Jury Duty

I spent 3 days of last week on jury duty. A fascinating, disturbing, very worthwhile experience.

The case was 1st degree rape of a child. A father was accused of raping his 6 year old daughter. The daughter testified, and was very believable. She has told the same story multiple times for the past year. There was no real evidence other than the testimonies of the father and the daughter. So we basically had to decide who was more believable, the father or the daughter. We sided with the daughter. So this guy is going to prison for a long time, quite possibly for the rest of his life.

I've had trouble getting this out of my mind since then. I think we did the right thing. But what if we were wrong???? I have to keep reminding myself that I truly have no "reasonable doubt".

The father and mother had split a year before the incident, and there was a restraining order against the father for part of that time, where he could only see his kids if another adult was present. But during the trial, we were not allowed to know why. Afterwards, we learned that it was because he had been physically abusive to his wife.

The daughter had been acting out a lot at school, and the acting out only started after that restraining order was lifted. So ...?

The 6 year old child was able to describe details about her father's anatomy that a 6 year old would not normally know.

The 6 year old told her mom about the incident the morning after it happened, and they were at the police station by 11am that morning.

The defense was, well, there basically was no defense. No character witnesses, no friends testifying for the guy. The only one who testified for him was his mother, and she was really not believable. Grasping at straws, the defense's main tactic was to try to make us believe that the daughter had made this story up after hearing her mom talk about being abused when SHE was a child. The mom was abused as a child but flatly denied that she had ever talked about it within her daughter's hearing, and there certainly was no evidence to that effect.

We did the right thing. We did the right thing. I keep seeing the defendent's face, and thinking about him being in jail now.

The jury selection process took an entire day. Because of the nature of this case, there were 60 people in the jury pool to insure getting 12 jurors. About 1/2 were excused "for cause", mostly because of personal experiences with sexual abuse and/or admitting that they didn't believe they could be fair and impartial in such a case. One guy was excused because he said he believes 99% of the accused are guilty and he doesn't see why we don't just take 'em out and shoot 'em. Another because he said the only evidence he would accept in such a case is lie detector tests for father and daughter.

An interesing experience. But one I do not wish to repeat any time soon.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

I love this time of year! Oh, I know in a month or two my tune will change, but for now...
I love the rain, and the fact that I can no longer remember the last dry day.
I love the colors: every imaginable shade of gold and sepia.
I love driving home at night through dark, winding roads littered with leaves.
I love sitting in front of the fire with a cat curled up in my lap, listening to the rain on the roof.
I love laying in bed listening to the rain and wind.

I've been inspired to start quilting again, for the first time in a couple of years. Have finished up a couple left from my last burst of inspiration, completed one new top and a couple of pillows with the leftover scraps. When I get more ambitious, I'll post pictures.

Fall

The first big storm of the season blew through last night, carpeting the yards and roads with cedar, fir needles, big-leaf maple leaves, and small branches. I spent this morning curled up in the lazyboy in front of the fire, with cat in lap, watching the rain and fog. I am quite ready for hibernation time.

Earlier this week Lucie, Kathy, and I went for a day hike to Lake 22, just off the Mountain Loop Highway near Verlot. We had a perfect fall day and even some sunshine.

Swathed in Spiderwebs

This morning the outside of my house is swathed in those magical classic-design spiderwebs, each with a spider waiting patiently in the center. A quick count nets 4 on my downstairs deck, one guarding the walkway from my car (which I walked right through last night after dark, but this morning it's rebuilt), and they've virtually taken over my upstairs deck. I haven't picked my cherry tomatoes (which are still going strong) in a couple of days simply because I hate to disturb those beautiful webs.

I've had the kayak out once this week. Many of the winter watefowl are back or at least passing through on their way southward: surf scoters, western grebes, mergansers, cormorants, and a large flock of what I think are murrelets, either ancient or marbled.

Home Sweet Home

The need to see ocean again was just too great.

The drive from Keller's Ferry to I-90 was all rolling fields of grain, nary a tree in site other than those planted around houses as windblocks.

I forgot to get gas until it was almost too late, rolling into the tiny town of Odessa on fumes. I only saw one gas station, and it was closed. Uh-oh. I thought I was going to have to go begging for fuel at a farm. Then noticed a small sign pointing off the main street, for 24-hour credit-card-only gas, a couple of pumps next to the grain elevator. Whew!

I stopped right at sunset at a rest area on I-90, made coffee, and ate most of the rest of my unhealthy vacation snacks. That got me over the pass and home in time to catch the 10pm ferry. Oh, that ocean air smells good!

When I got home, in addition to the couple of beers that Gerry usually leaves me (thanks Ger!), there was slightly battered ear of corn in the fridge... hmm, I wonder where that came from? ;-)

Home by the Scenic Route

I woke up this morning feeling a visceral longing for salt air and greenery. I decided to head towards home via the scenic route, maybe stopping for another day down at Steamboat Rock State Park.

But first, I drove up through Summerland and Kelowna, and back down the east side of the lakes, to check out the route for possible future rides.

My conclusions:
1. I am very glad we did NOT ride to Summerland. For several miles of this route they are doing road construction and the highway is one narrow lane with no shoulder whatsoever, and lots of traffic.

2. The route around the east side of the lakes would be HARD. Out of Kelowna, it’s up up up up and then more up, to an almost 4000 foot pass, not a whole lot of traffic but little or no shoulder, no facilities and nothing but heavily forested mountains (the Kootenays, I believe) for about 50 miles. BUT, if we had someone to sag, from Beaverdell on southward it’s downill and very nice all the way to the border.

I crossed the border at Midway, a tiny out-of-the way station with no waiting. After a friendly chat with the one guard there (he did check my passport and looked inside my kayak hatches for contraband, but I think it was mostly because he was bored and lonely), I continued south on Highway 21 all the way to I-90. I do believe that’s just about the prettiest road I’ve been on in Washington, and now I want to go back and bike there! It’s labelled as a highway, but I bet I only passed 30 cars the whole way.

