We were awake by 7:00 AM, if not a bit groggy from the preceding late night. Russ was getting ready for work while Judy was assisting their three children with getting ready for school. The kids were Pat, age 12, Brian, age 10, and Cindy, age 8. While having coffee, the kids took great delight in showing us their tape recorder and Brian's computer game. We came away with the feeling that these children were happy, very polite, being raised well, and had a great family situation.

Judy made us a big breakfast that consisted of 3 eggs, toast, and home fries. She told us all about the volcanic eruption of Mount Saint Helens (MSH), which had occurred about a year ago (May 1980). The blast killed several people, spread thick ash all over the area, and greatly affected life in the surrounding communities (see photos of our departure and MSH ash in previous chapter).

When we finally shoved off for the day, we passed by an area where ash from the eruption had been dumped as part of the huge clean up operation (see photo in previous chapter). That was something to see. A few of the locals we met elaborated further on what had happened and its effect on Longview residents. The ash was all over everything. Although much of it had been removed, we saw it stuck on a number of objects and surfaces. One fellow told us the ash had been good for his garden, resulting in plants and flowers doing very well during this growing season.

The ash residue was like polymeric sand. Once it gets wet (and it is a very wet climate in that part of the world) the ash hardens and sticks to whatever it has settled on. 

Around 11:30 AM, we headed out of town. Ten miles down the road, in Castle Rock, we stopped for a brief break. A downpour ensued, so we found our way into a cafe to wait it out with a couple of cups of coffee. I felt a lot more awake by the time the rain stopped and we resumed riding.

We covered the remaining mileage, to Centralia, amidst a landscape of gently rolling farmlands. Some of the riding was on very rural backroads, where we were chased by at least 10 different dogs. It was stimulating and a bit fun outrunning them on our bikes. Good interval training! The rain came and went. It was mostly a mist that didn't even get us wet at times. At other times, the rain was heavier and we did get quite wet. 

The scenery on those backroads was pleasant and everything was so green. In Chehalis, we stopped at a smorgasbord restaurant where we definitely got our money's worth. Because our metabolisms were running at such a high rate, the feeling of being very full didn't last very long. The "fuel" served us well for the remaining ride to Centralia. 

Once there, we prepared to stealth camp on the campus of Centralia College. Later, we were discovered by a janitor but he turned out to be an angel in disguise. He allowed us to bed down in a hallway and out of the rain. People have been extremely nice to us, so far.

From the locals, with whom we have engaged in conversation, we've heard a lot about the Seattle area, the ferries on the waterways, and all of the sights to see. We are eagerly anticipating getting there and the next few days of our trip.