No water dripped around the fan, the water I felt was from what clung to the screen while the lid was open. No leaks. Quite a series of t storms lighting the sky and rain pounding on the roof. I waited a little bit Friday AM to allow the ground to dry out. I made it out OK but made tracks. I saw a guy who was parked at the first right studying the mud wash he would have to drive across in his small car. I saw him later sporting globs of mud under his bumper and a splatter over it. Must have hit it hard. The spot I like sheds water the best.

Drove up to Flag. I bought a small duffel bag for carry on luggage and a Patagonia shirt @ REI. I connected w/ Danny telling him I will fix dinner. I shopped Whole Foods to made a Thai chicken curry dish and my waldorf salad. I drove up Schultz creek road to Sunset that Danny recommended for camping. The place was packed. I drove back down and grabbed the really only spot just after the cattle guard. I worked my van to level it. I went for a short walk.

I fixed the dinner that turned out delicious. Danny was pleased. Temp dropped to 42 degrees. Too cold to be outside. The furnace ran a few starts to ward off the chill.

This morning I slept in: 7:30. Great sleeping temp. I fixed scratch pancakes.

Danny went off for a ride and I hiked up mtn. I made it to 8100′. Longest hike so far.

Dirt erodes very quickly on less than 10% gradient.

Single track looks the same.

Back into town, took a shower @ Anytime then met Danny intown. Incredible Scotch collection @ Flag brewery. Most expensive shot is $75. There are prolly 50 bottles to drink from.

I stopped @ the used book store again. I found a Wendell Berry book. The employee checking me out remarked that it was something to see a book turn over so quickly. This one lasted 3 days.

Back @ Fort Valley. 7100′ clear skies, chilly temp.

Drive back down to 90 degree Sedona for PT tomorrow.

weather is bringing in rain and gusty winds. Mix in several claps of thunder and that’s the weather outside. Not as hot, at 5:29 it is 63 degrees. Black skies in waves w/ short sprinkles. I am camped out off beaverhead on the firm mud counting on not enough rain to restore the firm mud to its natural state thus locking me in.

yesterday was a PT session, I am gaining range of motion, progressing towards normal. The protocol states week 10 I start resistance exercises, the PT will allow me to ride my bike on pavement. that’s 3 weeks from today when I arrive in Bend and see a PT who treated me last fall. Repeat customer. I did my wash including the sheets which will present a challenge to make w/ 1 had. George helped me fold them @ the laundromat. Red Rock Precision changed the oil and oil and fuel filters. Hoses and belt are acceptable. I drove  back down to the bean, hung around then went to Hilton golf course for thurs $14.00 dinner. I drove out to beaverhead spot while still light. No competition, always open. A small car driven by a woman turned onto the road back to my spot. She stopped at the first campspot and got out. She waved. 2 young girls jumped out. We waved. Later she drove to my spot then backed around. I walked to her car and provided back up signals. We said Hello. She had a parakeet cage on the front seat w/ the girls in the back. She was looking for a campspot. I volunteered her to join me after she came back from sedona. I went to bed w/o her joining me. I am not sleeping long anymore, I wake up w/ sunrise about 5:30.

going to fix dinner which will require quite a bit of hand work. Fresh thick stalk asparagus.

Today after visiting w/ Sarah and her daughters I drove to Snap to ride an exercise bike. I made 20 working  mins bracketed by 10 mins of warm and cool. The bike faces a full wall mirror. I study my image. I still have biker muscle definition but just nothing behind it. I stretched my shoulder inside again. I pulled on the blue elastic sheet until it broke on the 3rd pull. I walked into the PT clinic here in VOC that I used years ago. I was given what I needed.

Next was a hike from the bean of the same loop. My right bruised foot is pain free. The carbon footbed in the left shoe still keeps the no cartilage foot joint happy. The insert is dead stiff which almost eliminates any foot rocking which prevents that joint from grinding bone on bone. 1 hr 6 mins of humping hiking. Today I used the Mountain Smith fanny pack I bought here before surgery but used for first time today. I carried my little camera and a rain coat. Great pack. Your carried stuff fills whatever size of pack you wear. Should work for a long day hike.

a real thunderstorm passed over. A bit of rain also. water still leaks around the vent fan. Mariners season is not above .500.

Tomorrow I am going back up to Flag for the night. Danny and I will camp together for the first time. Danny’s VW Westy Synchro and 15″ wheels gets way back in, well beyond what I will drive, Challenge will be to find a spot that each of us can live with. Danny will ride and I will hike.

Monday I never subjected my shoulder to a stress situation. I went to bed early.

Tues AM I checked out the exercise bikes here @ SNAP in VOC. Acceptable. Rode one for 25 mins. I pedaled in circles. I followed the PT routine using a stick for assisted resistance . I push into the pain. Next I drove up to the bean for a hike on Made in the shade / slim shady loop from the shop. Takes just over an hour, quite broken rocks, pay attention. I am wearing the low cut hiking shoes which I can tie the laces, w/ the carbon insole in the left shoe. So far have been pain free for the record hike time of 1 hr 32 mins, oh, and I wore the deck shoes. Last 2 days I have been wearing the hiking shoes.For the bike I wear liners, a t shirt, and my mtn bike shoes. I sweat dripping onto the floor. Today I pedaled a bike right in front of a wall to wall mirror allowing me to study my effort. There is still muscle definition. I am hiking w/o a shirt turning my upper body lobster red. Usually I sit outside in the sun no shirt just after bfast for and hour and then hike for an hour w/o a shirt or hat. Back in time I worked 2  years at a resident boy scout camp on the aquatics staff. For 8 weeks I wore only a rolled up speedo. It ain’t there today. I do have a speedo. Not the same one. I’m 45 years older.

June 3, longest time I have stayed in one spot. Still easy living.

Finished Hemmingway’s Garden of Eden and passed it on to an animal rescue store here in the plaza. Now it is Steinbeck’s The Winter of our Discontent. Reading on.

3:57P in the bean parking lot full on sun: 5.9%RH, 103 inside at the roof while 89 outside. Fridge gets to 40, normal is like 33 after night chill. Nice gusting breeze evaporates the sweat. Could this evaporation be like virga?

Bike business slows down, high temp figures in.

I am avoiding serious van cooking because right hand offers little use, most everything is done non dominant left hand.

Tomorrow is another PT session, do my wash, and drop the van off for oil & filters changes. Computer that sends the countdown number is programed at 10,000 miles between changes. 168,000 miles reads the odometer.