Basking in La Pine

In just a few minutes 2 whole weeks have passed since my bobble crash. Back when I was enjoying body parts working. A microsecond change in tread traction launched me over the bar and on this chapter of my life. Working on a solution, short term, as recovery will occur and I will be back riding. That date will be revealed prolly when I can cycle my knee thru a pedal stroke.

I’m 25 miles from Newport Market, my go to grocery store in Bend. Maybe 1/2 mile dirt road the 2 lane blacktop to US 97 N to Bend, outskirt is first requirement to stop.

La Pine is a wide spot on major N / S highway landlocked by federal lands. Houses built up on maybe 1 acre patches. No home owners covenants. Places are peoples solution to their living needs. Post cards could be made from “white trash”. certainly no $300,000 mansions. This is dry pumice desert treed by P-Pine and lodgepole. 4,200′ elevation. A Ray’s grocery store. There is at least one dispensary. Starbucks is in process of locating a presence as there is not even an independent coffee shop. La Pine is last city going S to Klamath Falls 2 hours away. Spread low density population in the hinterlands. Time at the grocery store tells of population.

My land is 7 miles from town. I’m on the western edge of no Federal land. My road is dirt, not really gravel, just rolled firm pumice that sends dust clouds after the few rigs that go by. I sited my future house inside a 30′ perimeter defined by white PVC pipe. I’m parked just outside that boundary. Learned there is an XM hole measured by feet to where I am parked. My house is about 30 degrees off true north  not matching all the houses on the road and prolly elsewhere where houses are orientated for full length face the road out front. My alignment blocks sight lines into my house.

Tomorrow I attend to my long put off meeting with a contractor to analyze and cost out my house.

Just sucking up van living here. Drive to Bend for medical treatment.

Knee pain is lessening such that I can sleep all night. I slide out off my bed leading with my right leg which at horizontal sends little pain signals to vert and weight placed on it then does the intense white flash pain set in. Every day the duration of that pain diminishes. I am noticing walking improvement, really a hobble. Still wrapped from toes to upper groin. My foot rests on my 3 legged stool whenever I can as now typing this. I sit skewed to edge of table as that’s how the stool fits. It still hurts.

Yesterday I drove to Bend to PT appointment for right shoulder. Joy is letting google maps navigate as I learned a new way to get to east side of town from the south. Dave, PT, has history with my shoulder, evaluated it reporting it is no more damaged and maybe more movement and strength since last. I still can not lift a pint to my lips so gain is relative. He advised considering a reverse shoulder replacement to avoid a possible complete shoulder blow out should I land on it. I made that appointment for next week. After each get off I go thru range of motion of arm to learn how happy it is. This last fall shoulder worked but hurt from the logs stopping me on said shoulder.

I have decided to stay here to recuperate.

This morning temp was 31 degrees. IO was snug as a bug under my single layer summer down blanket. Heater was running sending warm air underneath the bed. Time to get up. Swing the right leg down then wait for pain to roll over then become tolerable. Set about converting bedroom into kitchen: make my bed then hoist the Murphy bed upright pulling on rope pulley system lars made back in 2015 before last shoulder surgery. Breakfast menu is a cup of cold brewed coffee, 2 pieces of gluten free bread toast with butter and local honey, and a steaming bowl of Bob’s Red Mill Scottish oatmeal cooked with handful of frozen blueberries finished off with ground walnuts and dollop of maple syrup. Filling and healthy. Van chilled. I anticipated the heater firing up. I watched the control panel finally seeing 1 flash which indicates ignition failure. WTF? I cleared the code then restarted ignition. I started to do dishes that needed heated water from the stove. I opened the fuel knob to light stove: nadda. I ran out of propane. AT least I was able to eat cooked breakfast. Converted living van to driving van the drove off to nearest propane supply about 5 miles away. Took 5.6 gals which is bone dry. Drove back to anchor, fired up the stove and heater then finished dishes. Then this.