On the wings of a dove...

Curry County, Southern Oregon, home to more senior citizens than any other county in this state, and threatening to receive more in the next ten years. At this event at Azalea Park in Brookings last Sunday a couple of hundred souls partook in this free activity sponsored by local merchants and local community groups.

Most of us knew what to do, bring a lunch or snack, a blanket or coats, sunscreen and hats in case the sun suddenly showed up and sit back and enjoy the performance.Notice in the picture that there is a couple up and dancing. Dancing, as in on their feet and moving is a great exercise at any age.

Dancing was encouraged quite often from the stage as the music, a Louisiana rhythm of blues and bayou zydeco, blue grass variations we heard quite a bit when we lived in the South, was quite easy to move to.  The performers' vocal spokesperson  was from Modesto, California,  he said. Modesto is in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, with nothing in common with Bayou country. But he got us in the mood for some old time bayou jumble nevertheless.

We, Hubby and I, lasted an hour wrapped in jackets.  Rather, were able to sit, eat a take out meal from the Colonel down the hill, and talked about everything except the weather. You see, Brookings is 60 miles south of us, and is known for its balmy 80's most summer days. On this day, the temps had trouble reaching 60.

Getting our stuff from the parking lot to the lawn, an up and down to the place where the band played, constituted a good part of our exercise for the day; lugging stuff tires us more than anything; and going up and down seems to put an additional strain on our backs and our heart. Dancing, therefore, was left  for those who were spared rheumatism and pace-makers.

The audience, as you can tell from the picture, was way past their prime, and most of them had probably spent their hours commuting from one sitting position to another. Most folks we meet in Southern Oregon have moved here from Southern California, from places like Sacramento, Modesto, Los Angeles, all commuting meccas.

We are on foreign soil here; though, because there are so many of us re-stationed here from California, we feel at home, nevertheless. And running back to California is easy too, just a short ride down 101 past the Agricultural Station, and we're back in California where we'll pay an additional 8% sales tax on most purchases;  and housing will cost us double right at the border. So, living across the border is a no brainer.