Day 1

July 3, 1961 - Left Chips's at 3:00. Caught ferries just right.  Had heck of a time finding Kenneth's.  Finally got in at 10:00.

     Chips was my best friend in Oak Harbor from 5th through 7th grade.  I found him in 2006, still managing the oldest grocery store in town, and had a pleasant visit.  We exchanged Christmas cards through 2010 and I wrote him in early June saying I was coming back to OH and would like to have him see me off again (he refuses to own a computer).  He did not answer my letter and I got a "no longer in service" message when I called on the 19th.  When we got to OH this morning we found that the town had been Walmarted and Walgreened since my last visit and  that Chips's old store was now a  Dollar General.  An era had ended.

     Kenneth was my uncle, my father's kid brother.  At about a quarter to ten I finally got up the nerve to knock on a rural door, and the pleasant occupant not only knew Uncle Kenneth - he was their mail carrier - but drove me and my rig there.

     June 20, 2011 - Oak Harbor to Poulsbo.  51.3 miles on Specialized Roubaix.  Dipped my front wheel in Oak Harbor at 10:40 AM and began the ride.  Got to the ferry landing at 12:00.  Bob caught up a quarter hour later and we got in line for the 1:30 sailing to Port Towsend.  (There's only one ferry now, consolidating the previous routes).  We had a pleasant crossing to a pleasant, historic and classic boat-oriented town  (my kinda place!) but tarried not at all before heading south.  Bob and I rendezvous'ed again a little before 4:00 at the west end of the Hood Canal bridge and linked up for the last time in Poulsbo at about 5:00.  Found suitable and comfortable lodging and Bob relaxed and phoned home while I paid a call on first cousin Brian Austin (Kenneth's son - Kenneth died in the early 2000s) and his wife Gerrie.  Brian is recovering from draconian but - so far - successful treatment for T-cell lymphoma and Gerrie is coping as best she can with partial hemiplegia from an operation gone bad some years ago.  We had a good one-hour visit catching up on our respective situations and those of our families, then I returned to the hotel to make my evening call (East coast time evening, that is) to Lynda and fetch Bob for dinner at an informal but good seafood place on the waterfront.

     Poulsbo has grown from a muddy backwater oyster-canning port of 3,000 souls to a bustling car- and boat-tourist destination of 9,000 in the last 50 years.  Taking advantage of its Norwegian heritage and atmosphere and its day-cruising proximity to Bremerton and Seattle, it has made itself into a great place to visit and a great place to live.  Just ask Brian and Gerrie!
             
      My 1961 bike: 
           Make and model: Schwinn Continental, ten speed
           Weight: ca. 36 pounds, stripped.
           Gear: on rear rack, about eight pounds
                     on my back, in a woven hickory Ojibwa-style pack basket: about 25 pounds
      Seat: leather, Brooks-type, ridden wet and thus molded into a rear end-fitting ridge
     New price: $100  
     Condition: Not good.  Wrecked the previous winter and indifferently repaired (more on this later)