POST 1205; JANUARY 06, 2014, FIDALGO ISLAND, WASHINGTON

At least my toes were toasty warm last night.  The door handle broke when I tried to open the back car door this morning, forcing me to climb over the front seats to extricate myself from the MPV...and the covers and pillows were not sufficient to keep me covered during the night.

Yesterday, the roadways were covered with Black Ice...very slippery...and yes, I slipped while walking across a concrete bridge, fell flat on my fact onto the curb, cutting my left knee, bruising my right hand, right leg just below the knee, and my left arm just below the elbow.  Did a rather job.  This morning, my left knee was swollen the size of a good size apple.

Also, the computer would not accept photographs

...and, I lost ALL my maps with my route detailed state by state.

So, decided to drive back to Bellingham at daylight to fix all the above...which I accomplished OK.

Following are selected photographs of yesterday...taken from the new Panasonic camera which offered some 75 images to choose from.  The procedure to capture the images into the computer is different from previously, but in time, will get the hang of it.

Main Street, Edison, Washington ... a delightful village to visit...only 15 miles south of Bellingham.

Please say HELLO to JEFF and DAWN...breadmakers extraordinaire.

Shuffleboard tournament in full swill...eight local villages challenge each other...using local beer halls ...

a very serious challenge

Before sunrise as I set off with frozen toes from Edison on my morning walk.

Completed some 16 miles in the morning...then another 12 or so miles in the afternoon.  The morning stroll was to and along some miles of the beautiful CHUCKANUT Bay; the afternoon stroll across the low-lying farmland of the SKAGIT Valley...said to be the second largest world-growing region of TULIPS outside Holland.

The Bamboo:   A Japanese Tea Garden at the beginning of the Skagit Valley.

The Japanese Garden

Please say HELLO to VI.  VI explained to me that she has no idea why she was named 6.

VI is pronounced "Vee"

The icy bridge on which I met my demise...and I knew it was slippery.  The AMTRACK train passes under the bridge...I was rushing to get into position to get a photograph as it passed below...didn't make it !

View from Chuckanut mountain side roadway looking across Puget Sound to the distant oil refineries in the charming town of ANACORTES...destination of ships carrying crude oil from the Alaskan North Slope.

Please say HELLO to Ben...Ben and his wife just completed a drive down the Alaskan Higfhway.  They first took their camper on the Alaskan Ferry Boat, which leaves Bellingham each Friday evening for a number of ports in Alaska.  Most passengers take passage on the open deck of the ferry boat, which provides outdoor heating and a limited number of reclining chairs.  Very few lucky ones get space inside the ship.

The San Juan Islands in the front yard of Bellingham...172 island group, many of which are so dry that cactus is growing on them.  This entire region is a MICRO-CLIMATE ... a closely guarded secret.

This tiny (about 25 foot square) home over looking the magnificent view...is for sale (Sale is Pending) at the price of $285,000.00.

The distant mountain is the launch point for a large number of high flyers; i.e., they launch from on high and pilot their craft to the field on the right...notice the wind sock to aid in landing...must land INTO the wind.

As one moves west toward the water and away from the Cascade Mountain Range, more and more of the delicious looking snow capped peaks are visible...as are the "Three Sisters"  seen in the distance.  Our local Volcano, Mount Baker is hiding behind the foreground hills just to the left of the sisters.

* * * * * * * * * *

This afternoon, I braved another cold day and a very sore left swollen knee to walk once again.  After driving back to Bellingham to fix all my boo boo's, I returned to the same parking spot where I slept in the MPV last night, where I once again parked.  From there, I walked back toward the town of Edison, from which I walked yesterday...from where all the above images originated...

Walked from 12:30 (noon) until 4:00 pm, covering some 14 miles.  Must admit to not much to photograph in this stretch.  Also, I got quite chilled.  It is now 6:30 pm.  Have been inside the local Bar and Grill, who has graciously allowed me a table to use to complete this edition of our blog...even so, I am next to the front door which opens and closes every couple minutes keeping me very much chilled...in fact, my entire body is shaking trying to warm up.

I will once again sleep in the MPV.  This time, I have retrieved two more comforters and a 4 foot long pillow (I now will sleep with two such 4 foot pillows plus three regular queen size pillows...plus two thick-woven cotton blankets and three comforters.  Hopefully, I will keep warm tonight.  At daylight in the morning, I will walk to DECEPTION PASS Bridge, which is the start of WHIDBEY ISLAND, from which we will catch the ferry boat in two-days time to the Olympic Penninsula (sp?) where lies the small world famous town of FORKS, which we shall reach in about one week.