From Cyndi Ball:

Good morning from central Oregon where today the mountains surround, and the cool, crisp air invigorates!

Cyndi studiously working in the morning to send in her blog post

Yesterday was our longest day of "in the car" travel. We left Miranda's at 8:05am and headed southward. But before we said goodbye to North Idaho, Nicole Hundrup invited us to stop by her homestead. You know me, never pass up a visit to a homestead! Nicole has had an interesting background of locations before landing in North Idaho. She and her husband lived in the Monterey area of California (close to where I used to live) and in Hawaii! What a contrast with the climate of North Idaho! :)

But our tour of her homestead showed that she was well adjusted to her area and is making great strides in her successes with homesteading. She has three adorable children under the age of five, making her chores outside a little more challenging. Nicole has sheep, cows, chickens, LGDs, and a beautiful garden and orchard. Her husband, quite the craftsman, has finished the loafing shed and fences. They've done a lot of work since acquiring their ten acres of land. They're also trying their hand at tanning hides - can't wait to hear how this turns out! So thankful we had a chance for a quick visit.

After we said our goodbyes to Nicole and her crew, we hopped in the car to find fuel for the long trip ahead of us. Loaded up with snacks and a full tank of gas, we headed southward.

Cherry tomatoes to snack on 

Eight plus hours of driving yesterday, vastly different landscapes, and a few podcasts filled our hours. We stopped in the small town of Moro in Sherman County for a potty break. Trust me, you stopped where you could because some of the stretches between any kind of civilization were looooong!

Right next to a public restroom was a small local museum. I thought a "walk" break would be good for us, and besides, we both love history, so in we went. Three elderly ladies greeted us, and we chatted for a few minutes. We paid the $5 each (thank you Jill Wolfe!) and started through the museum ... a museum that has won national awards! I loved it! It was very hometown, pertaining mostly to their area and the history there. So many personal items donated to the museum from families. One of the ladies we chatted with donated an entire kitchen from a family home that had to be taken down! You don't get history stories like that at big museums.

They used to run sheep in this particular area, and now the major crop is wheat. Thousands of acres of wheat and it makes for the most beautiful scenery. In fact, Sherman County along (population 1,765) produces over 5 million bushels of wheat each year! And a bushel is 60 pounds ... 300,000,000 pounds of wheat each ear!! And that is just one area. When you see wheat fields to the horizon and think about your one loaf of bread at home and the loaves on the grocery store shelves, it's a little hard to wrap your head around.

We said our goodbyes and started down the road again. Only two hours left to travel. We left the fields of corn and wheat and headed back to the foothills of the mountains. Earlier in the day, starting just outside of Kennewick, we drove along the Columbia River. Trains and semi trucks looked like little toys beside it. Around one bend, Mount Hood came into view, a bit hazy because of the smoke from the fires.

We'd seen all kinds of terrain in those eight hours. After a quick bite at Subway (chopped salad for me and tuna for Trina), we pulled into the driveway of our Airbnb for the night. Owned by the sweetest couple, it is a beautiful home with incredible views of the mountains all around. Anna and Bill (and their little Yorkie and very fluffy cats) greeted us. So peaceful and serene in an immaculate neighborhood, nestled in the foothills of the Three Sisters mountains.

Anna, Bill, and their Yorkie

I chatted with them 'til the tiredness from driving all day took over, and I headed to bed ... but not until after tasting their kombucha brews! They had just started making their own, and the ones I sampled were fabulous! I daresay they have a knack for kombucha brewing. :)

Waking to the rise of the sun over the mountains, flooding my room with its early morning rays, I took my time watching the view and breathing in the mountain air. (I slept with all my windows open!)

Ya know, these are the times in LHG that I wish I could bring everyone along with me to experience this land and the amazing people we have the privilege of meeting. The soul finds a greater breadth, and the heart finds a greater acceptance of the beautifully wonderful diversity, not just in the terrain of the northwest, but also of its peoples and the stories that have made them who they are.

(Click here for the next post in the series.)