ERRANDONNEE #6, 7, 8

FEBRUARY 11: Had an adventure today. My intended bike only errands turned into a bike and walk outing ;’-0.

Let’s start at the beginning. Yesterday I used Susan’s bike as I had developed a flat tire on mine. In the late afternoon Susan spent time and energy to change that tire and put on the BRAND NEW tire as well as a BRAND NEW tube. This morning, that tire was as flat as a pancake! I wanted to join Cindy’s weekly club ride, and Susan had a sub job that she wanted to bike commute to. Sweetly she agreed to use her other eBike so that I could use her Bike Friday again today. 

So far, so good.

When I got out on my bike with three errands in mind to do on the way to Cindy’s ride, there was that dastardly rain. It was light but the sky had only clouds. I became disinclined to ride to the start and continue on the her route for the ride. So I did not go for it. The day was not shaping up to what I had planned!

I did finish my errands by bike:

ERRAND #6 PERSONAL BUSINESS 1 —  Drop off our ballots.

ERRAND #7 EARTH CARE 2: Dispose of old pills.

ERRAND #8 YOU CARRIED WHAT ON YOUR BIKE?: Our electric tea kettle went under the other day just in time for me to use that for this category and take it to our metal recycling center.

Kettle drop off was my last errand and I continued toward home on a different route to make it a loop. I turned a corner on the return route and knew — I knew. Flat rear tire on Susan’s bike! I had ridden close to 4 miles by now, and then walked a bit more than 2 rolling my bike next to me to arrive home. Sigh. Flat tires are the pits!!!! 

Errands #6, 7, 8 with bike and walk 

6 miles 

I learned how well my new “spider” webbing works (held the kettle very well)

I learned how much I hate flat tires,

I learned how fortunate I have been to not get a flat tire in the thousands of miles I have on these tires ;’-).

I learned how much I appreciate Eric at Bay Side Bikes ;’-)

ERRANDONNEE 2020

That time of year — do my 12 errand within 12 consecutive days. You can look here for the rules — and it is not too late to join the challenge ;’-)

2020 Errandonnee

I intend to make a separate post about all the rain we have been having, but this post, and the next few to arrive, are all about errands.qw

MONDAY FEBRUARY 10: We had a beautiful respite from rain yesterday and I enjoyed great day of riding with Cindy and Brenda. A good day to begin my errand runs. I am counting the ride under SOCIAL, so will include those miles into all the other errands I did before and during that ride.

ERRAND #1 ART & ENTERTAINMENT: Library. We had already had the entertainment and I needed to return the books we had borrowed. Arrive at the library before the 9:00 opening hour, so deposited them in the Book Depository.

ERRAND #2, NON-STORE to recycle some used goods.

ERRAND #3, EARTH CARE 1 (my name for this category as it is not recycling, but safe disposal of items): Dispose of batteries. I definitely learned something on this errand. I have brought batteries here for a few years with no problem of disposing of them. This year they took the lithium batteries, no problem. To dispose of the Alkaline they would have to charge me $1.85 a pound and I had over a pound an a half (batteries are heavy). Seems wrong to charge for this as that offers little incentive for people to not simply through them in the trash! I didn’t pay as Susan can take them to school on her substitute day and they will dispose of the ones they collect from everyone.

“ERRAND” #4, SOCIAL: I rode my bike to meet up with Cindy and Brenda for a fantastic day in the saddle. Note — it has been a long time since we could actually see shadows!

ERRAND #5: PERSONAL CARE 1, A stop to pick up glasses that had been repaired.

Errands 1-5 = 34 miles since I do include the social bike ride.

I learned about the battery thing,

I learned how much we have missed shadows,

I learned that Sweet Treats has delicious chocolate truffles (we shared)

2020 WINTER IN SEATTLE SO FAR ;’-0

We Rainbow Riders started the year with our usual, and now traditional, FROSTY (First Ride Starting Out The Year) ride on January 1, 2020. By the photos you see there is no precipitation ;’-). No sun,  but no precipitation. 

First we gather together and figure out who will walk/hike and who will ride. The walkers are ready to set out...

Riders gear up, take off and have a brief stop at the turn around point...

... and celebrate that there is no rain as we often have had on this ride.


We gather back at the Ks house and enjoy eating and socializing into the afternoon, each group refreshed and happy from their chosen outing.

From here it mostly goes down hill. From January 2nd to the end of the month there has been some kind of rain EVERY DAY! 

Our forecasts go something like this...

In just a couple of days we DID get snow.

Susan busied herself with shoveling the driveway after each snowfall.

