After a leisurely Thanksgiving dinner of meat and potato pie and lashings of gravy, we were full up to the brim. Black Friday just passed us by. Can't buy anything. Nowhere to put it! Silver linings and all.

By Saturday morning, we were all ready for some fresh air. Sisters had a Thanksgiving Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting planned so I rallied the troops and we set off into town. We parked in front of the Sisters Saloon, home of the now famous Marionberry crumble, adjacent to the Sinclair Gas Station with the green dinosaur at the entrance wearing a Santa hat. The streets were crowded with people wrapped up in their winter woollies; thick coats, hats, colorful scarves and mittens, exhaling misty breath into the air. The temps had plummeted, it was icy on the roads, but it was a clear day with brilliant blue skies.

We got out of the truck, crossed the road, and on the corner of S Fir Street and E Cascade Avenue, an elderly gentlemen with a thick, grey beard and crinkly eyes had a red tagalong bike trailer full of his belongings and a litter of mewling puppies. Henry and I were eager to see them and have a cuddle. Well, as soon as the man unzipped the canvas, Henry popped his head in to take a look, and immediately locked eyes with a brown eyed puppy right at the back who seemed to be the calmest of the litter of five. I can tell you, it was love at first sight for both of them.

We were told the puppies were 10 weeks old and that they were labradoodles. Clearly the man was struggling and the puppies were a burden. They looked very underweight and more than a little unkempt. The man explained their Mom had given birth to them, unplanned, and he was looking to offload them at the parade. As soon as he saw the love in Henry's eyes, he decided a sale was in order.

We walked away. 

Kim and I explained how a labradoodle would grow too big for the trailer, would limit our travels and just wasn't in the family plan. Henry reminded me what we had talked about after our beloved Snowy passed away a couple of years back. If there was a stray puppy or a puppy needing a home, we would adopt them. We literally talked about finding a puppy on the side of the road that might just need a forever home. It's like Henry manifested the entire situation.

We hummed and hawed.

We watched the Thanksgiving Parade.

All that time Henry was begging us to reconsider. He knows his own mind. By the end of the parade we caved and returned to the corner where the grizzly man had been. He wasn't there. We then said to Henry, if you can find him, we will talk to him. Henry dashed off in search of the man and his pupper. He had been gone for ages and finally came back close to tears. I said we should have one last look and have a long walk up and down the crowded streets. Maybe it was meant to be this way.

About half way up the street, I spotted the man ambling down the street pulling his tagalong with his belongings and the puppies. Henry got very emotional. He picked up his brown eyed puppy. I saw love in Henry's eyes. So did the man. Suffice to say, money changed hands, and both parties got an unexpected Christmas gift.

This was our Gotcha Day. The day we got our darling, beloved, beautiful, bouncy, clever labradoodle. It was the day we got our Ollie.

​Best. Day. Ever.

While in Oregon, I fell in love with the Marionberry.

The Marionberry is hybrid blackberry with its own distinctive shape and taste. It looks more like an elongated blackberry, but tastes more like an earthy, sweet raspberry. One night at the Sisters Saloon, I ordered the Marionberry crumble and I was immediately hooked.

Over 90% of the world's Marionberries are cultivated in Oregon. It is their home state. I feel like it is the 'female friend' version of the Huckleberry. 

I will be on the lookout for Marionberries as we continue our journey.

In July 2018, this franchise location of Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, became the last of its kind in the US and in March 2019, it became the last in the world.

Renting VHS videos was a big deal back in the 80's when I was at college. Someone from our Halls of Residence would rent a load of videos on a Friday night, to be returned on Sunday. A weekend rental.  Then in our Common Room, in pajamas, eating pizza or toast, we would collectively watch until deep in to the early hours of the morning, video after video. I was horrified by Freddie and Jason, enthralled by Patrick Swayze's hips in Dirty Dancing, cheered and sobbed for Dead Poets, Lost Boys and the Breakfast Club, awed by Tom Cruise, the jets and the epic soundtrack of Top Gun, inconceivably, happily enchanted by the Princess Bride, watched rom-com Brat Pack movies on endless loops. Fabulous! My favorite movie at that time was the 80's classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I think I have watched that movie more than 100 times. At home, I subjected my family to it so much, even my Mum and Dad were aware of Ferris and could practically quote the movie. 

The music, the humor, the wisdom. It reflected the 80's perfectly. I loved Ferris and Cameron and Sloane. Still do. 

