Lessons learned in Oregon

Oregon is a state that loves to recycle. Everything from grocery bags to electronics. For the most part those are great things we should all learn to recycle more and leave this world better than we found it (probably not possible at this point). I did learn that many people in Oregon are vey liberal. One of the very cool things I experienced is something I have thought should be done for years. I have seen grocery stores take perfectly good food off the shelves and throw it away. For a few years I was able to pick up some of that produce to feed to the pigs and chickens. I was amazed to see so much of that produce was almost perfect, maybe some brown spots or perhaps it had just "aged out" and had to be thrown out. Over the years the grocery stores would not allow me to get it for my critters but would throw it away. One manager told me I could go climb in the dumpster if I wanted to (I chose not to do that). I have tried to donate food to food banks around this area and found they are not allowed to distribute any food that is close to being out of date. (I know that I have eaten lots of stuff out of date over the years.) I learned that the stores in Eugene and Springfield were changing that stigma and donating their older food to a group called "waste to taste", and another branch that makes burritos for the homeless. In the waste to taste movement people in the area make an appointment to go into the "store" and pick out whatever they want. The people do not need to give their name, address etc. They just show up and get whatever they need for the week. I was happy to see this because so much less food is going to the landfill and people are not being shamed to accept a little assistance. The other part of this group the buritto brigade makes between 600 - 800 burritos every weekend and distributes them to areas where the homeless are more likely to be. The burritos are wrapped in foil and just left for them. They also have a lot of "Little free pantrys" I haven't seen many of those around here, but I know they are in the Liberty/Kansas City MO area. I love when people reach out to share good things.

My trip home

 I still have photos to share as well as thoughts but I want to get my thoughts about my trip home down before I forget everything.

I was scheduled to leave at 5 in the afternoon so needed to be there by 4.  I had carefully packed and weighed my luggage.  I went to lunch with Jim, Betty and Marge then on to the station.  I talked Marge into staying at home, I just didn't want all the crying at the station.  The train was late getting to the station and even later leaving ...3 hours!!!  Betty insisted they wait with me, silly woman!  

When I finally got onto the train I was seated across the aisle from a 30 something woman and her 2 chiweenies.   I did not even know that was a breed of dog until then.  She talked to them as if they were her babies and even had a baby buggy for them.  She was traveling from Seattle to New Orleans. 

Thanks to leaving 3 hours late, my layover in Sacramento was only a couple of hours.  I was fortunate enough to have no seatmate for all but 1 hour of my return journey.  I thought about flying home because the train takes so long but I really wanted to complete my journey as planned.  I am so happy I did.  I saw so many things I apparently missed on the way out, or maybe it was because I was sitting on the other side of the train on the way out.  In Sacramento I was amazed at the number of homeless camps, I saw them all along the tracks, some with fires burning (it was early morning when we got there).  There were some very large old buildings next to the station.  They were obviously abandoned and most of the glass was broken.  It was sad to see such destruction.  

About an hour east of Sacramento I saw a small town that looked like something out of the old west.  All of the buildings had that false tall fronts.  I wanted to go explore the town, but you can't leave the train to go play!  

I have really enjoyed people watching on the train.  My most interesting person on the return journey was a 30 something woman from the San Francisco Bay area. She said she had never been more than 50 miles from the place she was born.  She had never seen snow, had never seen a forest and had never driven a car.  She was traveling to Chicago for her mothers wedding.  Her Mom was obviously very young when she was born and I don't believe she knew her father.  She talked a LOT about her fear of flying (she had never done it) and that her mother had paid for her journey.  She was proud to tell everyone that she was going to "make" her mom pay for new clothing and lots of snacks for her journey back to San Francisco.  

Another of my favorites was a very tall thin woman who got out of the train whenever she could for a smoke break.  (I was amazed at how many people still smoked).  I asked her about her trip.  She said she began her journey on the east coast in Pennsylvania and journeyed to the San Francisco Bay area.  She got off the train and stayed in a hotel for one night.  From there she got back on the train to go back to Pennsylvania.  She said she simply wanted to see the USA in a way she could not see in any other way.

I left Oregon Tuesday afternoon and got back to Omaha on Friday morning (5 AM)    I am so happy to be home.  When I got home I took a nap then called Shannon to bring Buddy home a few hours later.  He was so excited he wiggled and moaned for about 10 minutes.   he was so happy to home (at least I think he was happy)