8/21/2021. That Damn Cat

Setting:  Columbia Sun Rv Resort.  In the High Desert of Kennewick Washington

Culprit:  Bob the Faux Bobcat

Timeframe:  Two Day Stay

Day 1:  Sandy and I are eating lunch inside the COW when I noticed a Gray Striped, Semi-Large Cat type animal with a stubby tail roaming around the campground.  I told Sandy that looks like a “Bobcat”.  She of course told me I was crazy.  It must be someone’s pet cat 

Day 2:  We are packing up to drive 4 hours from Kennewick Washington to Portland Oregon.  I am outside disconnecting the COW’s electrical power and hoses.  I am also multi-tasking getting the Toad (car) ready to be towed.  I have the COW’s basement water and electrical bays doors open.

Scene 1:  As I come around the back corner of the COW I notice “Shifty”, I mean Bob the faux bobcat nosing around the open door of the Water bay.  As I increase my pace moving towards the water bay, while giving Bob the faux Bobcat unquestionable direction by swinging my arm and announcing “Get Lost”.  What’s that damn cat do, he looks at me, flips me off, and jumps right into the basement (underneath storage) of the COW.  CRAP-CRAP-CRAP.  I try to shoo him out and sure enough that damn cat moves further underneath so I have no chance of dragging him out.  Not only does he move further underneath he is now up into the plumbing raceway.  I couldn’t believe it.  Now he has gone from Bob the faux Bobcat to “Damn Bob the stowaway faux Bobcat”.

Scene 2:  After a few choice words to myself, I decided the best course of action was to walk-away and hopefully “Bob, the Damn curious faux Bobcat” would exit on his own.  Sure enough after a couple minutes he meanders out giving me a look like “Hey Buddy, Far Out,  never seen a basement like that before, Peace Out”. :-)

I think we should rename Bob, the Damn Faux Bobcat to “Lucky” as he was a couple minutes from becoming a new resident of Portland, Oregon.  He is lucky that I saw him climb in or he would have definitely been one unhappy cat after riding uncomfortably in the dark Basement of the COW for the 4 hour ride from Kennewick WA to Portland OR.

Here is a picture of “Bob the Damn Faux Bobcat” otherwise now known as “Lucky”

8/7/2021 The Fire is 100% contained.

The fire is now 100% contained.  It burned 359 acres.  The smoke initially affected the surrounding area, but 2 weeks later the smoke from this and other fires is now blanketing a lot of the United States.  

The smoke from the wild fire which was 19 miles North of us blanketed our campground and the surrounding hills for the past 1 1/2 weeks.

The following pictures are a comparison of the hills surrounding the campground covered in smoke vs the same hills once the smoke lifted.   This smoke surrounded our COW. Luckily Sandy had purchased a small smoke eater machine for inside the coach which kept our air clean.  We considered moving to a campground further away, but the smoke covered most of the states of Idaho and Washington.   So the best course of action was just to wait it out.  We were never in danger of the fire as it was burning to the North and we were South.  

8/1/2021. It all started with a little smoke up on the mountain.

On 7/29, while touring around in our Toad, Sandy and I spotted some smoke just North of the city of Priest River, Idaho.  Priest River is 19 miles North of our campground. Turns out it started only 45 minutes before we noticed it.  The fire response team already had 3 single engine, Double pilot, Fire Boss float planes that pickup up to 800 gallons of water via scoops in their floats by dipping the floats into the local river, filling up, then fly single file up to the fire, drop their water, then repeat the process.  They are amazing to watch.  It looked to me that they would soon have it under control.  

The fire has been named the “Pioneer Fire”.  

Three days later (today 8/1), the fire has burned 359 Acres.  Our campground is socked in with smoke.  (Thank goodness Sandy had purchased a small smoke eating machine for the COW in anticipation of Western Wild Fires that has done a good job of keeping the inside of the COW smoke free.)  

This fire as well as many other current wild fires have spewed smoke into the air through most of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Minnesota, and Wyoming.

The good news is that we just heard that the Pioneer fire is 50% controlled as of 5:00 PM today 8/1.

Attached is a picture of the initial start of the fire:

Attached are pictures of the smoke currently surrounding our campground.  The surrounding hills are covered in smoke.  Normally we would be able to clearly see the surrounding hills.

7/24/2021. Hiawatha scenic Rail to Trail Bike Route

Sandy found this trail.  It is one of the Top 10 Rail to Trails in the United States.  It is also in the “Rail To Trail Hall of Fame”.  It is along the Idaho/Montana Border just off Rt 90.  It is 15 miles long.  Mostly downhill so you are riding the brakes instead of peddling.  In the 15 miles there are 10 Railroad tunnels (the longest being 1.6 miles long) and 7 sky high Railroad trestles (highest is 230’ above the ground). 

