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But I'm over two months behind!
How did the trip go? Well, the first day was an unmitigated disaster. Honestly, unless someone had died or gone to the hospital I'm not sure how it could have gone worse.
But it got better. Our first trip was a smaller group - probably the ideal size. From left to right: me, Nick, Ben, Andrew, Scott and John. Not pictured Lara. We're smiling here because this is day two and we left day one behind us.
This photo is sort of the highlight of day one. If I can summarize day one it was marked by three breakdowns and our support vehicle getting so hopelessly lost that we spent the night alone, cold, without food and burning twigs to keep warm. Lara managed to get lost despite my best efforts to make the maps and GPS easy. We had no cell coverage, our contingency radios didn't work and we didn't have another fall back.
We'd wanted to do a dry run of the route before the trip but that didn't happen. Lessons were learned. Prices paid.
The ride before the epic failures was great. We rode through rain, snow and sun from Portland to Madras. Our camping spot was a new one that could not have been better unless of course you wanted to eat dinner. That's Nick on the stream crossing.
The next morning we found Lara and the van in Mitchell - safe and sound. Everyone had a great attitude about the night before and agreed that it couldn't get worse so let's keep going. That's John Roderick, me and Andrew Schauer heading to brunch.
Because the forecast was for super cold temperatures all week (from highs of 50F to below freezing) we had a contingency plan that Lara came up with to rent a cabin in the forest. The state of Oregon has a handful of cabins used for workers that they rent out. No power but they do have heat.
The ride in was on forest roads and while the temps were unseasonably cold the foliage was peaking.
The cabin turned out to be a great solution. It had a simple kitchen, picnic table and fire pit.
What we missed on day one we made up for on day two. Local charcuterie and homemade sourdough. Also, that's my new favorite knife - it's a local Portland company called Steelport and it's a full carbon steel blade with differential heat treat and it is, without question, the best knife I've owned so far. Holds an edge and takes and edge better than anything.
I grilled flank steak on open coals Eisenhower style.
Day two was a good day.
Day three started with coffee, bacon and pancakes.
And I'm going to have to leave it here for now. I'm headed to Nepal tonight but I should have a lot of time to keep editing the images and catching up this story on my 24 hours of plane rides...
Gregor
The final cultural influence from Confucianism is how craftspeople view their position in the social structure. During the feudal era, which only ended in 1868, there was a formal social hierarchy with samurai warriors on top, then farmers, then craftworkers, then merchants, and then pariah groups at the very bottom. Even though the Japanese government abolished this system, two ideas lingered into the modern age. First, the system established crafts as a relatively high-status activity, which allowed craftspeople to feel pride in being craftspeople. Second, the system created a clear distinction between crafts and mercantile transactions, which made craftspeople see their value in the creation of great products rather than the amassing of money. Profit-seeking became, very literally, beneath them. This created an ideal in craft circles to make the very best things regardless of cost. Even today, Japanese chefs, cafe masters, artisans, and fashion designers brag about their kodawari — a stubborn insistence that products live up to their own exacting and precise specifications, even for aspects their customers would never notice. The kodawari ethos means the only route to self-satisfaction is a sense of perfection.
Thanks for sharing, and I have to admit I've figured as much from what you've written in your past few post. I feel like all of us in this little garage community are here to listen and share the weight.... I found peace, love and happiness that I never thought I deserved. I hope the same for you Gregor and to anyone else who reads this one day and is experiencing the same things in life.
ok, living space. I’ve had this strange attraction to barndominiums
With a lot/piece of land to start, you could certainly get after it living temporarily out if your trainer and van…OR, you could build a tiny house to get you through you’re build. My neighbors just built a series of tough sheds on their mountain property, put mini-splits in them, and uses them as his temp living space. One as his office/bedroom, one as his kitchen/living room. At first it sounded bat **** crazy but then more I think about it, the more I think it might even be brilliant as transitional living space.
Some stuff to noodle anyway.
^^^^^It's a damn shame that the pile of us can't get together on a regular basis to share a beer or three and provide fellowship, comfort and inspiration when a member needs it. I'm pretty sure you have such a collection here in the virtual sense, even if you don't know it.

and goats and pigs are hilarious (and we all know where bacon comes from - the kids will have to learn, eventually.)make sure I show them the things they don't know they need in their life - like sheep or a horse
If a farm is what you need, get one. I have never regretted going for what I wanted. Change is scary and painful sometimes, but it sets our priorities straight. I would trust your judgement, you should too.
Nothing quite like living on a farm, even a small hobby farm.