Photo Update

On the spur of the moment (and a great sale price), we bought a couple of aluminum-frame bikes at the Fred Meyer store in Warrenton after taking the bus there Ð what a long ride back to the Hammond Marina it was!! We had a very large & heavy backpack loaded with stuff from Costco, but Clark managed it. He couldn't turn around to see where I was because it would throw him off balance. He got so far ahead that I lost sight of him and began to think I was heading in the wrong direction, though the sun looked to be in the proper place in the sky. I also had a big shopping bag with stuff- I put my arms through the loops and wore it like a backpack, though it hung down past my rear end. I haven't ridden in decades, have never used brakes that are mounted on the handlebars or a bike with more than one speed (now I had twenty-one, three on the left grip, seven on the right grip). It was very challenging. We found walking to places we want to go takes too long but after that initial bike ride, I thought I wouldn't even be able to walk for three days! There is a very good bus system here (though they don't accommodate bikes- what's with that?!), unlike some stops we've made where there is no public transit. We took the Lewis & Clark Shuttle to Fort Clatsop for the tour so we could get to Fred Meyer and Costco for free, though the Fort cost $5 each. Included in the admission, though, was a three-day bus pass and Astoria Waterfront Trolley ride, so it was worth it. We saw a muzzle-loader demo and the tiny fort (reconstructed 50 years ago from Lewis' notes and drawings with dimensions) where the Corps spent that miserable winter. It would be nice to take the Shuttle back over to the Peninsula for the Long Beach sand sculpture festival this weekend. Sun's finally out and we hope it shines for awhile! Clark is hard at work modifying the trailer for carrying Rikki-tikki up the ramp soon. He has such a green crop on his bottom, my job will be scrubbing, I am very sure. The temperature is a very pleasant 71û F, the wind is blowing WNW, so the Rutland 913 windmill is spinning away as Rikki is pushed snuggly against the dock. We need the weather to hold so we can work outdoors once the boat is up on the lawn.

This is the fish carcass dumpster at Newport, Oregon. There is so much edible food here, some of the best parts of the fish are being thrown away, much to our distress. Just think of all the fish stew, fish broth, sashimi, fish cakes- the possibilities are endless. It's such a shame. This can only happen in America.

This is the day we left the Noyo River, we had the jib up and were making knots motorsailing toward Shelter Cove. The day later clouded over and we had gray skies with little wind. Sunset was lovely and the nearly full moon came out around 2 AM as I sat in the cockpit listening to Peter Jenkins' "Looking for Alaska" on my iPod.

This is a view of Rikki-tikki-tavi's wake from as close as Clark's tether will allow. You can see the tether attached to the inner shroud in the previous photo of Nina in the cockpit steering.

The headlands are swathed in fog as we enter Shelter Cove that evening, the only boat to anchor for the night. The west swells kept Rikki-tikki rocking and the halyards and wires inside the mast banged out their response to the motion.

Rikki-tikki-tavi rests at anchor in Shelter Cove as the seaward skies begin clearing revealing a beautiful sunset and smooth waters. Our Northill anchor grabbed in and held us tight through a night of incoming ocean swells.

Dawn at Newport, Oregon, minutes before our departure. We sampled some beer at the Rogue Brewery, which is located at the south end of the marina- Dead Guy and Shakespeare Stout, proclaimed to be "America's best stout".

Nina sending email on our iBook while huddled beneath a black umbrella to cut the glare and protect the computer from the misty rain. The Ilwaco drive-thru java joint, Kickstand Koffee, had free wireless on an outdoor patio- not at all a good place for an internet café, but all there was! We told them they should rent bikes too with a name like that. The visiting cruisers would appreciate it!

This is Rikki-tikki's end of the Guest Dock at the Port of Ilwaco. The wind was blowing 15 knots on our beam, away from the dock of course, as we came in to tie up. Nobody to help us, we had a gay time threading the docklines through the little rings (see one in the foreground?) fast enough to keep him from being blown away!

Our on-the-water view of Hammond Boat Basin with the large yellow pilot vessel and one of two boats that go in and out a lot. They take water samples when the big dredge is working in the Columbia River.

Clark has started fixing up this old trailer so we can haul Rikki-tikki out for repair using the Hammond boat ramp. Rikki is waiting patiently out in the harbor. You can see him just above the tongue of the trailer in the upper left corner.