At long last...Oregon does not disappoint!

Apparently my pre-trip visions of slowly sipping a pina colada and engaging in a little R&R on the beach were far off, very very far off. The dogs wake us up at the crack of dawn eager to explore a new day in a new area and Torben’s run around wanderlust stamina can go for about 12 hours a day. Sleep, rest, relaxation?? Ha, I laugh at my own delusions. Oh, and we ran into a couple who have been living/traveling full-time in their RV since the 90’s and they said they didn’t slow down until the third year…well, at least there’s hope! I have developed a theory: Bruises = battle marks resulting from either sheer stupidity or an almost triumph. I am not sure whether to account for my new body art as a right of off-road passage or a clear sign that I am not as graceful as I'd like to think I am. I earned a good one while following Torben into the woods and through the river to pan for gold. (Yes, I am truly a gold-digger, feel free to joke at your leisure). Only later did we learn that the best place to pan was seriously right under where we parked our car, so that bruise clearly goes in the sheer stupidity pile. But what about the 60 others or so I have acquired with little or no memory of their origin? I am sure they came about during a mighty trek up Mount St. Helen’s or exploring a 500 year old Douglas Fir forest, by not by tripping over a dog, falling into the washing machine and hitting the kitchen table on the way down…no that would never happen. Nor would I smack my head against the slide-outs every (and I do mean EVERY) time I get something out of the cargo area. I haven’t worn makeup in around 3-4 weeks but yesterday Torben lovingly suggested that I put some on my legs and arms - shameful! If you ask my family I have always been a little on the klutzy side, but this trip I am achieving new levels of bringing rainbow body art into fashion.

The Oregon Coast is spectacular!! We were both speechless when we saw it for the first time, I know, hard to imagine, but truly speechless. The cliffs tower over the beach, the tide explodes over the jagged rocks, the seals and sea lions bark (and stink) in chorus…it is simply breathtaking (figuratively and literally). This coast is where the famous Goonies movie was filmed. Incidently, we are now staying in Eugene (yes Laura, all cool things are made in Eugene) and the town south, Cottage Grove, is where the movie Animal House was filmed. Torben was testosterone bonding with some guys about it, apparently since half the town was in the movie (the parade scene), the town holds a festival in its honor. The beer cans still float down the river as a memento. We loved the port town of Florence and were able to park our RV right up against the river. It was pretty awesome to wake up to the water flowing 10 feet from our door. A local band played excellent blues and I joined a handful of drunk locals and danced my tail off. I love the phrase “dance like nobody is watching”, don’t know who coined it and it can be tough to do, but if you really let go it is one of the most liberating experiences.

One of the unique things about the southern coast is the dunes, which really put all other dunes to shame (sorry Lake Michigan). We strapped on our redneck helmets and went for a wild ride in a dune buggy. We were instructed to avoid the 80 foot drop-offs, which they loving refer to as “widow makers.” No problem, we barely made it up the first dune before lodging ourselves 3 feet deep in sand. The wind enhanced the experience as it pelted clouds of sand in our hair and mouths. I think I mooned about three families passing by as we hunched over digging ourselves out. Good thing I left modesty back in about Arkansas. When we finally got rolling we cruised up and down the dunes screaming like kids on a rollercoaster. Good times. Even after a good shower I found sand on my pillow the next morning!

We have an annual pass for all of the national parks, which has totally paid for itself. Since my last posting we have been to Glacier National Park (Montana). I almost cried to see such beauty (you had it right Aunt Linda!)

It was surprisingly crowded and 1/3 of the park suffered damages from fire in 2003. Things in nature are cyclical and Mother Nature has a way of taking care of herself; the flora and fauna that were chased away with the flames are now returning to feast on the new growth in the forest floor. We loved exploring this lake, a little off the beaten path. We came across this huge tree which had fallen into the lake. Torben woo-ed me with his balancing skills as he walked out on it. Not one to back away from a challenge, I promptly waltzed out there strutting my skills learned from my youth on a balance beam and proceeded to fall into the ICY COLD water. Did I mention it was ICY COLD?! Torben’s howl could be heard all the way in Canada!

Speaking of Canada….I have learned that pepper spray is grounds for a swift escort out of the country. We spent all of five minutes crossing the border, admiring the lovely landscape before returning to the 'Welcome to America' sign. Border patrol was so kind and courteous I thought it best not to mention the guns, drugs and illegal aliens we were smuggling in our trunk. As is turns out, brass knuckles, numchuks, and stun guns are also illegal, if any of you are planning a visit, please be advised. Cascade National Park, is in my opinion, one of the most awe inspiring scenes to behold. Its like Glacier but on steroids. I didn’t think it was possible, but the water is even more blue, electric blue to be precise and there is a stillness in the air that is magnificent. The whole family enjoyed a day of exploration. I really wish we could have stayed here longer, but the journey calls...

