Over the Fog Line

Early this morning I walked the Spinwheel Road, the old highway before the bridge that spanned a valley. Only in case of emergency when traffic is diverted do today's tourists venture on this first glimpse of the Oregon Dunes where the pines grow righ to the sand that tower over them. The tracks from the recreational vehicles accentuates it's vastness. It was there ,my friends, I must admit I took Liberty with the road as only a few cars passed by, I walked the line with the World in one hand guided by a string and my trusty Dog, Nice (the dog), in the other also led by a string. With n white line to speak of, I walked the yellow. It was there a couple of "the ancients" passed and I'm sure I disturbed their regular drive to town down the "old road". Having little to do when they returned home but to call the authorities. When, after posing the World in the road with the dunes in the background and made my way back to the highway I was not surprised when a trooper showed up with one thing in mind. To make the reason for these calls to go away. Once we clarified what constitutes a breach of the peace and an act of disorderly conduct of any kind concerning the "fog line", I switched sides and rolled the World in the ravine with me walking the line, dog by my side walking on the line. Safer,by far.
I then met a man who had seen me the day before but today had time to stop. I happened that he had taken care his father during his struggle with diabetes. From that he changed his ways, lost eighty pounds, ate "like a squirrel" with many small meals daily, looked fit and muscular as the best I've seen. He is just what I am talking about. It takes time, it canhappen. Even with me perhaps.
I'll nibble on a snack and be on my way in my disorderly fashion.
Love yourself, walk a curb, it is fun.

Reedsport

The last sixteen miles of the picturesque road to Reedsport was clouded by a troublesome leak that reared it's ugly head when I got ready to leave from Wells Creek. A rip on the edge of the valve which I had glued long ago finally came loose. It was raining lightly and any attempt to fix it wouldn't hold. I put a "band-aid" of sorts on it with the contact adhesive and a piece of a plastic bag that held for the first four of the nineteen mile journey but each time I had to add air the tear became worse. The first few miles I added air at the mile markers by the road. Then it was twice each mile when I finally made it to town the battery was running down on my rechargeable pump and the hissing from the valve was getting louder. Every five or ten minutes I had to stop for air. A few blocks into Reedsport I met Guy who owns the motorcycle repair shop. When I explained my problem he offered to let me bring the World in the shop so I could clean the old goop and let the new set up overnight. It was a good thing because tit rained first thing in the morning and continued either misting or raining all day as I started down 101. The highway was narrow, not like 38 which Guy told me had once been voted the best scenic touring roadway in the nation, with guardrails on both sides in spots. We had ample room to pass along with the trucks, cars and cyclists. I had many stops talking to travelers from England, Sweden, Canada and more. The Coffee News of Reedsport and the weekly both had articles about us so the locals were enthusiast when they stopped to talk. I met a family from Louisianna who had seen us early this year who told me they had talked about seeing us and that it would be "cool" if they saw us on this trip. We got to Lakeside after the rainy day and some nice folks who were heading back to Reeedsport gave us a ride to Shemps (sp). I just talked to a ODOT supervisor who called ahead so the long bridge into Coos Bay won't be a problem.
Do try to get the blood flowing today. Not with video games but with actual exercise.

Scottsburg and it's bridge

Both run down and about to fall apart. I
I touched up some bare spot on the world but it rained last night making it all wet again so I was Faux finishing the highway on my way to Scottsburg. Now that we have crossed the bridge I need to get relaxed for this sixteen miles remaining along narrow roads. It will be fun.

Wells Creek

The fifteen or so miles from where I started on the edge of Elkton were not so hard. It's when there were cars tankers,loggers, chip trailers, motor homes,etc. that made the way interesting. One good thing about having to stop and hold the World on the edge of a precipice to wait for a clear path I get to relax and take in the beautiful scenery. I am convinced more each day that Facebook has begun to take away our ability to communicate. All people want to do is snap a photo and speed away, often without a "fair the well". Today, again, I met several people who are managing their diabetes with exercise being a large factor in control sometimes helping to eliminate the need for medications. I met a woman yesterday who looked out the window to see a big ball rolling up a steep hill. I was behind it at just an angle that she couldn"t see me. She ran out the door and up the drive all the way to the road before I appeared. She was so excited and happy to know what I was doing once she realized the World wasn't on it's own. Today she gave me a ride to the Pavilion where we began the day. It is fun to put a smile on someone's day. I sat for coffee with another woman who lives on the proprty that at one time was the boat works. It has a water wheel that still works, at leats spins, fed by water off the cliffs and hills above the home. By the river . It was also known a the $3 hole for it's public boat landing. I enjoyed hearing the history of the center of a community from forgotten days before moving downstream myself.
In the morning it's bridge running time and nineteen miles to the big city.
Keep walking!

