Meandering on the Way — October 2 to 12, 2026

Friday, October 2nd

Dinner with old friends R (a.k.a. K) and L. It was great to catch up with what they’ve been doing. For one thing they have recently been to Scotland and Ireland. They report seeing some lovely places and finding that the people are very nice. They also confirmed something that we have heard from other friends, the fact that in Ireland, it is indeed possible to have a meal that includes three different potato dishes.

Tuesday, October 6th

E got some shots today, covid and flu, one in each arm. Brave woman.

Wednesday, October 7th

In the morning, E felt great. In the afternoon…pretty terrible. She now vows never to have both shots in the same day.

Friday, October 9th

We drove north today, up to Dallas, OR to pick up some plants that M had ordered from the Polk Soil and Water District’s fall plant sale. It was a crisp sunny day that made for a beautiful drive through the country. The fall colors in the trees along the creeks made a nice contrast with the bright new green of the winter seed fields where the shoots are beginning to pop up from the ground. We got five plants from the sale: four Broad-leaved Shooting Star and one Salal (Gaultheira shallon).

Saturday, October 12th

A busy day. While M was getting his plants in the ground, E rode her bike to The Shuck, an annual gathering held at Avery Park. She met A there and had a chance to meet up with people that she doesn’t often see.

In the late afternoon, A went with us to the forest to spread a few ashes in honor of John Chambers, brother to E and uncle to A. Poems were read and wee drams taken. The poem that A read was Epitaph on My Own Friend by Robert Burns.

Sunday, October 11th

It’s been a couple of weeks now since we suffered the traumatic closing of the French pastry shop where we used to get croissants for our Sunday breakfast. To cope with a second straight week of going without, we baked up some Rhodes rolls and slathered them with butter and jam. No match for Le Patissier’s croissants, but surprisingly not bad.

The weather has been fine, mostly bright days and cold nights. It was 35 degrees when we woke up one morning. The back yard is looking fallish.

Monday, October 12th

Coffee with M’s honorary sister M today to discuss (1) our upcoming trip to Mexico City, which sister M knows quite well, and (2) sister M’s plans for getting a new electric vehicle. In regard to the first point, she told us about an extremely important place that we must not neglect to visit. More on that, hopefully, in a future posting. In regard to the second, honorary brother M presented her with a newly discovered EV option: the Subaru Trailseeker.

In Other October News:

M has finished writing a book called Hither and Yon, The Autobiography of M.

It begins with his childhood and adolescence in Utah and continues on to the various and sundry places where he later lived and worked. The volume ends in 2008 as M and E return to Corvallis after their year of working in Turkey.

The book was printed and published by Amazon and is for sale on the Amazon website. Meandering subscribers, however, can get a free copy direct from the author. If you are interested, please contact E, who has recently accepted the position of Order Fulfillment Manager.