I've always loved some good weather. When I mean good, I mean: interesting, dramatic, and forceful. It is Saturday and the weather report as we approached the weekend called for large amounts of rain. My husband's work day up at the train park was even canceled in anticipation. As we started the day, the rain was slated to come in the afternoon and the blue skies made me optimistic. I even decided to put air in my bike tires and catch the foot ferry to Bremerton. This is actually really impressive because I was completely drained from a week of working, parenting, and being alive. I even considered staying home and gardening instead of being amongst people and sketching. In the end watching a submarine come into the shipyard, visiting with my sketching friends, and enjoying the fresh air on a bike was a good choice. I decided to do a couple quick sketches this time and I put them in this post for you. I recently acquired The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Drewdrop by Tristan Gooley. It brings back a forgotten richness to the human experience. Taking some pointers from the book, I didn't put too much weight in the weather report. So when I got home (and recovered from cycling up 170 feet of elevation gain) I weeded my sunny garden and unloaded a yard of dirt. There was a point in the afternoon when the winds picked up from the south, clouds were looking more serious, and it rained some. The low pressure system did indeed move west across the Puget Sound. None of it slowed me down too much though. I hope that the more I read of this book, the more I'll understand my local weather patterns and how they actually impact my life. Sisterdale - 36.28 milesI had a fitful night dreaming that the Germans had occupied the states. We were held down ladders in compounds where we were supposed to be happy. They pretended nothing was wrong. Ah! but I knew better. At one point I was wandering around a market on a cell phone trying to get a hold of the underground while feeling like I was being watched. Maybe not the most pleasant way to start the day...
Then I talked with Lesa, the church secretary. She was surprised to see me. She let me check my email and blog. I'm still thrown off by the daylight savings change and I didn't leave town until around noon. Course I made a stop at a doughnut shop to get coffee and an apple fritter. That's fruit. It's good for you. I took my bi-monthly stab at a crossword that I wouldn't finish and avoided the sections of the paper that revolve around crime, war, and sports. So I really only worked on the puzzles and checked the weather. The low pressure system is in town and it's a thundering again tonight. After yesterday's rains the Guadeloupe is swollen. Two of my crossings were barricaded. I went anyway. The first was under a couple inches at the most. The second was more like 6 inches, but it wasn't moving. I was already wet. Then Ann and Nancy were walking picking up trash. What they didn't know when they started out was that they were picking me up too. They live east of Waring on a one lane road. They made fish they caught on the coast. A bunch of their family lives around here but they live elsewhere most of the time. This is a shared family vacation home. 3:45:27 time - 9.6 ave - 28.3 max - 1546.5 odo
0 Comments
In a previous life, I was a singer songwriter and I worked the open mic circuit in Sitka. I even once opened for Sean Hayes. I know. You're impressed. Well my poem about rain that you can read below reminded me that I wrote a song in 2005 called The Rain. Writing songs is not really a part of my life anymore. All that youthful angst that fueled my writing is gone... I imagine that I could find inspiration for songs still. I could write one about the school's struggle to effectively communicate parking/student pick up. Would you want to hear that? Kerrville - 46.19 mile
Just because the time "sprang" forward an hour doesn't mean I lost any sleep. Since Jon went ahead, I've lost most of my traditional sense of time. I wake up when I want to or when I hear rain on my tent and wonder if everything is tucked under far enough. I walked over to see the triathletes of Austin. They greeted me with shaven legs, Ironman tattoos, and coffee. This was excellent coffee made by a marine transportation major. I didn't know such a thing existed. In the daylight I had to relearn what they all looked like without the cloak of darkness and beer. Johnny fed me and sent me off with plenty of accelerade packets and his office machine company card. Everyone has a day job.
