A Visit to the Spruce Goose

It was a wet, wild, and at times windy ride this afternoon as I rode to McMinnville, OR to see some accounts.  McMinnville, more commonly known as "Mac", is home to the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose.  The H-4 Hercules Flying Boat was moved to this site from Long Beach, CA in February of 1993 by Evergreen Aviation.  If you enlarge the photo above and look through the glass you can see her.

 

Evergreen has built a nice aviation attraction around the Spruce Goose centerpiece.  The jetliner above was recently added on top of this building which is an indoor water park.  This summer you'll be able to slide out of the 747 into a pool. 

Next on the plans for this popular attraction is a resort.  Whether you're an aviation buff or not this museum is a must see if you're in the Portland area.  In fact, the BMW International Rally last year had a kick-off visit and luncheon here before the Rally.  It was well attended by many motorcycle enthusiasts.

The Spruce Goose is about 3 miles east of town. Here is downtown Mac on 3rd street. As you can see, the afternoon traffic here is almost unbearable. Both sides of the street are lined with quaint shops along with unique restaurants and pubs.  This is a college town so Friday and Saturday nights are busy here.

When I see one of these I can't resist stopping.

I think almost everything they sell is healthy and it's very good.  These fruit bars are irresistible for a hungry traveler.

After I took this photo it would have been nice to get in the blue rig, twist the key and take off.  I had all the gear on so it was doable.  I guess I'll just have to settle for dreaming about it.

God's speed.

Doing the Laundry

I had an appointment with an oncologist at 4:00 yesterday.  My dermatologist thought it would be a good idea to see if I would be a candidate for a CAT scan. This would be to make sure there are no cancer cells lurking somewhere.  After looking at all of my lab work and the results of the surgery the oncologist said there was no need for a scan and that as far as melanoma is concerned I'm cancer-free.

By the time I left his office it was about 5:15.  It was beginning to get dark and it was raining.  It was a nice ride home in the rain after receiving good news.  At one particular stop light I caught a lady in an SUV staring at me.  She might have been wondering why someone would be so foolish to be out in the cold rain.  Or maybe she was noticing how dirty my jacket was.  It's been a while since I've washed it.  In fact, I looked like I rolled under a diesel truck.

This morning I met a couple of friends for breakfast at McDonald's. When I got parked a guy drove up in his pickup and started asking the usual questions about the bike.  Thinking back on it, my jacket looked pretty bad so washing it went on my to-do list.

My technique is to first take out all of the removable armor, soak the jacket in the bathtub, and use Woolite and a brush and scrub hard.  After that I give it a thorough rinsing then spray Shout stain remover on all the dirt stains on the front and scrub hard again.  Then I give it the final rinse.

There... much better.  Now it looks like I rolled under a hybrid.  Whenever I do this I usually ask myself why I don't do it more often.  Maybe it's because in a week it'll be looking dingy again. 

I'd like to know your method for doing the laundry.

God's speed.

Coastal Serenity

After a visit to the jail Friday afternoon I headed over to our place at the coast. It was to be a quick trip to get some much needed work done then come back home Saturday. When I got on the road about 5 pm Friday there was a steady rain falling. It continued through the coast range which made for absolutely stunning scenery. This time of year the Tillamook Forest is lush and hyper-green and the rain just exaggerated the colors. The two lane road meanders through the mountains with the Wilson River alongside on the coast side of the range. At times I found myself thinking, “This could be like Europe, maybe even Germany. Yeah that’s it, this is Germany and I’m on a BMW!” 

Many of the timber laden mountain slopes and peaks had those wisps of fog hanging on them. Several times I restrained myself from stopping to takes photos. The speed limit for most of the canyon is 55 mph with just the right amount of slow developing sweeps and curves. As with many canyon roads, especially on the Friday night of a holiday weekend, slow driving folk can be persistent obstacles. After passing some of these folks, I didn’t want to stop for photos and have to start all over with the passing game. It's a dilemma that has two options.  I guess the only solution is to take most of a day going through the pass making many stops for photos.


I stopped in Tillamook to pick up a few things at the store then headed up the coast in the light coastal drizzle and wind. Breaking out from the protection of a wooded area just before the road drops next to Tillamook Bay, the onshore ocean wind gave the bike a hit which allowed me to lean into it yet still go straight. It’s generally a surprise and a fun one at that. Looking left out onto the bay at the peninsula that juts out from Cape Meares, I could see the gray out-of-focus look that an oncoming squall reveals.

Arriving in Garabaldi on the north end of the bay, it has that misty and quiet look that a fishing town has at the end of a work day.  Around some more curves north of town and past the tide pools which are now covered with high tide, the road gently drops down near a serene looking Lake Smith. The drizzle has all but stopped; it’s getting darker and I’m almost to the house so I stop to record the scene. 