Elkton

We left for Elkton just after four this morning after a relaxing evening at Drain. It was overcast with scattered sprinkles. There is a tunnel along the way, we got a ride on the back of a truck to be safe. The last person I spoke to last night was a diabetic. The first man I spoke to this morning had been diagnosed three months ago and by loosing now just a few pounds each month he is already lessened his medications and is using pool-aerobics to. Work his knees after surgeries have slowed him down. It was good to talk to both of them, two people who are taking control. One has lived withit for decades, the other for just months, both with the right attitude.
We were hardly into Elkton when I was given a crazy ride back to Drain. Then after I had lunch I walked out of town to the Elkton community education center where I will sleep. At least fifteen miles to the next little town.
Love yourself, take it off-road and work it out.

Down in Drain

We made our way to the Drain of Oregon just as the heat of the day set in. Now we are on the shady side of The Family Bowling relaxing. I have decided to head over to the coast to take advantage of the cooler temperatures while I can. In the morning we will start for Elkton. There is a tunnel I will have to catch a ride thru. One of those"pride can get you killed situations. I've walked a lot of miles, don't look too break any more records by walking every inch so taking a short ride for safety is permissible.
Have a fun weekend, walk a little.

Curtin is Closed

We managed to follow the railway for a short distance until it paralleled a short spur of the Curtin road a few the small town. If there were a short gravel passage from the Dead end of Longview and the end of the gravel tip of the Curtin road it would have made to trip much easier. No walking the hot rails or rolling thru brambles to get over the few yards to the one lane road. After a good night of sleep I have am up with the roosters across the road that have reemerged as US-99. Today we're going down to Drain.

Dead End

Apparently the one guy who knows the way through this little stretch is wrong. A man and wife who have lived here for twenty eight years don't know the way through. Unless..

taking the "Longview"

All day into town I asked the locals how to get past I-5 where US-99 dives into it. There is the shoestring road, part gravel and snaking through "wilderness", until one finally knew the shorter road through that begins with a turn posted Dead End. One out of twenty knew the way. Off to Longview Raod we go!

Goshen, Creswell

We left from the power lines Over the "old guys" shop as the sun rose above the transformers down two-lane. We have walked several days with high totals, we were both tender-footed. Creswell was not far so I took my time. I had to anyway because of high grass and watery ditch. The photographer from the local news met me early and soon returned with good news. She had talked to the Comfort Inn who gave us a room for the night. I could shower and Nice(the dog) could have a cool rest. When we had made our way to town we met with the editor, met or saw pass by many important locals, had a relaxing meal, posed for a few pictures before rolled to the hotel over the freeway bridge. I could tell I need a couple relatively easy days (less than the fifteen-plus we have been walking), I had a headache, one from being tired, a lack-of-sleep drunkeness. I spent the day wondering why I had posted my previous post concluding exhaustion my thoughts. What was I thinking?! Though we walked only six miles I was more tired than any day in the past week. I am very grateful for the generosity of the good people in Creswell for great timing when we need help. The helpful photographer-organizer-town mom also made contacts for the next town. All's well in Creswell.
Sore and tired as I am still it's less than ten miles today. That should be a breeze. Unless the breeze blows against the World.
Have a great day Oregon.

the "way back" file

Don't want to talk about the walk today, of the woman I met while getting a coffee who told me she went on vacation with her diabetic aunt to the Rose Bowl, had to do a lot of walking resulting in her aunt not needing her shots from the activity but when they returned home she would not keep walking. "Some people you just can't reach." I thought I might tell one of my most embarrassing days, not a moment but that's just too much writing. So here goes...suspended from school the day of a jazz band competition, father and teacher went to bat for me so I could play that evening. Had a drum lesson that day after school, there my dad surprised me and told me to pick out a drum set, he thought that ordering them would lift my spirits after such a bad morning, he wanted me to feel good for the competition that evening. After we returned home from the lesson my father said he had some thing to do and would see me at the band competition later. This was his usual pattern. When I arrived with another band member who drove with my little drum kit I had at school. The one I had played since I first began to play. The one that I had finally learned three jazz "feels", three jazz songs. When I arrived at the school gymnasium-auditorium I walked in the side doors in the corner by the stage wall. There, along the wall was a line of brand new cases filled with my brand new drum set. Not ever played, tuned or tightened. The bleachers were rolled out on the opposite side. The bleacher was filled with parents,family and staff from six schools all talking amongst themselves like you might imagine at any school function... A hush filled the room and all eyes were on me...then my father appeared insisting I put them all together and knock this competition "out of the park". I could only get him to settle for me to set up the few I needed to play what I knew. We had fifteen minutes make that happen. It was like a sudden death survivor puzzle trying to find the drums I could use (did I mention the new set had 13 drums, with cases and a large hardware crate with wheels filled with stands,etc?) for the competition. I. Was able to get them cobbled in some alignment similar to what I had been practicing with three minutes to spare...Then I hit them with a stick, the drum heads had not been tightened, never been played in the store. I could get better sound out of a five gallon bucket. There were so many things my mind was trying to process when it was time to play the three songs I had feebly mastered enough for my teacher (who hated me) to smile when I played. I started the first song second, the second song first and the last song first. I ruined all three songs. It was horrible. We came in last for the first time in my instructors career... My father had come with his girlfriend. They had filled his AMC-Hornet and her Crysler-Matador with all the drums to get them there. He handed me the keys to his ccar and said he would see me at home and he left. I had never driven a car. I was underage and never driven a stick-shift, never used a clutch. My band mates felt sorry enough to help take to my homewhat I couldn't get in the Hornet. I learned to drive only being able to see in front and to my left. I had never been on that side of town and had a bout five mils to get home. I stalled that car more times than I could count but got home where my band mate helped me get the drums out of his car and left without saying much. My father and I never spoke of that day. He let me drive the Hornet from that day on everyday for almost two years before I got a permit. I found out later my father had used money from an insurance settlement from when I broke my back as passenger in a car that hit a garbage truck head-on at sixty miles per in the fog, a bad day but not my most embarrassing day.
I walked through Eugene today all the way to Goshen. I put shoes on Nice (the dog) during the heat of the day. Met some good and friendly people today. Many encouraging stories.

