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Made it to Portland a little after noon and went straight to Kaiser Sunnyside.  The knee, as I feared, had blown into full cellulitis    The doctor felt we had caught it just in time.  Put me on strong antibiotics but didn't have to do intravenous   It will be fine    Now on to the future.  

Thanks all that followed me.  Sorry I didn't make the entire trip.  Maybe another time.  It was fun while it lasted 

Inspiration (that gut feeling) works when we listen

On Friday as I was leaving the hotel, I thought "you should stay here and just rest a day". But I wanted to see my son Brett so pushed on.  That was the day that I swerved to miss a garbage can, wasn't going fast, just ahead of a road construction site.  All the cars were stopped.   Hit a big bump and went air bound.  Hard to land a bike with an old man and an extra 45 pounds of weight on it.   But had I waited one day I would have missed garbage day so the can would not have been there and the construction would have been done.   

But I did listen to inspiration yesterday to go home for multiple reasons.  My knee was prett much ok yesterday morning.  I biked an hour and a half on it.  But last night it went crazy.  Hurt so bad that 4 ibuprofen wouldn't begin to touch it.  This morning it is not hurtin as much but is badly swollen    

I will enjoy biking with my wife.  Enough of cross country.  And I will try harder to listen to inspiration 

Bill feels better

After getting used to ending the ride, I am feeling better.  My daughter Jenna put it in perspective.   I came on this ride not to just accomplish a goal.  I came to enjoy the ride and to spend time alone and figure out post-retirement.   I know now what I want to do.  I have accomplished the goal.  And seeing things with someone is so much better than seeing them alone.   Really enjoyed Gettysburg with Brett.   It feels lonely when you see it alone.  

I proved to myself that I could do the entire trip.  I have no doubt I could do it.  It would have taken me longer than I had planned but that was not the concern. I just came to realize that it isn't as much fun alone.   I sure will have good memories of the parts I have done.  Even the hills.   I pedaled them all but one.  It was the first day and short but super steep. Yea!  I can do it!  But I did keep looking for that gear below low/low.  The one I called "push me please".  Never could find that gear.   

On to the future! 

Brett to the rescue

Yup! It hurts but will be fine by tomorrow

Day four. What a day

Got up early to beat the heat.  That was great but the GPS on my phone decided to give me one direction, tell me to proceed on that road and then promptly froze at the motel.  After a little over 6 miles and 2 really bad hills I figured it out. I had to turn off the phone completely and reset it t get it going again.  I had only lost about 4 miles.  It sent me down a couple wrong way streets getting turned around but finally on my way.   Oh them hills them hills.  As beautiful as it is I am beginning to really hate Pennsylvania.  Maybe in a car.   And I wish I could figure out why all the cross streets with red lights have to be at the bottom of a hill with a steep hill facing you. 

I had my bad crash today so that is out of the way.  I hit the proverbial road construction.  Cars way backed up with one Lane traffic and no edge to ride.   So bright me decided to take the sidewalk would have been fine but the driveways were deep.  I dropped down into it and then came back out, did ok on the first

One. The second one I had to swerve to miss a garbage can just as I was coming out of it and lost it.  Fell and skidded on them sidewalk.   Scraped and briused left knee and thumb.  Bent the brake as it fell had to just take it off and just went with back brakes only until I could re-route to a bike shop about 20 miles or so away. 

What a day.  Really missing my wife

Tonite. They warned me that the hills would be bad, that I would get lonely and want to quit after the first week.  

Well they were right.  If there were an airport close by I would be on the next flight out. Lol

I will spend the week end at Gettysburg.  Hoping that my son, Brett will be able to come visit me there.  

I forgot to mention yesterday that I did see Valley Forge,  the shuttle driver drove me thru    It is beautiful. but was on the wrong side of the river to explore by Nike. 

Happy trails. 

Day 3. Them hills them ever rolling hills

They warned me that the hills of Pennsylvania would be killers an they certainly are.   Late start today after finding my way back from the hotel. The bike trail was beautiful again but didn't last nearly long enough.  Spent most of the day on Pennsylvania 23W.  One hill

After another and the downs were short and the ups were long.  Guess I have to climb away from sea level.  The last third of the day through Amish country was better gentler up hills.  Got a picture of an Amish guy with his buggy in the bike path ahead of me but it is on yes cool cam and haven't figured out yet how transfer those to my tablet or smart phone.   

It was so hot and humid today.  Tomorrow I am going to start early and see if that helps.  Can't imagine biking here in July.   When the temperature got down to 87 and the breeze kicked in it was a whole lot better.   

Hoping to link up with my son Brett in Cumberlamd, Maryland tomorrow night.