Day 4 Sunday January 12

And a cat named Charlie

Not as much fun without ball, but still.

     Based on a recommendation by mein Host at the Fair Grounds, S arose in the early dark to bike to the Mind's Eye coffee shop. It was dark and sleet/raining and we went off in the wrong direction and no tail lights and the milk tank trucks were on the move. Eventually we found the place and we settled-in for the duration with the fireplace and the wifi, scones, etc. Back of the coffee shop was taken up by an esoteric Aleutian kayak factory and school. Talked to the kayak guy about skinning materials other than seal hide, his first choice.

     Out of the fair grounds diesel screaming, we exited out the back of town onto the road to Petrolia, Honeydew, Shelter Cove. Where we are now and have been for the last 4 or 5 hours of the afternoon and evening having driven the patchy and steep roads for about that long to get here to the Cove. Van crouched in the open grass of camp at one end of the airstrip, we made the round of the bars which was all there was of social life in downtown Shelter Cove in January. We watched the Hawks Packers game at all three available venues plus two young women singing and playing their guitars at Marios which the guy at the market said was condemned due to its nearness to the crumbling bluff (which it was - touching the edge- I saw). S said the singer had a great voice. Lot of the younger guys seemed to hang out on the deck touching the edge, smoking cigarettes probably because a sign inside said that smoking marijuana would get you 86ed. One big guy, with a dyed red mohawk whose color would change according to something about football, set out the insta-pot with free chili but we had already had something at Gyppos (as in gyppo logger) which had a good pingpong table center stage and piping hot. S had the seared Brussel sprouts and I the brat.

Day 3 Saturday January 11

King Tide at Bandon

Harbor Entrance, Bandon

     Spilt quick from Tahkennitch lake camp - coffee, no breakfast or dog food. Motored south to Bandon and breakfasted at the Minute Cafe - decent - been there before on bike and on previous car tour. Walked dog out to see the King Tides on the jetty - lot of foam, and flotsom  in the big waves. Two guys who were old enough to know better next to us at the cafe asked me as I came in late from walking B if I wanted to go surfing; the joke was they were serious about going out themselves. S bought an expensive pair of sandals at the nice shoe and hat store across the street from the cafe. They were technically advanced and comfortable.

     Drove on down into old northern California with the idea of spending a pleasant night in old Ferndale at the Humbolt County Fair Grounds. Which we did. Biked from the fair grounds to the ancient hotel bar and had a couple of toddies, chatted with a couple of locals and bought a couple of sausages at the meat market before biking back to the van in the early dark.