Keller’s Ferry. Wow. I was just enchanted with this spot. After driving through miles and miles of rocky bluffs and forest, a tiny, free ferry takes you across Lake Roosevelt. You then climb switchbacks up and up the bluff, and just as you top the bluff... it's a whole 'nother world! It's just astounding. I had to get out of the car and just stare for awhile. PLEASE do yourself a favor and double-click to enlarge this picture!

Bike Bounce

It was gray and very threatening-looking when I got up today, so I drove back once again to the Penticton Starbucks, where I spent a couple of hours drinking coffee and catching up on my email. By then it was raining, so I decided to take a drive out towards Okanagon Mountain Provincial Park. This is a little confusing… within 50 miles there’s Okanagon Falls Provincial Park, Okanagon Lake Provincial Park, and Okanagon Mountain Provincial Park. Okanagan Mountain is way out in the boonies, and the last kilometer is a 2-track, 4-wheel-drive-only, not very scenic dead end road. Still, I persevered to the end, just before which I had to drive under a fallen tree leaning across the road. Nothing but a parking lot and presumably a trailhead, although it was raining and I didn’t even get out to explore. Turning around, as I headed back under that tree, I hear a clunk, and looked in my mirror to see my bike bouncing on the road behind me. Well, shit.

I got out to survey the damage. Doesn’t seem to be any to my bike, other than my new mirror falling off, but even that isn’t broken. But when I went to put the bike back up top, I realized the straps that hold it onto the bike carrier had broken clean off. I’m so happy that they broke and not the bike! After removing the front wheel I was able to stuff the bike in the car on top of all the other stuff that’s in there Maybe this is a sign I should head for home?

Back towards town I drove out to Skaha Bluffs and hiked back in a bit to watch rock climbers doing physically impossible things. Oh, if I was 30 years younger and 50 pounds lighter..

Then it was raining again, so back to town for a visit to the wonderful used-book store… one of those big old slightly disorganized places, with books piled high everywhere, and the guys running still able to tell you where everthing is. And then to my afternoon latte, this time at Pacific Brimm, obviously the locals coffee place, very homey with big comfy chairs where I sat and read for awhile. When the rain let up, I went out to explore the huge farmers market that takes over downtown every Saturday. Oh, I wish I could take a bunch of the wonderful local fruits and veggies home. I limited myself to a bag of pickling cukes to munch on.

By the time I got back to my campsite, the weather seemed to be clearing up and the wind had died down a bit (although it never seems to stop here), so I decided to paddle for awhile. About 45 minutes out, the wind picked up. And then picked up some more. And then some more. And I ended up paddling back in a regular gale. Not a headwind, but not exactly a tail wind either. It was exhilarating but right at the edge of my comfort level, and I was glad to get back to camp. It was so windy that stuff had blown off my picnic table, and a layer of sand had formed inside the tent.

I just haven’t felt much like writing for most of this trip, so am just catching up today. Too busy biking, visiting, and just enjoying the sunshine, of which we’ve had nothing but, every single day that we’ve been here. I still plan to stay for a few more days, but have to admit I am so hoping that rain greets me when I drive over the pass back to the west side of the Cascades. I am really looking forward to spending INSIDE time.

Meanwhile… After 5 days of riding and camping with my friends, yesterday they headed home. I drove back towards Penticton, and I stopped and paddled for a while on Vaseaux Lake. After I got out on the water I felt a bit ridiculous in my life jacket as much of the lake is less than 6 inches deep. In places I had to pull up my rudder to keep it from dragging. Double click on the picture to see the nice line of geese posing for me.

Last night I camped alone at Banbury Green Resort, just south of Penticton, and I think I will stay here for at least two more nights. My tent is pitched ten feet from the shore of Skaha lake, and today I spent about 2 hours paddling down the lake against the wind, and an hour sailing and surfing back with almost no paddling. Fun!

20 feet away on the other side of my tent is the KVR (Kettle Valley Rail Trail), which unfortunately is not really suitable for a road bike, but still I hope to ride it the 3 or 4 miles into town tomorrow. The KVR goes for many miles, much of it through wilderness (I’ve seen bikers wearing bear bells) and over some big old railroad trestles which have been rebuilt after burning down in forest fires a few years ago. Someday I’d like to come back with a mountain bike

Back down down down to Osoyoos

Back to Osoyoos, retracing the same route we took up. And I do mean UP. Taking the same route back allowed us to appreciate how much serious UP we really did that first day. I think OK Falls must be a good 1000 feet higher than Osoyoos. It was a fun downhill coast for most of the way back. We finally got around to stopping at one of the hundreds of wineries we've been passing. Back to our cars and campsite in the apple orchard, we were all tired from the heat... it was close to 90 today. After a nice dinner at the local brewpub, we drove up to the viewpoint on Anarchist Mountain to watch the sun set over Osoyoos.

Short and Sweet

A very pleasant and short ride from Penticton back to OK Falls, this time following along the east side of the lake via the route I’d gotten from Bikely.com. MUCH better. We had camp set up at OK Falls Provincial park by early afternoon. A very nice little park right along the river, a shady, grassy oasis in the midst of this desert country. Nancy and both went down for afternoon naps, and both agreed it was possibly the pleasantest nap we’d ever had… dappled sun and shade; warm, caressing breeze. Life is good.

Bike Repair and Ice Cream

After another leisurely breakfast, we rode back into town hoping to find a bike store where I could replace my bike mirror, which I broke on my fall yesterday. Found a great bike shop and great mirror, and then it was time for lunch: perhaps the best sandwich I have ever had in my life, at a little deli near the bike shop. Finally, we headed out for our intended day-ride to the little town of Naramata. Just as we got to the top of the steep hill out of town, I finally decided that the “funny feeling” I had been experiencing with my bike all morning deserved attention. A closer look turned up a loose headset… not a good thing to have if you’re really depending on your bike going in the direction you steer it. So, the others went on towards Naramata, but I went back down the hill to the bike shop. They spent a few minutes tightening the headset for me, and I was on my way again. About halfway up that same steep hill out of town, I decided things still did not feel at all right. Back down I go again. This time, the guy says OK, my headset bearings have probably gone bad; come back in an hour or so.