Torben and I had this funny (albeit misinformed) conception that the places we were exploring are as undiscovered to everyone else as they are to us. Um, you see the HUGE flaw in our logic right? Well, you can imagine our surprise when coming into Seattle traffic that could make Miami traffic look sparse and enjoyable.

Seattle has a beat all its own, a vibe if you will. We were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour from Torben’s high school friend Sheryl. The house boats are an imagination’s playground. So many bright colors, tall skinny homes, short wide floating homes, all with various porthole windows, and plants sprouting out from decks and stairs. I don’t think half of them will ever actually set sail, but it is delightful to see. I would love to rent one for a week or so, I imagine the lull of the waves to be so calming at night (but knowing my luck I would probably get the worst case of sea-sickness).

Sheryl is impressively remodeling her house with her own two hands. I like to lift a hammer every now and again, but she is Bob Villa in a dress (though you would rarely catch her in one!). She has done all her own plumbing and was excited to report that she now has hot water and is almost through installing the bathtub. Until then, much to the joy of her peeping neighbors, she is a naturalist in this outdoor shower!

Livin’s the life Sheryl, livin’ the life! Seriously though, we sampled raspberries and plums from her garden and OMG!! My fingers were stained a little red but my mouth was all grins as the sweet juices dripped off my chin. I had forgotten that food could taste this good naturally. (Thank you pesticides for denying my this pleasure over the years.)

Torben and Sheryl are celebrating their 30 year high school reunion this summer. I have a lot to say on that matter, but first I will pause for you slow folks to do the math….yes, I was 3 when he graduated. Funny right? Moving on… Torben was asked to submit a few photos and a five minute video clip of where he is/what he’s been up to in the last three decades. If you have ever seen a Torben speech, you can guess that this was a hilarious production. He played King Tut in a high school rally, which was a knock-off from Steve Martin on SNL, so in our high budget production we printed pictures of Steve Martin and cut out clips of Torben’s head and taped them on, the comedy was gut busting. I was the camera-lady and could hardly make it through the script without cracking up. The crème de la crème was his ending: We filmed his speech from only the head up. He had a towel wrapped around his waist with the words “THE END” painted on the back by your truly. At the end of the video he walked away from the camera revealing the towel, then my harmonica playing crescendo was timed with his towel falling away to reveal his cute little hiney. Thus, the title of our production: Moon over Mount St. Helen. We must have filmed this a hundred times. We spent four hours at a Mount St. Helen’s lookout point and every time we came to this scene a tour bus of kids would pull up, or a family of people who spoke no English, or poor little old ladies who shouldn’t have been subjected to this. So here’s Torben hiding behind a rock wall with no pants on while people ooh’d and ahh’d for hours over Mount St. Helen. I wish I could emote to you the unending humor that ensued during this video. The sun finally set and we lost our lighting, the next day during taping we lost battery power, the next day we lost memory space on the tape. The final day a Park Ranger passed as Torben was seconds away from his big drop. The outtakes of his cursing and scrambling to find his pants are priceless. Out of respect for his wishes I am not posting it now, but stay tuned, I may talk him into it.

On a sad note, one of Torben's former legal assistants passed away unexpectedly. Michelle Elliot was a wonderful woman with a huge heart and she will be dearly missed.

Yellowstone & Bozeman

If it weren't for the winter, I could live in Montana for a lifetime.

Where to begin?.... We’ve done sooooo much it’s hard to believe there is still more to see and that we’ll be able to muster up enough energy to see it. Yesterday our house crossed the Continental Divide. No small task for a man of the swamps to maneuver a bus over the tallest mountain range in the country. There were some white knuckles and a few “Holy *&%#”, but we made it. Rather, Torben made it; I was just the ancillary cheerleader (I think I actually gave a few spirit fingers on the way down).

We spent the last week and a half in Bozeman, Montana. Bozeman has to be one of the most livable cities in the country, at least by our standards. Home to 10,000 hippies and 20,000 dogs, it was awesome! It is truly the only town that hosts as many dog parks as kiddie parks. HEAVEN! We spent our days roaming around with our heads looking up and our mouths agape just in awe of the mountains. The first day we pulled into our site a fellow camper showed us through binoculars a herd of 90 elk roaming over the hills. Can you say AWESOME?! This was the view from our campground:

(Gosh, doncha just feel so sorry for us?)

They are so friendly and accommodating in Bozeman that Wal-Mart has the first five rows of parking behind the handicapped spaces dedicated to “senior parking”. If you know Torben and his driving/parking quirks, you know he will search for 20 minutes for the” best” (closest) spot. As we pulled in he did the usual drive-by scout-out and eventually succumbed to a space further out. “I guess this is middle age parking,” he jested. I thought that was totally funny until I realized he was including me in that! (OH, the horror!)

