Wednesday, May 26 I had become fond of Okanogan and Omak. I started running into people I had met earlier, even in the next town over, after only aBn evening there. A strong headwind doubled my expected time to Tonasket. Even pedalling downhill, I was hardly able to break 8-9mph. The world is filled with great finds. There is nothing between here and Wauconda Pass, about 3,300 feet up from here, so I had to find a spot for the night. I discovered that Shannon's Ice Cream parlor noted in the bike maps, who allows bicyclists to tent out back, is really Shannon's Cafe - and Wednesday is the weekly outdoor grilled steak special. Camping is free for road snakes, and Shannon treats you like family. Her daughters work for the Forest Service, and one of them was a smoke jumper until she hurt her ankle. She told me the difference between a good fire and a bad fire. A good fire buys your car and helps pay for your college tuition. Is rain these past few weeks good or bad, considering the land here is parched. It depends on who you are: The rain right now is making the grasses grow taller, providing more fuel for fires in September when they are dry. Because of this rain, they are expecting a fire season that will buy cars for smoke jumpers, but will pollute the air here so badly that you can't see the hills a mile from town.
An expansive outdoor patio is built around the trunk of a Catalpa tree that is larger than the building . When Shannon and her husband bought this tiny piece of land over 30 years ago, they were going to cut down the small Catalpa tree that the little girls would swing on, so they could get some money to park RVs for tourists. The daughter sobbed uncontrollably - this ended that idea. This specimen tree, together with Shannon, creates the character of the place.
Shannon liked my idea of outdoor misters for those 100 degree evenings in summer. Shannon is happy, vibrant, and says goodbye to customers by name. She won't open for breakfast, in spite of some pressure to do so. Some people just don't like getting up early. Or maybe because her friend owns the restaurant next door, and she doesn't want to take away their breakfast business. In response to her friend, she acknowledged "who wouldn't" want to be independently wealthy? But you could see in her eyes, 'Who would run this place?" Who would talk to a passing bicyclist while grilling a dozen steaks at a time, to order, while directing her family of waitresses?
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