droplets dribble on my nose the road becomes a reflective pool I love it when it rains layers soaked through and through familiar squish between my toes I love it when it rains babble begins to ice the street riding against a river I love it when it rains a crying out within the dank shivers flash lightning against the wall I love it when it stops I'm at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. I'm inside eating freshly baked peanut butter cookies and lean cuisine, listening to the rain. I'm glad I'm sheltered, considering the thunder and lightening that's picked up. My clothes are slowly drying on chairs here in the parlour. I've never known a church with a parlour. I'm not sure if I've been in a parlour. Instructed to keep the lights low so I wouldn't attract the police's attention, I'm sleeping on the couch. Perhaps the most adventurous part of this trip is never knowing where I'm going to sleep. 9.6 ave - 32.8 max - 1510.2 odo - 4:45:43 time On my way to the Lost Maples State Natural Area I met a ton of triathletes just out riding the hills for fun. One such cyclist was Oscar Lainez who was later one of my hosts in Austin. I recall that it was nice being around people who shared an interest in cycling... but overall touring cyclist and racing cyclists have about as much in common has runners and through-hikers. Lost Maples State Natural Area - 20.21 milesI woke late today because I'd been up late uploading pictures. But it needed to be done. I ate my leftover pizza and rolled on down RR337. It wasn't long before I saw cyclists. Then there were more. One, Oscar, stopped to tell me that they were all from Austin and staying at Lost Maples. One motorcyclist flipped his visor sheild open to tell me that I was cheating. It was good humored, but sometimes motorcyclists need to shut up. I was walking my bike up the hillls. They call it hill country for a reason and it is extremely beautiful. Course the only pictures I took today were of a cave like formation on the edge of the road. I made it to Lost Maples and they were booked up. But I asked anyway and then lingered. Something opened up and by four I was hitting the showers. The humidity has increased. Then I napped. I was tired. THe twenty miles really took it out of me. At 7 I rose to see if I could find the group of 30 cyclists... how could they hide really? There they were, all skinny, making fun of the skinny guy. They were primarily triathletes. They do Iron Mans and things like that. One also liked to throw beers. The one that bounced off me as I noted I was heading off to bed, burst into a fizzy mess. I was amused. He was Candadian.
8.0 ave - 44.3 max - 1463.7 odo - 2:30:56 time Reminded of the great memorization efforts I made in the hill country, I decided to to a bit of copywork. Copywork and memorization are great ways to get to know a poem better. I've had a giant book of unread Wendell Berry poems sitting on my shelf for a couple years. So lots of great material to work through. But tonight I decided to work on Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken that I referenced in the blog post below 15 years ago. Reading it again now... I would guess that it is set in the fall because he references "a yellow wood" and then later "In leaves no step had trodden black." Traveling alone by foot with winter fast approaching makes me think of this poem differently. The choice of the road seems to carry more weight. In advance of my bike tour I'd printed off a couple poems suggested by my english professor (if I correctly recall). I trimmed them up nicely eventually I pulled them out as a welcome distraction. This copywork provides a similar relaxing distraction only made better by a lovely journal that lays flat nicely and smoothly writing pen. Sailor 1911L Wicked Witch of the West Fountain Pen Broad Nib Diamine Seasons Greetings Ink Life Noble Note Ruled A5 N39 Japanese Journal Originally Posted March 09, 2007 Leakey - 41.24 miles
I began to memorize some Frost today. If you're traveling alone, you really need something like that to keep you sane. Otherwise I think about things that I shouldn't. Love, for example... Trust me, love is something that can make you crazy when you haven't spoken with anyone in the last 6 hours. The best you've gotten is a head nod or a steering wheel wave. But at least I can no longer call the countryside barren or endearing. Cedar bushes are prevalent and sucking up the ranchers' water. But in case you were ever going to ask, the descents are worth the climb. Those fleeting moments down curvy chutes are worth every minute spent going 2.5 mph walking my bike up the other side. And I take pictures. That breaks things up. I eat carrots too. If you want your faith in humankind restored, just take a bicycle trip. The hospitality I have been given tonight is characteristic of everyone I've met. I was eating my ice cream cone: waffle, one scoop mint chip, one scoop cookie dough. The First Baptist Church van drove by twice. Mark waved both times. So I rode to the church and inquired about their lawn. Would they let me inhabit a corner? Fist there was strawberry cake from the day care... turned my lips purple. I'm sleeping on the couch in the office after showering and eating at Vinny's. It's an excellent Italian place. For some reason people don't want me to eat peanut butter and jelly. Who wants to eat that and canned fruit all the time anyway?
9.1 ave - 32.7 max - 1443.5 odo - 4:31:45 time This flood gauge was an indicator that I was moving out of arid West Texas and moving into Texas Hill Country. This marks what was a gradual transition on the trip from dry to wet. Texas Hill Country is a bit of a tourist area and a favorite spot for cyclists wanting to push themselves. I can remember pushing my bike up hills the first few days, but this is the only other area that I found myself hoofing it up the hills. Jct CR334 and 55 - 32.10 miles
Don't laugh.
