It’s wonderful being back in the peaceful Oregon foothills surrounded by woodsy fir, spruce, and pine trees, deer, squirrels, birds, and wild turkeys. The return flights from Paphos via Berlin, Paris, and Seattle were uneventful. Life in the US is easy compared to the 2022-2023 trip itinerary – Vietnam, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, and Cyprus – which I somehow survived ;o).
I have no plans for the summer, except to simply enjoy outdoor exercise. The weather has been hot during the day but cool at night, and I’ve had zero trouble sleeping!
The most exciting thing since I returned is a fallen douglas fir tree trunk that was removed over the weekend. The top of the gigantic tree fell during a 2016 ice storm. The rotten trunk finally gave it up after resting on the hillside for years propped up by a hearty wax myrtle bush. I was nearby pruning lavender plants and watched the trunk plunge into the ground – perhaps a message from above? It missed the roof by a few feet.
I’m pondering the next trip. It’ll be considerably easier than the last one! Grateful I’m not in Greece now. During a July and August 2021 trip, it was hot and there were wildfires – but not as severe as the current heatwave. I feel sorry for those who’ve lost homes.
More later…