Today after bfast I drove down the road to talk about a mother in law house. Score! The road community lives. I have a bed to sleep in while still out in the north end. Might even bring my saved rocker down for the porch. Back in ’90 friends back in the Puget Sound threw a going away party during which they gave me a rocking chair. I said I didn’t need one but they said I could start out practicing. The chair has followed me around and was saved after I left my house. I heard a  song lyric, ” Rocking chair don’t scare me as much as it used to.” OK, I will just practice a little bit. Friend Les, an engineer called me w/ a possible bed raising solution. I think he is on to something. If his works then I will be back on the road but not bike riding.

My former house:

Friend Don said that this down time might allow me to reinvent myself. I rekindled my desire to travel the Marine Highway ( read ferry) on the inside passage. My plan would be sail during the day for the sights and sleep ashore in the dark, board another boat during the day and repeat as needed to get to somewhere north and back. This could be way cool. Except I can’t take pics one handed.

Later I road the High Drive bluffs. I saw the car hood jump that took friend Tom out. The hood has play in the compression which maybe throws off the launch. I only looked. The jump is known in the medical community.

Still learning how to attach images. Done figuring out today.

Off to the Elk for beer and dinner.

Sat. I headed over to Coeur d’Alene to ride the name sake, one of my favorite trails. I  stopped @ Vertical Earth to visit w/ owner, Mike, who wasn’t there. Last year he won the Cream Puff down in Oakridge. I continued E on  I90 to Wolf Lodge on the east side of the lake. The road hugs the lake shore as it ducks into Beauty Bay and Beauty Creek where I am headed. Beauty Creek road is pot holed in the pavement, must have been a bodacious amount of timber harvested to justify paving a logging road. I parked under a cedar tree about 2 miles up the creek. Trail 257 leaves the road about 1/2 uphill which makes a nice warm up b4 the start of the grunt climb. The trail is closed to motorized vehicles, almost all the closed to motorized signs have been destroyed. Still at least 1 dirt bike poached the trails. Trail 257 climbs up to join a logging road as a splice to reconnect w/ the trail which then drops down to join trail 227 to climb back out. Last year on my ride I held my nose as I coasted by a dead moose almost on the trail. This time I looked for the skeleton amid the fire blackened stumps. I found it. I was amazed as there were still several scattered tufts of hide. The skeleton had not been moved. I placed the skull and lower jaw bone on a stump for show. Down low the area was prime chantrelle growing. Today I found 3 small ones, not enough to pick and fix for dinner. The climb out is mostly hike a bike. I made it out. Part of the trail is an overgrown logging road that has been brushed open. This trail joins 257 for the final descent. Tim showed me riding the loop this way as it makes for one long gravity assisted finish.

At the bottom of the trail where it ends back on the road I heard women’s voices. Two rigs w/ bikes were parked just uphill. I turned downhill back to my van arriving b4 they did, the joy of a bicycle to snake around the potholes. Both rigs stopped to lok @ my van and talk to me. We had a hoot telling stories. The 3 women threw off husbands and kids to go mtn biking… and drinking beer afterwards.

I drove back into Cd’A to Moontime, a sister restaurant to The Elk here in Spokane for dinner. I watched some college football then left for a shower @ Anytime. Unfortunately my pass card is still not recognized but I convinced a woman to open the door for me. Great to wash off the sweat from the ride. Clean I drove down to Capones in Post Falls to watch the end of the ND Michigan game and some of the Cougars.

On Fri Cal lined up a ride for today @ Riverside @ 8:30AM. To meet the start time I really had to scoot thru bfast and cleanup and rig the van for driving. I made the park on time, Cal called minutes later saying he was just on his way.  He arrived 20 mins past meet time. Just the 2 of us. I led him on an easy ride, we stopped several times to chat. We used to work together @ Boeing the Triumph. He landed a job back @ Puget Sound Boeing. He wanted an early ride to allow him to take care of some home things then drive back to the Sound.

Cal drove away. I hung for awhile watching road riders doing Pedalfest.

I am working thru installing a picture viewer to share pics, so far, just type. I lost Picasa old version for a photo editor.

Still looking for a place to live, really prolly just a bedroom as my house is on wheels where i have XM and music.

Tomorrow I will turn 64yo.

Great being in a state where possession of small amounts of pot is legal.

Wed was the follow up of the MRI. Bob gave me the news I expected, however, 2 tendons are torn loose not one.  I learned that surgery can tease the detached tendon ends back to the shoulder ball then attached to anchors attached to the bone end. Can be down but requires delicate knot tying skill. Six weeks immobile then 6 weeks of PT to get range of motion back. Surgery is scheduled on the 17th. My primary care DR will work out the details to bridge my anticoagulant meds to support surgery. So, I played and will pay the piper. I never traumatized the joint except for the initial break back in 2010. I am looking for a place to live as my Murphy bed is too heavy to lower and raise w/ 1 arm.

I am still riding and riding well and strong. Yesterday was a 21 mile ramble in Riverside SP down on the Spokane river. Spinning riding but today I tackled the most tech and climbing trails down by 9 Mile, particularly Sharp Stick in the Eye. I first rode this trail back in ’90 when I just moved here and learned its name.

So, if you want to ride w/ me, the 16th will be the last day for quite a while. Jimmie said that rehab might be Sedona time.

Thank y’all for your constructive comments regarding the lost data. Nobody has offered actions to pay the computer person back. Not saying that any of you would act in my behalf if I supplied his name and residence.

Last night a real window shaker T-storm passed over. I listened to the thunder in the distance and watched the sky light up. The sounds grew louder, rain pelted my van, wind shook it, and the lightning lit up the inside. I turned off the lights and music then sat in the driver’s seat and watched the show. I saw 1 lightning bolt. A whole lot of noise then the noise lessened as the storm moved on. Pretty localized. The trails will no longer be dusty. The road apples won’t  be apples any more.

I am looking for USGS map software sim to the Nat Geo Topo! maps. The Nat Geo does not support the EDGE 800. Please share should you have a source.

Daily I have been working computer issues reinstalling programs. Frustrating slow speeds and time required.

High humidity from the rains, my clothes hung to dry in the back of my van are almost molding. The drier I used Thurs imparted fabric freshener into my clothes which I do not like. My sheets stink. I am almost fragrance free.