The return trip home yesterday was almost a milestone. I only encountered one vehicle ahead of me for the entire 50 mile trip on Hwy 6 through the coast range. This was probably because most everyone was going towards the coast instead of away from the coast. It was a rarity that I gladly accepted.  The sun was out and the temperature was just right at 60 F.  A perfect day to be on two wheels enjoying the amazing scenery.

Rain Rain Go Away...

It rained most of the day today. Yesterday was in the low 70's sunny and beautiful. Spring is in the air but today the rain was back.

Tomorrow shouldn't have too much rain and Saturday should be dry again.

Sunday the rain returns for several days.  Oh well, such is spring in the Northwest.

I'm Not a Cook...Honest

Early yesterday morning I took my wife Amber to the airport so she could head out on her annual business trip. Her destination this year was Orlando, Florida.  We left the house about 4:15 am so we could get to the airport by 4:45. It was dark, cold, and with a slight amount of rain. The airport is on the other side of Portland but we made the trip in no time. I wish traffic was like that every day.

At roughly 5 am as I was making the transition from I-84 to the southbound lanes of I-5 near downtown I spotted a lone motorcycle heading north on I-5. I remembered Irondad mentioning in a recent post that he would be going to Kirkland, WA for a meeting. Since I wouldn't expect to see too many motorcycles out at that time of morning in that kind of weather it really caught my attention. I noticed it had the twin slanted headlights that are a tell-tale sign it could be an FJR.  Then I saw a Givi top case similar to mine. I thought to myself, I'll bet that's Dan. Sure enough it was. Anyway, I thought I would start off with sort of an interesting tidbit.

With my wife back east and our kids entrenched in their own lives, it leaves the dogs and cats and me to fend for ourselves. And as the title of this post states, I'm not a cook. But like a trooper I press on every year at this time and we manage to pull through. Have I gotten any sympathy points yet?

There's one meal that Amber has taught me to make that we have often. It's chicken and vegetables with fajita mix added for seasoning.  I like it over rice and she likes it wrapped in a tortilla. Pretty simple right? That's the way I like it. The only ingredients I didn't have for tonight's meal were a green and a red bell pepper.

Here's where the motorcycle comes in. It's been raining and windy all day.  I worked from home after we had a conference call meeting this morning. Just like last Thursday I had the strong urge to just get out and ride so why not ride and pick up some vegetables.

We've had cold weather and even hail the last couple of days. Because of the weather I've been driving the car so it was nice to ride. I decided to go to a grocery store that I don't often go to. 

Let's see, which one of these is a good one? 

Oh yeah, this one looks good. By the way, when you go to the store, you do wear all your gear, right? Because taking it off and stowing it for just 10 minutes is a pain. Okay, I'm just kidding, I don't wear my helmet but I do carry it so people don't wonder why I'm dressed like a storm trooper.

While doing this stunt I learn a new phenomenon. If you ask the produce guy to take your photo while shopping with your helmet on, it draws a crowd.

On the ride back home I stopped a couple of times to enjoy how green the trees and shrubs are. 

In the Northwest we get tired sometimes of all the moisture falling from the sky but the benefits outweigh any negatives there might be, in my humble opinion. Even though we have about 4 more months of wet weather here, starting Sunday we all get the gift of more light each day. That might translate into more riding time.

I hope you were able to ride today!

Today's Morning Ride

 

This morning as I left for the jail about 7:00 it felt almost balmy at 50 (F) with a slight drizzle. As usual, before I left the house I waffled back and forth on whether to ride. The negative pull is it might rain too much and be too dark and even be too foggy in the country. The other thought is after the jail when I go to church the Beemer is the only motorcycle in the parking lot. What if people think I'm crazy riding on a rainy day? Then I think, "Nah, I'm riding."  When it comes to riding I don't care what people think and besides these Sunday morning rides are a personal time of reflection and joy if I may use that word. Joy is not a macho word that guys usually use. Joy is different than happiness. Happiness relies on external things while joy comes from within even in spite of external stuff.

 

As I've written here before I can't express the solitude and feeling of gratitude during this time. I've been riding for less than two years and I don't know how long the good Lord will let me continue but I am grateful for the enjoyment riding provides. I wish that I had stuck with it when I first rode as a teenager but there must be a reason that didn't happen.

 

I guess with riding more senses are being used than when driving. There's the visual stimulation of the beauty around us and the feeling that you're in it instead of just watching it. Then there are the smells, the sound of the exhaust and the vibration while straddling the motor. And finally there's the feeling when accelerating and the feeling of soaring while leaning in and out of curves. All of this is something that not everyone experiences.