Don't point. Don't tell and no pictures. Those were my instructions regarding nudity and the hot tub. After fixing two flats this morning from yesterday's ramble through the woods, the wine and the water are a welcome sight. Here at Lazy Laguna Lodge, your room includes a tour of the pecan grove, the river, and the pig a neighbor just shot. They weren't expecting me, but then the map had a B+B marked at the intersection with 55. I had to investigate. There wasn't a sign, but David drove up and filled me in. They only really cater to the cyclists who use the ACA maps. It's the only place they advertise... wouldn't want too much business here. The ranch I'd been riding past and took pictures of is theirs. They knew exactly which bush had the pink flowers. I didn't quite make it to Camp Wood, but the smoked BBQ beef and chicken was phenomenal and you just cant pass up an authentic rifle toting ride around a ranch on a Ranger (suped up golf cart). 8.8 ave - 22.3 max - 1402.2 odo - 3:38:47 time eating canned peaches I wrote this little poem to go with my post from 15 years ago. That post is about my first day touring by myself. These days I am aware that I am more introvert than extrovert. So it is no surprise that I seemed rested, happy, and writing poems on my way to Brackettville. While Jon was a wonderful traveling companion, I found it stressful traveling with another person (any other person). Group decision making has never and will never be my favorite thing. And there were a lot of decisions to make all day, every day on a trip like this. Brackettville - 35.33 milesbead board bathroom
Ramada bottles cap on a string office shower ring I took two showers today. I feel spoiled. I drank my paper towel filtered coffee, it was ginger nut good. Ann read about the other side of George Washington as I packed. As I put on my sunscreen, I really wondered who would be the next Australian top model. It was more amusing than learning about the woman who brought plastic surgery out of the closet. The day was warm as I pedaled past Laughlin Air Force base. I read the four historical markers while eating canned peaches. Jet engines ripped apart the sky above. I thought the silence might never heal. But here I sit next to a fire nestled amongst trees at Fort Clark Springs. Sean, Sue, and Linda found me at the post office. They have permanent lots for RV's here where turkeys and deer run rampant. Harley Davidson, a year old terrier, rambled around on rope, while Linda and Sean fed me spaghetti cooked on a Coleman. They like to eat out as much as possible. When turkeys weren't lurking a few feet away, there were white tails crossing the street or cardinals sitting in the tree. At six, the women of the RV circular go walking round and round. I met Mary. But most went out to eat for the night. Susan and Stan let me check my email, while half the residents gathered in cheap lawn chairs around a bustling fire. The group eventually fizzled out with the fire after exchanging news of the day. One man piped,"you're lucky you met me." Linda warned me not to be concerned about the sounds of deer and armadillo in the night and went off to bed. 9.2 ave - 1370.1 odo - 3:49:31 time 15 years ago my host was sweet and well meaning. I've fallen into this habit many a time myself where I care too much on someone else's behalf. I try to catch myself before I have too many feelings. I hate to put someone in an awkward position of not wanting the wonderful help and guidance I am giving them... because I know everything... right? Del Rio: a day of rest - 0 milesI started my rest day in Del Rio with a navel orange and cream cheese bagel. Ann took me over to the high school. She felt very assured that this would be easy. Sitting in the HR office picking at the paperwork, I would disagree. Perhaps I did it to humor my host. I didn't even have all the information I needed. We came back to the apartment and I sank into the couch. I watch Gilmore Girls while Ann napped. I think it was the episode where Rori has an affair with a married man then leaves for Europe with her grandmother. Ann woke and walked to work for four hours tutoring fourth graders. I made phone calls, went to the library, and generally relaxed. I told Ann that I'd be leaving in the morning. She seemed to think I should still apply. She left for the library and came back with a copy of the FAFSA and a road trip guide to dining. She's not insistent at all... You can't fault her for being encouraging. We made elbow noodles, venison patties, and corn for dinner. It was Worcestershire good.
