A cry in the night

May 19, 2020

Stop Children, What’s That Sound

About one in the morning, Rachael and I were awakened by this eerie, unsettling sound. It continued for ten or fifteen minutes before finally moving out of range. It was nice to be indoors. It would have been seriously spooky if we were camped out under the trees.

Some sort of animal close by the cabin, moving around in a way I couldn’t quite track. It seemed to come from above, and at first I assumed it was an owl of some kind. Listening to owl calls this morning though, I couldn’t find any calls remotely like this. Now we’re thinking maybe an injured dog or something like that. What do you think?

Xxx

One more change of plans

No biking for me today. I feel fine after yesterday’s birthday ride; it’s not that. It’s Monday, my date with the wound nurse down in Moscow, so I have a drive ahead of me. Rachael makes it out for a 36 mile ride, heading both directions along the CDA trail from here. She came upon two full sized deer right on the side of the trail on the climb up to Plummer, posing next to each other and staring at her. A bit short for her, but she points out that if you add together today’s 36 and her 48 mile ride yesterday it comes to 84 miles, for a perfect 42 mpd average.

I have a bit of time free before driving down to Moscow, so I head over to Plummer Creek Marsh to check out the wildlife Rachael assures me is waiting there for me: geese and goslings, pelicans right by the shore. Not this morning though. There are the usual red winged blackbirds in noisy abundance, but the pelicans are well away on the opposite shore. Nice views though, and nice to get a bit of fresh air before the long drive.

There’s a nice, short boardwalk across Plummer Creek Marsh.

Attractive view east across Chatcolet Lake to Reed’s Baldy and Mt. St. Joe Baldy.

Why are pelicans always on the opposite side of the lake when I’m around? That’s what I’d like to know.

Even the blackbirds won’t let me get too close this morning.

Ah. Here’s some wildlife I should be able to stalk up on, if I’m secretive enough.

Great. This western white pine let’s me get quite close. Trees are notoriously slow footed, so they’re easy to sneak upon.

As you can see, western white pine cones are roughly a half a foot long - half of one of my feet, that is.

It’s off route, but I’m stopping at our apartment in Pullman on the way to the clinic. The most direct route to Pullman takes gravel Viola Road for about six miles as a cutoff between US 95 and Route 27, the state highway between Pullman and the town of Palouse. It’s the way we drove up here, and I know where I’m going because we’ve driven it before and I looked at the map before leaving the cabin.

I should have looked at the map more closely though - or, as Rachael said she’d have done because she’s SO much smarter than me, just used the phone to navigate. Viola Road comes to an unmarked T-junction. Turning right, it connects to Route 27 in about a mile. Turning left, it circles south and then back west again, reconnecting with US 95. I turned left of course, and not knowing where I was when I finally it pavement again fifteen minutes later, turned left again. Another wrong choice, as I realized another five miles later when I passed Viola Road again, on my way back north to the cabin. Yes, just a bit frustrating.

I’m going back to Pullman first to collect the rest of our belongings. We had planned to return here after a stay at the cabin until the hot watee is restored, but it turns out that that will not occur UHFO*. We can’t go back at all. Nancy gave us a choice of staying the rest of the month at the cabin, or of leaving early and taking a refund.

We take the refund. We’re going to stay here another week, but next Monday we’ll head back to Portland, staying there for an extra week before heading down to Bellingham in June. I’m gathering all of our belongings now, because Pullman is well off route on the long drive from the cabin to Pullman.

Nancy (who, btw, is about the best Airbnb host ever in our experience) has printed off the SSA application for a new social security card for me. I fill it out, and stop off at the post office in Moscow before my appointment to mail it in along with my passport. I hope I see it again some day!

The wound appointment goes well again. The open wound is significantly smaller than last week, and still looking very healthy. I’m cleared for self-care for here on out, unless troubling symptoms occur. So, great news!

I’m out at 4, and reward myself for the day’s long drive by stopping off for a growler refill and a quick meal in downtown Moscow. It feels perfectly safe eating here - indoors, but seated at a quiet, remote table right next to a large open window. Practically outdoors.

Because we have some serious catching up to do, here’s another food photo. From Tapped Taphouse and Kitchen, Moscow: fish and chips, a seasonal garden salad, and a pint of Grand Teton Hoplexity IPA.

__________

* WHFO: When hell freezes over. It looks like Nancy will get her hot water back about the time we get our money back from Capitol One.

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Kathleen JonesCoyotes.
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4 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Kathleen JonesOh, of course! Eerie.
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4 years ago

Jen RahnSo, your passport is now on its way to the Social Security office.

And then, presumably, they will mail it to you in Portland along with your new social security card?

And from there the actual ss card (not a copy) has to be mailed to Capital One?

And then they send you a check for $5,362 (you know, for your trouble) .. which you will receive on 7/9 and deposit on 7/10.

It's all so efficient and logical! Capital One should add this flowchart as a prominent feature on their home page.
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4 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnI like the idea of a flow chart! Your timeline omits a possibly lengthy wait step though, at the SSA, so your guess feels a bit too optimistic to me. They’ll mail the passport back promptly, after of first quarantining it for several days before photocopying it. After that they’ll process the application, on their own timeline. That is certain to go fast. My own prediction is that we’ll be doing well just to get the SS card by July.

Which is fine. The longer C1 has our money, the more interest I’m sure they’ll think we’re due.
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4 years ago

Bruce LellmanUnbelievable. This is way worse than the predicament we found ourselves in Laos a few years ago. I've never in my life had to produce my original SS card! No doubt the Nigerians can make perfect copies of SS cards anyway, so what does it matter?

Yes, coyotes for sure. I've heard dogs sound the same too, but not in this country.
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4 years ago