DAY 17 - COSMOPOLIS & RAYMOND, WASHINGTON

LITTLE WHITE LINE: Ever 3wonder what it is? Well, it shows where a pipe goes under the roadway...such as a stream of water...an "ANGLED" white line means the pipe crosses at the angle of the white line.

FOG AND FIRE: Raining Cats and Dogs...looks ever-so-much like the trees are sending up smoke...actually, the "WARM" earth is sending air up into the colder clouds...much like steam rising from a teakettle

DAVID and SCOTT. Met these two roughnecks walking up a logging road. Just had to chat with them, so ran to catch up. Both are Loggers or Log Truckers. Scott, on the right, has seen Me walking many times from Forks, Washington as he drove his logging truck up and down US 101 that past week and a half...he lives in "Cozzi" (COSOMOPOLIS, WASHINGTON). David, on the other hand, lives in MC CLEARY, WASHINGTON and is currently working on a honest-to-goodness logging operation down by the Columbia River Bridge to ASTORIA, OREGON. Gave me his cell phone and will arrange for me to get some real-life pics of a logging operation...in three to four days when we get to the Columbia River.

GOODBYE DAVE...GOODBYE SCOTT

HILLY COUNTRY SOUTH OF THE TRI-CITIES (HOQUIAM - ABERDEEN - COSMOPOLIS)

Had to work today...lots of steep hills.

A WEE STREAM CUTTING A PATH THROUGH CLAY SOIL

STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST - 2 eggs, Home Fries and Coffee. John, the Client (and why not); Diane, the Waitress...John hearlds from Norway...Diane until one year ago, from Minnisota.

I, too, hail from Norway...have been then, as has John...He from Larvick...Me, from The Northern Coast (Aalusund) and Oslo...Thor Hyerdahl (KON TIKI) was a Cousin from my Wife # 1, Joanie, who has now passed away.

Diane misses the Minnisota fish. The Pacific Northwest has SALMON or TROUT...SALMON or TROUT...SALMON or TROUT...Minnissota has CATFISH, WALLEYE, PIKE, and a half dozen other species...sHE IS JUST hOMESICK..

Asked if I could take their Pic for uploading...Sure thing...

Diane...funny...my Husband is named John...

John...funny, my wife WAS named Diane.

So, the hugged and posed...hope all turns out OK.

THE RV OFFICE...DAVD, THE OWNER'S SON, DID NOT ANSWER WHEN I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR...Says David...did you ring the bell???...What bell says I...

David puts SPIA up for the night anyway. Returning from my walk, I go to the office to say Thankyo and Goodbye...Still, NO BELL.

I turn to leave and bump into that pedestal...looking up: THE BELL with a note:

Please Pull By Rope...It's fun...It's LOUD...I will come running....

Jeeeeze....

I Pulled the rope...the Bell rang...LOUD

US 101 SOUTH OF COSMOPOLIS...lots if big cracks in the pavement...imminent road failure.

THE WEATHER IS CHANGING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. ARRIVING IN BELLINGHAM IN 1987, FEBRUARY OFTEN HAD WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AT OVER 100 MPH IN FEBRUARY...Nowadays, these strong winds come earlier and earlier...this year in Noveber.

GUESS WEYERHAUSER DID THEIR JOB...

NOW JANUARY 30, 2011...STILL LOOKS PRETTY DEVISTATED TO ME

A MOST BEAUTIFUL HOME..."THE HOLIDAY HOME"

MEET JIM ALLEN...THE OWNER AND MASTER DECORATOR OF "THE HOLIDAY HOME".

EACH MAJOR HOLIDAY IS DECORATED IN APPROPRIATE "THEME".. After Valentine Day, everything comes down and up goes ST. PATRICK DAY decoractions...to be followed by MOTHER'S DAY, ETC ETC. \\

AT NIGHT, LIGHTS EMPHASIZE THE BEAUTY OF JIM AND HIS WIFE'S EFFORTS.

THEY LIVE ON US 101 ABOUT 8 MILES NORTH OF RAYMOND, WASHINGTON.

