Wednesday 1/6/05

A small day to cold springs today, Only 49 miles to the tiny watering hole in the middle of nowhere. We arrived for lunch, got a beer and chatted to the bar tender how was a cool and chatty if not slightly drunk 50 something year old guy. He gave us a beer on the house, treated me to something called Duck fart, which I was intrigued by, sitting in a bottle with a handmade label on. It was 150% proof and after a days ride had me more than slightly inebriated. We found out from him those horrible little critters we'd seen yesterday and had encountered again just are called Mormon crickets. They arew apparently having a plague this year. I don't want to be around in a month when qapparently they grow about 4 inches long. We put up the tent, had a shower, then headed back to the bar where a girl Christine had just taken over. We chatted with her for ages, she was pretty funny, she also treated us to another round of beers. We played pool for free and chatted to the few people who came in. One guy we met was telling us about living near mount St Helens when it blew. Two days before it blew he and a pilot frient of his had flew over the smoking summit. He showed us some photos of it and gave us a copy of one. However the best photo he had was one of San Fransisco bay about 50 years ago in the fog, a spectacular print which he could probably have made money on.
Ate dinner. Alex had a Mexican, bad move! It was obviously off because he was seriously ill about midnight (I was nearly sick in the tent). In the morning however when I told Christine's mother who was on the bar then about it we got some free drink and munchies for it so that was ok I guess (although I probably could have sued).

Check out Marks cookies!!!