Roaming around Milton-Freewater…

It’s kind of difficult during the pandemic to explore much around the area except by driving to it with a mask and trying to keep physical distancing in mind. Most everything I tried to explore was closed when I got here, then partially opened, than shut down again. All of the historical sites were and still are closed so all I can do is check out the outsides of things.

Right now is a period of strong shutdown as the NE corner of Oregon, and the SE corner of Washington became a hot spot because of the idiots running around ignoring the ‘No mask no service’ signs. Saw that myself where my daughter works. I had my mask, but was sitting at a table eating so I’d unhooked it from one ear (which is allowed) when 4 ‘adults’ came in without masks. Putting ME and my DAUGHTER at risk. Idiots. They acted all smug like they were just sooooo privileged and could ignore the sign on the door that they were supposed to wear a mask to shop there.

Sure enough, four days later the health department let Mush know she’d been exposed so she had to start a 2 week quarantine without pay. I’d be willing to bet it was one of those four idiots I’d seen that day spreading it around and it finally caught up with one or more of them. I’d had a twinge a couple days after my visit that turned out to be nothing.

What I thought sucked was although I was far enough away from them (more than 12 feet) I didn’t feel too worried, my daughter had to serve them at the counter within a couple feet as they selected the cheeses they wanted and stood there in a group talking and breathing in/out in her direction. She does wear a mask and gloves and hurriedly whipped down with disinfectant after they left. Luckily they left soon after making a purchase. ONE of them could have come in, but they were making a show of force with all 4 of them coming in without masks. Boy, are people stupid. I should have said something but it isn’t my store. “No shoes, no shirt, no service” is widely accepted. Good reasons that “No shoes, no shirt, no mask, no service” should be just as widely respected.

Anyway, I’m staying within a bike ride of downtown old town Milton-Freewater and a couple days later, I rode back down for some background shots so you’ll know what the town looks like. ‘Cus that’s interesting.

Here’s the old bank. Circa 1918, so build the same year as the last worldwide pandemic. Closed now. Nice looking building though.

The rest of the street’s businesses sort of have that ’50’s vibe.

There isn’t much of down town and just a block away…

Here’s the old train station. Not used for trains anymore but it does say Senior Center on it. I’ll have to wander inside one day after the stay at home order is lifted. Sometimes they leave the old original woodwork in place and I’d like to check that out.

Looking off towards the west where the train tracks head. They eventually travel down the Walla Walla River gorge until the tracks meet and at one time crossed the Columbia River. Then they traveled on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge all the way down to Vancouver, Washington.

I was passing the area on a bike trail in the above picture and I noticed a phone lying on the ground. Huh. Stopped and picked it up. Took it home, found it didn’t have a pass code so didn’t take long to discover the owners name of Richard. Called a number of one of his contacts that seemed to be a brother or something and left a message that I’d found the phone and where they could pick it up asking them to relay the message to the owner. Went to the next name on the list…Marthasex was how she was listed. Hmm. Anyway, left her a message and she called me back almost immediately. Yes, she knew the guy, he was sitting right there next to her in his electric wheelchair. So I talked to him for a few seconds. It sounded on the up and up so gave her my addy and she rode her bike over.  She didn’t look like a druggie type but was a bit rough around the edges. Maybe 45 or so. Had her teeth. We got to talking about whether I’d seen any credit cards or his drivers license. Nope, I hadn’t and I drove her over to where I’d found the phone so we could both wander around for a couple minutes looking. No luck.

I give her the phone and she rides off. Not more than 10 minutes later, a guy with a passenger pulls up outside as I’m standing there asking if I have the phone. I tell him I gave it to Marthasex and ask if he knows her? He shakes his head ‘no’ in a disparaging manner. They didn’t seem to want to talk and just drove off. I got a look at the guy in the passenger seat and an hour later on Richard’s FB page find that he looked much like Richard. Oh oh, who did I talk to at Marthasex’s? I kept all the info for a few days just in case and then one day I’m riding my bike around town and there’s Marthasex across the street standing next to that same guy from the car and from the FB picture, in a wheelchair holding what looked like the same phone. Ok, so, yeah, Richard got his phone back.

A couple days after that, Marthasex knocked on my door and asked to borrow $5. That’s a big no from me but did give me a chance to ask her how Richard was doing and she filled me in a little. He lost both his legs in war and was struggling a bit with the onset of dementia. Poor guy. I think that his brother picked him up from Marthasex’s place and drove him over while she was bike peddling and they missed each other by a couple minutes each time.

