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June, Moon, Spoon, Monsoon By Peggy Dover Jun 19, 2022 12:00 AM A A Who knew that every weekend in May and June was slated for rain? Have you noticed Tuesdays have been spectacular? Bright-eyed, sunny and not overly warm. If you planned your wedding reception or grad party or birthday soiree on a Tuesday, you couldn’t miss. My vultures have been home early every weekend in June. They hate how the rain dilutes their dinner plans. As I type, it’s Thursday and the usual weekend crowd is shuffling in. Tomorrow and Saturday are to be cloudy and damp with possible thunderstorms. Now, am I complaining? Not really, no. We need the rain, and I am 100% a Northwest gal. Thank goodness my friends are flexible and always on text at a moment’s notice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to switch plans lately because of the weather. OK, I’ll tell you: three times. Three in the past two weeks, that is. The plan for this week’s column had been to regale you with hilarity borne of a test run into Ashland from Eagle Point via our Rogue Valley Transportation District bus service. This was on tap right before COVID halted everything fun. The bus had just resumed service here, and my grandma (Goby) was a regular rider years ago. I have five free passes. The Fab Five of us (some may remember) had planned to meet at the stop by City Hall in E.P. and have ourselves a high adventure through the valley streets, meet and annoy fellow riders, enjoy lunch in Ashland, mill about, then return home. Two things stopped us. First, it was a Saturday, so rain was forecast and I didn’t wish to subject our hair to drizzle at various bus stops — while not fully in the know about when our next transfer would arrive — and get soaked, although it would have made a good story. Second, it takes two hours and 41 minutes to get from Eagle Point to Ashland on the bus, and none of us wanted to lug our sleeping bags around. I plan to try an abbreviated run, say, to Tinseltown in Medford. Last Sunday I attended what was to be a sunny, smokeless, triple digit-less outdoor celebration at my church, Trail Christian Fellowship, where we as a congregation gave our beloved Dr. Richard Booye, better known as Pastor Rick, a semiretirement party. He’s in transition and gradually turning the reins of senior pastor over to Pastor Travis Connick after 42 years at the helm. Forty-two. After 42 years, you’d think he’d be sick to death of us, but teaching the Bible is what he knows well and loves with all his heart, soul and mind, and it shows. He’s good at it — unpretentious, easy to follow into deep subjects and humorous. Rick will continue to teach and head the Bible department at Pacific Bible College’s new, roomy campus in Medford. But last week’s gathering was a weekend, which meant rain. With nearly a thousand people in attendance and being fed not only spiritually but with actual food — as in chicken and fixings — no building on campus would accommodate the horde. Tables were everywhere, including outside, where the rain held off until the final chicken bone was picked clean. I’ve altered weekend plans twice for an outdoor vulture fly-in birthday party for Lane and his friends. If the weather is inclement, the star attractions may fly in early and give us more to worry about than mere raindrops on our cake and ice cream. But I’m sweeping off the deck and setting out cushions in hopes that all comes off without a drop. Next Saturday, June 25, shows sunshine according to the weather app, but don’t let that stop you from popping into the Medford Barnes & Noble at 2 p.m. for my meet and greet. I plan to talk about my delayed writing journey and read short excerpts from my novel, “Stone Revival.” I’ll be signing copies of both my books and encouraging others not to shelve their dreams. I’d love to meet my column readers. There may be shortbread. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer/author. Reach her at [email protected].