Last night, as I've gotten in the habit of doing, I sent the pictures I was going to use as reference photos to my iPad. I went out to my art desk and grabbed a snack of cottage cheese and spritzed my palette. I was looking at the thorns in the pictures. Those could be interesting to paint... but it is 10pm on a Friday night and I'd like to go to bed. The thorns will take too long. So I looked back at my hand holding the tub of cottage cheese. Small curd. My words came back to me and I decided to do a quick sketch of the cottage cheese tub. Now I will forever associate cottage cheese with the moment Jon and I split ways. I stayed with Ann in Del Rio for a day of rest and he continued east. I pursued internet access while Jon dialed Australia. I came out to eat my cottage cheese. Amongst the small curds, there was Ann. Ann teaches in the school district here and invited me to stay at her apartment. She went about her business inside. Jon was unfortunately distraught about something back home and I told him I'd be staying with Ann. I took the opportunity to split ways. Del Rio - 33.78 miles
I keep forgetting to write about the man I met who worked at the Marathon Coffee Shop. He is related to Bill Wyant who is in the administration of the South Kitsap School District(the district I grew up in). He is also related to Mike Wyant who was in band. I can't quite peg him but I have my suspicions. The muffins were wonderful at the cafe. I packed up this morning with the intention of eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich today. After passing over the Amistad Reservoir and stopping at Lakeside Sports to have a clinking checked out, I bought the ingredients. H.E.B. is the name of the non-Walmart option in Del Rio. Apparently they are all over Texas. Next stop: public library Internet access. But let me back track. We met Joe at breakfast. Joe is an Oregonian riding from Phoenix to Austin. We chatted with him over mini-pies and rolled all the way to Del Rio with him. While I was getting my clink checked out, (nice folks at the bike shop by the way) Joe moved on to the library. By the time Jon and I caught up, he was gone. I pursued internet access while Jon dialed Australia. I came out to eat my cottage cheese. Amongst the small curds, there was Ann. Ann teaches in the school district here and invited me to stay at her apartment. She went about her business inside. Jon was unfortunately distraught about something back home and I told him I'd be staying with Ann. I took the opportunity to split ways. We hugged and promised to swap pictures when we had the chance. I tried to send him off in the direction of Brackettville. Then there was one. Ann noted that there was a shortage of math teachers here. They need subs. So tomorrow I'll go down to the high school and see if this is true. We walked through the historic part of town to the Episcopal church for the monthly women's dinner. Good ladies. Good lasagna and chocolate cake. Ann took me to do laundry at her Lonnie's apartment. With the load washing, we went to a friends house on the reservoir. She's a quilter. The Russian woman had an impressive studio. It included an excellent selection of quilts and a quilting machine. It was time for her to head to bed and time for the clothes to go in the dryer. I sat "reading" a German yachting magazine while my zippers clinked around the barrel. Now to sleep on the hide-a-bed. 10.2 Ave - 24.8 max - 1334.8 odo - 3:17:42 time I suspect the goats I saw 15 years ago were Boer Goats, but I don't know my goats. Comstock - 30.82 milesThe local mechanic/beer fan picked up the phone and asked, "what are you wearing?" I think he was talking to a friend because now they're talking about boat motors. Plus on speakerphone he/she didn't sound too feminine. To be fair he likes to fish. His buddy, Martin, calls again.
"What are you wearing now?" "Purple." This is Comstock. We're staying on the lawn of the baptist church. The neighborhood is quiet and the birds sing. Country music plays on the TV. The church is currently without Pastor. the canyon at my back touching through the tint rainbow reflected in reflector beautiful blackness up between the pebbles like lint between my toes smooth surface 1301.0 odo - 9.3 ave - 27.7 max - 3:17:55 time I saw the picture I took of the cut outs on the way to Langtry, TX and it reminded me of a verse I'd read recently during Advent. I googled and the clicky box produced some results from Isaiah 40: 3-5. A voice cries out: The way we have shaped our landscape and built infrastructure to make it easier to cross vast deserts and climb jagged mountains is impressive. Without this work done preparing the way, I wouldn't have crossed the country. I don't feel that this is one of those Bible passages meant to be taken literally and I am not the Lord. So the preparation wasn't done specifically for me. However, the Lord works through us. What good came out of my journey? I wasn't riding for a cause. Did it prepare me for the life ahead of me? At the conclusion of my bike tour I did have a summer job waiting for me, but that came and went. My college closed abruptly and still greiving, I cycled off into a recession. I found the jobs that I could find. I didn't feel that the bike tour had really prepared me. I floundered. What was the point? After 15 years of reflection, I found that the way I had to depend on strangers brought my faith in humanity to a new level. Coming up in the blog you'll see so many more times when people I didn't know took me in, took me to the doctor, and even baked me birthday cakes. Back in the real world I've gradually lost some of that faith and trust. What I see comes through the filter of the media, my relationships, and the drudge of daily life. The worries easily overwhelm the faith. Our borders aren't safe. Our schools aren't safe. Dictators are trying to take over the world. Will I ever be able to retire? Is the world scarier than