Herb and Dixie's

What a beautiful day in Oakland. Sunny, warm, spring-like all the way. I saw a Western Fritillary butterfly, and bees hummed about on the warm air.

This is a shot of our closest neighbors, our properties divided by the Calapooya Creek. Tom's uncle and aunt built this place back in the 1960s. Herb and Dixie, both gone now, were two of the most colorful Western characters. Think John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn types. Herb was a logger and rancher, a big Irish guy who liked his whiskey. He never turned down a donnybrook at the local watering holes, The Oakland Tavern and The Lamplighter. He was quick with his fists and quicker with his wit. For some reason, I think he liked me, and he'd call at night just to check up or tell me a joke.

Dixie was a feisty little thing. Probably 5'2", she still ruled the place. From our side of the creek, we used to see her of a morning driving down the hill in her 1950s vintage convertible Willys Jeep, cattle dogs barking and either chasing or riding shotgun. It was quite a scene.

Today their grandson Victor runs the place, and in keeping with the theme, he's turned it into a productive ranch. He seems to be right at home, but to us this place will always be Herb and Dixie's.