Where did you ride today?

A nice part about being retired is you can ride when you want to. Earlier in the week, I noticed the forecast for Friday was 60F and only cloudy. No rain. So when I woke up Friday morning and saw it still was good, I looked to see what was feasible with fewer hours of daylight. (During the winter in the Pacific Northwet, we don't call it "sun"light. We don't see the sun. But there is still a brighter spot in the sky, so it is "day"light. :D )

I took a route that led me along back roads up to Anacortes, WA and then to Bowman Bay.
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Bowman Bay.

Deception Pass is just on the other side of that low area between the hill on the left and the one on the right.
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It's hard to see in this picture, but the "Sound of Freedom" was playing with about 6 F-18s flying around in the area. If you look closely above the island, you'll see one.
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Beautiful reflection in this pond along the trail.
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The sign says something about ...I gotta get just a little closer...
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Then on to Deception Pass and Whidbey Island
From Wikipedia regarding Deception Pass:
Currents
Deception Pass is a dramatic seascape where the tidal flow and whirlpools beneath the twin bridges connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island move quickly. During ebb and flood tide current speed reaches about 8 knots (9.2 mph), flowing in opposite directions between ebb and flood.[9] This swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies. This swift current phenomenon can be viewed from the twin bridges' pedestrian walkways or from the trail leading below the larger south bridge from the parking lot on the Whidbey Island side. Boats can be seen waiting on either side of the pass for the current to stop or change direction before going through. Thrill-seeking kayakers go there during large tide changes to surf the standing waves and brave the class 2 and 3 rapid conditions.
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Once on Whidbey Island, I headed to Libby Beach.

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And then the ride home. I saw a herd of deer in one of the properties as I rode out and back home. It was a reminder that I needed to get back before they started wandering about.

Chris
 
I got out and did a nice slow loop here in Texas Hill Country from Kerrville to Medina to Vanderpool and then to Utopia. Returned from Utopia to Bandera, back to Medina and on to Kerrville.

Not sure how far that was or how long the ride was. Just out enjoying a beautiful Fall day and never got off the bike.
 
Got out this morning for a ride to Damascus House. Two trees down that I saw, but lots elsewhere. Had to turn around at one point and find a different route. Lots of debris on the road. Over half a million without power. The winds came in from the east, which never happens with strong winds here. It's always the south and occasionally the north.

But...it was otherwise a good day for a ride.

Chris
 
Daboo said:
Got out this morning for a ride to Damascus House. Two trees down that I saw, but lots elsewhere. Had to turn around at one point and find a different route. Lots of debris on the road. Over half a million without power. The winds came in from the east, which never happens with strong winds here. It's always the south and occasionally the north.

But...it was otherwise a good day for a ride.

Chris
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Where is Damascus House?
 
Damascus House is over in rural Bothel, WA. Only about 6 or 7 miles from my home, but this morning, it seemed farther away. Especially since I had to try two different routes to get there.

It is a long term "treatment" house for men (and women in a separate facility) who are drug addicts or alcoholics. You have to be clean and sober when you show up, and stay that way for your stay. Minimum stay is 6 months for the men with options to stay longer. The program is biblically based. Their goal is to have them grow in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Since they have to stay clean and sober the entire time they are there, or leave, it also helps them kick their drug habits.

I go there on Wednesday mornings to teach the men the Bible for an hour or so. Other people volunteer to teach at other times. And during the day time, they also do work projects to help support the program, usually like yard work.

We have people come from all over. Even one guy from Africa. If you're interested in more info, let me know and I can share the info in a PM.

BTW, we still don't have power. It was a fun challenge this morning. Trying to pick my way through the branches and other debris, and evaluate everything as to whether it would cause a problem if I ran over it. There was also the challenge of coming to an intersection with 21 lanes coming from all directions with the power out. I got halfway across when two cars on my left decided to cross in my path. I followed the right-of-way rules I learned in the Philippines on a mission trip. It's called the "lug nut rule". He who has the most lug nuts has the right-of-way! :D

Chris
 
Daboo said:
Damascus House is over in rural Bothel, WA. Only about 6 or 7 miles from my home, but this morning, it seemed farther away. Especially since I had to try two different routes to get there.

It is a long term "treatment" house for men (and women in a separate facility) who are drug addicts or alcoholics. You have to be clean and sober when you show up, and stay that way for your stay. Minimum stay is 6 months for the men with options to stay longer. The program is biblically based. Their goal is to have them grow in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Since they have to stay clean and sober the entire time they are there, or leave, it also helps them kick their drug habits.

I go there on Wednesday mornings to teach the men the Bible for an hour or so. Other people volunteer to teach at other times. And during the day time, they also do work projects to help support the program, usually like yard work.

We have people come from all over. Even one guy from Africa. If you're interested in more info, let me know and I can share the info in a PM.

BTW, we still don't have power. It was a fun challenge this morning. Trying to pick my way through the branches and other debris, and evaluate everything as to whether it would cause a problem if I ran over it. There was also the challenge of coming to an intersection with 21 lanes coming from all directions with the power out. I got halfway across when two cars on my left decided to cross in my path. I followed the right-of-way rules I learned in the Philippines on a mission trip. It's called the "lug nut rule". He who has the most lug nuts has the right-of-way! :D

Chris
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Hey Chris, I should have been able break the code on the name, but I thought it was a town.

So....the road to Damascus was almost as life-changing for you as it was for Paul.) Glad you didn't get hit.

Uh....driving in the Philippines? Ha. That's a death wish.

