I've heard HWY 95 called the Goat Trail, so I guess Bill and I have spent plenty of time on it today and yesterday. We left Sandpoint last evening and stayed in Moscow. Bill asked me if I had a preference of motels. I said all I cared was that we had Internet access.
The Mark IV advertised free wireless, so we checked in. I asked for the cable doohicky, and she said there was none. In Kalamazoo, a few weeks ago, they gave me a little suitcase with the wireless stuff in it. Not in Moscow. The clerk said maybe it was built in to my laptop. No dice.
A night without Internet these days ranks right up there with those times we were forbidden to watch TV whenever we'd done something wrong as youngsters. What's a computer addict to do when faced with having to settle for watching TV? Tough, but I survived.
First thing this morning, I asked a convenience store man if Moscow had a Kinkos. I wanted to do my blog and figured that while Bill enjoyed a big plate of eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast at the Main Street Breakfast Club, I could go to Kinkos and write my blog.
I left him at the restaurant and went to the place where the clerk told me I'd find the store. He said to ask at the Stinker Station if I didn't find it. The lady at the Stinker Station told me Kinkos had moved clear across town but to go up to the nearby Super 8 and drop her name.
"They'll let you use theirs," she said. "Tell 'em I sent you."
I parked at the Super 8, thinking I'd better hurry just in case Bill came walking from the restaurant looking for me at the Kinkos that didn't exist. The lady inside the Super 8 asked how she could help me. She stared at me strangely as I went through my spiel.
"The lady at the Stinker Store told me I could come and use your Internet to check my email," I said. "I'll pay you five dollars."
"Well, if you want to wait about half an hour," she said, "some people will check out of their rooms and you can use one of the computers."
"Thanks anyway," I said and quickly drove to the Breakfast Club and told Bill about my frustrating saga.
So, we left Moscow with no blog completed. I got over my disappointment as the most glorious time of the year from Idaho's top to its bottom near Boise kept me entranced with lush, green, rolling hills of grass, lentils and grains, baby calves frolicking with their mama cows, locust trees swaying with their heavy, white blossoms and lilac bushes alive with purple and white flowers.
The highlight for my day on HWY 95 came near Lucille. Lucille is near Riggins along the Salmon River. Bill had a geocache to scope out at milepost 203, so he stopped the car at milepost 207 while I unhitched my mountain bike and took off down the shoulder just above the river. He figured out his GPS ordinates for the cache and then passed me a couple of miles down the road.
By the time I reached the car, he had found his cache. I said I'd keep on going, even though there was a slight head wind making me work a little harder at pedaling. That little obstacle was incidental, though, compared to the joy I experienced watching blue jays perched in trees below me and catching an occasional fragrance of lilac.
At one point, I came upon a scene where an older woman sat alone in her neatly manicured yard below totally unaware of my presence on the road above. I wanted to holler hello but chose leave her in her solitude and reserve my greetings to the grass-contented cows lounging in roadside pastures. They seemed to appreciate hearing from me.
I pedaled past a fruit market advertising fresh asparagus shortly after passing a sign that said "Pray Jesus" on the top line and "Asparagus" on the line below. I wondered if next week the sign would read "Pray Jesus-Strawberries."
Bill stopped at three roadside turn-offs waiting for me. Each time, I wanted to keep on going. I completed ten miles, which took me over the new Salmon River bridge just north of Riggins. It was a good ride on this scenic Idaho Goat Trail, and it will definitely be a highlight among my "Pedal Pushing for Panty Waists" adventures.
We finally made it to Boise about 4 p.m., where we met Annie at the beautiful new Residence Inn near the Mall. We've joined Willie and Debbie's family and friends at Flying Pies Pizzeria and eaten our fill of the restaurant's wonderful offerings.
Since dinner, Annie and I have gone for a swim and have relaxed in the hotel hot tub. Bill's gone to bed and hasn't started snoring yet. Before I hit the hay, I must finish this tardy blog, which has been a long time coming in spite of my efforts.
Tomorrow, we attend a graduation for Debbie, a very special lady whom we've all grown to love and admire!
Night Night!!!
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