Smith Rocks Again

"Did I push the damn self-timer button  or not?"

   Thursday, (L to R) Bob D., myself, and John G. took another climbing trip to Smith Rocks.  It went pretty well with four climbs done before it got too hot and we  lost interest.  I felt much stronger than I did on our last two outings so it was particularly satisfying for me.  The day was clear and sunny and got far too hot by early afternoon.  (When we stopped, even the younger generation was quitting for the day).  We'll probably get out once or twice more this summer -- Which will be the most frequently I've climbed in ten years or so. 
   On this trip dw was interested in a short getaway herself, so she and I drove down  Wednesday and spent the night in Redmond.  We drove hwy 224 between Estacada and Detroit (Oregon's Detroit: pop. 15, and at that much bigger than nearby Idanha),  which I haven't been on for years beyond reckoning (20 or more).  The drive is really pretty as the road follows the Clackamas river for the entire distance.  Steep canyon, ripples and rapids, cliffs and etc.  -- a lovely drive.  We had lunch at K.C.'S in Detroit.  A burger for me and a dog for dw, iced tea and split the fries.  It was alright.  We stopped at Sisters and poked around a bit:  dw looked for a particular sort of top she wanted and I cruised the main street and looked at some books (Paulina Springs Bookstore) but neither of us found anything we had to buy. 
   Thursday we met Bob and John at the Smith Rocks parking lot.  We three went climbing and dw went to Bend to look around and shop -- again not finding something to buy.  (Neither one of us is very good at supporting the modern consumer culture)  After the climbing we met up at the Pump House (?) in Terrebonne where we weren't interested in eating so we  got something to drink and then took off for Portland.  Bob and John returned the usual way:  hwy 26 over Mt. Hood.  dw and I headed north out of Madras through Maupin to The Dalles.  We stopped for a bit in Hood River where dw found a satisfactory top and we each got a book from the Artifact, where I embarrassed myself by leaning too heavily on a shelf and breaking it.  Books didn't avalanche but still -- I hate being the clumsy old guy. 
   At the motel dw asked the clerk about the upcoming Redmond Oregon National RV Convention. (10,000 are expected)  The clerk was nonplussed about the prospect and didn't seem very interested.  dw and I, on the other hand, lie awake at night: images of RV horrors filling our minds.  Central Oregon roads and passes full of endless trains of waddling RVs, sometimes moving as fast as 25 mph.  The passing lanes full of RVs moving 26 mph.  All visible from Google Earth.  All like clusters of rednecks converging on the smell of BBQ and Bud Lite.  (None of the above refers to family or friends.  Particularly any family or friend on a continent-spanning road trip.)
   Books:  "Dave Barry's Money Secrets"  Typical Dave Barry.  Sophomoric and sometimes really funny.  And "India Calling" (Anand Giridharadas) an analysis of modern India.  DA