Friday July 22
40 miles i guess
Rockport WA
Sun! I awoke to sunshine this morning. It's a glorious thing!!! It's been so cold and cloudy and rainy for nearly 2 weeks. Now it'll be cold and cloudy and rainy with a few sun breaks. Only in the northwest do they count sun breaks...moments when Theron breaks through and warms your soul.
But that was after another horrible night. This time due to air force jets practicing maneuvers. They started in the early evening buzzing the fields I'm camped in. The noise was so loud I thought they were going to break the sound barrier. Again and again and again. Then it stopped and I went to sleep. Were they done? Of course not. We have to see how the jets perform at midnight because ya know it might be different. It doesn't matter that the rest of the world is sleeping. On and on. Back and forth. With deafening noise. I had to protect my good ear the noise was so painful. Really? You can't do this out over the ocean? You have to buzz the villages? My list of places not to camp is getting quite extensive:). I can't believe all the things that can surprise you with noise at night.
Talked with a spunky woman who owned a thrift store in town. I'm trying to find a sun visor in a place that has no sun! I found one in one thrift store which is functional but not cute. I'm into cute. So the hunt is on. And what a hunt it is. Almost bought one in Port Townsend at the state park but I don't like to advertise and the price was $14.50. Too much. Little did I know how hard it would be to find another. The search continues.
Back to the lady owner. We were talking about how risky traveling on these roads was and she saud "One minute you'll be biking in the forest with trees all around. Then Bam. You'll be biking in new scenery: flowers and blue sky!" One can only hope it will be that quick.
Route 20 has been a treat to bike on: wide shoulders. Yippeee! Now if all the cars would just go drive somewhere else. Or better yet, go home. I would be really happy. The confusing whizzing is exhausting. I'm camped just off the road behind some bushes and the noise continued all evening. Whiiiizzz. Whiiizzz. Whiiizzzz. I knew it would quiet down as it got later. And it did. But now it's Sat morning about 7:30 am and it's slowly picking up in volume.
Even though I'm up in the mountains so to speak, I haven't started climbing yet. That will be today. I just hope the road stays gradual. Then it will be fine. I've got 80 miles to Winthrop and 3 days to do it. Should be I'm good shape.
Off to pack up, find coffee and some morning sun. Oops, the sun seems to have disappeared. Darn!
Oh I forgot to mention the Velomobile I saw yesterday. A Dutch trike with a fiberglass shell. Very cool. Craig Johnsen was the power behind the pedals. Oh the delightful people I meet!!! Enjoyed our chat!
Pedal on. Pedal on
Stinky BagLady
