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Home, at last...

October 4th, 2005

Home, at last…

It seems a little anticlimactic from here. What could I possibly impart to you that remotely comes close to what we have shared these past 17 days?

Rod had come to Portland Saturday, bringing a trailer and tie downs should I want to trailer “Paladin” for the final 300 miles home. The weather over the weekend in Portland had been dreadful – pouring rain and cold which was one of the reasons I came into Portland a day earlier than originally planned. And there, but for the Grace of God…

On Friday, less than 15 hours after my arrival on the same stretch of I5 I had come in on, there was a horrific wreck. It appears that the driver of a semi fell asleep and crossed the median taking out 2 other semis as well as 3 vehicles. I5 was closed for hours and a total mess with traffic the remainder of the day. I felt very fortunate indeed to be safe and warm in the comfort of my cousin’s home.

We were up at 5:00 a.m. after a very short and restless night. It was 40F (5C) with a light rain falling. Rod had the bike on the trailer and snugged down. I thought that if the weather cleared I could always “offload” him and ride him over the border. Enjoyed the time “catching up” on the trip home and I decided to leave “Paladin” on the trailer and made ready all the required documentation for both the U.S. and Canadian customs.

All went extremely well at the border. No problems bringing “Paladin” into his new country of residence. I just hope he’ll adapt to the difference in temperature… (me too).

Today, at 8:00 a.m., Jordan Guest of Coastal Pacific Detailing Co will arrive at the house to give “Paladin” a thorough clean up and make him pretty again for his first Cable TV showing and newspaper interview. He is sporting a large amount of road grime and oversize “Texas” bugs.

I thank each and every one of you that shared this trip with me and held me in your thoughts and prayers. I feel with absolute certainty that it made a difference. I am left with so many memories of a wonderful adventure and I hope you have enjoyed being “along for the ride”.

How much did we make on the fundraiser? I probably won’t have all the numbers in until next week so be sure to check back and I’ll let you know. Thank you to all who have made contributions – know they are going to a very worthy cause to help bring us closer to our dream of building a much needed Hospice Residence. We will continue to keep the campaign active until the end of October so if you would still like an opportunity to pledge “Linda Sue’s Motorcycle Diaries) please either log on to http://www.deltahospice.org/ or call the hospice care centre at 604-948-0660.

October 1st-Portland, then homeward...

October 1st, 2005

Portland – then homeward….

Coming to Portland always has a feeling like coming home. Family that is excited to see you and so welcoming. Stayed with Cousin Walter & Sandi and had a great dinner and visit with cousins Robert, Dorothy and Sue on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, missed seeing Bev and Dan as they were away at their “getaway” property.

I knew that Rod was planning to get away from Vancouver early Saturday morning and expected to see him by about lunchtime. At 6:30 a.m. I was lying in bed awake and heard “the unmistakeable sound of a Dodge diesel”. I thought “Hmmmmm – haven’t heard one of those in this neighbourhood before…. “ then, with a cry of disbelief I threw off the covers and jumped out of bed to peek out the bedroom window. Sure enough, Rod was just pulling up in front of the house. He had our dog Tobi with him and the pair of them never looked better to me. A joyous reunion.

Rod needed to get some shut-eye but Walt was doing some real exciting stuff. He has been involved with the music industry for many years and has a full recording studio attached to his home. He had a gal, Katherine, coming over to cut a CD with a band. I have always had a HUGE love for music and at one time had considered going back to school and studying sound engineering as I have a real acute ear. Life wasn’t to play out for me that way though so this was a way to experience it first hand and see how it’s done. Sandi, bless her heart busied herself in the kitchen preparing a great lunch for all to enjoy. Sandi, is a tremendous cook and one, who has the gift of always making it look so effortless.

Sunday, Walt & Sandi had us join them at their church service. I had a lot to be VERY thankful for and was deeply moved by the service.

After church, we had time to go out to do some browsing and shopping that we rarely get time for at home. Besides, one of the neat things about Oregon is that they have no tax so right away we experience a 14% savings. Another, is that they have some real different stores than we have in Vancouver so it’s just fun to see what types of different things they might have in their shopping malls. Spent time at Washington Square and at a fun store called “Brookstone” that we don’t have in Canada. If you happen to be a “gadget” person like we are, it is like a terrific “candy store”.

Enjoyed a relaxing dinner out filled with laughter, fun and camaraderie.

The weather has been pretty nasty all weekend – cold, dark and rainy. What will tomorrow bring… homeward to Vancouver and all the “red tape” needed to bring “Paladin” to his new home in Canada. We plan to leave very early in the morning (about 5:30 a.m.) in order to arrive at both sides of customs. We have already found out where there is a 24 hour Starbuck’s so should be in good order.

Will keep you posted – stay tuned….