Life has really changed for us. We were driving down the road the other day and Torben laughed out loud, catching himself doing 45 miles per hour, on the highway, not in the RV, in the Honda! I know, hard to believe. I’ve actually been able to relax my grip of the O.S. handle

(I said relax, not remove).

I’d like to thank our dear friend Carson Robinson for some valuable pre-trip advice. He said “Remember, the people you meet today won’t know what you wore yesterday.” God bless you Carson for totally getting it. It is true that life on the road allows for a little more, shall we say, leniency in our grooming and presentation. Many of you may have noticed by the pictures that Torben is freeing himself by letting the 20 years of lawyer in his hair grow out. It’s a little unruly, but it keeps us entertained trying to find a way to style it (we are taking suggestions). Just now he scratched is head and pulled out some leaves and a twig. Souvenirs? We’ve also been experimenting with how long one can stretch out a shower. I won’t freak you city folks out, but let’s just say, it’s impressive and probably not in a good way. Thus, Carson’s advice is well played in our lifestyle. Long live febreeze. Torben is a little fearful that we will end up in one of those Wal-Mart emails full of freaky dressed (and undressed) individuals.

I told him there is a possibility we already are!

Keeping ourselves entertained is not hard.

HELLO, we’ve been living with Yellowstone National Park in our backyard!

Seriously guys, if you have never been, this is a Must See on your bucket list. For Torben and me it was like a trip to wildlife Mecca. Unfortunately in my eagerness to go, I forgot to pack the camera. Don’t ask. Anyway, it served a great purpose in forcing a repeat trip to capture some of the world’s greatest scenery. The geothermals are incredible and the colors are so striking it is almost as if someone painted the earth.

We attended the obligatory rising of Old Faithful, along with all the other park attendees.

That was really the only time we felt crowded in the park. We searched and searched for grizzly bears, found scat of all shapes and sizes, spotted more elk, boson after bison,

but no grizzly. Alas, on our last day of touring the park, as we headed for home, when we had given up hope of seeing the elusive bear, she graced us with her presence by foraging in a valley near the road. She caused quite a traffic jam, but it was totally worth the delay. Unfortunately, the pics were too distant for a good focus.

Yellowstone is not the only treasure in the Bozeman area.

We spent several days hiking Hyalite state park.

This really is God’s country. Gorgeous, and so alive, the trees sway and talk loudly with the breeze, the water flows swiftly and echoes through the canyons. The kids enjoyed hiking, swimming and making new friends.

Blaze’s leg is healing well but he can’t quite keep up as he used to. The little guy gave quite an effort on our hike to the falls, and was rewarded with a lift out from Papa T (much to his liking and Torben’s aching).

The next day we got a stroller! I feel like such a sporty mom now! All you ladies with your double wide strollers and twin seats….look out here comes Mama Madson and the senior K-9 clan! The assembly on this sucker required a few good engineers, hence ours is still missing the all essential braking mechanism (but hey, who wants to stop?) Blaze was appreciative of the ride, but Rodeo has advised us that she has changed her name from Rodeo (the cowboy name) to Rod-ay-o (the L.A. name). She stepped inside and it was as if she had found the throne that has been awaiting her all these years. She barked at passersby, held her head out the side, and even draped and crossed her paws out the front window panel. Geesh, the life of luxury. Seriously though, it makes our trekking soo much more enjoyable.

We’ve also really enjoyed meeting new people on our travels. Especially the woman parked next to us at our last camp. She was thoughtful enough to open her window and thank us loudly for letting our dogs pee within visual of her motor home. She was kind to us, not once, not twice, but three, maybe even four times. We were so appreciative of her gratitude and the big scene she made that we showed her a little love, noMadson style: good ol’ Papa T waited until she was mid-grill on her steaks to go out and drain the black water, he even went the extra mile and cleaned the sewer tank, the hose and the storage bay within sight and *gag* smell of her grilling du jour. Oh, southern gentlemen play dirty, kind of funny, but dirty.

And, last but certainly not least, I want to welcome little Beau James Sieve to the family. My sister Jen is a hero among heroes. She has done three times what I fear doing even once. But if he is anything like his older sister and brother, he’s already on his way to earning angel wings. In Italian the words for giving birth are “dar a luz”, the literal translation being “to give to the light.” Welcome to the light man. Let me know if you need any sunglasses.