Thus, I had the opportunity to thoroughly explore downtown Penticton. I quite like this town. It seems just the right size to me. Large enough to have a cosmopolitan feel, small enough to still feel like a small town. Even though there is a Wal-Mart on the edge of town, downtown still feels vibrantly alive. At least 3 very nice coffee shops, a quilting store, a shoe store where they had Keene sandals on sale… uh-oh, it’s Nancy’s fault, since she pointed this one out to me, that I now have my favorite sandals in a third color, a lovely dusty lavender.

Just about the time the others rode back into town from Naramata, my bike was finally done. I still wanted to do the ride, so I headed out while the others headed back towards camp. Finally all back at camp, we enjoyed a great pasta dinner and then were looking longingly at the two old guys across the street from us who were eating bowls of ice cream. Some dessert sure would be good!. Off went Cheryl to buy us some nice, healthy fruit for dessert. She hadn’t been gone more than a few minutes when one of those old guys came over and offered us the remainder of his carton of ice cream! Dixon Seabrook, bless your heart! He stayed and chatted for a bit, and then came back with ANOTHER carton of ice cream. What a guy.

Trail of the Damned

Following the advice of someone who was NOT a bike tourist (note: big mistake), we attempted to ride the KVR from Okanagan Falls to Penticton. It seemed like such a good idea… right along the western shore of Skaha Lake, totally flat. BUT…it quickly went from hard-packed dirt to loose gravel, large rocks, and in places, mini-sand-dunes. After struggling through this, walking a good bit of the way, and ¾ of us taking falls, we decided to bag it at about the halfway point. From the lake we had to push our loaded bikes about a kilometer up a very steep hill to get to the highway. Not a lot of fun, but once we got there it was a nice downhill coast into Penticton.

From the shore of Skaha lake, its another 5 miles into downtown Penticton, which is actually on the shore of Lake Okanagan. Although we had originally intended to ride on to camp near Summerland, we were all too worn out from the awful trail experience, so hoped to find camping near downtown. No such luck. The only campgrounds near downtown were “No Tents” (guy said they ruin the grass). We did find a marvelous restaurant for lunch, followed by Starbucks. Then back we went the 5 miles to Skaha Lake to find camping. The first one we tried had closed for the season at 5pm that day (it was about 5:15). The second one wanted us to pay for three separate sites at $24 each. But the third one was just right… very friendly and a little rough around the edges, with lots of senior citizens apparently living there full time. We crowded our 3 tents onto one of their 10 or so gravel tent pads, next to another group of women who were avid rock climbers; Skaha Bluffs, just down the road, is a popular rock climbing area.

This may be a new low for Rainbow Riders. It took us 7 hours to ride 21 miles today.

Hills!

Too tired to write yesterday. We did only about 32 miles with maybe 1400 feet of elevation gain, but Nancy said it was the hardest 30 miles she’d ever done, and I would come close to agreeing. So much for my theory that we would be riding along the bottom of the valley, so it should be relatively flat.

But it was very scenic and we all enjoyed it. We got very late start, close to noon by the time we got out of Osoyoos, and it was 5-ish before we got to OK falls. We asked a teenage girl which way to the provincial park, and she, of course, steered us the wrong way. After a couple of miles we were smart enough to ask again and got turned back the other way. But signage for finding the part was practically non-existent, so we opted for the RV part instead. Not very scenic… stuck way back in the corner behind the office and next to th4 restrooms… but functional , and we were tired.

My friends Gail and John from Texas are up here on vacation, and I went out for dinner and a nice visit with them while the others had a meal at camp.

Then we had a bit of excitement right after bedtime. I heard loud voices and then a strange loud scrambling sound…. Kids climbing over the fence right next to our tents, after running through the park and stealing beer, pop, and, for some reason, an ear of corn, from Rver’s coolers. They got away but dropped about half of their haul climbing over the fence. We found the ear of corn the next morning.

Osoyoos at last!

