Oh, by the way, I haven't heard from anyone in awhile. Is anyone still reading this rag? Yes? No? Should I quit? Let me know. :)

I've just crossed into Oregon. Last night I camped on the outskirts of a little town just below the border, with the intention of going down to the local tavern to get a drink before going to bed. I went to the closest bar (there are two in town), and got the usual you-ain't-from-around-here look before sitting at a barstool. I asked the bartender if the bar picks up at all on a thursday night, to which she responded no, but advised me to go to the bar down the street, called the Bank (it used to be one), which "attracts a younger crowd.". Well, the bar contained only a couple of people under 50 at its peek (I guess that IS a younger crowd around there), so I settled down to talk with a bar patron, figuring I might as well get a decent conversation in before going to bed. Well, it turns out that this fella is a retired cocaine smuggler, and I got to hear about the two times he was shot, the three times he was stabbed, and the drug trade in general as he bought me drinks. Now he confines himself to growing pot and living the humble life in small town california. He offered me a place to stay for the night and to get me "completely fucked up", but I'd already pitched camp so I turned him down. He provided me with loads of information about the surrounding areas, where to go and where to avoid, which I was quite grateful for. Early this morning I got up to a somewhat rainy and miserable day, and crossed the oregon california border at a leisurely pace.

Well, I've been back on the road a few days, now. I spent some beautiful nights camped on the ocean's shore. It's a good thing I didn't put my tent where I originally intended on that first night. When I woke up in the morning, that spot was underwater! I got a lift up the road about 10 miles from a genuIne hillbilly celebrity. Apprently, he was Cletus on Hee Haw, starred in the Grand ole Opry and mentioned about five more hick shows he was involved with. He's 65, now, and has a bum leg. He also tried to convince me that I would be a fool to work for a living when I can buy real estate for no money down... All in all, an interesting ride. So, after a while I found myself in the california redwoods. I camped in them a couple of nights and was awed by their enormity. Beautiful area, this. I am in an region that's considered "beyond the redwood curtain", whatever that means. So eventually I turned up in Eureka, California, where a friend that I'd met in flagstaff lives. Her name is Heather. That's where I stayed last night, and will be staying tonight. Tomorrow, though, I'll be back on the road and heading north at a leisurely pace. These northern california towns sure are cute! In a few days I'll be in oregon. I wonder what I'll find there. Incidentally, I'm going to try to make BC sometime (relatively) soon. I'm running out of money and need to do some work before I can go much further. Being somewhere where I'm actually ALLOWED to work might help. as under-the-table work sucks. Life would be so much simpler if I didn't have to eat!