The story not told

I knew coming on this trip would provide me the opportunity of an education I could gain no where else. I am being educated, but unfortunately I do not always like what I am being taught. Shiloh, Wounded Knee, Tatanka, Little Big Horn...They say the truth is sometimes painful, so I would being doing myself and you, my fellow countrymen, a huge disservice if I did not present this voyage as authentically as I am living it. So, here it goes: I want to wave the B.S flag, high, none of this half-mast stuff, but full sail and flying in the breeze, because that is what I think has been done in so many ways. We have traveled to many historic sites, monuments, battlefields, etc., you name it - we've found it. Time and time again I am more than modestly insulted at the flamboyancy with which the victors have re-written history (or erased some perspectives). Mt. Rushmore, for example, is supposed to be this awe-inspiring creation in tribute to our country's growth and perseverance. Ok, I get that, but let's be real, its just a bunch of faces carved into a sacred rock that never belonged to our government in the first place! Twelve million (that's: 12,000,000!) people lived on this land before my European ancestors even stepped foot on its soil. In the name of our democracy we invaded land that was not ours, we set up fences to keep the original inhabitants out. We killed their food sources as a way of starving them into oblivion, we punished the practice of their ancestral history, forced them into submission and we call ourselves the Land of the Free? My stomach turns when I visit a beautiful State or National Park that is named after a wretched person in wartime history. I debated on writing this entry, being cautious that it may offend some people, then I laughed at my own trepidation. Am I missing something? I have learned, from several credible sources, that the Native Americans lived in symbiotic harmony with the land for hundreds of years before the white man came in and pillaged the land of its resources. Native American tribes, specifically those of the Lakotas, were cognizant to use only what they needed and protect the rest. They believed in leaving little trace. For all of our modern day glory I cannot help but wonder when I pass a landfill seeping with plastic bottles or turn on the news and hear more about the BP disaster, are we really all that advanced? Maybe those people to whom our ancestors turned up their noses actually knew a thing or two about the preservation of life on this earth. Maybe the cognitive myopathy was ours. So this year as I prepare for the festivities related to the Fourth of July, I will also be giving thanks to those that lived on and took care of the land that I now travel. I cannot erase the twinge of guilt or disgust that accompanies my "education" on this trip, but I can use my voice so that you as well will remember that there are ALWAYS multiple sides to the stories that make up history. Just because we have learned one, doesn't mean it is the whole truth, seek out the complete story, then make your own assessment. I will now dismount my horse, thanks for listening.

South Dakota Wildlife

Fun with Uncle Dick & Aunt Donna

Have you ever ventured to a new place and instantly felt at home? I feel this way in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Partly because of the majestic landscape that beckons to be explored but mostly because of the warm welcome we received. They used to say “there’s gold up in them there hills”, and there is…my family. My Great Uncle Dick & Aunt Donna Fisher are two of the spriteliest individuals I know.

They chose to get the most out of their retirement by becoming tour guides in the Black Hills. Not only is their combined knowledge enough to publish their own encyclopedia, but they have such a passion for their state and their community that it’s hard not to be infected with their enthusiasm. Torben & I were treated to an A+ tour.

We drove the wildlife loop in Custer State Park (pics to follow in next blog), hiked through an incredible array of 200 BILLION year old rock formations. (Truthfully, my finite mind is having a hard time wrapping itself around just how old that is.)

(there's a girl free climbing on this "needle")

(yup, that's the road-and traffic goes in both directions!)

We toured a beautiful lodge, sampled Kick-Ass rhubarb wine (seriously, that’s the name), mingled with the artists at a sculpture exhibit, hiked a lake at several thousand feet, and saw the evening light and flag ceremony at Mt. Rushmore (the pictures didn’t turn out so well in the evening light, so you’ll just have to trust me – we were there). Did you know that the faces in the mountain are so large that Abe Lincoln, if he were alive, could stand up in his own eyeball? Nice trivia Aunt Donna!

The crème de la crème: a night blast at Crazy Horse. This was a superb treat! It was the anniversary of the Battle of Little Big Horn and the sculptor’s wife’s 84th birthday –what a celebration!! The monument to Crazy Horse is a work in progress and is a beautiful tribute to all Native American Tribes. The entire Mt. Rushmore carvings, all four heads, could fit in Crazy Horse’s head; this thing brings new meaning to HUGE! After the original artist passed, his wife and family took over the project and have expanded it to include a museum celebrating Native American Heritage and plans are underway for a university and medical community on the mountain. To celebrate: there was a laser light show and 84 thundering blasts atop the mountain. Then were all served cake in celebration! (My uncle Dick was first in line!!) It was very memorable and it felt like we were being a part of history. Thanks Uncle Dick & Aunt Donna!!

P.s. Torben & I though it hysterical that we are taking this trip in the “prime of our lives” and Dick & Donna could have run circles around us – it was tough to keep up with their endless energy, but a heck of a lot of fun trying!