Is Maison des Vautours on your route? I thought I had found another castle to stay at - mansion equals Maison in French, right? But it's a birding spot for Vultures (Vautours).

Ha! The moderator agrees with us. But seriously anything related to the cycle tour is traditionally fair game. The cyclist may see evidence of history, religion, poverty, food, traffic, etc etc A changing world order is interesting and relevant, we think.

Careful!

Moderators might take umbrage to politics... I'd hate to see this disappear!

The parts of WA and OR west of the Cascade crest would be amenable. (Channeling my best Br'er Rabbit) Please, please Mr. President, don't let them force universal healthcare on me.

I'm quite happy to spend $$$ in Canada. Idaho? Probably not in my lifetime.

I’m always amazed at what I don’t observe until it’s in my focus. Varied thrushes are quite common up there. Listen to their song on eBird - it includes sound clips, in case you hadn’t noticed before. It’s quite a distinctive call, not really like any other bird in the woods.

We totally support Canada in this stout rebuke to US shenanigans. Washington and Oregon would probably agree to join British Columbia, for that matter. When the idiots who voted for that idiot find out that Canada isn't going to buy their corn or oil or whatever, maybe that will pry open their tiny eyelids a bit. We are finding that only pocketbook issues are going to mayyyyyybbeeee move the needle on the insane spell that's been cast on millions of Americans.

We met Ken and Judy in Portland quite a few years ago, we pored over maps together and are still on their mailing list so we can travel vicariously with them.

We are bringing a lot of Canadian flags. But we hear Americans are bringing these to Europe as well. We may need a supply of NZ flags!

I like your new hairstyle, Dodie!

Yes we are saving a spot down here for you 💕🇳🇿

I read this morning (in the Vancouver Sun) that Trump has begun firing “hundreds of FAA workers”. Yet another reason to not fly through US airports (for those of us who have a choice).

Perhaps we have been unobservant, but this is the first time we have seen it in the 37 years we have been at this farm. Maybe its appearance was a fluke, maybe climate change?

Ah yes, we cleverly hid that in the page "Our Idea of Where to Go in Spain", followed directly by the modification "Punt!"

By the way, we were recently re-reading your Seven Year Itch from March 21, 2024 with the nice shout out sub title "In the footsteps of the Grampies"!

Um, aren’t you forgetting something? You never showed us a map for those first fifty days! What happens before Mallorca?

I love this bird, and especially its haunting call coming from the canopy. Unfortunately we’re a little too far south in Oregon unless you get up into the high country.