Favorite Company

after Alfred play visitors party cleanup a romantic outing originally aimed Steens Mountain road closed snow Columbia Gorge instead closer shorter wrist therapy beginning patience worn I balked then willingly gave in good choice drove airport highway third time three days rain traffic relieved veer east up river goodbye city crowds historic scenic byway slower quieter prettier real towns amazing vistas tamed exploited watercourse edges filled for roads rails development real waterfalls Multnomah satisfies found Hood River inn watched kite boarders cruised zeroed in on perfect people food favorite company each other Nabokov dreamed morning sun Dalles another failure climbed out river into sweeping wide high space I love big rolling hills green plowed steep strips untended fast empty road Scarlatti opera dove canyon wild Deschutes houses crazily close cliff edge rose to sagebrush far horizons power lines antennae stretched vision made me smile Madras Redmond sad past lost Sisters sweet coffee over Cascades driving daze tired eyes happy home violet's wish is coming true josh wrote her an email signed love josh violet is filled with joy