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.

It was lovely to catch up with my dear soul sister, Heather. She lives ever so close by and we could not pass up the opportunity to meet for a hug. We chatted by the river, under the redwoods at the campsite and later we had a delicious family dinner together. I wanted to hear all about her family and of course all the details on the epic Taylor Swift Eras Tour as well as all her recent concert news, (she's a music maven). She brought gifts as a thank you for our recent adventures in England; a fab California State Park Pass and a folklore friendship bracelet. Both already beloved. 

I forgot to take an "ussie" (Ted Lasso reference!) of us both, so here is a pic from when we were in Zion.

Blissful evening.

Love you Heather xxx

In the very heart of Los Angeles, you can find The Last Bookstore. It is not literally the last bookstore in the city, but it is the largest and quirkiest and definitely worth visiting, even if it is just to inhale the delicious and intoxicating smell of all the used and new books spread over two floors and 22,000 square feet. Yummmmm!

In a world of technology and a need for speed, there is something ever so comforting about slowly wandering around shelves of books, fingering the spines, selecting something old and familiar that launches magical memories as you turn the pages with a gentle sigh, or finding something totally new that fills you with anticipatory delight, to satisfy the senses and engage the imagination. I was on the lookout for The Fourth Wing as it was recommended by a dear friend, but alas, it was out of stock.

The Last Bookstore is offbeat and unconventional with some amusing features. There is a room full of rare and desirable vinyl records, a tunnel made of books, hidden rooms that were originally bank vaults, revealing the history of the old building, little art shops and studios, a gorgeous cafe, loads of comfy chairs and sofas, hidden nooks and crannies with more obscure and rare volumes, creative themed displays and so much more. I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland of curiosities. I couldn't help smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

To get to the bookstore we had a fun journey through central Los Angeles enjoying the short trip on Angel's Flight, a railway ride that has been an LA landmark since 1901, we passed by the Bradbury Building, a filming location for the movie "Blade Runner" and then enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Grand Central Market with all the trendy little food stalls. Short stories in their own right. 

A jolly good day!

My dear friend, fellow Rowdy Mama, award winning YA author, and the American half of a Japanese American family, Sara Fujimura has recently moved to Illinois and I miss her dearly.

As we wandered around the beautiful and well tended Shin Zen Japanese Friendship Garden in Fresno, my thoughts wandered to my sweet friend and the next chapter of her life. With the blossoms of Spring still on the trees speaking of new beginnings and affirming life itself, I sent her silent prayers and best wishes.

It was all peaceful and zen until Henry inadvertently scared a passing Canadian Goose and we had to quickly scarper as it leapt out of the water to chase us down. Lots of laughter!