Pendleton, Oregon, USA

To honor my dear friend Charla Guiwits at her father’s memorial, I made a weekend of my time in my hometown – home of the Pendleton Round-Up. Let'R Buck!

On Friday, throngs of Pendletonians crowded the Betty Feves gallery at Blue Mountain Community College to see Bruce Guiwits’ final art show – hundreds of graphic art pieces he created. I was able to see the Guiwits family as well as handful of folks with whom I went to high school. I got to hang out with Warren again, as well as see he & Charla’s little ones, Elka and Camden.

Meagan Elliot & I enjoyed a lazy Saturday morning at her Dad’s in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, but spend the afternoon hitting Pendleton highlights, including the Round-Up sign I painted over 20 years ago still hanging at the baseball park. We drove past the two homes I lived in (on Nye & on 22nd), hit Big John’s hometown pizza for lunch (TACO PIZZA – as good as we remember it!), caught some of the Husky game there, and toured downtown. The highlight of the day was visiting the grave of my dear friend Becca Holowecky who died of breast cancer at the too-young age of 30. Somber. And awesome.

While Sunday was a travel day, it was all about traveling on Memory Lane. On my way to Boise, I stopped in LaGrande, OR, to see the two houses (on 2nd & in Island City) I grew up in there as well as tour my elementary schools, Riveria and Island City. It was amazing to me how much smaller and manageable things seem now. The world is a big place to a 6-year-old. I also found my grandparents’ house in Ontario, OR, as well as the park all of the cousins overtook with each stay. The same swing set, slide, and merry-go-round were still there after 30+ years.

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend. The combination of memories and time on the road created a pensive trip altogether – one that is now culminating in respite and thought-time in Crouch, ID, at my parents’ cabin. How I love it here!