Like a maiden voyage!… WA
Tuesday, July 10th, 2007
How “strange” for lack of better words… how “pleasant“… on our own after 3 weeks of dealing with vehicles, mechanical issues, the “dry” part of this Journey which needs to be addressed at times (!!!) all just finalized so smoothly and without a hitch, all the way to the last hour when Andy had to rewire my lights! Wish he would travel with me… we would never be stranded! What talent…
The sun is up the clear blue sky this morning, not a cloud again, the birds are singing without any intermission, the music of Mother Nature once again can be heard surrounding us… Great tip to camp here, at about 2000 feet, off Rt 165, NF 7720 (or close!) in the Mt Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest… across the river, up a dead end road… closed by barricades due to some past flooding… another entrance to Mt Rainier.
We arrived yesterday early afternoon, just a few miles (30+/-) from Enumclaw which I know too well by now. The must stop for provisions, Safeway this time and on we went… Flowers in bloom are everywhere lining up the road with no shoulders, a one lane bridge up high over the river… can I use the word “paradise”?
Spirit is happy! We already went on two long walks yesterday, he is about 15 feet ahead of me following tracks, taking in those smells… leading me to where “he” wants to go, tail up, snorting of contentment… not a city dog!
No Internet connection here… the mountains surrounding us are too high for my Dish to reach my satellite somewhere circling the earth above the equator! Will have to go to town once in a while to catch up on my e mail and post this… Different?… yes! I might have been the “slave” of the Internet lately… maybe spending too much time on it, a double edge sword… I am already finding myself with more time… time with Spirit, time cooking… reading… writing off line, time to think and feel about my surrounding, this Journey, where are we going… where is all this leading, getting back into the “zone“, feeling so peaceful when living in it… Hard to explain, one just has to experience it, the contrast with the past life… it is “now”, all here.
I have always been intrigued with an ingredient used in cooking that was found in so many recipes in the near past… vinegar! Mainly Balsamic Vinegar which I love… I remember finding a small Italian restaurant in Fort Myers, Florida, a while back, with grand ma cooking… she made an incredible balsamic tomato sauce for her pasta! So good and tasty that I even offered to work there a couple weeks for free… offer refused of course… she did not want to share her secrets! Looking at my ingredients last night, no… I did not try to duplicate it… but cooked a chicken with pasta on the same path.
After cooking the pasta and draining it, coated with a bit of olive oil as for it not to stick, I cooked some cut up chicken breast, again with some olive oil, chopped garlic and green onions in the same pan. Finally added a can of chopped tomatoes… and a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar… mixed with the pasta and some freshly grated cheese on top. A quick and very tasty meal… easily done when camping and served on a Chinet plate! There is a large choice now in diced tomato cans… with basil, garlic… rosemary… you name it! I had some with green chili… not very Italian, but, gave it a nice boost sweetened by the cheese… Try it, sorry this one is too simple!
We are back… after riding 165 all the way to Lake Mowich, a gravel road, past an ORV playground. Deserted today, with a lot to see, from the loggers doing their thing, to Mt Rainier appearing at times around a few curves, to the lake itself where… pets are not allowed… again.
Beautiful clear waters adjacent to a ‘tent only’ campground and a trail all around it. Close to up 5000 feet, it was nice, cool and crisp. The temps are going up to the upper 90’s in a couple of days I was told, might be the perfect place to spend the day… maybe hide Spirit in some bushes next to me!
I found his sidecar cover today! A gentleman name Steve made it for us before we left. It was to be used only for sunshine or rain for Mr. Spirit when parked… I end up leaving it on today and it held up real well up to speeds around 40 to 50mph! Of course he needed to stick his head out, but seems perfect for those slow riding back roads when too hot and raining… Steve had also made us a cover for the generator, air compressor and one propane bottle, all with waterproof super sunbrella, they have held real well considering everything else has faded, including clothe cooler… straps… I use to be a beta tester for a company that made motorcycle gear and accessories… this again would be a good time for it!
We also rode by the small town of Wilkinson to mail my winch and its plate sold on E bay… replaced by a “come along” when needed… To my surprise it only weigh 24lbs!… thinking it was around 35 to 40lbs… am I getting weaker?… we are that much lighter now. The logging operation was very interesting to watch… quite an intricate job… but more on that later. It is dinner time again… no guests… just Spirit and I.
Enjoying the site? The pictures?… or simply finding it entertaining… Then why not consider supporting it with a donation. We would appreciate it. See the “donation” link above… If snail mail…
Ara Gureghian
853 Vanderbilt Beach Rd #245
Naples Fl 34108
Be well… as always.
Ara & Spirit
July 12th, 2007 at 5:33 am
Ara,
I follow along on your trip in satisfied silence for the most part. The landscapes you experience are breathtaking and it is always a joy to see Spirit. How cool is that suncover for the sidecar? That dog is living a dog’s life!
But what always gets me to post are the food dishes. That chicken and pasta looks fantastic and I will try it out on my wife. If I keep reading here you are going to turn me into a halfway decent cook. My wife thanks you!
Glad the mechanical stuff is straightened out and you are cruising along.
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks