DAY 16 - En Route to Brogan, OR - 320 miles from home

"There's a whole lot of nothing between here and Ontario," Julia told us yesterday. Today Bob and I walked a lot of that nothing, and it wasn't nothing. It started with a delicate pink sunrise, and then carved through the pale sages and light russets of the high desert, up and over Eldorado Pass and into Mountain Time (yes, I guess Eastern Oregon really does end up being Idaho), and then down into the valleys that make my heart soar, lined by cows and finally, sadly, past a feed lot where the animals huddled in a dirt enclosure off in the distance. I love me a good cheeseburger, and I love these curious faces that turn toward me as I pass by - and these two loves are not compatible, of course.

After we split our 20-mile walk (our now-usual pattern: Bob takes the first leg, I bring Libby to him and walk the second), we ferried back to Unity, and spent more time with Julia at Stratton Station, her store. Julia's message for us to carry forward was "Be involved and build community." She asked me, Is it enough just to try to save one town? Not to do anything bigger than that? "Oh my gosh, Julia," I said. "That's the big work."

Julia Walker Wright is a teacher - she began her time in Unity teaching at the high school. Stratton Station is, in some ways, also a teaching project - although Julia wouldn't call it that. But it's got its free library, and its cream pies, and its sense of old time sasparilla. It's teaching something like community - maybe something like hope and future. One of Julia's former students, Jocelyn, was working in the store this afternoon. "Jocelyn wrote the most amazing short story in my English class," Julia told us. "One of the best things I've ever read! But I had to mark it down because it was a cliffhanger. I wanted to know what happened! She left me hanging!" - Jocelyn just smiles, shy and happy. After she leaves, Julia tells us that the school is now down to something like 30 students - almost no teachers are left.

Stratton Station used to be Stratton Store: a general store. The last Stratton died in 2023. But Unity is now too small to sustain a bonafide grocery. From over 200 residents to something like 40. "The spotted owl killed Unity," Julia says. "Killed the lumber industry, killed the Forest Service stationed there." The building - the store itself - probably dates back to the 1890s, Julia thinks. Back to the time when gold and silver were mined in Sumpter. Julia marvels at the flooring. How did they get oak floorboards out here? There's no train. These boards came by wagon. Can you imagine?

And then there's Julia's mom - Debbie - visiting from Ohio. Debbie lives one town over from Springfield, OH and mentioned "all that stuff about the Haitians." She appreciated the word "faith" on my calling card (Liberty Walks - An act of faith in America). At her Nazarene Church the pastor keeps saying: Look how lucky we are! The mission comes to us. No need to leave our doorstep. - Our route takes us near Debbie's hometown. Maybe we can break bread with her and her pastor.

Before we turn in for the night, a beeping goes off in the van. Propane/CO monitor. Damn. I turn off the tank, grateful for the 'shore power' that will keep our fridge going for now. I talk to Matthew at Country Roads RV back in Florence (they helped us get Libby's couches re-installed for the trip). He thinks it's likely not a real leak - but just my running the hot water heater for the first time, burning off some old LP. But we both agree I need to get the tank checked out as soon as possible. As Matthew straightforwardly puts it: "Either it is a problem, or it isn't."

Sunrise at Unity Lake

I lost and gained an hour today. Time is so fluid!

Watching me, watching you.

Bob ended up taking Common Sense home with him (the Stratton Station not-so-little free library)

Debbie, Julia's mom, at the Stratton Station

Julia building community, one free book and cream pie at a time.

Those century-old oak floors....