Does that work? Well it will have to do. It’s time for more from the states. I confess that my motivation to write is fairly low at least in part due to contracting covid-19 for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Oregon City

Right at the end of the Oregon Trail lies a quaint city of tree-lined streets and bluffs overlooking Mount Hood. I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time in Oregon City although the last visit was way back in 2013. (You can read more if you look back through the archives of Ordinary Decent Gamer) That last visit was rather gun-filled, and as time has passed my feelings towards personal gun ownership have shifted. The number of mass shooting events in the states is scary and barely a week goes by without another atrocity. The right to bear arms may be fundamentally stitched into the fabric of the nation, but as times change we have to be able to adapt and change with them.

Begone, politics! I hadn’t intended for that to surface, but looking back at past photos just brought back my internal conflict on the matter. I digress. We ended up spending a little time in Oregon City on this trip, and had a wander downtown via the incredible municipal elevator, and explored a few shops in the area. The main commercial area of the city is split level, hence the elevator which you can even bring bicycles in. It’s a unique feature and the only one of it’s kind in the United States, and makes exploration on foot much more pleasant. We called into Black Ink Coffee for a drink and to browse their selection of books and gifts.

Oregon City is a great place to wander around but the hills can be formidable, and having to cart a baby around doesn’t make it any easier. I have vivid memories of struggling up steep hills on the bike I was borrowing at the time. It was much more fun (and somewhat dangerous) going back down. There are some stunning views of Mount Hood and the Willamette river, including Willamette Falls with the formidable paper mill which is still in operation after over 100 years of service. The city also offers some interesting architecture with a number of historic homes. It’s worth a look if you’re in the area.

The Rest

Despite being stuck at home, I haven’t been doing much gaming. No, really. Breath of the Wild has surfaced on several occasions and we’ve started back into a long forgotten save of the Last of Us Part 2, but otherwise I haven’t felt well enough to tackle anything as punishing as Elden Ring. I have been doing more reading than gaming, finishing off “Jeeves & the Yule-Tide Spirit” (P.G. Wodehouse) and starting into “the House in the Cerulean Sea” (T J Klune) which was leant to me by a friend and is proving to be an enjoyable and uplifting read. As for the former, I thoroughly enjoy the Jeeves & Wooster TV series and the book is plenty of fun too.