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Pamela came this morning to Jerry’s house and gave us a ride to Cafferty’s bike store in Nampa, Idaho, where Noel had shipped his bike.  It was ready to go, and so were we.

We said goodby to Pamela, who has been so helpful to us, along with Jerry.  Thanks guys!

The ride out of Nampa and the greater Boise area was 10 miles on a strip of commercial development, but soon we were in a beautiful farming area.  The forecast is for completely sunny skies for the rest of my trip (one week) and also very hot temperatures close to 100.  Luckily, winds have been “light and variable”, so not a factor.  Noel and i have been battling a little about getting started early to take advantage of the (much) cooler part of the day.  (I need a base layer in the morning.) He’s an owl and I’m a lark, so there’s the classic conflict.

Our route has been over portions of the Oregon Trail.  It seems crazy to me what those people did, traveling 2000 miles over this landscape in wagons drawn by draft animals.  And no motels!

We’re in onion country.  You can smell the fields and also trucks full of them that go by on the highway.

Noel was lucky to have a nearly perfect first day in terms of both weather and scenery. It was one of the best days of the trip.  Along the way we stopped in a hamlet with this government building.

And another weather beaten house.

And perhaps the saddest road kill yet.

Finally, we stayed at the Bates Motel.  What Psycho would name a motel that?  One clue: it’s next to the Bates pizzeria and Bates welding.

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