The snow was nowhere near what we had a year ago — remember the snowpocalypse that we biked home in from the Tunnel ride!  This year we did not need our snowshoes to go for a walk to enjoy the snow.

Susan seemed to love shoveling and would do so as soon as the driveway got white.

After walking in the cold and enjoying the snow, we enjoyed warming up by our “fire”.

The snow did not last long, but the rain has. There were a few days that I was able to sneak in a ride alone or with my bike buddy Cindy before the rain started later in the afternoon.

A stop for a hot beverage is always a welcome treat when winter riding ;’-)

We are into the second week of February and ....... rain. January had more rain and more rainy days (30) in Seattle history. February is not looking much better so far. 

On my theatre outing with Bill we could just barely make out the Space Needle as we walked back to the car on the roof-top parking lot, in continuing downpour, umbrellas overhead.

Now we simply hope for better weather conditions before we each and all experience total depression! Maybe this weekend will bring us some sun - they say. 

Well, here you go... my thought for the day...

ADVENTURING IN PORT TOWNSEND

Fort Worden is a decommissioned military base that is now a state park. Part of the park has a campground.

On Friday I had to rush in a ride at 8:00 and make it one of the shorter ones as I needed to get changed and help finish packing the RV for departure soon after. My ride was slightly wet with soft rain most of the way but I was fine with that. I am getting quite used to riding in the rain and rather enjoying it. 

We got to Edmonds for the ferry and the sun was shining in blue sky ;’-). That is what we had for the remainder of the day. Once at Port Townsend we stopped by for a quick hello to friends we have not seen in years, then on to lunch at ‘Taps at the Guardhouse’ pub/cafe at Fort Worden. 

Built in 1904, the Guardhouse provided “transient” accommodations for soldiers who breached military discipline, usually as a result of unauthorized activities in the rough and tumble taverns on Port Townsend’s notorious Water Street. 

“Transient Accommodations...

They would play taps at 10:00 each night to call lights out.

Got set up in our camp spot and walked around the area in sunshine. Then walked to the bunkers 

I find it very sobering whenever I am on a military base. Sobering and sad as I think of the men and their families who lived the life here, and how cruel war is.

While on our bunker walk we could hear what sounded like bag pipes. Sure enough.

We strolled to and around the lighthouse making it a long walk today. 

Coming back to camp at about 5:00 it was still daylight. Hard to believe. Daylight hours are finally extending.

THEN (at dark at 6:30)) we walked the mile back up to Taps for their open Mic Storytelling. That was not a hightligt for me as with my hearing impairment I could not hear much of the stories. But, according to Susan, they were not very good stories any way.

On Saturday morning we unloaded our bikes for a biking day. Jenny and Laurent had given us this wonderful Christmas present. — a cover for our bikes while traveling.

This was promising to be a good day as we had a nice size ‘sucker hole’.

We biked up to breakfast at Reveille at the ‘Commons’ building.

After what we thought was a delightful, bountiful breakfast, we continued our ride into town to meet up at our ride start for a ride on the Larry Scott Trail Memorial. 

Laura, our leader, gathered the other seven of us together for an overview of the ride and we soon were on our way. A very short distance from our start we came to the beginning of the Larry Scott Memorial Trail. Unpaved, but very hard packed, the trail gave us a delightful ride today. We encountered several horse riders, who safely held their horses in control at the side of the trail as we passed; rolled through some open fields and pastures; ducked under a few trees through the forest; glided around a gentle path winding through more trees; and, what seemed all too soon, we were at the terminus of the trail. Time to head back.

We started up at the top right corner and were now at the turn around point at the bottom of the map.

The happy cyclists — minus Terry who took the photo...

The eight of us went in different directions for the rest of the afternoon, then met up for Thai dinner in downtown Port Townsend before saying our good nights and goodbyes. 

On Sunday, though it had rained in the night, I got out for my solo ride in dry and partial sun. More in-depth riding around the military grounds afforded me a few photos to share.

This falcon (I think it is a falcon — correct me if I am wrong) was watching over all who ambled past on foot or bike ;’-)

One of the storytellers had told some tale involving Alexander’s Castle that we had not heard of. I chanced upon it on this morning’s ride.

I did not wander far on my ride and in fact, did a few loops twice to get a few more miles. I wanted to find the cemetery we had passed the day before. And I did.

And this cute free library...

I stopped for some history lesson.

It seems that many decommissioned military bases end up offering diagnostic and treatment centers for a period of time. Until it went out of vogue to help those who need it (my own opinion).. 

 

The Fort Worden State Park campground is very nice, clean and roomy. Kind of wide open and not nestled in trees seems right for here. I would come back here any time. And we might just do that when we feel an itch to get away from home and get nestled into our RV.