From Bend, Oregon. Only 2,361 miles from home. I think that will take me eight more riding days.

You thought I was through posting this silliness, but no! I've still got to make it home. It's still an adventure. The adventure is NOT OVER YET. So keep following. We've all got to see if I make it home or not.

This was a very good day. 

I saw a sad thing leaving Port Orford at 7:15. Some guy had already hit a cow on the road. His truck was a mess with the whole front right fender bashed in. Then I saw the poor black cow on her knees on the side of the road with a policeman approaching. Imagine what that cow would have done to my little motorcycle! Yikes!

The weather was good - started at 55 and went up to 75. Now that's weather! I actually think I am through with the really cold stuff and the really hot stuff. Oh, and the really rainy stuff. The next 8 days look really good in the middle of the country.

The roads were good. I drove up through Coos Bay before turning across the middle of Oregon. (You can see that on the map if you go to: https://share.garmin.com/CHESTERANDERS ) These were pleasant curvy roads through the mountains - the kind that motorcyclists really like. The great thing about the roads was civilization! None of that 104 miles of desert without a gas station. I passed little towns every 30 miles or so, and most of them had gas stations. I was still so nervous after the 104 mile incident that I got gas at most of them - a half gallon at a time.

But there's an odd thing about gas in Oregon. It's against the law to pump it yourself. At every little station somebody comes out to help you with the gas, like you had never pumped it before in your life. Usually they come out and take the nozzle, talk to me a little bit about the bike, then hand the nozzle to me to fill the tank. Nobody in Oregon actually filled my tank - only me. But it's the law that every little gas station has to have somebody to come out and greet you and pretend to fill your tank. At one place, the owner told me it was a jobs thing, and he was glad for it. Glad to provide jobs to the eight people who work for him, and wishes he could hire 18. Nice guy.

At one remote station, nobody came out. So I took the nozzle, put in $2.02 worth and went inside to pay. The guy inside started out to pump my gas, and I explained that I had already put the gas in. He said, "In Oregon?"

The bike was good. It's still running like a sewing machine. It only has to do that for eight more days. But I did notice an oil leak. After I arrived, I figured out that it is a gasket leak from the valve covers. When I adjusted the valves and replaced that cover, I did not have the new rubber gasket, which is recommended. Now I know why. It leaks if you don't put on a new one. I don't think I will be able to get one until I get home and order it. But it doesn't leak much. Just a little messy. And I have learned to check the oil frequently anyway. So this is not the kind of problem that will stop me. So far so good.

The scenery was good. The Umpqua River Valley was spectacular. Unfortunately, I never could find a good place to pull off and take a picture of the pretty parts. Here's a good sample I borrowed from the Internet:

Then, almost to Bend, I stopped at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, on the recommendation of Mary Ann McGlothlin. I've gotta admit it was pretty spectacular. That photo at the top is a "cinder cone," where hot gases spewed up from the volcano. Apparently there are many of those, but it is really odd looking. And for miles around you can see volcanic rock running right up to the trees. The odd thing is that this volcano was 7,000 years ago. It looks like it was ten years ago to me.

Here are a few pictures I took:

And this little fellow was playing around right at my feet:

Anyway, it was pretty incredible.

I arrived close to four and had chores to do. I stopped by Wal-Mart on the way into town and bought a couple of quarts of motorcycle oil and an aluminum foil pan. When I got the motel, I took the bike around back and changed the oil. This Wal-Mart didn't have an automobile repair section, which disappointed me. I usually recycle the old oil there. I'll have to look for a place down the road.

But all in all, it's been a good day - my first day on my journey back home. Thanks for going along with me.