DAY 20...ENTERING OREGON

BEAUTIFUL AND IMPRESSIVE ASTORIA - MEGLER (SP?) BRIDGE OVER THE COLUMBIA RIVER - Pic taken from Oregon (South) side of the Columbia River

WOOD FOR SALE - IN CHINOOK, WASHINGTON...Great Competition in town with fire wood FOR SALE on display in front yards

WHAT YOU CAN BUY IN CHINOOK

CHRIS' CHURCH, CHINOOK, WASHINGTON

POST OFFICE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LUTHERN CHURCH

GILL NETTER: A special purpose Fishing Boat. A long net with floats (to keep the net near the water surface) is spooled on that Drum in the front. To set the net, the Boat BACKS UP, reeling out the net from the spool. The beginning of the net is anchored and has a light - OR, IT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LIGHT -. The boat serves as the other end of the net and controlls the net position. Theoretically, SALMON swin into the net (on their migration to their spawning rivers), get stuck in the small net holes and cannot back out because their GILLS get caught; i.e.: "GILL NET".

In the late 1980's, when navigating TICINO, our 36 foot Blue Water Sailing Yacht (custom built in Sweden) over Bellingham Bay late at night (Christiane and I ALWAYS sailed at night), Cri had to lie directly on the Bow - the front_ of the boat, flashlight in hand, watching for those DA _ _ GILL NETS. They were so thick on Bellingham Bay in 1989, there was no open path to sail a boat...SLOW SPEED DEAD AHEAD..."Hard Starboard..OK...Hard Port...OK...STOP STOP STOP..." Cri was good at her job.

Over the water, a totally blacked out voice..."..You hit MY net...gonna cost you $10,000.00."

GILL NET LIGHTS HARDLY EVER WORKED.

At 5'2" and 90 pounds (soaking wet), Cri often sailed TICINO - by herself - for a weekend into the San Juan Islands...miss you, Cri

HWY 401 IS GETTING A NEW CULVERT UNDER THE ROADWAY LEADING INTO THE COLUMBIA RIVER...When they are finished, the new pavement will have one of those SMALL WHITE LINES painted on the macadam to show where and what direction the new pipe goes under the road...see prior Blog.

FORT COLUMBIA...BIG GUNS SIMILAR TO THOSE AT FORT CASEY, WHIDBEY ISLAND, AND MINILA BAY, PHILLIPINES, WERE IN PLACE AT FORT COLUMBIA, 2 MILES SOUTH OF CHINOOK...which just happened to be the the Ancient Summer Home of the CHINOOK INDIANS, with whom Lewis and Clark traded when they reached the end of their Westward Trek.

BOYS MUST HAVE GIRLS...or is it the other way 'round...ANYWAY, THIS SIGN CONFIRMS THAT UNCLE SAM IMPORTED GIRLS FOR HIS BOYS.

THIS GUN WAS TO DISCOURAGE THE UGLY GIRLS...NO NO NO...just kidding...it was to discourage uninvited ships from attacking up the Columbia River.

SOLDIERS LIVED HERE; FORT COLUMBIA, WASHINGTON
Probably lots of MIDDENS if you dig down..."MIDDEN" (SP?) QUERY WIKIPEDIA OR GOOGLE...Interesting history, MIDDENS.

THANKYOU YOU FOR YOUR VISIT TO FORT COLUMBIA - Or perhaps for your Tax $$ to keep it open and cared for...actually, it is one of the best preserved and maintained Parks I have visited...Wonder if those Buildings are FOR RENT???

LEWIS AND CLARK, GIVING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE...WAY BACK IN 1805.

SITE OF LEWIS AND CLARK FINAL BEACHING OF THE CANOES...CHURCH CAME IN 1903...98 YEARS AFTER LEWIS AND CLARK...was probably for the FORT COLUMBIA FOLKS.

BY THE WAY, DID YOU KNOW THAT "WATERLOO" HAPPENED JUNE 18, 1815...10 YEARS "AFTER" LEWIS AND CLARK ARRIVED IN CHINOOK, WASHINGTON...Just to give us a perspective of of their Peers...i.e.; NAPOLEON BONAPART. Yes, I have spent a good deal of time in FRANCE...love the place.

INSIDE THE HWY 401 TUNNEL UNDER FORT COLUMBIA...a very LOUD and scary place to walk...notice, narrow (24") sidewalk and NO Guardrail between you and the traffic...and it is DARK - many lights do not work...and water seeps through cracks in the concrete, making the sidewalk slippery - in addition to not seeing where you are stepping...Disney World should have such a spot in their Haunted House.

That ditch is FULL of running water...quite easy for a vehicle to drop a tire into it...or for a walker to slip off the sidewalk and greet oncoming traffic up close and personal.

