Saying good by. Harder than I thought. Farewell to my over eighty friends in Tacoma, my over ninety Gig Harbor lawyer friend who works every day and plays at least two sets of tennis after, and over seventy friends in Puyallup. Adieu to the clan in Philomath whose Snickers, books, apples and laughs never ran out. Ciao to my amazing grandson Az, or Far Out as he was known on the Pacific Crest Trail which he hiked from San Diego to Canada this summer. Adios to the amazingly hospitable Soot family, shepherds of St. Anne's Orthodox Church in Corvallis. I hope to see you all again in 2017 Inshallah.

My grandson Azrael (AKA Far Out) arriving in Corvallis after completing the Pacific Crest Trail from San Diego to Canada. He shrank a little.

St. Anne's Orthodox Church in Corvallis, Oregon

A lively, welcoming worshiping group of Oregonians.October 2014

Basic Training in Oregon

As part of a three month journey around the USA seeing family and friends my nephew and his family have graciously shared their barn with me.  It has only cold water which I am testing to see how long I can stay clean without the family suggesting I shower.  So far eight days.  They provide me with three one mile walks a day - uphill on gravel.  There are usually deer grazing in the yard.

Moroccan Cuisine

 

In preparation for leaving for Morocco to serve with the Peace Corps, it seems important to get acquainted with the  Moroccan cuisine. Others might choose to  dedicate their time to getting a grip on Moroccan Arabic, bon chance a eux.  Food talks as everyone knows, without a Bing translation.  Showing up in the souk now are clementines, which, as my French connections tell me, is a sign of fall.