Friends George and Nancy. George repairs Patrick's handlebar bag making it waterproof again. For our previous tours, George who built rafts, lengthened the bag so two camera bodies with lenses would fit.
After our training ride in Oregon, Wenda gave us whiskey and snicker bars treat on the road. Since our tour in 1999-2000 on the Carretera Austral, whiskey and snicker bars have become a tradition.
Barb leads us in spin class that has helped keep us motivated and in a little bit of shape...."Let's go, let's go, you can do better than that"....is her mantra we hear on steep hills. Thanks Barb. Hi to the class.
Bags are packed according to Patrick's checklist...we keep two back panniers as carryon for items we might need or don't want to pack or extra space for items should our check in bags are too heavy
Our friends Katherine and Brandon who just returned from 9month South America on a motorcycle tour have invited us for dinner 10 days before we leave. They will be off again before we return in September for Africa. They gave us the sign Bicycling...and we added the Rocks sign from our neighbor of 28 years, Virgil Rock who recently passed away.
Friends from California taking a Van tour came through on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. We first met them through Warmshowers when they stayed with us to ride the Idaho Hot Springs Loop. Lori had given us a name of a friend we meet up with in Morocco last year.
Kim our great house/cat sitter came back on Friday of this past week and joins us.
Saturday before we leave, another tradition is dinner with friends Cynthia and Chris at Highland Hollow as Chris says, "a see you latter dinner." We'll have another tradition dinner with them here when we return.
The next night we have a BBQ dinner at Cynthia and Bob's. Rachel didn't take the camera for a photo, so, here's a picture of Cynthia and Bob seeing us off last year to Morocco.
Sunday before we leave we get a call from Dan that he will be here in Boise this afternoon. Patrick met Dan on his first Bike Centennial (Adventure Cycling) in 1989. Dan collects old bike parts and has given us many. He arrives in time to join us at Cynthia and Bob's and Kim joins us too.
And there it is, Monday...we fly out tomorrow. We've arranged with a friend who does yard maintenance to flood irrigate for us once a week. Kim will mow the yard, manage our mail, and keep the cats social. Thanks Kim.
