Mosquitoes abated awhile after dark. I have sort of loosely attached netting to my side door and driver’s window, They are persistent and work around edges and stick my flesh. I drove a couple hundred feet out into p pine forest and away from creek, and into Bob Edwards show. No mosq’s. Thought it was because of dry forest.
Today is to find a laundromat in La Pine and buy a few more groceries before dropping into deep woods of Umpqua. Laudromat was a christian establishment. Didn’t have to recite scripture for a washer. Fist one I have been in that was so out.
Mail has been sent to Bend just 34 miles up rt 97. In it is the warranty replacement for the battery charger for my electronics. I need to return the $151 one I bought by 7/22. I decided to drive to Bend and do business. I picked mail from post office sent general delivery from my mail forwarding service, Earth Class Mail. I found a Radio Shack just down the road and pulled in. I walked in. Salesman asked how he could help me. I said I needed to return the charger. He said, sure, you have the credit card used for the purchase. Yes I did. No questions, no balk, just credit on my card. Shopped REI for solar shower replacement; 4 gallon capacity. Picked up brake pads from Sunshine and new issue of Bikemag. My letter to editor didn’t make it.
Headed out of town . Saw a Fitness Anytime club near laundromat earlier. Stopped in to buy a shower. Young woman manager let me shower for free. I was caught flat footed from her offer. Usually it is a sell or dicker and why I want one is never an issue to get a shower. Clean body & clothes.
Hit rt 138 heading straight line due west to climb up out of desert. I stopped below and to east of Diamond lake in a lodgepole forest hoping mosq’s will be somewhere else. I was fine until twilight since then I have been ravaged. They get around edges of netting. They are stacked on roof. I am squishing them on the curtain above the table. It is splotched w/ my blood. Some drop onto key board. XM radio covers up sound of beating wings. I have splashes of dried blood on my clean skin.
Tomorrow starts the Umpqua trail for maybe 5 days. It is maybe 65 rideable miles that I am doing as out & back or looping back on either rt 138 paved or logging roads. Back to Toketee where I used to work. Dread & Terror is 13 miles long, deep in roadless canyon. mosq’s up high and poison oak down low.