Glad to hear you're involved in missions. We are, too. My grandfather was a missionary and the head of the Latin America division for a large denomination. We were blessed to be raised in a culture of giving.

The Damascus House sounds like it's doing a great job and serving an ever-growing need. We have several homes like that here in Kerrville and also an active prison ministry at our church. We have been supporting as many mission efforts as we can on our limited resources. The main one is the ABC Mission in Mission, TX that serves Mexico and was started by my wife's father-in-law many years ago. It is now run by her ex-husband and his brothers.

Well, I guess I've steered this thread away from "where did you ride today" more than I should have.

Hope you get power back on soon. I went through plenty of hurricanes and power outages when I lived in Florida and it's no fun to say the least.

Randy
 
I'll leave anything else for PMs, but I'll reply just this time for encouragement for others.

Horn usage? Every time I see a thread on which horn should I get, I think back on those mission trips. In the Philippines, it was used just as a polite way of saying, "I'm here.". No one used horns in Thailand, though the traffic was horrendous. They were the nicest mannered people I've ever seen behind the wheel of a vehicle. Tanzania and Kenya...well they didn't seem to use their horns much at all. Only in the US have I noticed horns being used, and it is invariably for vindictive revenge.

As for not getting hit...I think God sends angels to watch over me. The wreck on June 8th was the latest example of how I should've died. If you saw the pictures, you'd never believe anyone walked away from that. But I did...with God's grace. (or luck, if you don't believe in God)

At 11am, I was asked to go to a friend's home to talk with his 40 something year old son. He's a drug addict. Comes home once in awhile when things are seemingly bottomed out, then gets into an argument with his parents and walks out. I talked with him for awhile before he once again, walked out. Friday is a repeat of the bomb-cyclone event we just had. I wonder (and pray) if he'll come back again. I told him and his parents I'd talk with him any time.

It wasn't a one-sided situation. Just a thought for anyone reading this...I'd probably walk out on his mother too. She's a nice lady and well meaning. But gosh, she'd either drive someone crazy, or they'd learn to just blow her off. I'd tell her that, but I don't think she'd quit talking long enough to listen. :confused:

I did prison and jail ministry for 20+ years till the COVID lockdowns started. It seems like it has helped to prepare me for what I see today at the Damascus House. I'm floored, humbled, just blown away that anyone (God included) would ask me to do what I did today. If you'd asked me 40 or 50 years ago if my life would be like this, I'd say you were crazy. But as flawed as I am, it seems God uses me. Which is what I told the ER doc on June 8th when he said he's usually sewing up people's livers when they get into accidents like I had. And I just walked out of the hospital with no pain other than my foot from the foot surgery in March, months before.

We did just now get the power back on. My laptop battery was getting low. I was making plans to spend a few hours at the church (that has power) to recharge. My wife can tell you the number of hours and minutes we were out of power.) :D It's good prep for surviving a disaster. If I can't last 24-72 hours without power...can I survive weeks without power? Just like we do a dry run on packing for a trip, this can be a dry run for going through a week or a month without power. I'm teaching my Life Group tomorrow on the parallels of the Jewish wedding traditions and Christianity in the New Testament. I think it is fascinating.

Thinking back on that situation in the intersection, I just find times like that "fun" or "exhilarating". In a car, everyone treats you like one of them...another pylon on the race to get wherever they want to go. It seems people give me a "safe zone" on the bike for the most part. I suppose it is a little respect for probably being the only crazy motorcycle rider out a few hours after the storm we had.

Regarding the storm. First, I don't want to diminish what the people in North Carolina experienced. I went outside several times from about 4 pm to 6 pm. I have 200+ foot trees in my neighbour's yard (south side where the winds usually come from) (and mine too on the north side). Hardly a breeze it seemed. I went in to play pinochle online with my daughter and my 97 yr old FIL. My internet connection started getting shaky. Hmmm...that was unusual. Especially with the winds I saw in the tree branches out my front door. That happened a couple times, and at about 7pm, the house went dark. Pitch black. That's what a bomb cyclone does I guess. The barometric pressure just collapses. And the "problem" was that the winds were circulating around so what we got was an easterly wind, not the normal southerly wind. Those branches have fallen off, but not those from the east. I had poo-poohed off the weatherman's warnings about the storm because if seemed so miniscule. But this time he/she/it/they were/was right. I've seen worse...but not recently.

And Friday is supposed to be a repeat. Same thing, only different.

I ride because of the fun...and the challenge in a world without challenges. What will I find on Friday???

Chris
 
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Beautiful day to ride. Ran out to Hasenwinkel Road in Comfort, TX and took that bumpy cowtrail with all the cattle guards to nearly the end. Turned right on Bear Creek and took that to Grape Creek Road and then to Old No. 9. All bumpy narrow cowtrails with better payment in some places than others. Squeezed by the few cars and trucks coming my direction. Luckily, I didn't meet any on the single lane bridges which pop up now and then. No cows in the road today, but had some goats, sheep and deer crossing the road, a dog that wanted to catch me, plus the flocks of vultures feeding on deer remains.

These photos are typical of the roads except there are a lot of hills and valleys I can't take photos of on the bike. Sorry the photos are so washed out. At least I finally took some!

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W0QNX said:
I was able to pull my boot on over the fat leg and foot so it was time for a ride. Not far but it was exciting at first then just tingly like.

I was a twitter all over and I don't even have an XXX account.
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Congrats! I've been there, done that. Even a short ride is better than no ride.
 
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