Wagon ruts

I was the last of our group to leave Seattle on Saturday AM. Jason Friesen, our webmaster, Lori Bakken and Tina Castellarin who have been involved in our Content Management System, Charla Beaulieu and Jason Taylor, School Chair of Digital Media and Music and I have gotten to know each other better. One of our chats was about the need to balance the college's centralization of branding and image with the independence of the eight major schools that need to promote a variety of programs. There are common functions that each school needs, like tracking school applicants, student progress, and alumni. I think the new Content Management System will help to address the school independence issue, but I don't know about plans to address the common functions needed.



Before leaving Seattle, I had to check out the local Fry's Electronics store. I persuaded myself to put back the laptop video camera and the picture printer. Of course I don't need them, but I found them very tempting. I revisited the factory outlets at North Bend to visit stores I had missed a few days earlier. Maybe I was already in the mood for travel, but I looked, tried on, and didn't buy. In Yakima, I waited for an hour-- here, I did buy-- in a local shopping mall for new sunglasses at the local Lenscrafters. I really like that my prescription is on file, and I can get glasses when travelling in either US or Canada.



From Yakima to an overnight in Pendleton, Oregon. Hubby & I have been there before. As I drove through downtown, three preteen boys crossed the street. I noticed all were wearing the big western belt buckles. I guess rodeo fever starts young here.



I was really impressed with the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. In all my planning, I had overlooked that my travels this summer would follow so much of the Trail. This building is perched on stilts and overlooks a set of trails that go down to a rebuilt stamping mill and the wagon ruts in the valley below. I always thought that the Conestoga wagons were used on the trail, but discovered that they were too heavy and awkward. An even smaller wagon was used. Some of the video clips in the center showed such wagons crossing rivers. Interesting to see the water draining from the bottom of the wagons on the other side. Made me think the other side must have gotten terribly muddy and difficult to navigate for the wagons that were at the end.



As I drive long stretches of interstate, I find my satellite radio helps to keep me going. I used to listen to Discovery Channel, but it's not there anymore. Instead, I listen to Family Classics: Green Hornet, Superman, Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke and others. Some of the Superman episodes sound as though they originally aired during WWII. Some of the old commercials sound strange now. The Inkspots sing about the wonders of LSMFT (Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco). Brands and products have disappeared or transformed in the last 60 years. I think these recorded radio waves are a lot like the wagon ruts that came 100 years before...