A Living Magazine - Day 65 - Mulching Trucks and Laundry

Good sleep. The new spot was working well. I hung around again waiting for the dew on the sleeping bag to dry a bit. I was quite happy that I could hang around a bit and enjoy the morning, rather than scooting off. It was Monday morning, and I wondered if things would be different during the week there. A truck would probably come down and dump a load of mulch. I laughed to myself. Then - and I'm not joking - I heard the loud sound of a truck engine. And, unlike the highway noise, it sounded close by, and getting closer. Then, unbelievably--in this large park, it drove down over the bank and right up to where I was!

You have be kidding? I furiously bunched my sleeping bag up and into its pocket and then folded the tarp, putting it under my arm, and walked out and up on to this small plateau. Shaking my head, once was there, I adjusted everything and venture on. I hated having a messy pack, but it wouldn't matter much, because I'd planned to do a wash that morning anyway. Just funny that I would predict my own displacement. I knew now I'd have to find a new place for this night. 

I'd seen the "Love Laundromat" right down on St. John's Street. So, that's where I headed...

Sunrise.

I thought I'd make a little walking video so you could see what the walk to the laundromat was like... 

Morning walk.

SDA Church...abandoned.

The laundromat was not a bad one. It had front loading machines, which I needed for the sleeping bag. So, I got in there, unloaded my stuff, got ready to wash and the change machine wouldn't work. I looked carefully and saw a little not on it saying "doesn't accept bills." I stood back and thought to myself, "Well, what does it accept? Wampum?" I mean, why not just put an out of order sign on it, than raise people's hopes that if you could find the right thing to insert, you'd get quarters back? Yeah, not accepting bills, for a change machine, pretty-much limits its activity.

So, I went to the discount grocer right next to the laundromat. I walked in and this place was bad. There were pallets of food just dumped on the floor. Everywhere were signs that said, "Some items may be close to or past code limits." And, they weren't kidding. I checked a box of breakfast bars "exp. 2/10/14." Same thing with every item I looked at. They were expensive too for seriously expired food...more than a Dollar Tree would charge. Anyway, I picked up some popcorn that had expired on my birthday this year and went to the register to ask about change. They sold me the popcorn but the cashier wouldn't do the change and suggested I ask the owner "...in that office right over there..."

So, I walked over to the office and a woman was just coming out. She asked how she could help me, and I said I needed some quarters for the...

"Love Laundromat?" she asked. I nodded. Obviously, this had been going on for quite a while. She smiled, and said, "No problem, sir... a roll is all I have." I only needed $5.00, but $10.00 would work.  We did the deal and I got back to my stuff...

While my clothes and sleeping bag were washing I walked around the parking lot a bit, and saw this garden right next to the building...

Tomatillos.

I got the stuff washed and into the dryer. It only took about a half hour to dry everything. I folded it, packed it and was on my way...

Ivy.

I wasn't quite sure what was up with this place. It was a religious fitness center, I think?

Vancouver reminded me a bit of Redding, California, without being as desperately poor or dirty. The downtown area was nice enough, but the outlying neighborhoods were filled with tiny and sometimes run-down houses. 

I got to Starbuck's and worked on my post for the day. That took several hours. I also learned that whenever I got to Seattle I'd have a hotel room, generously donated by some great friends in California. I went online and saw that there were no buses direct from Vancouver. So, I checked Amtrak and luckily they still had a bus at 4:21 pm the next day, reserved coach for $35.00. Someone else had donated enough to cover the ticket so I bought it. I would simply need to print it out the next day, and there was a FedEx Store right down on Mill Plain Road for printing from a pdf. I left a bit earlier than I normally would have so that I could look for a new sleeping place.

I returned to the park, and this time walked all the way to the end--which was a frisbee golf field, taking pictures along the way...

This area looked promising for a while, so I explored around it...

Trolled around this bridge.

Back in the Portland Rose Garden, each morning I would see little rabbits running from bush to bush. Here in Arnold Park, the bunnies were bigger, but not by much. This one wasn't as skittish as they usually are. He'd hop, then look back at me. I'd walk up a little way, and he'd hop again, then look back. I felt like Alice. Luckily he wasn't white...

He let me get within ten feet of him.

While trolling under the bride I came across these symbols (letters?). I think they're Arabic, but I don't recognize them. Any ideas?

I was having no luck finding a new place. My old one was seeming like a more reasonable thing now. As long as I left earlier in the morning, I shouldn't be hassled by a manure mulching truck. I walked all the way back to the eastern most part of the park, a little bit frustrated that I'd put my feet through unnecessary work. I easily made my way into the same area I'd stayed the last few nights. They'd dumped tow more piles since I'd been there in the morning; one right onto of my favorite spot. But, it was all cool. I just moved inward toward the little stream, and scraped away a spot for myself there...

The sunset was another beauty. I was just happy to have found a place, even if it was one I'd already found. I settled in and slept well.