Spent night off Montgomery on a gravel pad @ edge of fleet of semi trailers and 2  rail lines. A bit of train noise.

Decided to check out having a stickie design made & printed. Found place on Montgomery. Young guy doing the whole shebang. “Lifestyle Rider” definition by JP Nuts is soon to be stuck near you.

Rick called to invite me on his Lost Creek ride today. Way cool. Drove to his house and I packed a bag of gear for the ride in his truck. We loaded up and drove 1 hour to TH on N Fork of C d’A River, the ride I did at the start of my odyssey. I stared changing into my riding gear i discovered i forgot bike shorts. No ride for me nohow. i told Rick to do his ride and I would wait for him. He  said we will drive back home & ride Beacon. i said I would drive him to top  for his ride down. he said Beacon. Rick admitted that he has mispacked a few things in his life and he understands. We drove back. I put on my shorts and we drove to Beacon. My hip still hurts, although not as severe, I am still pulling my punches. And Rick is just hard riding. he rode MT Spokane yesterday and was stating an easy day for him. He let me lead and he said that he would stay 50′ behind me which he did.

The 50′ concept: I don’t like to ride first because I feel that i am holding the next person back. I ride harder to stay ahead. The second rider rides harder to stay on my wheel. I ride harder to keep ahead, he rides harder. At the end of the ride both are tired and complaining how hard the ride was. The 50′ is a buffer and I never felt pushed by him. I worked at it.

Dinner, a shower, & street sleeping @ Mars & Ricks.

Planned bike rides w/ Jeff V and another w/ Mel, Cal, & Guy from the loppers.

Forecast for today was rain in AM. I visited w/ Jeff @ U District PT and shared my recovery. He agrees w/ Arch. I am doing the exercise that Jeff gave me and Arch did later. Arch’s instructions explained the muscles to contract better than Jeff’s. I have been doing them w/ gusto and find the pain diminishing.

I waited out the rain pedaling away from TH @ Seven Mile in Riverside. Working a powerful mtn bike spin. My legs are spent.

Donated half rack of Kokanee to Bicycle Butler for the good and a shower.

Visited w/ Cal @ his place of employment: his home.

Dinner @ The Elk.

Temps are dropping, fall is here and winter is whispering a greeting. I might have laid around, played around this old town too long for riding down in the Sawtooths. Snow level Sunday is 4,000; Spokane is 2000′. I ahve a PT appointment on Wed so I should head out Thurs. Need to decide where. If my ride choices are snowed in, i just drive further south.

A bit from yesterday and some from today as I remember.

Been spending quite a few nights at my old neighbors across the road from my old house. Yesterday AM I visited w/ Jennifer & her 85 yo mother while they made applesauce. I learned how it is made. Tasty.

Drove to a shop in Tim’s building near Audubon in N. Spokane as I remember he had quality hats. Score on a brown wool felt hat. Stylish as it grows on me. Picture forthcoming.

Fed Ex is scheduled to deliver my fork on Tuesday to Bicycle Butler and Arch allowed me a gentle ride. I drove to BB and hung in the parking lot awaiting Fed Ex. Tracking report stated out for delivery. Antsy. Plan is to get in a ride @ Riverside, drive back to BB for a shower, and then drive downtown to Vorphl Wing open house as per Dennis’ request. Fork was delivered, truck parked right next to me, I jumped out, and held the door open for the driver. Quick change act installing the refurbished fork. Big travel back. Push didn’t find a cause when they cleaned and checked it out, serviced it no charge.

Drove to 7 Mile @ Riverside in great cool fall weather. Geared up & headed out like a kid released from school. Kept effort in check sort of as I checked out Arch’s body work. Some pain but way less than what dropped me off the bikes. Tolerable. Wonderful bike and fun ride on non technical trails of Riverside.

Showered and in long pants, loafers, collared shirt under a sweater, matching dark socks, good to go made the open house. Met Dennis dressed in a gray suit. Richard Welch from work arrived. We were some of original Boeing Spokane associates as we were called, nice for “help”. Enjoyed his company. Drank several glasses of Chardonnay, tasty.

Spent late arrival @ neighbors.

Last night was chilly, started heater before i got for real out of bed. Todd’s Toddy coffee filter are in the store per the telephone message.  Drive downtown. Stopped @ Value Village w/ hopes of finding a wool sport coat. Score on a tan, brown, black herringbone pattern wool coat. Stylish. For $4.99, oh, 20% discount to seniors…. yes I qualified. Dropped coat off @ dry cleaners. Picture forth coming.

Shopped REI for a pair of wet cold weather to supplement my open mesh hikers. Really sweated out the correct sizing. Bought a pair of cross trainers type shoe that will shed h2o & be warmer.

Arch worked some more strain counterstrain over some of old points. He said it is normal for a second session to turn off the muscle. I will ride tomorrow to learn the results.

Stopped @ Don’s, the cabinet maker, to use his drill to install a bracket to bed frame where the glued joint failed. Dropped off a six pack of beer for him.

Dirtbag camping down off Montgomery  by the tracks. I stayed here previously. Loud trains of what frequency I forget.

Starting to plan route and rides down thru Idaho, should leave by middle of next week.

Sooo, my right hip is keeping me off my bikes. Strain Counter strain is easing the original pain and creating some new ones. Arch says it is because releasing previously tightened muscles shifts body to working more correctly on unused muscles. He says all is good. He made the ” tendinitis” in my left arm disappear in 1 release point. Amazing.

PUSH shipped my fork to my earthclass mail address in Seattle instead of Spokane. PUSH paid for the additional shipping charge to ship it to Spokane. Fed Ex shipped it to0 Oakland distribution and have scheduled it for delivery tomorrow. Arch has allowed me a not hard ride tomorrow. Great! Fixed fork and Riverside are a good match.

Enjoyed Loppers’ ball @ Mel’s in laws cabin out in hinterland of Springdale / TumTum. The Boeing crew of Tom, Mel, Dave, Cal, me, and a kindred but non lopping guy, Guy. 4X pickup ride to distant cabin. Each of us brought food items to share and our beverage of choice. Somehow a bottle of tequilla was interjected years ago and a misunderstand concept of penalty shots required when some instantaneously made up foul was committed the offender was required to take a sip. And then the bottle was passed around for all to have a sip. Among 6 guys the bottle went dry before sundown which was a spectacular sight as we looked right @ the western horizon. I chose to sleep on the narrow front porch to be cooler and avoid the snoring of others. I woke w/ a mild hangover as I sipped quite a bit of  Scotch.

Boys:

I spent every night previously in my van for 14 months. Loppers ball gets me out and into a sleeping bag on a floor. I turned down how many offers of more palatial digs to stay in my van. Band of brothers nets a hard floor.

Beautiful fall happening. Not the reds of NE, so far the leaves have not turned. What is blond dead  are the grasses. A killing frost has fallen.