As my knee sends lessening pain signal. Daily roller and small ball pressure turns off tension in muscles. Pain sensation from the tibia is lessening to where I can push my finger against the bone. Localized. Suspect the meniscus tear allows the femur to ride against bare bone causing pain. I have not ridden or hiked for 10 days. Yesterday I took down my bike to wash, well, it was off the bike, I Accepted temptation to ride a test pedal. A short maybe 1/8 mile pedal was fine, still in recovery mode, curb desire for more. Clean bike does not gleam like a new one. Preceding the pedal was a short walk as a test for pedaling.

Hanging here off rd 41 most days driving into town for resupply and socialization. I’m building history with people I visit with.

Change: Not so good. Newness requires learning and performing to change. The unplanned change means I solve whatever. Yesterday the Propex heater shit the bed, suspect blower motor seized. Unplanned change, me to solve. This unit is jinxed as it has been repaired 3 times. Enough of this unit, I searched for a new one. The national Propex repair guy turned me on to a Seattle company selling them. I placed my order with them and paid for 3 day delivery to a selected auto garage. The fix is a remove and replace. I started looking at RV shops. Another tact, called auto shop to ask if a wrench does work on the side. None, but they gave me another shop. I called, stop by for look see. They said yes. They will shoehorn me in this Tuesday, the heater will be sent to them. Change: I am relieved as to how it is coming together.

I am now being warmed by the Olympian catalytic infra red heater, I’m warm is what I will say. It’s the heater model I started with. Heat output is unit mounted valve with settings from low to high, select until I decide to change setting. Mostly a disconnect exists while sleeping when heater output is too high for comfort or too cold, both cases require me to leave comfort of covers. Patience for Tues.

Bend is really my repair station, Support to local economy of upwards of $10,000  Forecast for snow up higher. Still wearing shorts and sandals. Have seen 28 degree mornings. Barely a trickle of internet speed here where I anchor.

CT scan was normal as in no abnormalities. Tomorrow is ENT exam. Body repair from chiro has put my neck parts in proper alignment.

Good night

Propex arrived this morning, overnight delivery, paid for 3 day. Now, to have installed. Last night I set the Olympian on lowest setting which kept chill off and comfortable sleep. I look at the Propex control box at the head of my bed having to resist turning the control to on.

Thurs morn I was examined by ENT DR, his result is my ENT are fine, suspect nerve damage.

Van now driven by proper performing transmission making it such a joy to drive which I have been, However price of diesel curtails long travels.

I swapped out the longer stem on my bike for the shorter length Revel specs and bike performance jumped in control. And my body is asking for time off. And the new derailleur that tightens up shifting to happening now.

This about that.

So, I have been really working over my right leg on the hard rubber ball loosening muscles that control the knee cap with great success in reducing / eliminating knee pain. In all likelihood a tear exists caused by course of living and using, muscles have lost elasticity. Age.

I rest one day and the next the knee is quiet: Cured, go ride. Yesterday I connected with Emmy, the executive director of COTA for a ride, ostensibly  for her to see the brushing on Farwell. Our ride would require climbing N Fork Tumalo Creek, big climb, not good for my knee. I really should not do this ride, I did not want to bail on last moment. Yesterday morning air quality was yellow with smoke in the air. Maybe air quality would be my out. Day progressed and air cleared. 2 PM meet time at Skyliner TH. Emmy was quiet. Okay, drove to TH. Emmy arrived. I briefed her on my knee condition. She allowed me wiggle room if I didn’t want to ride. My stiff upper lip I can ride through this discomfort is lessening its rigidity as accepting what is. We pedaled up Tumalo creek which is gentle climb, the one I like to set speed record on. I led huffy and puffy while Emmy kept up almost nonstop chatter about club actions and becoming a professional organization which I really dig learning about. I could hear her when she was behind and she said she heard my words. She said she could ride Farewell at another time that I finally embraced. She suggested returning then riding Skyliner out and back to which I agreed. Sped back down Tumalo, I hit 26 mph coasting. Skyliner is a wonderful trail in each direction. We reached the end of trail where a now destroyed  log bench marked a major trail junction. Bike swoops the turns both up and down and steering is sharper and quicker, bike flicks as some reviewers have stated. Emmy being under 50 climbs stronger than me. I told her to lead which she did. However I could not hear her words.

Fall weather. Up near Skyliner scattered aspen were showing gold. I will miss the Wood River fall aspen colors this year. Conditions for me are so pleasant. Fall.

Memory recall sometimes fails to find the information. Case in point was / were the reason (s) I swapped to a longer stem on the Turner then installed on the Rail. Recall is strong enough to not drink 2 shots of Tequila.

Resting today, next se day will be Sat for trail work. Saying that sitting in my van while outside is another beautiful fall day. Albeit still no precip.

Still Life with Woodpecker. Robbins stretches my mind, no hard rubber ball required. Pot pokes holes.

Last night I attended the Bend chapter COTA meeting, speaker was Lev, owner of Cog Wild, on chain sawing. Lev and I met years ago when he invited me to join his customers on first ride of O’Leary. Prior to that I read about his trips in several bike mags, articles I have saved in the file folder on top of my refrigerator. I am seeking his autographs on those articles.

COTA celebrates its 30th year creation this weekend.

Sat evening post ride my knee caught on fire. The PT that treats me in Sedona, Eric, sold me a hard rubber ball for me to press on to tight muscles, much like Elbow Dave here in Bend uses his elbow. Principle is a muscle is under tension and needs to be released by point contact. This ball creates high pressure on local spot.

I put the ball under leg parts then lowered myself onto its hard surface. Whew, painful. I worked many muscles in that leg ultimately extinguishing the burn. I figured that muscles were not playing well with the knee and the releasing of tension would allow the knee to track correctly and that maybe pain is from muscle and not meniscus. I went to bed dreaming about the next day’s ride.

Sat I set out on that ride with the knee smiling. That’s it, I’m recovered. I pedaled with joy. I bit off a big ride, my knee paid for it as the burn returned albeit not as hot as before. Ride climbed up to Helipad at the start of Storm King descent. Descent was a blast  of carving turns. I previously switched to the shorter 40mm stem that made a big improvement in my control. As an aside I spoke with Revel about stem length as their web site bike build shows the 40 is the stock length, my stem was a bit longer. Steering quickness followed. Well, sometimes good things come to an end as my knee sent unhappy signals. Back at the van I iced it and worked on stretches then more ball then more ball later. I put the fire out but not the base pain.

Badgers dig holes to what purpose right at trail edge. This one is on Storm King, dug right at trail edge.

Fall sun light is here, lower angle changes effect. Temp still in 70s and no precip.

I am rereading Still Life with Woodpecker written by Tom Robbins, who is still alive at 90, published in 1980. Tom Robbins is enough said. So far my eyes still work albeit this headache affects processing his words. CT scan this Fri and ENT exam next week. I bought this book when first released at a book store in Gig Harbor, WA. At that time and still Robbins lived in WA. How to make love stay?

30 degrees this morn at dark thirty slip out of bed time. Now 84 at 2:45 here in town. Still wearing shorts and Bedrock sandals but changing out shirts to accommodate comfort. Going downtown for a chocolate malt, Using recovery time to bulk up.