Sept 9,2009
Here we are in Osoyoos. Nancy and I left Everett about 9:30 this morning, after somewhat amazingly fitting all of our stuff into my car: 2 bikes, a kayak, a bike trailer, camping gear and a week’s worth of supplies for two people. We drove over on the north cascades highway, not the fastest but certainly the most scenic route. Stopped for lunch in Winthrop and made it to the border by about 5, where the guard asked us the usual (where ya from? Where ya going? Why? For how long?), told us with a perfectly deadpan face that it was going to snow here next week, and then waved us through, without ever asking for our passports or even our drivers licenses!
We tried to get into Haynes Point provincial part for the night, but, as had been my experience on a previous trip, it was full. The campground host says you must get there “much earlier” in the day to secure a spot. It’s a very popular place, on a long, narrow spit jutting out into lake Osoyoos, where practically every campsite is waterfront.
Oh well, of we went to the other, very touristy side of the lake, The nice, grassy-field campground that I stayed in a few years go has been pa paved over and turned into an rv resort, like most of this side of the e lake. We found 2 or 3 little run-down looking tent campgrounds. The first on e we stopped at had no one manning the office and no information whatsoever posted, so on we went. We are now at a tiny (11 sites) place squeezed in between apple orchards and rv resorts, with no electricity, a sign warning us to boil water before drinking. And for sale signs posted out front… so I imagine it will be gone to condos or rvs on my next visit. On the plus side, its just us and one other tent here, and we have free pickings of the loaded apple trees in the camp.
We drove into town to a\the ridge brewpub for dinner )really excellent beer and good food., and then took a drive up Anarchist mountain to watch the sun set over the lake. A good day.
Sept 10, 2009
14 males biking, 750 feet elevation gain
6 miles kayaking
Sunny and 80 F, perfect biking and kayaking weather!
After lingering over our campsite breakfast of coffee, tea, and oatmeal with apples from the trees hanging over our tents, off we went on our bikes to explore the town. A stop at the visitors center scored us some good information on bike routes. We stopped at the bike store hoping for some nice Canada-themed socks, but none to be found.
We then road out to visit the Nk’mip cultural center, which, although not a casino, certainly must be dragging in big bucks for the tribe. It’s a huge and beautiful place on the hillside overlooking Lake Okanagan. Many very nice sculptures, a huge campground on the lake, a large condo development, a very pricey restaurant. There’s a museum which we elected not to visit due to the $12 admission. I forgot to ask how to pronounce Nk’mip. “Nik Mip?” “Unk Mip?”
From Nk’mip, we took hillside roads through orchards and vineyards, back to our campsite. I was so energized I hopped right in the kayak. I paddled into a brisk breeze for about an hour, enjoying bouncing in the small waves and watching the “stink boats” zoom by. There was a hobie cat just flying around the lake, making me wish that I still had my little sunfish sailboat. Turning back with the wind behind me, I made it back to camp in 40 minutes, hardly paddling.
September 11, 2009
I got chilly during the night last night, so dug out my sleeping bag liner, carefully unfolded it, and climbed inside of t and into my sleeping bag. Awhile later, I noticed I was still cold, and felt around.. No liner! I guess I dreamed it all! So once again, I dug it out, unfolded, climbed in, ahh, that/s better. But when I woke up this morning, I my liner was still packed away in it’s little stuff sack! (This makes me think of the dream sequence in American Werewolf in London, but not quite so scary.)
After another long, leisurely camp breakfast, with more of those fresh apples in our oatmeal, we decided to take a short drive. We took the Crow’s Nest highway , up ( and I do mean UP) into the fabulously scenic Similkameen valley. This is some of the prettiest scenery I’ve seen anywhere. A narrow valley with a bucolic green bottom full of orchards, vineyards and gardens, closely surrounded by steep, rocky mountains.
We stopped in Karemeos for lunch, and then drove an very steep road full of hairpin curves up to the Apex ski resort. The resort looks like it’s fallen on some pretty hard times, lots of of stuff for sale and nothing open.
Back down the mountain to Penticton, where we found a starbucks.. I asked an other star bucks customer abut the “jazz” placard she had hanging around her neck, and it turns out there’s a big Dixieland jazz festival in town all weekend. She told us to walk “just a block or two” over to the convention center to get more information. It turned out to be more like a mile, but on the way we found a big bike store where we once again could not find cool socks, but I did buy a shirt on sale. We finally made it to the convention center, picked up schedules, and each bough last year’s festival t-shirt. A worthwhile walk!
Our short drive ended up taking all day, and we finally got back to the campsite about 5, expecting Cheryl and Gerry to be there, but no. When they still weren’t there at 6, we headed off for dinner. When they STILL weren’t there, we started to worry. Much to our relief, they finally arrived at about 9:30.

Fall arrives

Right on time for Labor Day, it has rained all weekend. I feel sorry for the Labor Day campers, but anyone from the northwest knows to expect this, and the rain is SO welcome!

I suppose this means I've waited too long to do any serious blackberry picking this year, but here's a picture anyway. This is from the beach near my house, but basically what every vacant lot, bluff, and untended yard look like around here in late summer. It amazes me to see blackberries for sale in the grocery store when there are quite literally enough blackberries here, free for the picking, for every man, woman, and child in the greater Puget Sound area.

I intended to light my furnace (propane fireplace) this morning but for some reason it won't light. Seems like I go through this every fall. I turn it off for the summer, since propane has become so expensive, to save the money that running the pilot light all summer would cost me. Then I end up paying the service man $150 to get it re-lit for me in the fall, thus pretty much negating any cost savings. Oh well, I suppose turning it off is still the environmentally correct thing do to.

A few nights ago during my sunset paddle, a whole school of porpoises passed within 50 feet of me... there must have been around a dozen of them. There are so many salmon jumping out there now, I really though one was going to land right in my boat. I wonder if it's legal to take one home if it volunteers like that?

Sunset has now travelled well south of it's summer position behind Double Bluff, to the northern part of the Olympics.

I've just about finished packing for my bike trip in the Canadian Okanagan, for which I will be leaving on Wednesday morning. I'm taking along my new netbook so hope to do some posts while on the trip.

A week or so ago my friends Vicki and Nick were here for a visit. YOu'll have to guess which one is which:

Preparing for Hibernation

I've had a rare case of domesticity the last few days. Cleaned and reorganized my pantry, scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees, dusted and vacuumed.... the shortening days and fallish nip in the air have got me preparing for hibernation. I do believe I'm ready. I've had that "enough with the sun already!" thought several times recently.

Still, it's certainly nice to sit on the deck for my morning coffee. This morning I enjoyed listening to that late summer sound of nuthatches nyak-nyak-nyaking, just about the only birdsong left this time of year.

I have now moved my TV from the living room to the garage, in preparation for lugging it to the thrift store. Still planning to buy a small flatscreen to put in my sewing room downstairs, but I like NOT having one in the living room. In it's place I am finally able to display a lovely art glass vase that's been hidden away in my bedroom for years.

Paddling at sunset again tonight. Tiny ripples all over the water, making it look like a vast, undulating sea of corduroy. Saw lots of salmon (pinks, so I hear) jumping, and I do believe I may have seen a grebe meet it's demise: I was coasting slowly toward it when suddenly it squawked and went rather ungracefully underwater. It didn't look like a typical grebe dive, more like something had grabbed it from below. Hmmm....? Or maybe I just panicked it?

Paddling into the sunset tonight, the wind came up suddenly and I found myself bouncing in 2-foot waves. Not to worry, I stayed close to shore, in about 4 feet of water, and enjoyed the ride. After paddling into the wind for a half hour I turned around and didn't have to paddle at all on the way back, courtesy of the tailwind and outgoing tide. I love being on the water!

It's surprising how fast our long days are disappearing.. sunset seems to be a good 5 minutes earlier each night. And although today was plenty warm, by sunset (now 8:10) I was wearing two extra layers and it really felt like fall.

Earlier today I picked up some friends at the ferry and the four of us went up to Ebey's Landing to do the bluff hike. I had to stop and replace the rock "eye" in the dragon log.

Yesterday I biked up to Freeland, with the intent of getting a few groceries, but when I got there I discovered I'd left my lock in my other bag.... perhaps a sign of having too many bike bags???? So I made do with a quick run into the library to pick up some books on hold, and then over to the gym where I convinced them to let me leave my bike inside "just this once, I promise" while I got in my resistance training.