So I stepped into the last Blockbuster and it was like stepping back in time. The familiarity of the place was strangely comforting. Even the smell of the place was familiar. I loved the movie posters on the walls and the promotional life-size cardboard cut outs. They mostly had VHS videos in the old hard cases arranged by genre, including a current chart displaying the faves, and new releases. They had some Blu-ray Discs in there too. You could still rent movies if you had an active club card with the store. Everything about the place made me smile and transported me back in time and there was no DeLorean involved.

They had a lounge area cordoned off with an old fashioned comfy couch, fluffy rug, coffee table and an old TV and video on a wooden console. It was magical. I felt I was right back in that Common Room at college. I was ready to snuggle down and watch a movie with friends.

I later learned you could actually rent the space as an Air BnB so you could spend the night in the store! Wow! Macarena cool!

After a good 30 minutes looking at all the videos, and enjoying the ambience and smell of popcorn, I finally left with a Ferris Bueller poster and an old video in its original case of Pete's Dragon. So much fun!

We spent some precious time with Dawn and her husband over the next few days. Including a brief walk at the Trail of the Molten Lands that showcased the volcanic geography of the area with fabulous views all the way to Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters Mountains topped with snow, a lovely, leisurely stroll along the Deschutes River, just a few steps from their gorgeous home, we had a lunch of memorably delicious tacos, Henry's favorites, and then, the cherry on top of the parfait, I took a bath in her deep tub. Heavenly!

Thank you so much Dawn xxxx

When Dawn retired from Intel, she moved to Bend in Oregon and built her dream home with her husband. She has lived in Bend for a good few years now and considers it home.

The day after our arrival, Dawn popped over to visit us at the trailer and to make some plans. She brought with her two loaves of banana bread and the most delicious English Muffins. Made from scratch!!!! Not only were they delicious, I mean really delicious, I was mightily impressed with the uniformity of all the muffins. They were utter perfection in every way. Dawn could definitely be a professional baker. I'm kinda embarrassed to say that between the three of us, we ate everything by the end of the following day. Everything. We are officially greedy pigs! Sorry, not sorry!

It was lovely to see Dawn. Clearly life in Bend agreed with her. I was once again struck by her thoughtfulness, kindness and gentleness. She is a truly beautiful human being.

Together we made plans to meet up and visit the High Desert Museum the following morning.

Celebrating the local wildlife, history and culture, the High Desert Museum was a gem, sprawling over 135 acres, with exhibits both indoors and outdoors. We began outside and headed straight for the otters exhibit. We saw three of them playing very briefly before they scampered inside to rest. They were so cute. We continued to walk outside on a trail that celebrated the native tribes indigenous to the area and the early pioneers that arrived in Oregon in canvas covered wagons, seeking a better life.

We enjoyed seeing the birds of prey, native to the region, including hawks, eagles and owls of different varieties. At least one of the owls winked at me ;) I was struck at the size and majesty of the bald eagles. They were huge! We tested our own wingspans, but nothing could compare to the condor or albatross. 

Inside there were more animals; small rodents, lizards and snakes. A friendly snake hissed his hellos, but unfortunately I don't speak pareselmouth so I didn't understand the rest of his message. 

One of my favorite exhibits was the wildlife photography of the wolf by world famous photographer, Ronan Donovan.

You can check out his exquisite work at www.ronandonovan.com

The wolf is Kim's spirit animal. Always has been. I enjoyed the artistry of the photographer, particularly the shots taken in my beloved Yellowstone. I could have stared at those images for a loooong time. They were incredible. The drama, the scope, the packs, the survival of the species, all captured beautifully. 

We finished up with a cuppa in the cafe and I bought a topographical, contour map of the Three Sisters Mountains.  

After a mellow and misty Autumnal journey across the top of the Cascade Mountains, peaking at Santiam Pass and a sprinkle of snow, we descended into Sisters, Oregon and our next campsite at the Sisters Rodeo Ground, about five miles south of the quaint little town. Rainbows marked our arrival.

We were excited to rest in Sisters for three weeks and enjoy Thanksgiving.

​Kim was especially looking forward to catching up with a dear friend, Dawn, who he had worked with for many years at Intel. Not only had she been a steadfast friend to Kim, she had always been a very kind friend to Henry and me, supplying us with baked goods galore over the years. Banana bread was a particular favorite. We were also excited to explore the adventurous town of nearby Bend, a young, outdoorsy, trendy Oregon town.