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Neil's last name - "Whitacre" and the neighborhood have the same pronunciation. There are little black flags with the word "Whiteaker" and a skull framed by bones and a sword underneath, in windows, on porches it's like a secret pirate club neighborhood. Neil likes pirates... maybe I do to. It's an interesting place. We'll take photos. Yellow DAFFODILS are already blooming! There are eccentric porches and very colorful homes here. Feels a bit like New Orleans.
So with a 5 week lease to start, we are finally in Eugene to explore this area. Managed by a nice man named Mac, we are pioneering what was the men's dorm. We picked it because it has a big south facing window, top floor, it's own bathroom and kitchen. When we got in, we took a part the bunks and set it up so we could have a sunny office/bedroom.
Later this spring, this will become bunkland again, but for now the privacy and ability to get busy with all of our research and planning, is excellent. And hopefully by April we will have a lot more figured out. One foot in front of the other.
PORTLAND, OREGON --- The week of January 7th, 2007
Okay! We flew from Milwaukee to Portland and got in very late. Our friend Anna had left her keys in hidden spot and cute notes. The adventure begins! ...well on Monday we go for a hike around what -for a golf course- was pretty, huge trees and park paths. We leave a happy message for the farm couple and are feeling great. We thought we should limit the time in the tipi and go down on Thursday, meet them, make sure everything is good for all of us and then come back a few days before they leave. Seems wiser even without bringing Jeff.
Well, later on Monday afternoon we got to check our email. There was a disturbing email from the wife of the farm we were going to take care of. It really set us back. It had been sent on Sunday, the day we were flying out. We've been communicating since August... It took us a few days and a lot of talking and we realized it would not be a healthy situation for us, along with the fact that we had already moved our arrival back a month for them and they admitted they still did not know when or if(?) they would leave.
We are extremely grateful for our kind friends in Portland who sheltered us while we re-grouped and worked on a new plan. Thank you Anna and thank you Jess + Michael.
Happy Landing Tavern in Gresham, OR
Jeff is 6 years and Kennie Pepper is 6 months. They love each other. Jeff is much more mellow, Kennie is FULL of pepper energy. They snuggle, they have stealth wrestling events, they are painfully cute on their own, but together it is almost too much.
Mamo got Jeff a really nifty soft sherpa case to fly in. He got familiar during a few trips to Muscatine, IA to visit Neil's parents. We take Jeff everywhere. He came on our 5 week road trip from NY to OR and camped with us. I can't imagine not having him, but Neil and my mom have made a serious case for leaving him with her in Milwaukee until we are ready. I got really teary, but I know it is best for him. He's got all his favorite spots in her little home and he and Kennie do love each other. And the caretaking that we thought was so firmly set up, doesn't seem to be going how we'd thought. A tipi no one has ever lived in the winter, that is not set up, that was not used out here by the Native Americans - for an unknown length of time...