On my way home I decided to take the scenic -- and hilly!--- route down Saratoga Rd and through Langley. There is one hill on this route that is just a bugger, at least 400 feet of elevation gain and it seems to go on forever, with several of those cruel "false summits". My altimeter briefly showed a 27% grade, and although I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration, it has to be 10-15%.

I stopped for a snack in Langley and ran into Joel, a guy that I've kayaked with a couple times in WISK (Whidbey Island Sea Kayakers). He told me he'd had a close call here a few months ago: He and a friend went out for a sail ("...a three hour cruise....;-0")on his friend's Hobie Cat. After they'd gotten out aways and the boat didn't seem to be handling well, they realized they'd forgotten to put the plugs back in the pontoons! The boat rode lower and lower in the water, and they of course could make no headway and soon were in water up to their waists. Joel was wearing a wetsuit but not his friend. After SEVEN HOURS out there his friend was hypothermic and Joel knew he wouldn't last the night....finally at 10:30 pm another boat passing a mile or so away decided something looked wrong and came to the rescue.

Moral of the story (and memo to self) ALWAYS take your safety equipment with you! And I don't mean just a life jacket! Gotta take paddle float, pump, a light, some sort of communication device, as a bare minimum. I am good about the first three but am going to start being more religious about the others, honest I am.

I rode on from Langley and thought I'd take the bus from Clinton to avoid the last 8 hilly miles home. Sadly, there were already 2 bikes on the bus so no room for mine. I could've waited a half hour for the next bus but jeez, I'd rather ride than sit. So on I went, getting in a total of 40 miles and just under 3000 feet of elevation gain for the day.

Tuesday after work I drove up to the Everett Marina, intending to launch my boat there, which I've never done before. After finding out that (a) They want $5 just to use the boat ramp (b) The ticket machine would not take my credit cards, does not give change, and of course I did not have the correct change, (c) There were threatening signs prominently saying your car would be not just ticketed but IMPOUNDED if you didn't pay, (d) There was no provision whatsoever that I could see for someone just wanting to put a kayak in the water.... by this time I was pissed off so I left.

Drove on down to the ferry and was able to launch at the tiny 20-foot-long park tucked in next to the hotel there. I paddled northward for 45 minutes or so, but really not very pleasant scenery here. The railroad runs right along the water so it's all just ugly bulkhead, the new Boeing pier and another huge crumbling old pier of unknown origin. I did have a couple of harbor seals pop up to check me out.

Biking and Bussing

Yesterday I bussed into the city with my bike, where I met up with Cheryl at Gasworks park. We rode on the beautiful Burke-Gilman and Sammamish trails, from there to Redmond Town Center and back, a total of about 55 miles. Cheryl has just returned from a bike tour and I was really panting to keep up with her.

Cheryl offered to drive me back up to the ferry, but I wanted to do the environmentally responsible thing and take the bus back. After a 45 minute wait the bus finally arrived, I loaded my bike, and went to the front door, where the driver refused to let me board. The bus was FULL, and I do mean that every available place to sit or stand seemed to be occupied. Driver told me to try the back door, where I was just barely able to squeeze in. Apparently folks returning from a mixture of the Mariner's game, HempFest, and every other variety of summer festival imiginable.

The HempFest contingent made for a fairly mellow 20 minute ride. However, we got to the transfer station about 5 minutes too late for me to catch the bus to the ferry, so... another hour's wait, where I had a talk with a nice young gentleman returning from HempFest; he said it was elbow-to-elbow crowded and, of course, smokey.

Made the 10pm ferry with about 30 seconds to spare, home in time for about half a beer before collapsing into blissful sleep.

I do believe the middle weekend of August is the summer's pinnacle of outdoor festivals. This weekend is not only HempFest, but Bite of Edmonds, Fresh Paint, the Island County Fair, and I'm sure many others I'm too tired to even think about. Everyone's in a frenzy, trying to soak up the good weather and sunshine, as we all know it will be gone in a month. Already, although sunset isn't until 8:30, it's noticeably dusk-like by 7pm. Right now I'm about on the fence between "Oh, Summer, please don't go!" and "Enough with the sun already, bring on the rain so I can hibernate f0r awhile".

The End of an Era

My boss called me this morning to let me know that yesterday, the official announcement was made: The manufacturing area that I've worked in for the past 20 years will be shut down within a year.

It's not that we all didn't see this coming. We've been working with 20-year-old equipment for some time, with no hope of getting approved to upgrade. More and more stuff has been outsourced to China, and more and more of our staff has been cut. But still. I feel as if I've just been told an old, dear relative has only a year to live.

I officially retired more than a year ago, but I've been back working 2 days per week for the past 9 months, and really enjoying it. I've been working to upgrade the vast "data empire" I've developed over the past 15 years, to a more robust platform. Suddenly it all seems so pointless.

It's not at all that I'm worried about losing the job. I know I will get along OK, if on a somewhat tighter budget. But to see my work "family" broken up, my work "home" dismantled, all the stuff that we all worked together to develop, all just thrown out. It seems so wrong.

On a lighter note: Yesterday I had a bacon and tomato sandwich, with my own homegrown tomatoes! Man, they are tasty!

Rain at Last!

Finally our drought is over. A pleasant soft rain fell all night and into the morning,making for perfect sleeping weather... so pleasant that I was late for work this morning.

Saturday I Went hiking in the mountains with Kathy's group again, this time to Snow Lake, near Snoqualmie Pass. Unfortunately we could barely see the lake through the fog, but it was still a pleasant hike. On this hike and the previous one a few weeks ago, it seems like a good half of the hikers are ESL types. I heard varieties of eastern European (Russian? Serbian?), Indian (Hindi?) east Asian (Chinese?), and German. Amazing. Are these folks all tourists, or has Seattle really become that much of a melting pot?

Sunday, Lucie was kind enough to pick me up at the ferry, and off we went to the Everett Farmer's Market. I scored big, lugging home 20 pounds of kohrabi, pickling cukes, and tasty little donut peaches. Then managed to have enough energy left to paddle into the sunset again that night.