it was 15 years ago? Or do I just know too much? How can we shape the landscape of our hearts? Lift the valleys. Lower the mountains. Flatten the ground. Restore our faith in humanity. Langtry - 61.70 milesWe stopped in Dryden. It really was the only place to stop on our ride today. We watched the end of the man from snowy river with the man who ran the lone shop. I ate canned peaces and drank hot coffee. It was a welcome escape from the cold wind. It was the second movie of the day following Monster-In-Law that we'd seen on HBO at the hotel. We made it to Langtry after the "town" had closed down. We'd been delayed with another bloody nose. After about a week, I won't have one for several months. We found the community center where the map indicated we could camp. We chatted with the few RVers before setting up camp. I ate my cheese, tortillas, summer sausage, and zucchini, while Jon struggled to put together his old whisperlite. It was pre-shaker jet and the gas started to come in bursts. I decided to go visit some of the nice RVers and get out of the cold. The airstream had a commercial fisherman from the Bering Sea and Idaho. He traveled alone and he took time to form his sentences. It was refreshing for there to be silence between words. I met Ross out having a smoke. He invited me in and I chatted with him and Nadine. They are Canadian with adventurous children. After treating me to tea and cookies, they offered me their couch. I quickly accepted and here I am. It will probably only be down in the 30's, but I will be warm. Jon was typing in his tent when I went out to tell him. He seemed cozy with the Rio Grande a few hundred yards away. 1270.2 odo - 5:26:05 time - 11.3 ave - 36.7 max What provokes people to pack up and ride their bike across the country? The reasons are insanely varied. I thought I'd see why Missy and Shane did it, but their www.missyandshane.com is a dead link. Their business card is taped to my journal and it says: The All Around US Tour Sanderson - 55.16 miles
I forgot to mention that we saw a hanged chicken on the road from Kent. Pictures will follow. The night was cold. It appeared that I kept a continuous stream of thoughts while my water froze outside. Jon had a similar night of sleep and decided not to wake me as he packed up fro the Marathon Coffee Shop. I slowly gathered my wits and met up for a warm homemade blueberry muffin and coffee. The only two coffee shops on the trip that serve fair-trade organic beans are within 50 miles of each other. Now we're in Sanderson watching the Jesus tomb saga. Coming back from dinner I informed Jon that the rants about tips are quite annoying but months from now I'll reminisce about it. We met three other tourists heading to Alpine. They gave me their card. Names: Missy, Shane, and Cheney. I had my second bloody nose. The first was at a bakery in Fort Davis. The repeat of my uncontrollable and seemingly everlasting nose trauma came while riding just a few miles from Sanderson. Jon asked if I had a mouse in my nose. Today also held peccary, deer, cattle, and a fox. It was a relatively uneventful, but good day. 11.7 av - 30.1 max - 1208.5 odo - 4:41:10 time I was in Alpine, Texas for less than 24 hours and it really left an impression on me. It had good coffee, a small town feel, and a pair of raku kilns. It was a town I wanted to be in... if I wanted to move to Texas. At that time I really thought that I might become a grad student at Sul Ross. What we want evolves... but I never did go back to school. Marathon - 34.21 milesToday was a good day. This is not to suggest that other days are bad. I woke up and took a walk back to the library. I took a look at a few more things and did a bit of typing. Then I moved to La Trattoria. This is the first cafe I've been to on the trip that served organic fair trade coffee. I was excited. I ate a locally baked foccacia veggi sandwich with my coffee while I chatted with Molly. Molly is a grad student in the geology program at Sul Ross State University. It was just up the hill. Through conversation, I learned that they have an Masters of Art program and ceramics. At 11:30 I decided I should visit this place since I was already there. Jon and I packed up the bikes, went to the bank, and the grocery store. We saw Dom, who was down on his luck and just came from the doctors with his kids. Moving to check out I saw the bike show man again. He was at Blues last night. I chatted some more and he checked out our rigs. I rode up the hill to the university in the hopes that someone might be able to show me around in the 45 minutes I had before I was meeting Jon at an Inn down the road. Someone from the admissions office took me up to see Jim Bob the ceramics guy. They've got a nice set up and a pair of Raku kilns. It was weird being called a potential grad student. But I like the town. It is like the Sitka of Texas if I ever feel like moving to Texas. At 2:45 we rolled out of town. For 2 hours the wind was mostly at our backs on the downhill. We made the miles to Marathon quickly. Stopping for supplies, I was now well prepared for a humus-cheese-bagel-carrot meal at the Marathon Motel and RV Park. I took a shower in one of the nicest bathrooms on the trip and joined the gathering around the fire. A couple of the RVers busted out the guitar. There was singing. For a treat, they even let me play a song. Jon seemed surprised. I haven't had much chance to sing yet on the trip. Now to sleep in my anti-tent which is set up for the first time with just the rainfly and ground sheet. 12.0 ave - 28.9 max - 1153.1 odo - 2:50:59 time
Originally Posted February 28, 2007 Alpine - 29.51 milesHow do I explain the day's events? We're staying in an under-construction adobe because of Dr. Bronners. At the Alpine Library I overheard that the Agave Natural Foods was having their grand opening even though it had been in business for three years. I inquired, because I needed a refil on my soap.
