I spent 2 weeks on the San Juan Islands. Yesterday I left Quiet slow pace Lopez via a ferry landing on mainland @ Anacortes. What a change: way more people and traffic. Once out of town the speed was 55mph. Holly shit that’s fast. Then came the interstate. What a change. A great place to escape to.

I found a Turner dealer in Bellingham and set the GPS to navigate me there. No bike shop @ that address. I smart phoned bike shops and found them @ another location. Once in their store I asked about Turner bikes: We can get them but none on the floor. I bought the new issue of FreeHub. I mentioned Brandon, the publisher’s name and the sales person said they knew of him. Little did I know why. I turned the pages till I found the article about me. Writer Ben and photo selector Brandon did an excellent job. I want to be me.

I drove away from bike shop attending to numerous purchases needed to resupply. Fuel up, mileage was 18 mph mostly on the islands, propane, & a Carhart jackket, new Soniccare tooth brushes, and software Quicken. My prescription for Warfarin expired requiring the pharmacy to contact DR in Sedona to reissue. Could be a work around.

I called Brandon and we established a rendezvous back @ the bike shop. Turns out his magazine’s office is right in the same parking lot. We enjoyed each other’s company plus Chris, the video guy. He took us to Kulshan brew pub. Great success story of public acceptance of their beer, so much so that they make enough to be canned that we got to watch. A contract company provides the canning process, 3 cans at a batch. Fill process is automated. Brandon sent me off w/ a growler of their beer.

Last night I spent more time w/ Freehub magazine reading articles. For me it is quite something to read about places I have been. This article had an article about Sedona and Dirty Finger in Hood River. The Sedona people will get the issue to read about their effort and see me. What will my home coming be like?

I slept in the bike shop parking lot which is less than 2 miles from the Dodge dealer for my 9:00AM appointment today. Which is where I am. Interesting on board computer data. Appears to be caused by failing battery as the light goes out after a short time which could be explained that the battery is back up to full strength. Possibly caused by all the short start and stops I made in the islands. There is a brake issue also that might manifest itself.

SO, at this point I will prolly hit the road bound for the Olympic Peninsula.

In the island chain serviced by ferry. Lopez it is. No internet coverage other than library. Yesterday I left Friday Harbor on the smaller inter island ferries. Life is less consumer here, there is no hardware store or saw rental shop. Or, favorable beer drinking spot. Roads are less crowded as I experienced on my road ride yesterday. Seems that almost all drivers acknowledge an approaching driver w/ a finger wave from the steering wheel. Great grocery store. I checked in w/ the local bike shop for island info. Only customer. She told me of shower @ a boat shop as the health club Silver Sneakers uses lacks one that I hoped it would have. And of the Galley, a local watering hole. I watched Mon football there, Ravens won the game on last second 61 yard field goal. I checked out the airport and found outside the fence parking that worked for the night.

Of my 3 island visit I choose Orcas and Eastsound as my return to place. I would need to nail down a suitable sleep spot. Abe, the weather never cooperated for me to get to the top of Constitution, either bright, clear, cold, and windy, or warm and fog shroud covered.

Les, I am in the San Juans.

I am leaving Lopez tomorrow for Bellingham and van service on Thurs. May the issue be fixed Thurs then I will start heading south following the sea water. Widbey Island and Deception Pass, a ferry ride to Port Townsend, then around the Olympic Peninsula hugging the shore line all the way to Coos Bay, OR when i will jump inland heading to Death Valley. Sedona is my next stay spot that I will make sometime in January.

Keeping an involved life w/o my main purpose of mountain biking is challenging. I lack the time bite it fulfills. I don’t understand tourism as it is. Why go visit a place and watch and be served by people who are making a go of it and depending upon your contributions? The people you visit w/ during their work, get off work then go about their outside of work life, the one that really defines them. Short duration visits never get to the under belly of the life of the place you are visiting. You meet people and then interact w/ them for such a short while, shallow involvement. So topical. I fell in w/ folks on Orcas, I was asked if I am moving on as I seemed to be from here already.