Many years ago I use to run everyday for exercise. As with most runners there comes a time when you face knee surgery on one or both knees. When I had my first surgery I remember the doctor telling me that I was part of a subset of the population. Depending on the mileage that runners do it puts them into another subset so that you become a subset of a subset. You get the picture. As riders of motorcycles and scooters we are a subset of the population. Not everyone gets to experience what we do on two wheels.

I really like reading each of your blogs and how riding fits into your lives.  As I write that last sentence I realize that riding and blogging puts us into another subset. And with all of this there's another reason for gratitude. 

Today's Randomness

 

It rained most of the day today. Here's a view of a downtown approach.

I managed to get a slight shot of the tail end of the lower deck of the Marquam Bridge discussed in Irondad's recent post. This is the split that causes people to change lanes to the right for I-5 south or left for 405 and ultimately west on 26. I was in my car this morning when this was taken. I can't imagine taking a shot like this on the bike.

 

I noticed this budding tree limb while walking into one of my accounts. I wonder how long it will take for that to pop out. Spring is almost here! That reminds me, I need to trim some trees.

As I was about to walk into the jail this afternoon this caught my eye. It was going about 60 and I just managed to dive out of the way after this photo. Okay, it was actually backing up slowly.

This is how it looks from where I park the Beemer when I'm at the jail.  I always like the way the light enters through these concrete frames. I have many images of this in different seasons. The reflection from the wet tracks of the cars made an interesting pattern today.

I guess there's not a real point to this post. It's just a couple of random thoughts and some images - thus the title. Steve Williams has written a few times that taking pictures is like doodling. I like that analogy because at times it is similar to random sketches.

Hope you got to ride today.

Change in Plans

 

I had some errands to run this afternoon before doing what I really wanted to do which was go to my new favorite place, the wetlands refuge, and maybe see some wildlife. But there I sat in traffic. 

My wife had to work today and I got some things done at home this morning. I saved the fun stuff until this afternoon. Fun stuff being the potential to take my cameras to the refuge and maybe meet a Screech Owl. While at the refuge the other evening I met a guy taking pictures who told me where this owl resides during the day.

My first stop was Costco to buy an external hard drive they have on sale. What a bad idea that was. Going to Costco on the afternoon before the Super Bowl. What was I thinking? I saw a couple with a 42" flat screen TV on their cart. I wonder how many of those they sold today? The guy in line in front of me had, among other things, a big crab leg in a plastic bag and a nice tub of rather large shrimp. Hmm... a seafood Super Bowl. It would have been interesting to get a hot dog and just sit and watch people but I had things to do.

 

And then this happened. I really didn't know it was supposed to rain today and it can be an extra bummer when you have something planned. Rain isn't ordinarily a bad thing but not good for hiking into the woods with cameras and tripod to get some Screech Owl pixels. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I can meet Mr. Screech. I don't think he's going anywhere soon. 

Here's an image taken the other day just before sunset. These guys were just cleared for takeoff. Actually I think my shutter startled them. I'll have to learn to be more stealth.

Wishing You Dry Handlebars!

Looking forward to dryer weather... it's coming someday!

"It's only water..."

There's a chill in the air and steady moisture is on the way. Fall is my favorite season with the changing leaves and the special food that's unique to this time of year. I think many people look forward to the coming rain that's almost here.

Our rainy season is long here in Oregon. It goes from late October through July 4th, then on the 5th the rain stops.  Funny how that happens. So the big decision on rainy mornings is, should I ride or not?  As a sales rep I get on and off the bike multiple times during the day which can be tricky in the rain. Thus the title of this little story.

September of last year I took the Team Oregon Basic Rider Training class and thought it was very worth while. I'm not saying that because Irondad might be reading this, I really was impressed with the information and the professionalism of the instructors. 

During one of the breaks on the range I visited with one of our instructors. I was admiring his bike which was a new white Honda VFR Interceptor. I asked if he rides year round and he said yes. At this point I had my Vespa only two months and it was summer so I asked, "Even in the rain?" To which he answered with a straight face, "Oh yeah, it's only water". I knew he wasn't trying to minimize the risks of wet weather riding, after all, he's a professional riding instructor. But I thought his comment was both funny and an interesting way to look at it.

Wet weather keeps a lot of riders off the roads, and for good reason.  I'm certainly not worthy of going into a discussion on rainy weather riding tactics. Nevertheless, it's probably safe to say that everyone gets caught in the rain at some point while riding and the initial concern when that happens might be overcome with the thought, "Oh yeah, it's only water". 

Just riding and thinking.