"What kind?" she asked. "Dr. Bronners." "Peppermint?" "Yes actually. I use it to brush my teeth and wash my hair." "Well I have a bunch do you want some?" "If it's no trouble." She went off and returned 45 minutes later with her quarter full gallon jug. She filled up my bottle and somehow she offered to let us stay at the adobe. No showers, but it has a toilet and a wood floor. She, Tanya, was at the library with her brother, Dominique, and after we had settled our business on the internet, he showed us the way to the adobe.We followed him and his wee daughter, Lila, carrying a stuffed cheetah she nearly forgot in the library, in their jeep. Lila was from his second marriage. Later we all went to Blues (minus the children). It was while I was playing pool with Dominique that I asked him why he went through wives like most people go through cars. Good conversation followed and I kept losing even though Dom wasn't much more skilled than I. The happy birthday song played and we decided it was time to head to bed. We've been feeling a little sleep deprived. Tanya pointed us in the direction of home. This meant climbing down under the train tressle. A locomotive was stopped on the tracks and would be for hours as border control checked its contents. 10.0 ave - 42.2 max - 1118.9 odo - 2:57:00 time It was the middle of nowhere West Texas and we hitched a ride skipping 20 miles and at least 1000 feet elevation gain. Do I feel less like I rode my bicycle across the country? No. Should I? Maybe. Do I care? Nope. Originally Posted February 27, 2007
Fort Davis- Davis Mountains SP - 32.59 milesToday happened so fast and I felt tired the whole time. Morning came too early in the dilapidated shed after a fitful night of sleep. Something ran across Jon's sleeping bag. We left Kent after inquiring about its lack of inhabitants. In the process I met the one resident. I thought his house was abandoned. Then we stared towards the observatory. Against the wind with 2000+ feet to climb, we moved at about 6 mph. We came across a man from Dallas hunting for some sort of ship temporary separated from his partner. Since El Paso, he probably was the first really friendly person we chatted with. Everyone seems hesitant. A few hours after deciding we would like to hitch a ride, someone actually came along that could pick us up. Johnny has three kids and was heading to the observatory to pick up payment for some cafeteria machinery. I felt like I was on the top of the world and we got there so quickly. We cheated 20 miles. I slowly became disillusioned with the "star party " and we decided to descend to camp. In the restaurant I told Jon to stop telling me to get a spare tire. In exchange he can leave me in the dust if one of my new tires blows. 8.0 ave - 37.2 max - 1089.4 odo - 4:01:57 time - 20 mile cheat I took a course in college that included a survival overnight. We layered up our clothes and built shelters to sleep in. Southeast Alaska was cold, wet, and on the edge of snow much like it is right now in Western Washington. Despite the thick layer of soft hemlock boughs beneath us, we were still cold and struggled to sleep. I remember walking up and down the forest service road to keep warm shrouded in a plastic bag. Then we’d be too tired so we’d lay down and sleep. Then we’d get cold and start walking again. We went on like that for a while. Our instructor ended the exercise in the middle of the night and took us back to school. They weren’t trying to torture us and we’d had an effective enough learning experience. On my bike tour there were several nights like the one in Kent where the accommodations were less than savory. There were times we didn’t get good sleep. Certainly there have been times as a parent that sleep has evaded me. But these have just been moments, not a way of life. Nights like tonight I think of the people in our backyard that are pacing the path half asleep half awake trying to stay warm. The lack of sleep will make it hard to think clearly in the morning. Anyone would struggle to put their best foot forward. The exercise in the woods was meant to teach us to survive in the wilderness, but perhaps it taught me something else as well. Originally Posted February 26, 2007
