OMG... am I really home? As I am walking my fine dog, Toby, through the walkway at the San Diego Harbor, I take in the fresh air and awesome beauty around me and I wonder. Had I only known a year ago that I would be here instead of the frigid hell I was residing in then it might have been a little easier to swallow. I thought I was trapped in this little S.E. Oregon city indefinitely. After living in the night of the living dead for several months, we finally came into the light. The best experiences of our entire time spent there, was meeting the three nicest, true blue, tell-it-like-it-is, people that I had ever known. We thought most people from little farm town would be truly friendly. After all the people driving by did always wave to everyone, even strangers. I guess we really were pretty strange to most of them. We were the people from California and we did hear about it. Any questions you had about anything besides The Oregon Trail, was answered , "Well you know this is Vale and we are about 10 yrs. behind." I really didn't mind the slower pace of a so-called 10 yrs. behind but I didn't know they meant light years.
The gossip is so thick and nasty there that people talk about themselves before you hear something through the grapevine. It felt to me like I knew way too many personal habits of the business owners in town. My own sister who was living there was a catalyst to much of the mud singling going on in town. She started slinging her mud at my wife and I, so that several of the village idiots were about to bring fire. She had a lawn problem and wanted to blame us for malicious mischief and destruction of property. The law actually came to our home and requested that we take lie detector tests. An officer told my wife that if she speaks to her then she would be arrested. Who says there are flames in Hell because I can tell you that I have been there and it is called Vale. It gets very cold and windy but the weather is never predictable. Another reason that we knew we were in hell was when I asked my brother what was wrong with my sister. He referred to her as
"THE PHYSCO BEAST FROM HELL".
One of the first nice and warm sunny days we had there only lasted moments then we were pounded with hail the size of baseballs. There are many honest, hard working, lovely people, there I'm sure, I just didn't happen to meet them. I am afraid I never will. As for the fun we did have and the 3 great friends we made, it was just way too late. We did have our share of partying, fishing, camping, 4 wheeling, sightseeing and having some great times with our new friends. We hope to see you guys again.
