Olene

They are forecasting 1-3 inches of snow for us tomorrow and this afternoon was sunny and forty, so we thought we better get out and enjoy it. We decided to venture a whole 10 miles from home and take a walk along a section of the OC&E Trail that we hadn’t explored yet. To make the flat walk more palatable I downloaded some caches to look for along the way.

Turns out we were not the only ones with this idea. As we pulled into the parking spot there was a horse trailer and another car already there. There were two horses and riders just coming back, but the car driver and family was getting ready to go for a walk. As we changed into hiking boots another car pulled in with a fellow and his canine companion.

The trailhead there is “decorated” with a retired train snow plow car that had a cache so we went there first. By the time we found and logged the cache the folks in the parking had started on their way, but as we started on the trail proper we could see one man coming back. By the time we passed him we missed the first cache, but found a side trail that headed up the hill to cache #2.

That cache was a sneaky two-parter that we couldn’t find the second part on, so we had to DNF it. The walk up was worth it for the view, see the above photo. The next one was even higher up the hill and was an easy find. From there we headed back down hill to cache number four, which turned into another DNF. We spent 10 minutes wandering in circles using my phone and the GPSr to no avail. We didn’t even try the next cache on our track, it was on the way downhill we planned on taking, but gave up after noticing the trail required a very steep drop. So we took an easier slope back down towards the OC&E, before climbing back up a bit for one last cache. While I was still figuring where to start looking, Donna cried, “I found it.”

A couple hours in the sun, 2-1/4 miles traveled, 700′ of it up hill, and 3 of 5 caches found, all in all a very pleasant January afternoon in Olene, Oregon.

Out of the Money

2020 was the 8th and last of the Motoring Challenge contest put on by Moss Motors. We participated in 7 of them, the first year Miatas weren’t invited, and 2020 was our worst year ever scoring a measly 21 points and for only the second time we weren’t one of the 50 runner-ups and not earning a $50 Gift Certificate.

One reason for this years lack of motoring challenging was our late start, our first photo wasn’t taken until April. Back in Aiken because of the milder winter we would jump on the challenge in January, but here, pleasant drives start much later on the calendar.

Another reason was there were several categories that left a lot up for interpretation, like The Science Corner (Signs or Scenes) with requirements like Geology, Meteorology, Mycology or Physics and the category like Sign Up For Interpretation with requirements of The Meaning of Life, Promises Kept, I Would Do Anything for Love or But I Won’t Do That. We always found it easier to search for the more straightforward things, like cities that begin with every letter of the alphabet.

But the main reason was really the whole pandemic thing. Because the biggest reason we enjoyed the event was that it got us planning and then taking trips to find all these challenges. We decided that this year discretion was the better part of valor and it really wasn’t worth getting sick, really sick or dead for a $50 gift certificate.

Good Luck Cleaning Up the Joint

This is today’s The New Yorker cartoon…I had another image, using my presidential action figures all photo-shopped up for today, but after January 6th it seems just a little in bad taste. But, if your taste run that way, feel free to click here to see it.

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Special Inauguration Edition of SORT
As of Monday, January 18, 2021 at 9:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
2006 Chevrolet Corvette 1995 Chevrolet Corvette 2020 Chevrolet Corvette
Everyone knows the incoming 46th President is a Corvette buff, so …
A Red Z06 for zipping around the secret road course at Camp David. A White Vette to be modded “Safari Style” with a lift kit and knobby tires. And a new Blue one for cruising the Mall saying hello to his constituents.

Stress Tested

I am reminded of the George Santayana quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Which most often remembered as “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” I think that both those who do not learn history, and those who do, are doomed to repeat it. And I know history, mostly because I write it here and can look it back up, so I know that I am repeating it.

From June of 2002, Stress Test.

Last week I had another stress test. This one was in two parts, Tuesday was the resting version, inject some nuclear stuff in, wait an hour, take pictures. Thursday was the actual stress part. I packed my sneakers and a pair of shorts to run in and when I got there I was thrown a curve ball. Because of COVID they didn’t want me (or anyone else for that matter) to be exhaling forcefully in a little room with other people, so they medically stressed me. I got an IV shot of Lexiscan which made my heart think I was exercising. Very weird feeling…laying flat on my back feeling flush and having to breathe heavy. Then I had to wait 45 minutes before laying down for more 3D pictures of my heart.

The follow up with the Cardiologist is next month.

Sunny Day

I know that Wednesday was just one of 300 advertised sunny days here in Klamath Falls, but because the mercury went higher than 50 in January, it was definitely time for a top down Miata drive. We dropped off a box to be mailed to Washington state, we bought a lottery ticket and then did a small loop south of town hoping to catch the F15s flying.

I think the Mini wheels don’t look too bad on the Miata. Speaking of the Mini, the weather was still nice enough after returning from the Miata drive to give the Mini an actual hand wash in the driveway. If you have ever had a flat vertical back on a vehicle, you know how dirty they can get. After the last snowstorm we had the combination of the crushed cinders used on the roads for traction and melted snow made for a very ugly combination on the back of the Mini.

One Last Insulated Mug Post

The Pluses:

  1. I don’t have to wait near as long until the temperature is drinkable compared to the metal insulated mug.
  2. It tastes great, maybe even better than from a ceramic mug.
  3. It holds the temperature longer than the ceramic mug.
  4. It looks cool as hell with the powdered latte mix from Maxwell.

The Minuses:

  1. It feels really delicate, like little tap and it will shatter into a million pieces.
  2. I miss the heft of the ceramic mug.
  3. The temperature doesn’t stay warm that much longer.