Sunday,Monday

Walking to Monroe the shoulder went from just enough to sharp steep and none existent. I felt at times like a bull fighter with the World as my red cape. Especially when one couple stopped for a moment then turned around again and again for questions and picture while other cars tried to pass. It was comical how they kept getting in the way of traffic again and again while I balanced the World on the edge of the line unable do more than stand there and watch the scene play thru. We did well to get to Monroe before the heat but to get to half of a mile though town took a long time as we. Skirted from shaded spots until we got to the tiny park at the edge of town. With the narrow road and it being Sunday where most were concerned for either the weekend drive or were on there way to and fron churh I had to rely on the good graces of the couple who helped me the day before to give us a ride to the van in Covallis. I was tired from two nights of staring at four A.M. But I knew if I was going to get past this narrow stretch of highway I needed to begin even earlier. A county officer came to check on me after dark and gave me advice for the old river highway. I beagn walking at the stroke of midnight to avoid the night shift logging trucks on 99W and enjoyed use of the whole road under moonlit country road. Instead of burning sun I had the cool reflections off the moon and the occasional mist of irrigation from the sprinklers in the fields. The only visitor I had was when I was an opossum who didn't notice I was sitting in the grass with Nice(the dog). The big ball must have intrigued him. He didn't play possum though, his hissed and crept back to the barn across the road. As it became closer to dawn I could hardly walk from being so tired so I lay down by some trees for a twenty minute power nap outside of Junction City. It energized me enough to get into a store for some coffee. It was still cool so I ventured on past Junction City into the greatwide open and wide shouldered 99S. I asked myself why I kept going and soon started to look for a tree to crawl under. I stopped at a diner/ cattle auction house for some breakfast. There I was given a tourist map and directions to a city park on the north side of Eugene. I was on side roads but with lite traffic I made good time and people tended to have time to ask what I was doing. Each state is different and Oregon has a lot of people who like to take pictures on their phones, smile and drive on. A face book phenomenon. On of those who stopped me and talked also called the news so I had an interview while I walked. The reporter put a microphone on me and I walked for a long way concerned about breathing to load or saying something bad as I jumped on and off the road whole cars passed, or were too cautious to pass even when we were fully off the road. A man and his son who talked while I was on camera later came and rode us to Monroe arriving just as I got close to the city park. He gave us a bag lunch and dog treats. We had a good conversation on the way there and I am grateful he went "out of his circle" to help. He said he'd never done that for a stranger before. I returned to the World I had tied to a tree and did my best to sleep despite the heat. I did get a little shut-eye before the sun moved behind the trees. I awoke drenched in sweat. But feeling able to do a small amount of maintenance on the World. An Eugane policeman was at the park making a crime investigation. One that occurred while I slept. I let him know I'd be there overnight and got a little info on how I may best cross the city. Getting a good night of sleep I kept waking up to the Eddy Money song "power of love". I plan to walk a short distance today. Not like the past three day where I walked over fifteen miles each day. Also as I got up and went to the facilities at the park a young woman was sitting on the sidewalk, she was tired cold and hungry so I gave her some of my bagged lunch a pair of socks. She had lost all her things in town (stolen) and is making her way home to her parents two towns north. I have never offered a place for a nap but while I write this and prepare for the day she fell quickly asleep on the bed in the back of he van snug under a blanket with Nice (the World's guard dog) for protection. When I told her he would protect her, or any woman from harm she fell directly to sleep. I hope when she ends the day she will be safe back to her parents home. While she ate she said the World is full of ugly people.. and a few good people. There are more good people than she thinks, I think.
Keeping the movement moving! Save a life, see the World, enjoy a walk.