A Solo Sauvie Saturday

August 12, 2023

A new bird appeared today, so of course a post is called for. First though, I’ll take note of the fact that I got out yesterday too, for a thirteen mile loop that took in two of the usual local highlights: the Sellwood Bridge and Lucky Lab, as well as an eight mile trip out to Kaiser for some blood work in preparation for my upcoming CT scan. Plus a walk down to the other Caffe Umbria for coffee with Elizabeth. Or did those impressive pair of rides occur on different days? Three days later I’m not sure, making the point that not keeping this blog up on a daily basis comes with some risks.

Also though, there’s news. Rachael is still not back on her bike, and may not be for several days more. The evening we arrived in Portland she unwrapped her knee, which in retrospect was probably kept covered too long. We were both alarmed to see it exposed - the scrape is still there, but the skin around it has a reddish, blistery, unhealthy look. It was obvious that it needed someone to look at it, so she made an appointment with the nearest Urgent Care center for the next morning.

It’s a good thing she went in. She was diagnosed as having a skin infection of some sort, resulting in cellulitis. They immediately put her on an antibiotic (dicloxacillin) and sent a culture to the lab for identification. We spent an anxious couple of days waiting for lab results and to see if the condition improved, but the good news is that it’s not a flesh eating bacteria - it’s staphylococcus aurea - and she’s responding well to the antibiotic. The reddening is definitely receding already and the joint is less painful. She’s not ready to bike yet, but she thinks she’ll be ready to get out for a walk tomorrow. At this point we’re optimistic that she’ll be more or less back to normal when she completes her antibiotic prescription in five days.

Today’s ride

It’s Saturday, and conditions are right for a trip out to Sauvie Island. I’m riding alone today of course, and had considered driving out to avoid the miles on the highway and spend them on the island instead. When it came time to leave though I decided it seemed simpler to just bike from home.

I was open-minded about whether to post the ride until the decision was made for me by finding that the purple martins were in at their condo on the Columbia Slough. That settled, I might as well throw in a few other island photos as long as I have my foot in the door.

Actually though I’d have probably posted the ride anyway because today’s ride was one I’ve never taken before, and definitely wouldn’t have if Rachael were with me. For variety’s sake I decided to ride out to the end of the pavement on Oak Island Road, something neither of us have done for several years. And once there, I just kept going. The next mile and a half were gravelly but manageable and brought me to the lip of Sturgeon Lake, the large lake that covers much of the southern end of the island.

I’ve been thinking about Sturgeon Lake for awhile, and it was on my mind on that ill fated off-pavement ride out to Mud Lake earlier in the summer when I flattened a few miles from nowhere without the right tools on hand to fix the flat (not unlike Shelby’s situation in Boy-see a few days ago). I last saw Sturgeon Lake over 35 years ago when Jean (the woman I also biked from Saint George to Calgary with) and I borrowed a friend’s canoe (Jerry Rosenkoetter’s, Frank) and drove out to Sturgeon Lake with it. It was a memorable day - the water level was very low, so several times we high-centered on the bottom mud and I had to get out and push the canoe to deeper water. Also, we often saw what I assume were sturgeon swimming in the shallow water, their backs exposed.

So of course I want to see it again to see if it’s at all like I remembered. In fact, this is what I was about on that ride to Mud Lake, but you can’t get to Sturgeon that way.

It looks nothing like what I remember. There’s plenty of water now, and it looks like it would be a fine place to canoe. What surprised me more though was the view from the shore, from which all four of the nearest snow-capped volcanoes are visible. Both Saint Helens and Adams were shocking, and almost completely bare of snow.

So that’s depressing, just as the diminished ice on Edith Cavell was a few weeks ago. The good news though was that I didn’t flatten this time. That, and the purple martins of course.

Hood, from the Sauvie Island bridge. There’s not much snow up there either.

We saw a photo of the roses here a month go, but they’re better now.

Brewer’s blackbirds, two of about twenty strung along this line.

And there was this bird mingling with them. This is an immature starling, transitioning to adulthood. When they’re young they’re mostly brown and have dark beaks. The beaks of the breeding males at least are yellow though, and this bird is starting to grow its adult feathers along its flanks.

Off pavement, hoping for a better outcome this time.

Gilbert River, the same one we saw near Mud Lake but much smaller here. We’ve been biking across the mightly Gilbert for years without realizing it.

I’ve been biking past these all afternoon, and finally stopped. It reminded me of the good old days when I’d stop for blackberries on Ankeny Flats on an after work ride with Rachael, and tell her I’d catch up later. It’s been many years since I could catch up with Rocky once I fell behind.

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2023 Bird List

180. Purple martin

Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 1,228 miles (1,976 km)

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Carolyn van HoeveGlad you were able to report Rachael’s knee is on the improve! Hopefully back on the bike soon!
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8 months ago

Suzanne GibsonRachael, so sorry that your injured knee didn't heal the way it was supposed to. Hope all is under control now and that you will soon be hiking and biking again!
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8 months ago

Rachael AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonIt’s doing a lot better. I take my last dose of antibiotics tonight.
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8 months ago

Rachael AndersonTo Carolyn van HoeveIt’s doing a lot better and we were going to bicycle this morning before driving back from Astoria but it was chilly and misty and too hot when we got back to Portland. I’m definitely getting out early for a ride tomorrow.
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8 months ago