On 5/7/2008 9:46 AM Don Hanson wrote:

>   Yeah, Mike...'you shoulda been here yesterday'...  I think I saw  "Bend,
> Or. Pop. 370,000" last time through there.
>

Yeah, yeah, always too late, too little. I think you inflated that
population number in your head, the sign now says something like 78,000
people. Wikipedia sez, "The population was 52,029 at the 2000 census,
though it has grown to over 77,780 as of 2007," which agrees with my
puny memory.

Bend today may suck compared with Bend of yesteryear, but trust me on
this: Bend today appeals to me far more than does today's SoCal. 78,000
folks is Tinkertoys compared with the endless, borderless SoCal sprawl
of pink stucco houses and minimalls simmering under the hot sun. We
found a thriving classical music scene, good restaurants, excellent
brewpubs, access to great wines, a walkable downtown, and many parks. We
work out of the house, and plan to live on the westside so we will
neither contribute to nor suffer from commuting woes. We'll hire two or
three Bendites and give to the local economy. Mrs Squirrel involves
herself in charity everywhere she goes. I'm not saying that I'm
particularly easy on the eyes, but we will endeavor to do as little
damage as we can to the local scene.

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR