Bees, teenagers, and...Mark Twain?

I woke up in my tent in Bullard Beach State Park to what I mistakenly thought was the sun. Upon further investigation outside the tent I found that the sun was up there somewhere, but the light was being refracted through the countless tiny water droplets hanging in the air. It is the kind of rain that one only understands if they have experienced it on the northwest coast. It's not even rain, really, it's more like just being in a pool of water. Needless to say, things got wet, and I got my first chance to learn to pack things back onto the bike while keeping them out of the elements. Hopefully, I will not have to do too much more of that, because that was a pain in the ass.


I fear that I have made a mistake in taking 101 down the coast as the first part of the trip. Not only is it full of great scenery:

But, it's also a wonderful riding road. I did wish for less traffic, but many of the fun stretches are even fun going slow. The ride today was up and down the bluffs of Southern Oregon, followed by winding through the redwoods in California. I am afraid that it won't get any better than that…

Shortly after entering California (there is a guard shack at the state line, and I still don't know why) I was peacefully riding along and suddenly encountered one of the motorcyclists worst nightmares. A swarm of bees. Thank god it was still a little cold out and I was all geared up, because I am sure that there would have been at least one sting. As it stands it was just one hell of a mess on the bike and me.

It turns out that a BMW motorcycle and a bright yellow jacket tends to make people want to talk to you. All kinds of people are interested in asking what I am doing and where I am going. I even had a 16-year-old kid, whom I had pegged for full of himself and too good to talk to someone he didn't know, ask me about the trip. He proved himself to be a very polite and well spoken young man with a genuine interest in me and my trip. He also, from the sounds of it, is quite the young golfer, and looking forward to a trip to a tournament later in the summer. Good Luck to the kid from Brookings, OR.

The more interesting encounter I had today was one with man in Bandon. I had just gotten off the phone with my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day, and he had mentioned an old friend of his named Stretch. Now, all I really remember about Stretch is that he lived up to his name, and that even today at 6'4" I would have to look up to talk to him. Then, as I am walking back into the coffee shop, there is a man in front of me ducking to get in the door! It wasn't Stretch, if that is what you were hoping. It was Charlie, a young man (60) who has been laid off from the construction trade for a bit, and decided to spend the summer in Bandon because he likes it. We chatted a bit and exchanged stories a bit. He, like most other people, is jealous of the trip, but is also genuinely interested in people. He gave me this link because maybe this guy and I would get along. He also shared this at the end of our chat:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
 Mark Twain

I believe this is true, I am learning that there are all kinds of people out there who are really great people, but I would not necessarily talk to because of how they look. (Think, kid in Brookings, OR in a lifted truck drinking an energy drink and looking like he owns the world.) But after I talk to them I find that they are interesting, thoughtful, and delightful people. Who knew? I guess Twain did.

The meeting was the South Humbolt Survivors group. A small group in Redway, CA. We talked about the old standard of ego v. God. Nothing like a bunch of people who once thought they were God talking about how we came to understand that we are not God! A wonderful little group of folks, and Mary even invited me to stay in her guest room. Her house was, at one time, the clubhouse for a golf course that used to be on the land. The interior walls and ceiling are all clear heart redwood. Beeeaaautiful! We had a nice chat in her living room about the usual things. It turns out that she has been involved in a lot of General Service, and shared several stories about that world. I am grateful that she is into it, because I am not, and we need people like her for our fellowship to carry on. Thanks, Mary!