Winding down

After my century ride at the end of June, I had non-specific plans to go on some local sight-seeing tours - day-trips or tours of a few days to a week, to Vancouver Island, along the Columbia River maybe. I have a "Places to Go" list that keeps getting longer. But I rested a bit in July first.

Then I joined in (uninvited) with a group that rides from Ferndale on Tuesday mornings. I think I'm the baby of the group, the others are closer to sixty, or in their seventies, but they are a brisk, lively group, and fun to ride with. They split into moderate (15mph average) or fast-paced groups and ride different routes of thirty to maybe fifty or sixty miles, usually with a stop for coffee and pastry or ice cream along the way. Last time I rode, they were talking about riding the Mount Baker Hill Climb, on Hwy. 542, even though the formal race isn't being held this year.

Unfortunately, I had been having back and leg pain that wouldn't quit for a couple of weeks, kept getting worse and kept me up at night. I was about to visit the doctor for the chronic pain alone, but finally one night in mid-August I woke up with stomach upset that left me sleeping on the bathroom floor most of the night. It was the flu. It was miserable. I was weak and shaky for about five days, and tired easily and slept a lot for at least a week after that.

Then I decided I was being a lazy baby, and am getting out for 25-30 mile rides a few times a week now. Still hoping to build up enough stamina for some easy tourist rides before the end of September.

Roundabout on the road to the Lummi Reservation

. . . and on the way out

Today I went for a random ramble out past the Silver Reef Casino, along North Red River Road. I rode about twenty-five miles, just exploring and following the road. School has started now, and the day was sunny, pleasant and peaceful, without too much car traffic at mid-day.

Later I ended up on some of the hilly farm roads on the hill northwest of Ferndale, where I spotted a pair of peacocks crossing the road. Someone used to keep peacocks, pheasants, quail and other game birds at Hovander Park, along with rabbits, pigs, goats and sheep of unusual varieties. After one or another phase of economic downturn and budget cuts, the exotics disappeared, but it seems someone has been keeping them privately. More than once before I've found peacock feathers along the road near the BP refinery, though it's hard to believe the birds could range that far safely on their own.

I thought maybe it had something to do with the Peacock Throne.

Artichokes at Hovander Park

And in other news:

They can, and so they do

Last week Burlington-Northern announced they would be putting in additional segments of track through Bellingham, Ferndale and Custer to Cherry Point. Turns out they meant "work starts on Monday."

This has been a local controversy: BN is moving train loads of soft coal in open cars through Whatcom County for shipment to China. People here have been concerned about increased train traffic, as well as pollution from coal dust, and danger of spills or fires. Not to mention the use of dirty soft coal as fuel worldwide.

Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, but no Chevrolet

Just a few weeks back I picked up a little leaflet at a grocery store check-out line - the Bellingham Bells baseball team's 2014 game schedule.

One of the best things about my old neighborhood - the one I was driven from for keeping my bicycle in my living room - was living a block away from the box office at Joe Martin Stadium. Summer evenings I could have a light dinner after work, then stroll over to the gate at about 6:30, buy a $6 ticket, and enjoy a cool evening in the bleachers. It's a delightful little nostalgia trip.

The Bells are members of a regional minor league comprised of teams including the Rogues from Medford, Oregon, the Bend Elks, the Everett Merchants, and the Walla Walla Sweets and Wenatchee AppleSox. Some Canadian teams play as well: the Kelowna Falcons and the Victoria HarborCats from Vancouver Island. The players are college-team players from as far away as Hawaii, Florida and Georgetown University, who board with local families during the summer.

Last Sunday, after uncovering the leaflet among the heaps of paper scraps on my desk, I noted the Bells' final home game of the season was coming up on Wednesday, July 30. Fan Appreciation Night, with fireworks after the game. My last chance for an excursion this summer.

This time I left Ferndale at about five on my bicycle. I could have taken the bus in, but as I have mentioned so many times before, there is no bus service back home after seven in the evening.

Something decisive happened here, but I was
too busy fiddling with my camera to catch it

Joe Martin Stadium has a recently remodeled red-brick grandstand with the traditional food and beer concessions, but unfortunately the seats face in to the setting sun. My favorite spot is in the bleachers along the first-base path, where you can get a wide-angle view of the whole field. You can also get sun-burn on your right arm and the right side of your face, but after sunset it gets very chilly. You'll need some fleece layers and maybe a seat cushion if you stay the whole nine innings on the aluminum bench seats.

The Bells take the field after their win

The final score

The Bells held the Rogues scoreless until the final inning, scoring three runs to win the game. They still have nine away-games in August, but the win on Wednesday means Bellingham will host the regional play-offs later in the summer.

whoopee!