June 4th: We leave Oxnard:
We are several days and several hours past the date I had set for our departure.
“It’s ok” I tell myself “I really don’t have a schedule. We get there when we get there”
I started planning this move in April with a May 28th departure date. I rented POD to load the few things we had accumulated in our time in Oxnard and planned to drive out as the POD left the drive.
Then I rescheduled again.
Every time Lori would come over to get me packed, Lori with her tireless energy, when she’d ask me to make a decision about dismantling my life, tears would sprout, I’d turn and go back to bed. Lori was incredibly patient with me. She got me packed, she got the donations to their respective shops, she hired the muscle that packed the POD, the POD left for Memphis two days ago.
Did I say I’d drive out behind the POD? Well I’m in no hurry, remember. Dinner at the Watershed one more time and then we’ll go.

We head to Oregon.
Oregon? We’ve decided to go a northern route, hoping it will be cooler than driving I-40. Besides we’ve never been to Oregon and we’ve got friends in Eugene. This will be fun. We’ve left late and won’t get to Oregon tonight, but I-5 will take us all the way there from the Central Ca. Valley.
I had heard about the Ca. drought but Oxnard, despite drought warmings, was always in bloom, truly a bread basket. I’d seen pictures of drought ravaged Ca, but driving through the Central Valley was disturbing. We passed acres of yellow, dry fields interspersed with thriving citrus groves and grape vines. I’m not sure who or what decided if a field would be worked or left to the drought. Who decides these things? How?
Signs all along the road reminded us that people’s lives were on the line.

IS GROWING FOOD A WASTE OF WATER?
NO WATER NO JOBS
REMEMBER: 1.2 MILLION CALIFORNIA DEPEND ON AGRICULTURE

Temperature is 112 degrees outside my truck.