Yesterday I stopped here @ the library. I saw a guy doing computer work and noticed his right arm in a sling. Ah hah, another shoulder repaired person. We chatted about recovering life and a guy around the corner joined in, both of us failed to see his arm in a sling. The gathering of the repaired.

Yesterday was a nice day for my road ride. So far today low clouds dropping their tidings keeps me indoors. The islands are in the rain shadow of the Olympics which scrape the rain as a result the islands have drought

Sat I rode the ferry over to Friday Harbor which is the bustling commercial center of the islands. Lots of stores. Too busy for my tastes. I found a sports bar for the Gonzaga game for Sat. and Sunday for the Seahawks game. I stayed @ a county XG on the west side of the island, only person there, $25 a night. When the fog lifted I could see lights of Victoria, CA. Several large ocean freighters passed. I could sense the pounding of their powerful engines. Sun I visited the Lime Kiln Lighthouse open house where I performed my usual inquisitiveness asking and learning about killer whales, orcas. A 98% pure limestone deposit was discovered back in early 1900s that was developed, hence its name. The airport was too developed.

Tomas said that the new issue of Freehub is out which includes an article about me. Pick it up. Don’t know what it says. Hi Joe Hazel.

My shoulder is starting to bark about all this typing.

Over.

Weather forecast still wants probability of rain. Yesterday I abandoned a ride for another hike in Moran SP. I hiked from Cascade lake up to Twin Lakes all by myself.

My heart on Sunday started sending me trouble signals. No symptoms of a heart attack, just feeling my heart beat on the surface of my skin. Concerned something was amiss. I cut my hike shorter than planned and drove back towards town to a DR office, part of Island Hospital. Scored a walk in appointment. A nurse triaging me commented on my Pen Again saying that she misses hers. She checked signs to learn if I was having serious heart attack. No she concluded ( and I knew). Medical staff is all dressed in casual street clothes. I returned to my van and retrieved a spare pen and gave it to the nurse. I hinted that it was for painless administration of any medical treatment. She said she would not use the square dull needle. She never touched me again. Another nurse performed an EKG shaving my body hair under the electrodes. She didn’t get bribed. DR was 50ish fit woman w/ incredible hand shake. She checked me over and found just happy path conditions. I worry a bit.

Visited Wildlife bike shop. I met the outgoing park ranger, dismissed from his job because of inability to perform physical tasks as a result of a rotator cuff damage incurred on the job. Face value pretty shitty was the state treated him.

Drank a beer @ local brew pub. Should at least learn its name. Dinner was @ the Kitchen again. Creative food vendor.

Spent night @ airport again.

Today’s forecast was for cloudy and in the low 40s. OK, time to learn if I can lift my bike off the rack. Success. I pedaled from Ship Bay to up into the park. Paved road w/ places of no shoulder. Vehicles were respectful leaving me space. I am able to bend my shoulder allowing me to assume the athletic position going downhill @ 35mph. My knees are barking this evening.

Shower @ Golden Tree hostel, still looking to visit w/ owner Ian who is always away mid afternoon visit time.

On my first day here I figured out a shower and a free place to sleep. And stores & beer. Familiarity breeds contentment. I solved my household chores. I am comfortable. There are 3 other islands to visit before I leave on Wed night. I should check out Friday Harbor.

Another beer then dinner @ Mexican restaurant and sleep @ airport. All within prolly 1.5 miles by road. Eastsound is skrunched against the h20 and very compact. The ranger said about 5,000 people live here year round. A brew pub, a conventional fried food macro beer tavern, a great grocery store, & a bunch of shops. Jaywalking and waiting longer @ the stop signs are the norm.

I ask people if they are locals. Mixed answers as there is no definition or pedigree granted. Some said 15 years. others said if you spend a winter you earned your status. I need a Carhart jacket to blend in better than my Patagonia puffy. The store did not have a medium.