RAYMOND, WASHINGTON HAS LOTS OF CHURCHS FROM WHICH TO CHOOSE...IS THAT GOOD??? OR MAYBE THEY JUST CANNOT MAKE UP THEIR MIND.

EVERYBODY OUT IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS CHOPS LOTS OF WOOD.

ONCE HEAR TELL THE INDIANS KNOW EXACTLY HOW SEVERE THE WINTER WILL BE BY OBSERVING HOW MUCH WOOD THE WHITE MAN CHOPS.

RAYMOND IS DEFINITELY A "LOGGER'S TOWN"...WHY THEN IS THE ENTIRE TOWN DECORATED WITH STEEL-PLATE ART???

THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR PETS IN RAYMOND, WASHINGTON

WHEN BIG BOULDERS ARE SCARCE...WHY NOT BAG UP WEE ROCKS INTO CHICKEN WIRE TO MAKE A ROCK WALL??? SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME.

ROBERT IS A MAN OF TWO TRUCKSC...THIS BLUE ONE...AND THE RED ONE BELOW

ROBERT PREFERS THIS RED TRUCK...MOST

hank you, Robert for ALL you have done for me and my walk.

Into the hills...but out of the rain: MAYBE.

Spent a restful night in Dvid's ARCTIC RV...hooked up to electricity..SPIA liked that !

Started by walking BACK to "Cozzie" - as Locals call COSMOPOLIS, WASHINGTON - 7 miles away. US 101 climbed a prodigious steep hill. At the top I came across two gentlemen walking kup a logging access road...I took out after them and caught up to David and Scott. Chtted a few minutes...See Pic...David then gave me a ride for a mile or so half-way DOWN the Hill towards Cozzie. I walked the rest of the way and return to SPIA.

Stopped in at Dian's Restaurant for Eggs Home Fries , Rye Toast, and Coffee. Met John, who has quite a bit of heritage similar to mine...see pic...have a feeling he and I may meet up again somewhere sometime.

Arriving at SPIA, tried to say thankyou and goodbye to David at Arctic RV...rang his really BIG bell - which deserved to be on the Bridge of the QE II...somehow missed him, but left my thanks at the Arctic Pub, which his Dad also ownes...Actualljy David's Dad moved - beinging along wee David - from BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON in 1980...bought the Pub...and in response to many requests..."where is the nearest RV"...they cleared property adjoining the Pub and opened up their own RV...David said he spend agood part of his younger years runing a roto-tiller through the woods clearing RV Spaces...that, folks, is creativity.

Drove South on US 101 a couple miles, parked and walked each direction for 30 minutes - up and down VERY steep hills in a constant COLD drizzle. Repeated this maneuver 4 times crossing those hills to Raymond. Walking back North on WA Hwy 105 (towards WESTPORT, WASHINGTON), met Robert, a handsome - sure lots of young handsome men out this way...anyne listening ??...young logging truck driver. We chatted a few minutes, met some of his friends driving (who stopped to chat). A while later, walking back to SPIA in the rain, up pull Robert...hop in, he says...and gives me a ride into Town...Thanks Robert.

I walked around town a bit...drove to a South Side Store complex...filled up with gas and asked if the attendent could suggest a place to park SPIA for the night...Yes, says he, pointing...right under that flood light - which happened to be in the Supermarket Parking Lot.

So here we (SPIA, SAM & ME are for the night.

Lost Verizon access a few hours ago and was concerned I lost two hours upload of pics and comments...went to sleep until 11:00 pm...could not stand the tension any longer...it is raining hard again...got up, dressed, cranked up the Mini Computer, and thank goodness, was able to "save" my work before shutdown...now, have also completed my narrative for the day...except:

DAILY UP DATE: Walked 28 miles, plus the mile or so ride David gave , = 20 miles made good.

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 20 miles @ $0.02 per mile = $0.40 for the day.

Tomorrow morning will walk South on US 101. Robert tells me the highway South is far better than the portion back to Cozzi...If not raining too hard, may take SAM out for a spin...just to keep The Discovery Channel folks happy.

Loking forward to reaching the Columbia River to contact David for our planned visit to an actual logging site...thanks, David, for the Invite.