Ruby x 2

We crossed over the border into Oregon yesterday and to Ashland to stay with Ruby, who was principal at the school Oscar taught at further north many years ago. Ashland is such a pretty town and Ruby lives in a beautiful house just a short stroll from the centre where there are drinking fountains to sample the local mineral waters. Lonely Planet suggests the amusement of watching unsuspecting tourists drink from the fountain and then spit it out once they get the rotten-egg taste of sulphur. Every street is full of such quaint, well maintained houses, we even saw some deer and Bambi (fawn) much to Ruby junior's delight, although Ruby senior tells us they're really a pest here, wandering the streets and eating plants from front gardens. It was a great reunion for Oscar and Ruby and lovely for our Ruby to meet the lady who sent her, amongst other gifts, Wally the koala whom many of you will remember.

Bambi!

Ashland has a wonderful Shakespearean festival every year with plays concurrently being performed in three theatres, one an outdoor Elizabethan theatre (in Oregon, why not? ) This year there are eleven plays, not all Shakespeare, running from early in the year until November. Ruby had generously arranged for us to go on a guided tour of the theatres, including backstage areas which was really interesting. I tried a beer taster tonight with dinner, micro breweries are big here, the menu started with two pages of beers to try, I only managed six!

               

We've had a lovely stay with Ruby, her daughters Emmalisa and & Kim, and Izzy the cat but as we haven't found Sasquatch yet, despite a very compelling recount from a local waitress, we will continue north tomorrow.