Good Days and Rainy Days

Before Friday, we had some good days.  There was a steep little hike up and down the Tradition Plateau, there was biking and walking the three mile loop.  Things were good.

This is a deer we saw on a hike.  She’s not running away, she’s ambling.  The deer around here show no fear of people.  When we rented the house in Bellevue in 2006/2007, they would stand in the side yard and look in the kitchen window.



The view from the trail before it goes back into the woods.  That’s I90 at the bottom, Issaquah and Bellevue are in the picture.  Lake Sammamish is off to the right.



We saw this deer on a bike ride in Carnation Valley.  She had just jumped over a fence from a standing start, and was making her way to a gap in the blackberry bush hedge to get down to the river.  She stood there and looked at us for quite awhile before ambling off.



Friday, Saturday and Sunday it rained.  Saturday we were in North Bend at the outlet mall and a cell dumped hail on us. It was quite the storm.  Saturday and Sunday we were able to get the three mile route done in between storm systems moving through.  I am happy to report that the new forward slide wipe seals are repelling water.  The driver’s side storage bay has also not leaked, we may have smeared enough caulk all over the inside of the bay door.  Fingers crossed on that.

Today dawned really cold.  After spending the morning trying to accomplish a task on the laptops we drove into Bellevue.  We had planned to go over to Bellevue Square, but ended up at a different mall for lunch.  Bellevue is, as always, a construction zone.  A new fly over ramp is being built, I think off of I405 but I’m not sure.  Anyway, this is one of the supports, it’s in the back parking lot of Whole Foods.  The other big construction project is light rail.  They’re putting it along Bellevue way, then along 116th.  I feel so bad for the home owners who are along side of the rail.  One home’s side yard is covered in black plastic because they’ve cut into it so much to make room for the fence between them and the rail.  They will never be able to sell that house. 



Issaquah’s projects continue as well.  This used to be the bike path we could ride directly from the RV park.  It was closed last year, and will be closed again this summer.  See the arch in the background?  That’s one of the bridges that are being built.  Someday, the trail will go under the bridge, eliminating a car bicycle interface. They will drive over us, and we will ride under. Someday.



Here is a link to the project website.  They’re building a new access to Costco’s world headquarters.  Costco is paying $23M of the $44M cost to do the work.  The new road will cross two creeks and the wetlands.  One of the creeks had to be rerouted in order to fit all of the road structure.  The youtube video the article links to is pretty interesting.  Anyway, our alternate trail route is also closed, but allegedly will reopen for July 4.  Someday.  It would be nice to be able to ride from the park, instead of driving out to the Carnation Valley.  Without the trails, it’s too dangerous to ride on the road around here.  Issaquah drivers are crazy, even the cross walks are hazardous.

The bald spot on the mountain is Poo-Poo point – look over to the right of the photo.  See the orange speck and the two white specks over towards the left?  Those are paragliders.  There were quite a few out today, winds were favorable for jumping.



Wednesday the rains return.  Sigh…………  Summer does not start until July 5.