Saying goodbye

 Reaching Lewiston at about 1530, Mom and I proceed to find a restaurant to eat at. We go through downtown, following the same route I'd taken in October in order to catch the bus out of the former capital of Idaho. Nothing really seems to strike our fancy, so we settle on some fried but tasty snacks from the Dyna Mart. After prayers and goodbyes our paths diverge and Buddy and I find ourselves sat by the side of highway 12, wondering where to go. After a little thought, I consult with the owner of a run down motel and she mentions that the Clearwater Casino is only six miles away and that they have sites where you can set up tent. Awesome! Tenting at a Casino: a new first to add to my list.

We get there easy enough and I find that the camping price is only five bucks. Fair enough, there's no running water, but the place is clean and well-kept. Also, lamps help illuminate the grounds at night, so I figure it's money well spent. Anyway, it's better than some of the State parks I've seen. My dog seems to settle into his new bed away from home right away. Get some sleep Buddy boyaway. Tomorrow the real work begins.

Last day in Yakima

Everything appears to be ready. My landlord and I wrapped up our rental agreement Saturday and parted ways on good terms.

Mom and Dad had invited me to spend these last two nights at their place, and Buddy's thrilled about that since he gets lots of rest and meaty bones whenever he comes over. We threw a little family BBQ in the evening, so my sister and her family got a chance to say their 'goodbyes.' It was a lot of fun watching my little nephew interact with Buddy.

I've been trying different ways of organizing all the necessary stuff. Fortunately, all the gear fits into the cart, and there's still adequate room for dog food. It's gonna carry the brunt of the load, so hopefully this little vehicle will last. The tires have all been filled with some oil based sealant that was recommended, so I'm counting on that to keep the Russian thistles out of the tubes.

My mom's offered to drop me off at the starting point tomorrow--a huge blessing! We ought to be in Lewiston around 1500. Once there, I'll try to feel things out. ...not sure where we'll be camping yet, but I know we'll find a good place.

Keep an open mind and be ready to avail yourself of any good opportunity and you'll be surprised what awesome experiences await.

Preparing to go

With the clock ticking away the final days in Yakima, I’ve begun feeling both excitement and anxiety over the coming journey. All the ‘hows’ and ‘what ifs’ are racing through my head, and they're all mixed up with immense anticipation. I’m stoked about the idea of making new friends and experiencing a fresh perspective in each place I visit. I’m also happy that the weather’s getting warmer.

Yesterday, I started drying some bananas and it’s left my room smelling quite nice. After seeing how invaluable dehydrated rations were on the trip from Long Beach, I’m doubling my efforts to have a good store of healthy provisions for this trek. I don’t think I’m gonna do squash this time ‘round though.  

 

I’ll be canvasing the downtown area this week, promoting the FH cause a bit more with some of our local businesses. It would be wonderful to see a few sponsors on board from the get go, but I’m not worried about financial matters. My biggest desire is that this trip will bring blessing to people—full stop.