Bob came home last evening, just a few hours after Loren and her friend–and my new friend, Eve–left.

 

The girls had come by on Saturday evening after spending the previous two days birding with a few other serious birders over in the Summer Lake area. We spent Saturday evening talking and making a quick, late meal, then they went to sleep in the bunkhouse. On Sunday we took a big hike and paddled some. We then whiled away a nice, cool evening sitting alongside the river watching dusk settle in. I liked Eve a bunch. She’s super fit and in her late 40’s, a real outdoors woman. And smart to boot. She didn’t hesitate at all to take a bath in the river, even at night or first thing in the morning. Her willingness to do so, matched with mine, kind of put the pressure on Loren to join us.

 

It was good to have company, though I wasn’t disappointed when at first they didn’t show up at the expected time. Two days later when they headed back to Bend, I was really glad they’d come.