Here are my thoughts after riding the trail

• Most Rail to Trail bike trails are paved.  This one is not.  It is similar to an old logging road.  15 miles of river rock small stones, dirt road, and wash board surface.  We road our tandem with no shock absorbers so we felt the entire 15 miles.  Would have been a much more enjoyable ride on a Mountain Bike with Front and Rear Shocks
• The 1.6 mile tunnel was L-O-N-G.  You don’t realize how long 1.6 miles is until you are in a dark tunnel with only the headlight on your bike for guidance and a rear light hoping nobody runs into the back of your bike.  Also some of the tunnels were raining water so the slick wet clay created a challenge to hold up the front of the Tandem.  I could feel the front end sliding which is an uneasy feeling with Sandy on the back and the tunnel being pitch black.  I mean D-A-R-K!!
• The Trestles were high with only some wire fencing keeping you from falling over.
• When not on a Trestle or in a Tunnel, the sides of the road were unprotected from going off the edge.  I did see an older lady get spooked by a young kid flying by her on a bike and she went off the edge.  Thankfully there were some pine trees that stopped her decent, but she still fell 10’ down the hill before stopping.
• We rode the trail on a Thursday fully expecting not to have a lot of other riders on the trail.  Wrong!  They do limit the numbers, but there were probably 500 riders on the trail.  Including a Boy Scout Troop out of Lake Oswego, Oregon with probably 50 kids and maybe 10 adults.  They were having a great time, but I am sure were hell on wheels racing down to the bottom.  Something I would have done in earlier years :-)
• At the end of the trail we paid to have a bus take us and our bike back up to the top of the mountain.  We didn’t realize that 160+ people ahead of us and another 160+ people behind us paid for the same bus ride.  It took us about an hour to get onto a bus.

All above being said, it was a good time.  I would do it again but on a bike with shocks.  I would shoot for earlier in the week to hopefully avoid the big crowds.  I would want a brighter front light.  The LED light I had was just adequate.  Also I had  put the maximum air pressure in my tires thinking it would be a paved 15 mile trail.  Next time I will put the minimum allowable air in the tires allowing the tires to take-out some of the wash board effect.  As it was Sandy and I felt every bump throughout our entire body.  

The trail is worth riding.  The sites are amazing.  Very little peddling. Where else do you get to bike through old Railroad tunnels and over old Railroad trestles.

Boy did we both sleep good that night.

Here are some pictures 

7/18/2021 Spokane Washington

We are camped just East of the City at Liberty Lakes RV resort.  We arrived Thursday and are here for 1 1/2 weeks.  

We assembled the Tandem and went riding on the Centennial Trail.  The Centennial Trail is a rail to trail conversion that is paved for 40 miles and runs from Spokane WA into Idaho.  Friday we took the trail 20 miles East.  Saturday, after attending a local Farmers Market, we rode the bike 15 miles West.  Attached are some pictures of the trail, our bike, some scenery along the way, and the Stateline Marker along the trail.

Sunday, we took a ride into downtown Spokane.  The town is bustling with parks throughout.  The 1st park we checked out was Riverfront Park built on the land along the Spokane River where the 1974 World’s Fair was held.  It is a nice park with water features and playgrounds for kids.  A Suspension bridge going across the water.  The LARGEST “Radio Flyer Wagon” I have ever seen 

The 2nd park we checked out was Monito Park which is the downtown flower garden.  

Both parks are very impressive and worth the visit, especially on a Sunday when traffic downtown was minimal.  Also we discovered that metered parking along the street is free on Sundays which is appreciated.

7/13/2021. Kennewick Washington. The High Desert

Who knew (not I) that there is such a thing as a “High Desert”.  Well Kennewick Washington is in the high desert.  With the exception of the area fed by irrigation, the surrounding area is dry.  I mean really dry.  It is Hot.  This week has been high 90’s to 100 degrees.  I will add that for the most part the humidity is low so it is somewhat comfortable. Also thank goodness for air conditioning. 

The area is called the Tri-cities as it consists of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland Washington.  Actually Kiplinger Magazine listed it as one of their recommended location for retirees to relocate.  There is lots of new housing, new roads, shopping centers, restaurants, etc… for retirees. 

 The cities are located at the bottom of the Snake River where it dumps into the Columbia River

Here are some pictures:

Electric Bike Frustration. If only I had an extra 1/2”

The other day I was cleaning the front windshield of the COW when I noticed my neighbor lift two folded electric bikes into the back of his SUV.  My eyes about popped out of my head.  I had never thought about putting bikes into the back of the toad.  NO RACK REQUIRED!!

• Side note:  Sandy and I love to bike.  We actually carry an unassembled tandem bike in the basement of the COW, but it takes to much assembly just to pull it out for a couple of days, plus it is to bulky to transport on the back of the toad to a remote trail.  With all the miles we travel it would be destroyed with all the road grit and grime.  

I jumped out of the COW and immediately approached my neighbor, introduced myself and inquired about his EBikes.  They were made by YAMEE.  He purchased two back in Dec 2020 and loves them.  Both he and his wife ride.  I was impressed with the quality, and how easily they folded.  I snapped a picture of the bikes and began researching.  Still impressed after my research.  I knocked on my neighbors door and asked if I could look at them again.  They offered to let me ride one of their bikes.  Wow these EBikes are cool.  Now I am hooked.  Sign me up and get them delivered.  After reviewing the specs one last time, and measuring my Toad it looked like the hatch opening on my toad may be a 1/2” to short.

A couple days later I knocked on my neighbors door again and asked if we could try to put one of their EBikes into the back of my car.  (Sandy thought I was nuts :-) ..). Just to see if a twist or lean may allow the bike to fit into the toad.  Sure enough, it was impossible to get two of the folded bikes (one for Sandy, one for me) into the back of my toad.  DARN 

Thank Goodness that our new friends (Gerard and Mary) were very helpful and accommodating.