Return Packing

In a few minutes I will be packing up from Oregon, and Lisa and I will be heading to Portland to put me on the train. (This assumes that some inconsiderate person at the church across the street hasn't blocked us in, as happens now and then.) So of course today is going to be the only clear, sunny day on the entire week I've been in Mehama. It would have been perfect for making another attempt to erect a shelter over the trailer, and (later in the day when things have possibly dried up a bit) cutting the now waist-high grass growing in the field. Knocking down that grass is going to get increasingly more difficult if we don't have a run of dry days where Lisa can get in there with the mower. And it's made more difficult by the fact that Lisa's father wasn't willing at the time he shelled out the $10K for the monster lawn mower to add the additional $2K for a clipping attachment, which means you get a real mess out there from clippings. I reckon that if we'd had a way to collect and dump those clippings, we would have filled in a substantial portion of the "coal seam" depression on the property by now.

Home

My flight from Portland was on time (and full), and there was an AirBART bus waiting for me after I claimed my luggage. An A's game was going on as I walked from the BART station over to the Amtrak station. I understand the game was in the 12th inning. Suddenly, there was a roar from the Coliseum -- a grand slam by the A's Mark Ellis to win the game. Fans began pouring over the bridge connecting the Coliseum to the Amtrak and BART stations.

( Train Tales )

After a fairly quick and uneventful (and free, as the conductor never came by and lifted my ticket) trip to Fremont-Centerville, I walked home towing my luggage, which was feeling heavier by the minute. I was pleased to find that I had indeed set the VCR correctly, and can therefore now watch the Formula One GP of Canada this evening, after which I think an early bedtime is indicated.