Coast & Canal
Unlike previous tours, I had planned this one around visiting with friends I rarely saw, then chosen scenic routes to link those visits. Corvallis was on my route only because a friend I hadn’t seen in 15 years was there for a conference. We spent Saturday remembering our “then” stories and telling each other our “now” stories as we walked, shopped, ate, and sipped the pear brandy I had gifted her when I’d last seen her; she had brought it with her from New York so we could enjoy it together, in honor of long-ago hours spent doing just that during evenings by my fireplace. Sunday morning, I loaded Kate, hugged my friend, and headed toward the Oregon coast with the new hat and sunglasses she had helped me choose tucked into my luggage. In combination, they are so totally “glamour-girl-ish” that the first time I wore them after my return home, a man who sees me almost daily didn’t recognize me until I spoke. I didn’t learn much about Corvallis, but I will remember and cherish our reunion each time I don that hat.