Nobody say “I told you so”

As some of you know,  I brought Simon along for the first leg of the trip.  The plan was to take him all the way, but when we reached Omak the temperature was 109 degrees and the little feller started getting overheated, which is no wonder considering his perma-sweater.  We held an expedition meeting and decided that the only prudent choice would be to to take him home, but the thing is, getting him there and me back on the bike was a three day series of events.  Here’s how it went down:

Day 1:

6am:  Wake up under gas station awning in Wauconda, Washington.  Map lied.  It’s not a town.  It’s a gas station.  Simon not doing well, not life threatening, but definitely worth a trip to the doc.  Decide I gotta bring him home.

7am: Ride to Republic because the phonebook says there’s a vet there.

10am:  Arrive in republic, extremely nice vet helps me formulate plan which consists of leaving Simon at vet, going to Spokompton and renting a car, and then heading back to vet to grab him.

11am:  Star hitchin’ to Spokane.

2pm:  Renew license in Colville so I can rent car in Spokane.

4pm: Arrive in Spokane after three rides, one McDonalds milkshake,  and one dead pigeon thanks to Larry the trucker, who then proceeded to tell that joke about the last thing that goes through a pigeons mind after it hits the windhshield (it’s its ass apparently).

8:30 PM:  Got dog, looks better, and stoked to be in a sweet supercharged Pontiac Gran Prix. Start driving.

Day 2:

3:30 AM:  Arrive on Whidbey Island. Sleep.

10am:  Wake up, drive back to Spokane.

7pm: Drop rental car off, start walking through rather questionable part of town.  Rock fanny pack and white legs with pride, nod at friendly gentlemen wearing blue bandanas.

9pm: Finally get ride to Chewaleh (part way there).

10pm: Get ride to Colville (still only part way there).   Decide not to hitch over Sherman Pass in middle of night.

Day 3:

1am:  After having three sprinklers soak me, decide there is no safe lawn in Colville, watch the plywood mill make plywood for a while, curl up on bench with trusty patagonia fleece.  Doze in and out, slightly wet.

2am: Woken up by flood of giggling Colville nightlife from closing bars.  Colville’s giggling nightlife thinks I’m a bum.

4am: Wake up, walk over Columbia river bridge, hitch ride over Sherman pass with dude who plucks trees out of the ground with a helicopter for a living. Did not know job existed.

8 am:  Reach Republic, grab bike and gear out of horse trailer (thanks, Doris). Ride into town, pass out under tree in city park. 

10am:  Wake up with a bird on my head.  Seriously.  Dude thought I was a rock or something. 

11am:  Mount bike, and ride on.

It was quite a process, but all is right in the universe now.  Simon’s at home and I’m gonna go try and shoot me some more gophers.  I love Montana.

Oh, one more thing, everyone go see The Dark Knight, it’s worth the ten bucks.