Bend, reunions, and fortune cookies

We had the most wonderful time visiting here with folks in Central Oregon, staying up till 4:30 in the morning, visiting a Yerba Mate shop, which is about like solid gold in my books, laughing our guts out, playing in the sunshine with the Love family, beauitul reunions with our roommates, the Harris's, and lot's of reconstructing of our load.  We have shaved easily 30 lbs. of gear and 15 lbs. of trailer, we've totally reexamined our load after learning alot crossing the Cascade mountain range, and gotten alot stronger.  Ryan's legs are totally morphing, he has some crazy, mutant calves and his thigh muscles are just plain sick, they start jutting out right after his knee in a super-heroisc fashion. All the children have the same wild muscle stack on their legs and also are noticable stronger looking.  I feel good and look forward to riding more, but  it will be hard to leave everyone here.  We really feel like we are leaving our familiar territory and venturing out into the unknown,we've always hung near the coast and E. Oregon is foreign.  We've been shown so much kindness by complete strangers, giving water, places to stay, money and just time, wanting to stop and talk to us and know our story, in Terrebonne, outside Smith Rocks, the owner of the local Thriftway came out and was asking us questions, she herself was an avid biker who has pulled off several, 400 and 200 mile races, a wiry and energetic lady anmed Bonnie with a shock of blond hair, she asked us all kinds of questions and was so fascinated with the whole touring aspect of life with a family, she is taking pictures of us and jumping about excitedly and could tell she was so thrilled she could have busted out of her skin. "Is there anything you need?" she asks "I own the whole store, you name it" I was just flat taken back, "we could use some water out of your faucet to fill our bottles" I tell her, she goes inside and comes back with the jug filled that I gave her and a bag full of Powerbars and snack-y stuff for everyone. She is standing there talking to us and notices my arm covered with poison oak and runs back in and brings me calamine lotion and cotton balls to take with me, she wanted to aid us in whatever way she could,and when she could see we were in need of nothing else, she gave us money,  her kindness was so precious to behold.  People we know have been equally amazing in their  giving of themselves to us, pampering us, encouraging us, letting us keep them up all night, and putting us up.  The Bray family that we've bee staying with here has nothing short of just plain doted over us constently, they gave us their bed to sleep in, made meals and treats, loved on us severly, and smile the whole time, we will never be able to repay their kindness.  Rachel Harris wanted to take me out for coffee in Bend and took me to this little tiny place called the Sparrow bakery and got me the most amazing breakfast sandwich on the planet, a poached egg on a homemade croissant with a giant slice of peppery bacon and covered with arugula and garlic aioli sauce, I just groaned the whole time I ate it, and they had an amazing execution of an americano, it was all just way too dreamy.  The Harris family watched our bunch while we went out for the last date we'd be having in a long time, we grabbed last minute items and went to a Chinese restaurant and talked about the next jaunt over tea and dinner.  We also had a chance to cut hair, Ryan and the boys probably shed 3 or 4 lbs. of hair and are now looking way more streamlined, Jessica did a great job but the hippy in me was kind of sad to see all the locks come crashing to the ground, maybe the birdies will make sweet little nests with it.  The next stretch is going to take a lot more planning as there are alot less ways to secure water and towns seem more spread out but we are excited.  I know we've been well taken care of and the Father's provisions have been more than enough and that never ceases to amaze us.