Of course, we slept in. It's one of the perks of early retirement. Larry's basement accommodation was the size of many San Francisco apartments with an attached bathroom and office. It was cool and dark and the perfect sleeping environment. Larry, on the other hand, is an early riser, but was happy to have more coffee and cut up with us once we finally got up. We invited Larry to go with us up to Mt. Hood, but he had just taken delivery of his new sleep number bed and wanted to stay home to set it up. Apparently he was tired of sleeping on a huge lump.
Larry - Would you like for me to cook dinner tonight? I have Halibut or Salmon steaks that I caught on my last Alaskan fishing trip.
P- Larry, we never turn down a fish dinner! Sounds great!
We headed up to Mt. Hood and the road led us through a valley of orchards. The trees were laden with several varieties of pears, chestnuts and various other unidentifiable fruits. We stopped at a fruit stand to buy some fruit, and overhearing us talking, the fruit stand lady asked us where we were from. (Apparently we have accents of some sort because people are always asking us where we're from, and our accents don't match our California license plates.) After telling her we were from New Orleans but had lived in San Francisco for the past 2 years, and considering the 5th anniversary of Katrina had just passed.....................
Fruit lady- Were you effected by that Katrina thing?
G- Yes. Anyone who lived in the whole New Orleans metro area, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was impacted by Katrina.
Fruit Lady - Did you leave?
P- Well, we evacuated the day before Katrina hit, but we didn't move away from New Orleans because of Katrina.
P- Still recovering.
Fruit lady- Can I ask you something?
G- Sure.
Fruit lady- Why did those people move back there after it was destroyed?
G- (purses lips and turns head to have extensive "eyes only" conversation with Phyllis) *eye conversation*.... Are you shittin me? I know that woman did not just say THOSE PEOPLE to us about moving back to Nola!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P- Well, let me ask you a question. Is this your home?
Fruit lady - yes.
P- And if Mt. Hood suddenly erupted and destroyed the area, wouldn't you come back and rebuilt?
P- You'd just move somewhere else?
Fruit lady -Yes, probably so.
P- Ok. (stares a hole through Gina and with eye conversation says............ I am done talking to this stupid bitch) Is there a place where I can wash this fruit?
Fruit lady - Yes, right out there by that table.
G- (relieved that Phyl walked away without resorting to violence) It's difficult to explain, but New Orleans isn't just a place to live. It's a city with a soul and it grabs hold of you and becomes a part of you. Also, generations of families live in New Orleans, some within a few block radius. Abandoning New Orleans would be tantamount to abandoning your soul and your family.
Fruit lady - (looking at me like I'm crazy) Well, ok.
G- It's something you have to feel. It can't be explained. Thank you, have a good day.
P-(back in Stormy) How can you live in a place and not consider it home? This area is beautiful! You'd think she'd have a little bit of an attachment to it.
G- Babe, people aren't like us.
We continued our drive to Mt. Hood and at it's base the valley receded and we entered a winding forested road. After a while we stopped for a short hike. There was a fallen tree bridge across the river which had clearly been recently built and the banks of the river were full of tree stumps and roots.
G- Not sure, but clearly this section was manipulated by man. Maybe when they built the bridge.
P- Walk across the bridge quickly. It freaks me out.
G- You want to hike up one of these trails?
P- No. I dont' see anyone else around and what if there are bears.
G- Oh for gawd sake! Again with the bears.
P- There could be bears!!!
G- Ok, let's go. We need to get to the top of Mt. Hood anyway. I have no cell phone service here and my fantasy football draft starts at 5:30 in New Orleans, 3:30 here.
P-Look, I know you're not worried about the bears and last time I wasn't as worried because there was a lady with a baby carriage, but this time it's just you and me and you could make it back to Stormy quicker than me.
P-Oh, I feel so much safer! (as we cross the bridge again) Do you know why they would have left that stump in the middle of the stream?
G- Gladys, do I look like a freaking Park Ranger? I don't know. There could be a good reason or it could just be because man thinks he knows better than nature and in a decade or so we'll find out that changing the river screwed up the ecological system. Like not allowing fire near the Sequoias basically eradicated a few generations of trees. Let's get back into Stormy before a bear gets you. Google your questions when we get back to Larry's. Keep asking me questions and I might let the bear eat you!!
