Ride to Renton and a Superfund Site

Today was a good day.  Thomas Voeckler just had a heck of a ride today in the TdF.  We keep saying we need to get out of the house earlier, but we keep watching it anyway.  Today was a really good stage.  After the Tour, we got the road bikes out.  First we checked out a new bike path.  They were working on this last summer when we were here.  It never occurred to us that it was a bike path, we thought it was a new freeway off ramp.  But it's for bikes, it links a busy intersection in Factoria with shopping.  They made a retaining wall and everything.

 

Then it was down an older trail to Renton.  We're enjoying the effect of spending 30 days in Bend, and riding at 4,000 feet.  We still have many extra red blood cells, which is making us feel young.  I got my heart rate up to 155 bpm and stayed in normal sinus rhythm the entire ride.
On the way back we stopped and looked at this sign.  The burgundy area is a superfund clean up site that has yet to be cleaned.  Just south of the burgundy area is a new housing development, with prices ranging from from $600k to the low $2 millions.

 

Superfund site.

 

New neighborhood.

  

Is it just me; would you want to live next to a Superfund site?  They produced creosote, coal tar and other hazardous products.  I think if I had $2 million, I might look elsewhere.
Other than this, maties, I have nothing  interesting to report.
 

The Great Wheel of Seattle

The Great Wheel of Seattle, as photographed by Jim on the ferry.  Note the cruise ship, they're going to Alaska.

 

Here is the water front.

 

The Alaskan Way Viaduct.  Its days are numbered.  Driving north bound provides one of the most stunning views of Elliot Bay in Seattle.  Many people do not like the viaduct, I am not one of them.  I often wonder how people will like the new tunnel, which will have less carrying capacity than the Viaduct.

 

It was a slow day in Issaquah.  There was walking, there was the buying of new socks, and groceries.  My blog sinks into torpor. 

A Walk in the Woods

Yesterday we hiked.  We thought it might be cooler in the shade, than on the road, but it wasn't.  This is the beginning of the walk into the woods.  Vegetation this year is massive due to all of the rain earlier in the spring.  We got 5 miles in; it's up; then down.  Not too much level.

 

Flowers by the trail; but of course the camera decided to focus on the boring leaf in the background.

 

Jim has departed the RV to take the bus in to Seattle, to catch the ferry over to Bainbridge Island to go visit his mother. 

RV Washing and Riding in Carnation

This was much of the day yesterday.  Jim washed the RV.  I squeegeed the RV.  It's a toss up as to which is more tedious.  Actually, I think the squeegee was, because I had to go up and down the ladder.  I hate ladders.

 

I also hate random electrical weirdness (REW).  As you no doubt recall, the last time we had REW, the multiplexor boards burned up.  When we finished cleaning the RV, we noticed the lights were on behind the entry key pad panel.  Since we have owned the RV, the key pad has never worked, and has never been back lighted.  Then, at about 10pm it started beeping.  We went out, looked at it with apprehension, and pressed the lock button firmly.  It stopped beeping and went dark.  It's dark today, and nothing is on fire.  I am hoping that will be the end of my interaction with this thing.

Today was a beautiful  summer day in the GPNW.  We went for our favorite ride in the Carnation Valley.  This is the entrance to a huge compound with enclosed riding arenas, miles of fencing, stables and all kinds of horse lodging.  It appears to be out of business.  The fences are mildewing, weeds are sprouting, and there is one lone horse out in the fields.  It used to be an Arabian Horse facility.

 

The view from the bridge over Sikes  lake.  See the teepees in the distance?  That's a summer camp for disadvantaged children.  All that land over there (and then some) used to be the Carnation Dairy farm.  Then Nestle bought it, and now someone else owns it. 

 

Other than the reportage of stationary life here, there is not too much to blog about.

New Faucet & a Snail Sighting

Well, we're back in the GPNW, where it is still always something.Tuesday we got up and discovered the kitchen faucet had failed sometime during the night and peed all over the kitchen counter.  Fortunately there was a pillow on the arm of the couch which prevented all of said water from rolling off the counter edge and on to the carpet.  This is how Jim spent much of the day.  My job was to slide the foot stool under his butt when he went under the counter, and pull it out when he departed the cabinet.  Many trips were made out to the accursed tool box looking for tools.

 

After extracting the faucet using vise grips and an inappropriate wrench we went to Lowe's for crescent wrenches.  Low and behold, a good tool box presented itself to Jim.  It goes in on the slide out tray with an inch of height to spare.

 

Marvel at the organization of that drawer.  The drawers are all lined with black non-skid drawer liner.  It's useful stuff in an RV.

 

After the trip to Lowe's and the plumbing supply store, the new faucet was installed.  It took less time than taking the old one out.  We also have better water flow than we did.

 

An ivy geranium threw itself into our cart at Lowe's.  I like the pink.

 

We had intended to ride today, but a couple of phone calls we received knocked us off our plan, so we walked.  It was supposed to be a short flat walk, but turned in to a long hilly walk.  This is a plant up against a huge retaining wall with a snail attached to it.  We see slugs here more than snails.

 

This sign was seen on the trail coming down by Swedish Hospital.  If you can't read the faint writing, it says "indefinitely due to the incompetent and shamefully lazy construction corporation".  From this I infer the trail was closed for quite awhile.

 

Flowers on the way down the hill.

 

Summer has arrived in the GPNW.  Happy we are.

Ellensburg to Issaquah

Today was a short drive; Ellensburg to Issaquah.  We went from the east side of the Cascades to the west.  The road surface on I90 is abysmal.
This is east.

 

 

This would be the west side.  Notice the snow and the clouds.

 

We're in Issaquah, where we will be until early September, prior to leaving the country.
Kim and Jim had us over for dinner tonight, which was just delightful.  I'm tired!  Going to bed now.