THE TUNNEL

GETTING LOTS OF "PRESS"

FROM 15 MILES AWAY, ONE CAN SEE THE NORTH JETTY LIGHT HOUSE ON THAT HILL SIDE

A CHINOOK, WASHINGTON HOME...NOTICE THE "VERANDA" CIRCLING ALL WAY AROUND...BUILDER PROBABLY IMMEGRATED FROM SO' CAROLINA.

AT FIRST GLANCE, I'D SAY THE RESIDENT IN THIS CHINOOK, WASHINGTON HOME IS SCANDAHOOVIAN.

CHINOOK, WASHINGTON HARBOR

CRAB POTS...PRIMED AND READY TO GO CRABB'N

SALT WATER EATS TRUCKS JUST LIKE MOSS EATS CARS...see prior Blog

LOOKING CAREFULLJY, ONE CAN SEE MT. HOOD...SOME 120 MILES UP RIVER - taken from the "flat part" of the ASTORIA, OREGON BRIDGE.

THIS IS A TRACTOR...NOTE THE "PTO" IN FRONT OF THE BIG WHEEL. "PTO" = Power Take Off...in this case a drum for mounting belts to power mowers, tillers, or to stir the Moonshine Pot, etc.

DAY 20…OREGON OR BUST

Crossed Over The Bridge today from Washington State to Oregon State.

Tried to walk, but was told it is prohibited. I can understand that as there is NO sidewalk and NO Berm…Death would surely result…but there goes my “walk every step” goal.

Tried ALL night to get yesterday’s post up-loaded. Verizon Signal kept dropping out. One good thing…I learned to SAVE at each picture up load and each narrative sentence.
Lost lots of narrative, which I cannot repeat…kinda like a first kiss…do it right the first time or forget it.

Up at 5:30 am. Initiated Verizon…NO SIGNAL.

Made porridge with raisin and brown sugar washed down with tea…tried Vsrizon again…

NO SIGNAL

Hibernated under 3 Duvets for another hour…tried Verizon again…Hoooray…2 bars.

Spent the two hours (until 8:30 am) recreating the lost post…looked it over…I like it…hope you’all do too.

Nicki greeted me with all kinds of doggie talk…she has quite a vocabulary…Jim came out…we said good bye.

Drove to CHINOOK, WASHINGTON, where I left off my walk last evening. Stopped in at the Chinook Restaurant for Biscuits and Gravy…HOME MADE…breakfast..created by Ron and served by Paula…who started up their new “life” last May…with instant success…

They allowed SPIA to park while I finished my walk to the Astoria Bridge and back.

Stopped on the way at “FORT COLUMBI”, a military fort created in 1886 to defend the entrance into the Columbia River…see pics.

Then walked through the “Tunnel”…very scary as it was dark and no railing between ME and traffic…the NOISE was like being in the middle of a continuous bomb blast – or at least as I image a continuous bomb blast to be.

Another mile, came across the actual Beach where Lewis and Clark landed their Canoes, officially completing their 1805 18-month journey to the Pacific Ocean.

Walked on another 2 miles to the bridge. Turned around and walked back to SPIA at the Chinook Restaurant//\\...

“CHINOOK” an interesting word:

Name of an ancient North American Indian Tribe with Summer home at the current Fort Columbia; A.K.A.:

name of the largest and (to ME) best tasting Salmon to swim; A.K.A.

name of the very WARM wind which comes after the snow…thawing and melting ice and snow in an hour or two; A.K.A.:

Heck, I don’t know…must check WIKIPEDIA…gotta be more “CHINOOK” definitions…

Oh,Yes…the name of the Indian Tribe Lewis and Clark met at the end of their journey. The Chinook Indian Summer Village overlooks the Beach Lewis and Clark completed their Westward journey.

I stood in the Chinook Summer Village Grounds and sat on the Lewis & Clark Beach…tingles ran up my back…

Drove SPIA over the Astoria Bridge…they would not let me walk it, so drove on to the Ranch of Peggy Stevens…only to find I could not find it. Left 2 phone messages…she called back and will drive out again tomorrow about noon.

Drove on to SEASIDE, OREGON and back towards Astoria to the Toyota Dealership to get SPIA a tune-up…new plugs, wires, distributor (complete), and differential plug which had been stripped…Total damages: $401.00 (OUCH).

But SPIA is now in absolute top shape in all respects.

Toyota folks allowed SPIA and ME to park in their business lot – surrounded by spanking new cars - . Tomorrow morning, will walk to Astoria and back…go visit Peggy..and walk to SEASIDE, OREGON…

DAILY UPDATE: Walked 10 miles this morning – count 5 miles

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 5 miles #@ $0.02 = $0.10 for the day.

Now for a good night sleep…

Have no 120 volt electricity, so pics must wail for tomorrow upload..

Nite nite.