(written en route to)
Eugene, OR

Fabulous time had by all, here in Ashland/Medford, OR. The venue in Medford was really nice; a great and helpful crew, they gave us snacks and juice and coffee; and as we were loading out, several cars stopped on the street to tell us how much they loved the show. It was like having groupies... without the sex, drugs, or rock-n-roll.

The motel, too, was really cool. While rustic and homey, they also had good internet access, microwave/fridge, and were very close to downtown, and next door to a health food store... if you're ever in Ashland OR, I highly recommend The Timbers Motel. Cheap, too.

But if you're here in Oregon, chances are you're here to enjoy the great outdoors, so you probably won't care what your motel is like. More good scenery as we pull out of Medford.

So, for those who are wondering... now that I have a battery that works in my laptop, I am more able to write blog entries... and as a result, I often will sit and stare at the screen for twenty minutes, thinking, "Don't waste battery power! Write something!" And, of course, nothing comes and I'm back to daydreaming.

"Welcome to the Jungle" is playing on the radio, which is just such a distinctly city-inspired song, so it feels weird to be listening to it with the beautiful Oregon mountains as a backdrop. Very incongruous.

Valley of the Rouge State Park, just passing the entrance to it. Looks glorious. Wish I could stop the caravan and get out and hike.

I just have to ask this... what, exactly, is it about putting large, white letters (single letters, like "R") on the tops of hillsides? All across the country, I've seen these. There's one in Golden, CO, as I recall -- an "M" I think? Here, about 5 miles shy of Grant's Pass, it's an "R". What is that about? If you took a satellite photo of the U.S., would all those big letters spell something? Probably something like "Christ Is Awesome!" or "Drink More Budweiser". Ah, the great mysteries of the American Road. (Maybe that's what it spells... "The American Road"... CHEEZY, but ultimately just as likely as any other possibility.)

More later...