Road Tripping - Part Two (How BIG was that bug?)

Woke up in Creston and checked the internet. I was not connected to wifi because I lost the slip of paper that said what the password was. I usually read a few news sites every morning just to see what is happening. The dailymail.com is a favourite. About six stories on their page were warning about security flaws in the Apple iPhone and how everyone needed to update the software immediately. Where I was that was not happening. Otherwise not much going on.

Of course nothing can ever go according to plan. Not that I had a plan other than going somewhere. I usually spend part of the weekend with mom. This weekend I had the weekend free as my sister was going to visit. She was going to drive up to visit today. I received a text from her that she was not feeling well and would likely leave on Saturday. I asked her to confirm the next day. I decided to change course and loop towards home in order to visit mom if my sister could not make it. I did not want mom to be alone on the weekend.

I checked out, stopped for breakfast at our national coffee and doughnut chain that does not like to serve much in the way of doughnuts these days. For years I would throw back an extra large coffee in the morning. Now a small seems to be more than enough.

Highway 3 to Rock Creek, Highway 33 to Kelowna, Highway 97 to Vernon for the night.

I had my sunglasses on and my visor up. West of Castlegar something hit the left lens of my glasses and the side of my eye socket at sixty miles per hour. I could only see with one eye and I definitely felt that hit. I found a spot to pull over and turned the bike off, yanked off my helmet, and took a look at my glasses. My first thought was "how big was that bug?" I make a point to carry a bottle of water, not to drink but for times like this. I spent a few minutes pouring water over my glasses and cleaning the gunk off my lens.

Other than that the ride from then on was uneventful. Rock Creek to Kelowna along Highway 33 is a nice ride. Curves and hills and not a lot of traffic. A lot of the rural properties seemed to have a lot of abandoned cars and various pieces of junk on the property. A few places looked like scrapyards masquerading as a residence.

South of Beaverdell on Highway 33

At one time, a lifetime ago, I briefly lived in Kelowna attending Okanagan College. I do not think I recognized any of Kelowna now. I did not even bother trying to look up any of the spots I once knew. Everything looks so new and different.

Forgot about rush hour. I was stuck in traffic on the highway between Lake Country and Vernon. I got a hotel in Vernon paying double what I usually pay. Such are the hazards of travelling in popular places in summer. I spent a few hours downloading  iPhone updates which took forever due to spotty and slow hotel internet. So I got one thing definitely accomplished. It also took longer because I did not have enough free space so a lot of photos and files had to die.

My iPhone is up to date however Apple decided to change how a lot of things are displayed. I do not mind updating for security fixes but quit changing things just for the sake of changing them.

At four the next morning I woke up needing something packed in the bike. Checked my pockets, no key. Could not find it in the room. Maybe I left it in the ignition . . . ? Threw on my clothes and out to the parking lot to find no key. Found a person at the front desk and asked if anyone turned in a key otherwise I was not going anywhere. I had left it at the front desk when I checked in. Got my key and went back to bed.