DIFFERENT THEN I EXPECTED
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FRESH OR SALT WATER?
Moving toward the Russian river in Washington, it was hard
to tell where fresh water starts and salt water ends. This looks like a lake in
Iowa, but there were signs of high and low tide.
I talked to several locals
about this unique environment. Several types of fish cross back and forth, but
most are salmon. They were catching Rockfish and Coho Salmon in this area.
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HIGHWAY SONGS
The call of the highway has been a lifelong passion. My four
speed '63 Corsair complete with an eight track player, nine inch coaxial speakers,
and a constant diet of James Taylor, and Grateful Dead songs of the road.
We
lived in our cars in those days, traveling hundreds of miles of back country
roads almost nightly, smoking Winston’s and drinking Scheduling Little King Ale.
I wouldn't be caught dead on a bicycle in those days, but the highway had
romanced my heart for life.
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SOCCER DISASTER
I began my trip north through Sausalito. There is a bike
path through most of it which was filled with joggers and bicycles.
It passed by a
soccer field with a very lively game in progress. However, as the action was
focused on one end of the field there was a large dog relieving himself in
front of the opposite goal.
The action moved toward the stinky end of the field
and the kids stopped in their tracks and began holding their noses. I was
wondering what card the referee would use for this infraction.
I do know the owned was half way home by now. For some strange reason I notice
those special moments.
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GREAT PICTURE BY ACCIDENT
This is the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The size
of it is even more amazing when you walk or ride across it. This shot was just luck,
I had not planned this great angle.
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OPENING DAY STORY
I work in a grocery store where I regularly talked with a
woman who walked across the Golden Gate Bridge the day it opened. She said it
was a sunny day in 1937 and thousands of people packed the bridge from shore to shore.
Through the day they lost their little brother. There were rumors that a few people had fallen over the side so they feared it was him. After a few hours of panic,
they found him playing with friends.
I have driven across the bridge dozens of times. It was part of my weekend bike ride. I rode from Noe Valley to Sausalito for coffee. Then back across the bridge then I followed the shore down the San Francisco coast line for another coffee. Then back to Noe Valley over Twin Peaks.
She talked about opening day like it was yesterday.
I gave her a link to this blog, she had her great grandkids pull it up on their
computer. She was pleased to see my pictures and read my words. She
complimented me on my writing, as several others have.
I had never thought much
about being able to communicate in written words. However, in person I'm very
accomplished at bull shit.
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A nice lady took my picture.The Golden Gate Bridge was just the beginning of a perfect day. I was off to Canada only a thousand miles north.one hundred sixty one
Walter poses for another picture,as the morning sun warmed my bones. Walter is the name I gave to my bicycle. I depend on Walter after all of these miles. one hundred sixty
A bed and breakfast just south of Legget California. I would love to see inside, but I don't think they would permit me to take my bike inside. one hundred fifty nine
UNUSUAL FLOWERS
California flowers are beautiful. It seems just about everything will grow there because of the micro climates. San Francisco has the most unusual flowers I have seen in one place. They seem to match the rest of this unusual city.
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The style of these classic houses caught my imagination. I wondered about their history and wondered about the current residents. This town is filled with intriguing places and intriguing people.one hundred fifty seven
AMAZING CRAFTSMANSHIP
Many if these houses have been recently restored, the craftsmanship is amazing. I suspect they are the ultimate money pit project. The end products are like a walk though history.
one hundred fifty six
THERE IS ALWAYS ONE
Nice garage if you don't mind climbing in and out of the car
window. If the Village People had a Nascar driver he
may have lived here.
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I'M CONFUSED
San Francisco has some beautiful but unusual architecture. Three entrances to a two story house?
one hundred fifty three
UP AND DOWN THEN BACK UP THEN DOWN AGAIN
There was an endless cycle to the Pacific coast highway. It
would run down close to the beach then a climb up to a vista. Then
back down to the beach and back up to the next vista. Each cycle would
include a twisted climb and decent. The road would have become
frustrating if it wasn't so breathtakingly beautiful.
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CURIOUS COWS
Cows are not usually warm and cuddly pets. They are simply walking
fermentation tanks that produce milk. Cows spend their lives taking grass in
one end and dropping it out the other.
I have worked farms and really love cows. These cows were unusual cows because they stopped eating and watched me for twenty straight minutes.
I have been in areas so isolated that the cows walk a hundred yards to the
fence to watch me ride by.
Cows don't usually notice or care about people
unless they have a bucket of oats or it is milking time. Perhaps I have spent too much time alone myself.
The proof may be that I'm writing about cows.
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HILLS HILLS AND MORE HILLS
I was unable to capture by picture the steepness of the hills.
Every day there were as many as a dozen climbs of five to eight hundred feet of elevation.
My bike weighs at least eighty pounds, and I weigh one hundred and seventy pounds.
This simple machine, driven only by human power sounds almost impossible to
ride uphill.
The gearing is the secret, if you have the right ratios, you can
ride up trees. I spin along at ninety reps per minute, at four point five miles
per hour trying not to fall over. It takes a long time to climb to the tops of
these hills, but somehow you get there.
As the days pass, each hill becomes
less and less daunting. I think it is called conditioning. You don't enjoy them or look forward to them, they just
become less impossible.
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A BREAK FROM THE WIND, INLAND WASHINGTON
A welcomed rest as I traveled a sunny inland road in
Washington State. These were very quiet rolling hills which was a nice change
from the busy and windy coast highway. The North West was not what I had expected.
This has been true of every place I have traveled by bicycle. Every place has
been much more then I had ever imagined, perhaps I'm learning how to see.
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ANOTHER SECLUDED BEACH
Not much to say other than wow. Coast of Oregon beach.
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