The gift of hospitality is certainly among your gifts, Gail and Sue! Our son-in-law’s Dad and Mom hosted us in royal fashion this past weekend. We relished home-cooked fresh salmon –super– and enjoyed a very tasty new grain pronounced “keyno” – I have no idea how to spell it – that their son Bill’s wife, Fatima, brought over to Sunday dinner. (Ever since our time in Morocco, JoAnne and I enjoy trying new foods.) Saturday we took a most enjoyable trip to the Cascades, hiking to Proxy Falls, stopping at Belknap Lava beds and Clear Lake too. It was another exciting taste of the volcanic Cascades. Later Sunday, JoAnne and Sue cemented their friendship with a six or seven mile walk around the U of Oregon campus (where Mark went to college and grad school) and then back to Staters.
We talked lots and perused pictures of our children with delight. We discovered that Sue is a fantastic scrap-booker. Sunday morning we attended their Presbyterian church where we deepened our family bonds by sharing the Lord’s Supper together. Mark’s Dad, Gail, also took me trout fishing on the McKenzie River. We floated down for about four hours while Gail piloted expertly to avoid the rocks and anchor us in the best fishing spots. It was an artificial bait only section and we did catch and release. I found out I can still handle an open face reel, case a fly rod, and catch trout. In fact, I was quite successful with his fly rod, landing four trout with it. At one point we had two fish on the line at once. The kind of boat Gail has is especially invented for the purpose of float fishing on the McKensie and Rogue Rivers. The oars were not solidly fixed as we are used to in a row boat in the East. Instead, they have a ring to keep them from sliding all the way out and a sleeved section where the boatman can slide them in and out as needed to avoid hazards. At the end of the float, I felt like one of those rich guys a hundred years ago who had just been guided down the river by a professional guide.
Each morning, I enjoyed a quiet prayer time in Staters enclosed garden. Even vacation can be too busy if one does not set aside time to reflect, read and pray. It was a great place of retreat.
JoAnne and I were so very thankful to have been the recipients of Sue’s and Gail’s care and love.