Dee's Alaska Adventure

Left camp this morning on the Colombia and went up hill at a 6 percent grade for 7 miles. I am glad I was running/walking instead of riding my bicycle. It is the kind of grade where the trucks are going super slow with their 4 way flashers on. When I got to the top the wind was blowing very hard and it was very cold. There were big wind turbines every where. I can see why if it blows like it did today most of the time. I only went 15 miles today. The long hill did me in. Made me feel like a really old man. I got several really big blisters today. I don't usually have problems with blisters but I got a couple of doozies today. I think it might be my new socks. They are a bit padded and the padding is kind of like terry cloth, ruff. I will ride the bike tomorrow and hopefully the blisters will heal up. I am going back to my old wool socks. Tomorrow should be a nice day. I will be riding along the Colombia river in the Okanagan Valley and it will be very pretty and flat. I hope the wind is blowing North. I worked on my memory verses today as I ran/walked. I have them on 5x7 cards with big print. Great way to spend the time when you are in agony! Very nice campground tonight on Lake Chelan. Patty and my Mom are taking good care of me and both did the appropriate "poor boy" when they saw my blisters.

June 7, Thursday
Woke up this morning and my muscles and knees and hips were so sore I about pulled the tent down trying to get stood up. My mom is 80 and has a bad knee and Patty has a major muscle tear in her upper leg that she has been struggling with so we look like a bunch of cripples hobbling around camp. It is hard to get a lot of sympathy. We have to keep reminding each other not to grumble and rejoice always! Oh, oh, it is starting to rain as I type this! I was hoping for a nice day of biking and Patty was hoping to put the tent away dry. Rejoice!

My goal was to peddle 50 miles today but 10 minutes after starting I got very cold because it was pouring rain and blowing and about 40 degrees. I stopped and called Patty and told her to go ahead and break camp instead of waiting until 1 pm as was our plan. She didn't understand my urgency and they picked me up 3 hours later after I had peddled 25 miles. When they got to me I was froze to the bone and couldn't quit shivering for 30 minutes after I got into the car. They didn't feel nearly as much remorse as I thought they should but I forgave both of them several hours later. You would think that a guys mother and wife would take better care of him!

We are all set up with a nice camp at Spenses Bridge in British Colombia. No rain and right by a beautiful river. Mosquitoes but I bought a nice canopy that has mosquito netting all around and is water proof if it does rain. Have it set up over our pick nick table with our camp chairs under it as well. Life is good. I have changed my goal to fit my fitness. A half marathon running every other day and a marathon on my bicycle every other day. I know, I know, I am a wimp, but my wife called me wise.

I am planning on a nice evening reading and writing.