Kent - 39.64 milesJon is already trying to sleep. Yesterday at this time we were just getting to Van Horn. We left at about noon after stopping at the hardware store. Jon did something and I got pipe insulation for my handlebars. They are quite cushy now. The man who I would guess owned the shop had an impaired walk and a drop clung to the tip of his nose. I bet he has a story. We stopped at a truck stop restaurant for lunch. Grilled cheese and blackberry cobbler a la mode... The waitress had a cast on her arm and she was out of lemonade. I picked up some more postcards in Kent, but there isn't anything here. Less than 20 years ago the last folks left. There's a squatter in the shell of a school. The post office is padlocked. There are turds all over the floor of the house we're at. I preferred the lean-to. The glass is minimal and effectively blocks the wind. 12.4 ave - 36.2 max - 1056.8 odo - 3:11:02 time The paint set on my desk includes 28 different paints. I've found that I like my paintings more when I use a limited palette of just 3 or 4. The colors coordinate with each other better and I'm not overwhelmed with color choices. When I have just 4 paints, I have to rely heavily on mixing. Mixing actually gets me way more then 28 different colors. So I've decided to practice with just these 4 paints from Daniel Smith for a while. I'll fill up some full pans to put in my urban sketching kit and I'll even have the chance to pre-mix a couple of colors in the pan. I'm thinking I'll try pre-mixing a green and a grey. That should save me some time when I am out and about. French Ultramarine |
Averaging fifteen miles per hour, the fact that we didn't leave until noon didn't pose a problem. We loaded up on pecan cinnamon rolls and welcomed the press on our backs. Stopping was the only time the wind chilled us. Once we started moving, the wind disappeared. Logically it makes sense but it was a weird sensation. We made the 60 miles by 4:30. We stopped in at the library. I blogged while Jon busied himself outside. I tapped him out and called home for the weather report. The 29 degrees overnight didn't sound exciting so we investigated the Economy Inn. Ironically, the heat didn't work. Jon compromised and we went to Pizza Slut. We ordered a large deep dish supreme. He punctuated his sentences with his straw hitting the ice in his root beer. He thought it would be a ginger brew. Ginger is a root. Root beer always gives him a chuckle because root means something different in Australia. "Isn't all beer root beer?"
776 ODO - 4:12:27 TIME - 15 ave - 25.4 max |
The clouds on the way to Lordsburg were some happy clouds. I love me some good clouds. So it was high time that I have some fun painting them. First I put down some water on the paper where I wanted there to be blue sky (wet on wet) and put down some fountain pen ink with a brush. Then I added the gray undersides of the clouds and the land with watercolors. While it was still a bit wet, I added in some black lines with a fountain pen. |
Lordsburg - 58.02 miles
30.8 max - 9.7 avg - 711.8 ODO - 5:58:02 time
I was just coming off completing a degree in Outdoor Leadership when I took this trip. Something that was seriously drilled into our heads was that cotton kills. In Southeast Alaska, where I studied, it rains and rains and rains. Cotton provides zero insulation when wet. Even without precipitation, perspiration can cause problems that lead to hypothermia. For this bike trip, I primarily wore synthetics designed for the outdoors. They wicked moisture, kept me warm, and were moderately stylish. If I were to do this trip again, I would go wool. Wool has gotten popular lately and it just doesn't hold on to a body's stink like synthetics do. It also still insulates pretty well when wet. Cotton also does a good job with the smells, but I still like to be alive. |
Three Way - 34.79 miles
4:04:13 time - 8.5 avg - 38.4 max - 653.7 ODO
Safford - 10.67 miles
"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing to hard for me?"
But apparently spelling is still beyond their reach.
Thatcher - 75.21 miles
11.8 average - 608 ODO - 34.9 max - 6:20:43 time
Categories
All
Bike Tour
Calendar
Character Work
Creative Practice
Free Stuff
Interviews
My Tools
Photography
Products
Recipes
Reviews
Sketching
Tic Tac Toe
Vlog
Archives
March 2024
January 2024
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021