And I’m back after another refreshing bike ride. It’s a surprise how junky this RV park looks. Older RVs, no rules against their yards being a mess, clothes lines strung, no Wifi, no laundry, no cable. Loose dogs wandering around all the time. But the services like water, sewer, and electric are fine. The neighbors aren’t too annoying except their damn 6 dogs are always being trouble and try to attack me. They are now required to be on a leash since I talked to management.

Across the street from me, on the left side in this photo, are a couple junk cars. Many times I see the owners changing clothes from the stuff inside the car and I’ll see them hanging out inside during the day. Like they’re homeless and living in it. But, they must know someone behind me in the back row because they’re always walking through my yard to get to the back. I told the gal one day when she passed me in my yard about another of her dogs attacking me and to keep the damn things on leashes! Also told her that if it gets too hot, she and her’s are welcome to use the shade on either side of my RV if needed. I have a nice lawn on the afternoon side and a big shadow. I’m not totally heartless.

As long as none of my stuff is stolen and the neighbors aren’t too noisy I’m happy with my space. I’ve got my ‘unlimited’ data plan for streaming, have DTV, and OTA TV as well so I’m good. Oh, and the local NPR station is nice and strong.

One thing that happened was a couple weeks ago, I was preparing to register my RV and car in Oregon and according to the rules I was supposed to drive my RV over an hour away to Hermiston for the DMV to read my VIN. I wasn’t going to do that so I contacted the police here in town and the police chief came out to courtesy read it for the DMV. As soon as he walks up to the RV he says, “Are you aware that most everyone in this RV park is a felon”? Of course I answered, no I didn’t but I hadn’t had any trouble and I keep things locked up. He wanted to warn me because of how nice my RV was that I’d be a target. After having lived here for 6 weeks now, I would say he’s exaggerating the threat. But I do keep my bike, lawn chairs, and other stuff locked up and doors locked on the car and basement compartments. Porch light on all night, that sort of thing.

One of the sightseeing trips I’ve made was up the valley’s gorge where the early pioneers started settling. There’s a park near here at the site of a very old electric plant. Long since decommissioned. Named the Marie Dorian Park, it honors a pioneer woman of the same stature as Sacajawea who had visited this area several times and straggled into the Walla Walla area one spring after nearly starving to death when caught in the mountains during winter with her two young sons. This after her husband had been killed in an Indian attack.

Here’s that old power plant. They rent the building out for groups but it can be used as shelter as it does rain in this area occasionally.

I visited on a nice afternoon and even climbed the Pioneer stairway…but my knees prevented me from making it all the way to the monument at the top. I made it around 3/4 of the way. I was the only visitor during my nearly hour long visit.

What the builders did was put the pioneers names into the cement steps. Kinda interesting especially if you have relatives here considered to be pioneers. I don’t, mine are in Montana.

And there’s the Walla Walla river. See that house over there? It was for sale and I looked it up as soon as I got home as it looked exactly like what I want but it was already in closing so no such luck. When you get close it looks as though the house was built before the flood barrier was built behind it. Some of those rocks reach the house’s foundation. Nice piece of property but the house is very old.

And here’s looking down that long valley that cradles the Walla Walla river that eventually broadens out into the big Walla Walla valley. Though the river never gets very big. Where I’m standing on the hill is around 2.5 miles from downtown M-F. Nowadays the area is famous for it’s quality of wine (215 wineries nearby) but also for its wheat and Walla Walla Sweet onions. And hundreds of other farming products like tree fruit. It’s an amazing place really.

Looking across over westerly to one of the large wheat farms in the surrounding area. You could probably walk several hundred miles west from here and only pass through wheat fields.

And then I rested on a bench but did not attempt an additional 100 yard hike to the top. Soon enough made it back down to ground level. There is this mural in the parks parking lot that has almost weathered away. It looked pretty good a few years ago I’m sure.

And as I crossed the Walla Walla river took a shot upstream. There must of been a dam upstream a ways but I didn’t see any access to go visit. Whatever pipes fed the power station are gone now. I suspect it wasn’t a very good power station. Probably only put out a fraction of what was needed a couple years after it was built…that’s how fast electricity moved across the US back in the day.

And soon I was up on the top of the hills. Yep, that’s all wheat.

And that’s all for today. Next time we’ll visit an historical ‘Century’ farm that’s at the edge of Milton and the beginning of the Walla Walla valley.

Thanks for visiting!