Oregon---"OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam, in fourth grade, I stole my Uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew school play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog..."

The weather forecast called for the mercury to hit 106 in Boardman, and that's where we were headed, so we were up at 4 and riding by 4:45. The first 13 miles took us back into Milton-Freewater, and then we rode south on Highway 11. We saw several deer in the early morning light, but the red fox we saw was a special treat. I'm afraid we interrupted his breakfast hunt. There were also quail skittering under the bushes along the roadside, and two female pheasants that sailed across the road in front of us. Bill would have loved it...he used to bird hunt in Eastern Oregon.




We went through Athena, Helix, and Holdman, riding over checkerboarded fields of wheat, alfalfa, and good ol' Oregon dirt. It was beautiful and contained two good climbs and then healthy rollers. When we came over a roller at 45 miles or so, we saw the Columbia River in all of its majesty. Can home be far away?




We turned west onto Highway 730 and rode through Umatilla and Irrigon. I have ridden in the gorge many times and it was not the extreme heat that I feared...it was the wind. It is not uncommon to see 30 m.p.h. west winds in the gorge. The fellow who designed Karen's Bonelocker Bike Rack had intended to do some windsurfing in Hood River and he was going to meet us today in Boardman. He cancelled his trip because there wasn't going to be a lot of wind. Bad for him, but good for us. We finished the day by riding about 16 miles on I-84. It wasn't the most pleasant riding, but there was a rumble strip and a wide shoulder and we were finished by 11:59. I had 100.5 miles, an average of 15.4 and 2197' of elevation gain.

I thought about stopping in the Dalles to get a cinnamon roll at Cousin's Restaurant...best cinnamon rolls I have ever had...but I didn't want to take the time. There is a great ice cream place in Cascade Locks, but when I saw the line of 20 people waiting to be served, I didn't want to stop. Ten years ago I turned 50...it was truly my "year of jubilee"...one daughter got married, and Bill and I had our first grandchild. Today...Jackson turned 10, and all of my kids...all of my grand kids were going to be there to celebrate. There were going to be BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, coleslaw, watermelon, fresh cherries and apricots, and crafted beer. I couldn't get there fast enough.

Karen and Laura dropped me off in Washougal and I soaked up some family. Oh, how I have missed them! I have had trouble answering people when they ask me why I am doing this...it seems almost silly at times. But I watch my own kids living large, dreaming big, and sucking the marrow out of life, and I.love.that.





I spent the night at my son's house in Washougal. He and his family are leaving first thing in the morning for Yellowstone. It was a late night for me...Liz was kind enough to bring me my bike box and visit while I took the Rodriguez apart and packed it in its case. We put it back in her van where it will be waiting for me to finish tomorrow's ride...
maybe you can't...because you won't...