Today marks 9 years since I moved to the island! It was a very, very good move. I still love riding the ferry, and nearly everything else about my island home -- the lack of freeway noise, traffic jams, and crime; the deer in my yard; the eagles and ospreys and herons; walking on the beach, in the woods, or kayaking, whenever I want; using my high-beams when I drive home at night; not having street lights shine in my windows... Oh I could go on....

I am still happily TV-less, almost 2 months now. ANd since I've discovered that I can get most TV shows (maybe a day or two late) on the internet, on demand and with far less advertising, I'm thinking I may stay that way. As a plus, watching on my laptop with headphones is like having a big screen TV with surround sound!

Tomatoes

I have been harvesting cherry tomatoes for the past week or so, just a few each day. I keep meaning to take a picture, but so far none of them have avoided my mouth long enough to make it to the camera.

Found a very cool website that takes you, live, right to the middle of a seabird nesting colony in Alaska: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/view?cameraID=C100080. Well, it's cool if you're a birdwatcher anyway.

Finally got around to uploading my golden sunset picture from a couple of days ago. The other is just a pretty on my bike route near home.

Ospreys and Gold

Last night after work I put the kayak in over at Maxwelton. Paddled for an hour or so through hypnotic, long, slow swells, with just enough chop to be fun. Right around sunset I watched an osprey hunting, and after several unsuccessful dives she finally left for home, carrying her bedtime snack. After the sun had set, the water turned such a brilliant gold that I had trouble getting myself to come ashore.

Just kickin' around the the island

Had a pleasant 35-mile ride back from Coupeville yesterday, after a couple of hours at the street fair. I guess I've become too jaded to enjoy the street fairs around here much; everything looks too familiar. The woman I bought a jacket from a few years ago, the painter that puts out the Whidbey calendars every year, the guy that paints stuff on copper, the musician that plays the wierd guitar-like thing called a "Chapman Stick", many people selling fused-glass jewelry. Don't get me wrong: they're all great, it's just that I've seen them all too many times and there seems to be nothing new.



Oh well, I had a nice visit with Gerry and bought a festival t-shirt, last year's, for half-price. We stopped at Miriam's for coffee, and then I headed back sout while Gerry went to visit relatives.



By the time I got to Greenbank I was hungry so stopped at Greenbank farm for an early dinner and a browse through the Rob Schouten gallery. This is an artist who's paintings I find quite fascinating. Many contain a sort of hidden mini-galaxy. Take a look

http://www.robschouten.net/open_edition.php



Today dawned bright and clear once again, so I decided to ride up to Freeland for my (sometimes) thrice-weekly visit to the gym. On the way home I detoured down to Sunlight Beach to scope out a possible kayak launch. I was really intending to go back with the kayak for sunset this evening, but just ran out of steam. Anyway, got in another 30 miles with about 1800 feet elevation gain.



Earlier this week I received my new Arkel front panniers (which so far I love!) and Adventure Cycling maps to get me from Fargo to Michigan next year. In June of 2010 I will be taking off from here and riding with Woman Tours as far as Fargo, and then self-contained (with possibly a friend or two) on to Michigan. Now that I have the maps..... How can I wait a whole 'nother year????

The Foghorns of August

I woke this morning to the late-summer sound of foghorns, right on schedule for the 1st of August. How I love lying in bed and listening to them! The different tones from different ships, listening to them move up and down the Sound. Then sitting on my deck and watching the fog roll across Cultus Bay. Once again, I am so grateful to live here.

An email from Washington State Ferries this morning says the Port Townsend ferry is closed until further notice due to "heavy groundswell conditions and zero visibility".

Pleasant temperatures have returned and the sun is out. I'm off to Coupeville this morning with Gerry, to visit the annual arts festival. Gerry will drive me and my bike up there and then I will ride home, 35 miles or so.

Another Sunset Paddle

I'm sure we broke records for heat here today. I think we officially passed 99 F here on south Whidbey. Went to the grocery store and library to soak up some air conditioning, then home to sit in front of the fan and perspire for most of the afternoon. How did I survive Texas for 8 years????

This evening I put the kayak in again over at Maxwelton for a sunset paddle. This time I remembered the camera: After paddling out a ways, I just sat quietly and watched the sunset. I kept hearing this strange intermittent sound, like something brushing up against my kayak, or something breathing, or... yeah, that's it, something taking a breath.... Porpoises! A pair, surfacing to breathe, maybe 50 feet away. Then 20 feet, then 10 feet! Wow!

Sleeveless in Seattle

7-27-09
Another 90+ degree day, our 3rd in a row. Sunday I rode to the Everett waterfront, (30 miles, 2700 feet elevation gain) in this stuff. For the first time ever in the PNW, I wore my sleeveless jersey. Yesterday and today I am working, so spending the day n AC, and I fully intended to come home last night and go kayaking. But the heat just slapped me down… and man, dose my bedroom heat up (and not in a good way) during the day. Last night I tried sleeping out on the deck for awhile, but the mosquitoes drove me inside.


At 9am this morning it’s already plenty warm enough to keep the windows down on the car (especially since my AC quite working awhile back) . And this promises to be one of the 5 or so days per year when it’s comfortable to stand outside on the ferry deck in shirtsleeves for the whole ride.


I am writing this on my new Asus Eee900 PC, a tiny little netbook which weighs barely 2 pounds. The upside is this will be very easy for me to carry on bike trips. The downside is, well, it’s tiny. The keyboard is not quite 9 inches wide, which makes typing a cramped challenge. And I’ve turned the zoom up to 200% on the display so that I can actually read my typing… although that may have as much to do with my aging eyesight as with the display size. This is my test day to see how much of the “up to 3. 5 hours battery life” I’m really likely to get.



7-28

I managed to overcome heat lethargy and get the kayak in the water last night for a 90 minute paddle at sunset. Lovely, silky-smooth pinkpurpleorangeyellowblue water . I was looking at this big house up on the bluff as I paddled past, and then after awhile I noticed I didn't actually seem to be paddling past, but more like staying even with it. Turns out there ARE some tidal currents around here!

