Oregon Memories

Jacob and Sophie taking a break on the way from Newport to Bend


Last night I was reading the journal I kept during our trip to Oregon in 2004. That’s the last time we visited my brother Jacob–six years ago, which makes me sad. Sophie was only three then, and Jake was a smiling, serene baby with big blue eyes and a bald head. Anyway, I came across this little passage and I thought I’d post it because it shows, in a nutshell, how much fun we had:

Friday, July 16, 2004
On Thursday morning we went to Shevlin Park, a very nice little park on the outskirts of Bend. Jacob, Skye, Rob, and Bunny spent the morning bird-watching under the giant ponderosa pines and western larches. They were waist-deep in wild roses.

Meanwhile, Sophie and I lagged behind, playing various games of Sophie’s invention. We found a little patch of clovers and I made her a crown out of clover flowers to match the bracelet her mother had made her. Sophie put on the crown and became the Tooth Fairy. I had to put my “tooth” ( a small stick) under my “pillow” (a leaf) and pretend to be asleep so the Tooth Fairy could come. Sophie, the Tooth Fairy, hid behind a tree in her clover crown, waiting for me to put my tooth under my pillow.

“My tooth is curiously long,” I said, putting the stick under the leaf. “And brown. I guess it’s a good thing it came out.”

Sophie looked so cute waiting behind the tree, being very quiet. She really did look like a little fairy or maybe a wood elf. Some magical creature.