This morning I rode Tyra on our trails, in the rain. I was accompanied by Pete who rode Hrimmi and my friend Heather who rode Raudi. The footing was muddy and rooty. This was a substitute ride. I was supposed to begin Part II of my trip by riding Raudi to 58 Mile Road, and from there get back on my bicycle and head down the Glenn Highway to Sutton and points east. There had been too much rain. The creek was too high. Instead, I had a change of plans and instead opted to ride my bicycle from home.

I became homesick as I packed up, my gear strewn all over the lower quadrant picnic table. I was very much aware of the fact that I was leaving goats, chickens,

Bill and Pete prepare to load up manure

horses, and dogs behind. Shadow came over and began pulling on my safety vest. I then wondered, why am I doing this?

I headed out at 3 p.m., turned right on Oceanview, left on Murphy, right on Buffalo Mine Road, and left onto the Glenn Highway. I started out from Mile 53. From the onset, my bicycle was wobbly.

The very familiar shoulder was wide most of the way, a bit busted up on the first steep downhill. I got off my bicycle at Hilltop and looked back toward our place. It had stopped raining when I left, but it resumed raining shortly thereafter. The sky was a dark blue gray. I felt better about this trip than the last in terms of my degree of preparedness. This time, I was wearing hiking boots and had Pete’s heavy duty kayak paddling jacket on hand. And I found my Gore-Tex rain pants.

At Mile 64 I paused briefly and watched this fellow unload a wheelbarrow of manure onto the side of the road. The area was grassy and here and there were wildflowers. It was our good friend Bill Schmidtkunz – he’s been taking our manure and spreading it on the roadside, now for two years. Daisies, Dianthus, clover, poppies, are all doing very well.

Bill’s efforts are a labor of love. He does have to deal with D.O.T who mow the area. He hopes to convince them to mow in the late fall rather than in the summer. This way, the seeds will be spread and the flowers will appear next year. There is a story in this, and I decided that when I get home, I’ll follow through with getting this project some publicity.

After we talked a bit Bill invited me to have dinner and spend the night at his place. He then gave a garden tour – the house he built is surrounded by the fruits of his gardening effort. His brightly colored flowers are artfully arranged, in pots, around his place. I parked my bicycle in his greenhouse, which used to be a horse enclosure.

Bill’s wife Charlene and I got to talking – she’s decided to accompany me tomorrow, and ride at least a few miles down the road. This will be fun because so far, this has been a solo trek.

Next: 193. 7/12/20: Phew