Last Week's Low Tide

A -3.1 tide last week drew me to the beach again, where I saw: A juvenile pea crab. Isn't she pretty?

Clam condos. Most of these holes are occupied by a type of clam called Rough Piddock. They actually dig the holes. The substrate is a combination of peat and clay; my local beach has large formations of this stuff.

A pretty red anemone of some type.

An ochre sea star.

They're Gone...

The Swainsons's thrushes, that is. They start singing in mid-May (this year at my house May 16th), gradually build to a crescendo in mid-July, and then suddenly, right around July 20th, they're gone. Whether they just stop singing or actually migrate this early, I don't know. But I am so sad to see them go. One of my favorite things about spring and summer is being serenaded to sleep by this ethereal song echoing through the woods; they sing from early evening until well after sunset. Their song is actually one of the reasons I bought my house; I was house hunting in early July and just enchanted by the sound. Check it out here:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Thrush/sounds
although a recording doesn't do it justice. You really have to hear them echoing through the woods, one answering another, in the quiet of the evening.

The Cat Days of Summer

We don't really get dog days here, so Sabrina says these are the Cat Days of Summer. Perfect for laying in the shade, which Sabrina of course has been doing all day, every day.

I myself have also been doing a fair amount of that, but have managed to work in a modicum of active, fun stuff, too. I just got back from 3.5 hours of kayaking, a longer paddle than I've done in quite some time and I'll probably pay for it, but it sure was fun! I made it clear from Possession park to the Clinton ferry dock and back, which must be close to 10 miles of paddling. Clear blue sky, no wind, very little current. Saw eagles, kingfishers, pigeon guillemots, and many motorboats, which created just enough waves for bouncy fun.

Yesterday I drove up to Ebey's Landing and did the loop walk again, along the bluff and back on the beach. Not as many wildflowers in bloom now, although still plenty. They were baling hay in the prarie. Not sure why I'm so fascinated with fields of hay bales....something about that crisp, clean geometry against the natural background.

Garden explosion

I guess we must've had some hot, sunny weather while I was gone; I can hardly believe how my garden has exploded in the past week, thanks in no small part to Gerry's watering it for me. I have a whole 'nother batch of kale and chard from the plants that I harvested the outer leaves off of just a couple of weeks. Cilantro has bolted up about a foot and is flowering. Cukes are looking happy, beets are absolutely lush, and the biggest news of all... after two years of trying, finally 3 of my kohlrabi plants have produced something besides greens! I ate one yummy, tender, sweet, crunchy bulb last night.

Rambling in Michigan

Just back from a week-long visit with my dad in Michigan. Here's are the highlights:

Wednesday 7/1 -- The worst airport experience I've had in some time. I bought my tickets from Northwest, months ago, but now Northwest and Delta have merged and they definitely have some customer service problems to iron out.

Normally I get to the airport a good 2 hours before my flight, and then have 1:45 to wander around, get coffee, etc. This morning I decide 90 minutes will be plenty of time....

First off, I look for the Northwest check-in at Seatac and can't find it. It's all just labelled Delta now. I already have my boarding pass but since I'm taking my Bike Friday along, I need to check baggage. I see a sign that says "baggage drop off" so I get in line. After about 10 minutes in this line I find out it's not really a line, but a group waiting to have their names called to come to the counter. I determine that instead, I must get in a different line, one that leads to a kiosk where you enter your flight information, then go back and wait in the baggage-drop group.

When I get to the front of the kiosk line, the kiosk I get doesn't work. I move to another one that works, but when I type in my confirmation number it says "see Northwest ticket agent". I try putting in my credit card number instead, same thing. But of course, "Northwest ticket agents" no longer exists. There is a Delta customer service person wondering around, and she tells me that I should be able to check my bags out at curbside.

Off I go to wait in that line. When I get to the front, the guy looks at my boarding pass and says he can't help me, because it was booked through Northwest. There's another line right next to him for people who booked through Northwest, but that line just leads to another one of those kiosks.

So, I head back inside and get into the long, slow line for people with "issues". (And believe me, by now I DO have issues.) And when I get to the front of it.... the lady says she can't help me because I booked through Northwest, and I'll have to wait in the next line over. At which point I say, no, I have reached my limit, I am not going to wait in another line, make it right. She just looks at me blankly and says there's nothing she can do.

Luckily, the agent at the next line over stepped in and helped me, and was actually able to check my bags. I get to my gate just as they are saying "last call", without even time to grab a cup of coffee.

I had to change planes in Minneapolis, and was heartened to see my Bike Friday bag actually get off the plane and onto a baggage cart there. But when I got to Detroit.... no baggage! Off I go to get in the lost baggage line. The lady there says, come in the back room with me and we'll just check in case it might be there. Thankfully, it was. I guess it took an earlier flight???

Anyway, I am now thinking I may just buy another bike to leave in Michigan.

Thursday 7/2 -- Recovery from flight.

Friday 7/3 -- I'm just settling in to my dad's place in Midland, Michigan, when it suddenly occurs to me that my friend Judy, who is riding from Maine to the west coast this summer, should be just about to Michigan by now. I send off an email to her, and sure enough, she will be passing right through Midland in a couple of days! We make arrangements to meet and possibly ride together for a ways when she gets here.

I met Judy when we rode the Underground Railroad route (Mobile AL to Niagara falls) last year with WomanTours. To celebrate turning 70 this year, Judy started in Maine in mid May and is riding, by herself, across the country. What a woman!

I put together my Bike Friday and rode over to Aunt Dorothy's house for a short visit. Aunt Dorothy turned 89 this year but looks more like 70. She lives only about 3 miles from my dad, and it's been a tradition since I was in high school, that I ride my bike to her house to visit. This may be the last year, since she is finally putting her place up for sale and planning to move to Indiana to live with her son. I promise to take her out to lunch later in the week.

