Day 3 Discovery...Surprised by joy

This was a very good day! The rain was a mist, the sun came out, and there were so many little things that just made our day. With an 8:30 start, Bryan headed from the motel with the promise of breaking clouds. Three hours and a smooth ride later, he pulled into Montesano for lunch al fresco. I was just minutes behind so he didn't have to wait long...good timing again! There were even flowers blooming right beside our table.

Our afternoon was full of sweet surprises, including the warm sunshine. Bryan enjoyed the fragrance of fresh cedar each time he met a logging truck, while I found a station on the Sirius radio that perfectly complemented my sense of well-being, a contemporary Christian station called The Message. We both noticed a possum that didn't quite make it across the road. Not all the surprises were good ones but we had never seen a possum before. We also loved seeing the bright yellow of daffodils that grew wild in ditches and popped up in lawns. 

The forest highway had some pretty strong hill climbs and twisted a bit but headwinds were infrequent. There was a bit of road work but that allowed me time to take  pictures of the reforestation in an area that had been devastated by a plow wind in 1999. Yeah tree planters! They do such good work.

While Bryan biked, I had fun browsing in shops and talking to the very hospitable women that ran them in both Shelton and Raymond where we stopped for the night. I even found a hand painted plate from Occupied Japan for 50 cents! Better than the purchases are the conversations and the pride that these people share about their small towns. 

I knew that we would have to take some time to explore  Raymond as soon as I entered its town limits. There were amazing rusty metal sculptures that were naturally placed all over the place. This is a town that has a long history of mills and factories but now is more dependent on tourism. One shopkeeper explain how the town had pulled together to turn things around. Their efforts and pride make this a great place to explore.

Here are a few of these installations.

Bryan logged 100 km today, arriving in Raymond at 3 pm, in time for more food, a rest and a walk about town. He is going to have to pick up the pace if we want to get to California. Actually, this is a great pace and we look forward to being surprised by whatever may be around the next corner. Oregon tomorrow and spring on the way as well!