We will let you know when exactly we will be there once we know ourselves. Our bikes will be put in long term storage in Valencia pending our return in February 2026 when we plan to circle in the warmer south, Coastal Spain near Valencia and Mallorca and the Mediterranean coast of France, before heading north again in later April.

Valencia in late October! Yes, a meetup seems quite likely. I'm pretty sure the weather will have turned in the north by then.

Yippee, a plan! We are just firming up our plans for the fall which end in Valencia in late October. Any hope of our paths crossing?

When you run out of birds to count, you could start documenting wildflowers. They don't fly away, you can get up close, and you can join the obscure botany discussions when varieties/species/genera get re-sorted and renamed and mis-identified. It's actually a similar thrill when you stumble onto some rare plant and then coyly conceal the location from the general riff-raff.

Agreed. Peninsula Park is less touristy and seems more part of a neighborhood. It's a very old park, too, with an old pavilion kind of structure that is very cool.

Oh! That was yesterday too! Amazingly, I've never watched the Rose Parade and it's not really in my consciousness but this would have been the time - it's been returned to its traditional route through the heart of town after a three year absence. And yes, if I'd thought of it we probably could have heard it from our deck.

That reminds me of when I was in high school and we lived south of the UW, not far from Lake Washington and Husky Stadium. When the hydroplane races were still a thing we'd go out on the deck and listen to the Miss Thriftway and the Wahoo roar in the distance; and when the Huskies were playing at home we'd go out and listen to the crowds cheer after a Husky touchdown.

It's not inconceivable that it's in the apartment somewhere and we just can't see it, but other than that I'm out of ideas. I've got a second one, so I'll just live with that until it falls to a similar fate.

It has to be Pendleton though. This is one of the times I miss my mother the most. For many years she bought me a new one for my birthday each year, and on a good year that was enough.

Could you hear the Rose Parade from your accommodation?

Hope you find that Pendleton Scott. If not, we have a reputable brand here called Swandri, much favoured by farmers and backblocks voyagers over the decades. Who knows you might be converted!

Sharron’s daughter Erica was out there and their team won their heat! Cool that you took pix. They will be back tomorrow for a final.

It wasn't bad at all. We turned back just before Gresham and didn't see anything other than a few isolated small camps, reasonably trash free. I think I'll give the I-205 path a test one of these days.

How did the homeless situation look along the corridor? Great weather!!

That was our first reaction too of course, but we're busy making lemonade.

Sorry to hear that you will have such a long wait, Scott!

Thanks, Genny. That's. A good suggestion. It didn't occur to me to ask. And yes, I spoke with them about my prednisone diet.