Saturday 7/4 -- The day dawns bright, clear and calm, and my dad and I decide it's a perfect day for canoeing. I get the canoe down from the barn while my dad starts up the 35-year-old Jeep pickup and tries to find the dead thing in it that is making it smell really bad. No luck, so we leave the windows down, load canoe, lunch, and fishing supplies, and off we go. Our launch site is about 4.5 miles up the road, down a steep little hill. My 82 year old dad, who really needs hip replacements but so far has been too stubborn to get them, manages to get down the hill, and I head back up to move the truck. By the time I get back, he's got a bass on the line! In the bucket it goes, and off we go floating down the river.

This is the beautiful Chippewa river, which I grew up on. A totally worry-free float-trip river, rarely more than 4 feet deep. Little paddling required, no rapids, the worst that could happen is you'll drag bottom and have to get out and pull yourself off a gravel bar. Well, actually the WORST that could happen is you'll run into lots of deerflies, which have been known to drive strong men to distraction (one year my dad spent most of the trip hanging off the back of the canoe, mostly underwater, to escape them. And my cousin Kris once abandoned me mid-trip, nearly in tears, to march into the nearest house and call home to be picked up.) but thankfully, we see very few this trip.

What we do see, in spades, is cedar waxwings. Hundreds off them, flitting back and forth across the river, looking for all the world as if someone has carefully dipped just the very edge of each of their tails in neon-yellow paint. There's really no prettier bird.

And jewel-like dragonflies, some with brilliant metallic green bodies and velvety-black wings, others with bright red bodies and transparent wings. A few deer, a few dozen little turtles dozing on river rocks.

We stop for lunch at our halfway point. Just about the time we're done, here comes about 10 cute little pre-teen / early teen girls in bikinis, and ONE teenage boy, looking very happy. With maybe 3 tubes between them, they pile on, hang on, or wade beside, and start down the river.

My dad lands 2 more bass before we're done. Shirley cooks them for us for dinner, and I pull and steam fresh beet greens from the garden. Yum!

Sunday 7/5 -- I take Aunt Dorothy out for dinner, and then we drive around to the 3 local cemeteries where most of my Whittington relatives are buried. Mom, grandma, grandpa, and Aunt Letha at Poseyville cemetery. Aunt Onie, Uncle Jerry, cousin Gayle, Aunt Marie, Uncle Jack at Homer. Uncle Pete at Lee. Aunt Dorothy keeps flowers on all their graves and tries to keep the gravestones cleaned.

Monday 7/6 -- Judy made it to down last night and has a room at a motel downtown. I ride in to meet her this morning and give her the quick tour of downtown: the very unique Midland courthouse, and the Tridge. We eat breakfast on Main Street and then head off down the Pere Marquette rail-trail. At about mile 20 I must turn back, but how I wish I could just keep going with her! This was I think day 48 for Judy's trip, and she's far from tired of it.

I'm back to my dad's house just in time for a quick shower before we head downtown for dinner. Afterward we stop and visit Uncle John. He and Aunt Dorothy are all that's left of that "greatest generation" of Whittingtons. Uncle John can't drive any more but still lives by himself, and has a tricycle that he rides every day.

Tuesday 7/7 -- Today my dad, Shirley (aka "Aunt Mom") and I head 50 miles NE to Standish, to visit the Hagley side of the family, at the farm where my dad grew up. This dairy farm is now going on 6 generations, and 4 of them are living and/or working there today.

My grandpa and grandma milked maybe a dozen or so cows, by hand of course. ( I can remember having fresh, still warm milk before I went to bed when visiting there). My dad had to quit school early to help on the farm, back when they still used horses to till the fields. My dad's brother, Uncle Louie, took over the farm from my grandpa, and his son Tim took it over from him. Tim's daughter (who now has a baby of her own) now does the milking, 100 ( or is it 200??) cows twice a day, pretty much single handedly, in the new 16-stall milking parlor. The parlor has a 2000-gallon milk tank, which gets nearly full in 2 days.

We pulled in just in time to see Stevie, my cousin Deb's grandson (maybe 12 or 13 years old) drive past on a huge tractor hauling a load of either oats or peas, which go into this big thing that Tim calls the sausage stuffer. The oats and peas get mixed together and stuffed into a huge plastic sausage, 6 feet in diameter and maybe 50 feet long, for storage.

Today I get to see my cousin Mike for the first time in probably 25 years. He has lived and worked near Detroit for many years, but recently was laid off, and is now up working on the farm part time.

Deb takes me out to the vegetable garden where I pick a mess of greens (arugula, leaf lettuce, bok choy, green onions) to take home.

Tim takes my dad and I out to show off the new milking parlor, much of which Tim bought used and refurbished himself. Tim obviously enjoys what he does and it's a joy to see that. The cows are mooing demandingly and Tim says, shoot, I forgot to do the noon feeding (it's been a busy day), so we get to see his automated feeder, too. It grinds corn, mixes it with sweet-smelling silage, and delivers it via conveyor belt to the impatient cows.

In addition to dairy farming, Tim has gone partially organic in the last few years, as "Saverine Creek Organics". Branching out from this is Deb's business making jewelry from colorful heirloom varieties of corn and beans. It's unique and stunningly beautiful, as Deb has a real eye for design. Check out her website at http://www.saverinecreek.com/.

Back at the house, we have a wonderful visit with Uncle Louie and Aunt Gin, who feeds us a yummy homemade custard-cake. I get to see a picture of Isobel, Deb's newest grandchild, and to meet Tim's 18-month-old granddaughter Delia.

Alas, finally it's time to leave. On the way home, Dad, Shirley and I stop for dinner at Wheeler's in downtown Standish. This restaurant has been there at least since my dad was a kid. It sill has those cool individual juke-box things in the booths, although with the coin slots taped over.

Wednesday 7-8 -- I get up just in time for a quick breakfast before hitting the road for Detroit. It's a 2.5 hour drive to the airport, made a little longer by the fact that even though I've driven this dozens of times, I somehow miss a turn and end up in a bombed-out looking area in downtown Detroit. A mighty sad looking place. But no worries, I backtrack and make it the airport with time to spare, especially since I am NOT checking any baggage this time, as I've elected to leave my Bike Friday in Michigan for now.

Flights went fine and after a long day of travel, I'm on the midnight ferry back to my beautiful island home.