California

Two weeks into California and so many experiences to filter through. Ross, Andy (Scottish) and I crossed the border on the 30th of Oct, I think. We were situated to make a Halloween run into Arcata, with a friend of Ross's to stay with. A crazy Halloween. Welcome to California!

Shortly after the border was a side-route through some redwoods. It started with a huge climb that rewarded us with what seemed like 8 miles of cruisy downhill to enjoy the big trees.

Ross and I & Andy (Scot) and Ross

Ross jumped a plane in Arcata while Andy and I trucked on towards San Francisco, where our paths would part. We spent 5ish days, with a solid 2 of rain, and had a couple pretty eventful happenings. First, a tooth of mine began to ache over the Halloween weekend. By Sunday night, after cycling from Arcata to the Avenue of the Giants, the swelling and pain had increased dramatically. I hardly slept that night. We were 30 miles from a town with a dentist, BUT the good Scotsman Andy just happens to be one. He explains whats going on...Abscess! Prescription needed immediately and possibly an incise to drain some infectious puss. Here's what it looked like after it got better:

So, we get to the town with the dentist (in the rain). I hope we can just have them call in a drug order and maybe take a quick peek all for a minimal fee. Its obvious to them what's wrong without even looking in my mouth, so the prescription gets called in right away. Andy is outside chatting with the dentist who doesn't want to take a peek and isn't into doing the drain thing. Well, since this was against Andy's professional opinion he was able to talk the doc into letting us use an empty chair and allow the Scot to dig in my mouth and suck out the infection. I couldn't believe it was happening when my soggy, drippy self was having this Scottish guy in full lycra (hot-pink and blue) operate on my mouth. Totally nuts. It felt better immediately after being one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Thanks Andy...

The second story was another rain day. The day after the successful Obama nomination. We were upbeat and cheery due to the lift in hope for the world and weren't expecting any rain. It was supposed to be 20%. It was more like 100. So we're wet and talking about how nice a roof would be for the night, maybe a barn full of hay to spread our stuff out and dry. That turns into wishes for hot showers and fluffy cotton towels, maybe some laundering and a roaring fire. Obviously a big cozy bed was on the wish-list. Well, 1/2 mile from our destination soggy campground we pass a feed store with a big trailer full of hay bales. I see it and stop. Its a sign. I ask Andy (he's got the accent) to go and ask if we can spend the night in it, which would be a huge upgrade from a wet campground in the rain. They say "yes". We say "sweet". We hang out and chat and help them move a few things as they wrap up their day. Eventully they lock up and head out. We are smiling at this point, our barn full of hay kinda came true. UNTIL...Max (the patriarch) comes back as we are getting our cook stoves out, asks us out to dinner as well an invitation to spend the night at their house. Guess what? Dinner, an amazing house with a roaring fire, laundry, hot showers with fluffy cotton towels, big cozy beds, and we hadn't even thought far enough to an egg and toast breakfast. I woke up to the sound of the coffee grinder, my favorite way! I gotta say it was everything we could have wished for. Thanks a million to Julie Max and Richie...
Parting shots of the coast north of San Francisco and the first glimpse of the city from Sausalito.
S.F. and south update shortly...