days?' ... including barbecued rooster? camel chops? ...
Posted by Tenskwatawa | September 4, 2009 5:43 PM
I plan to leave my computer at home next weekend when camping at Wallowa Lake with family. It will be the first time back for us since 9/11 - the trip I missed due to car troubles the night before the planned departure. I understand it was quite eerie - the State Parks folks let campers know what was going on, and the RVers with satellite TV kept everyone updated.
I hope to not see anything remotely momentous next weekend.
Posted by umpire | September 7, 2009 4:08 PM