Where is Jack, Day 119?

As I said the other day, "What a difference a day makes." We couldn't figure out where we wanted to go. If we went further north on the coast, there was rain AND the chances of finding a walk in doctor so Nancy could get her bp med were slim. Wenatchee was out because of mudslides, though that was our preferred route. Nancy kind of wanted to follow the route through Grand Coulee, etc. We thought about going down to Portland to Robbie's, but the bridges were closed, today. We didn't want to take the ferry because I would have to stay in the car--what fun is that? Plus, we like to stay away from cities--though the San Juan Islands are beautiful. So, where did we go? A fella on Escapees suggested Route 12 through Olympia. Nancy looked up Urgent Care in Olympia. We got a very early start this morning and boy, did we ever luck out. Nancy found a place and there was a bank right across the street so she could park and leave me where she could see me. It was still in the low 60s so she didn't need to leave the truck running. She was in and out in no time. Very nice people, from receptionist to doctor. She asked the doctor to prescribe enough medication for three months-no problem--bp was normal. Then, she found a Rite Aid a stone's throw away. The druggist said the insurance company might not approve a prescription for 90 days. Nancy said, "I'll pay for it myself." She almost fell over when he said $15.99. With her insurance, she pays $17. for a month supply (30). What a rip off!! Good lesson. Everyone, check whether it's cheaper to buy your meds or let the insurance company pull a fast one.

Okay, business done, so we continued on Route 12. We stopped at a rest stop and took a walk and ate lunch at a picnic table. We passed through farm and pasture land and some small towns--very pleasant drive. Then we went over the Cascades. Beautiful! Nancy decided that she was going to try to make Yakima. She thought about staying in a National park along the way--there were many campgrounds, but between the recent bear attacks and the RVing couple who were killed by the escaped prisoners, she decided she wanted some place where there were people. She called ahead and made reservations at a Good Sam. It's on the edge of town/city--good size place. There's a paved walk along the river where we can walk and a Petco to pick up my food. We signed up for two days, but will see, tomorrow, what's in the area to explore and maybe stay longer. Rim Rock Lake is not far from here, and is beautiful.

This picture was taken toward the sun. It's a very long lake, wider in parts than at this spot.

It's difficult to tell, but the lake was very choppy--some were wind surfing like they were at Hood River. Very interesting. Oh, and Michael, you'll be interested to know that there was a view of Mt. St. Helens, but Nancy couldn't get off--too many other cars in the overlook.

We were very surprised that we'd be able to see Mt. Ranier from here. We were never in this area with Rich, Nancy thinks. In these pictures, the very top of the mountain almost looks like a cloud because there are clouds below it. It was quite a site.

Looking to the left of Ranier

As you can see, just across the road was very different scenery. When we were walking, Nancy was reading to me about the mountain goats that live up there. The sign said that while they have many predators, more are killed by slipping on the treacherous ice and snow in the winter. How'd ya like to have one of them land on top of the trailer or truck?

On another walk, we were treated to this waterfall. It was deafening--so much water!

As soon as you're over the Cascades, you're over. The landscape changes dramatically. First, it's almost like the headlands near the San Francisco bridge, but soon turns to brown hills/small mountains. They have a beauty all their own.

We had a long, but full day. When we arrived at the park, a nice lady came over while we were setting up and said she writes about a Yellow Dog and asked if I was a Yellow Lab. Nancy said, "Yes."

The lady said her Yellow Dog was very smart and was very creative. Nancy said, "Well, he's very smart, too. He has a blog." The nice lady asked for the URL and Nancy gave it to her, and she went running off to write it down. We're going to stop down to see her, tomorrow, and introduce ourselves properly. Once we were set up, we took a ride through Yakima - we'll look in our books to see what we shall explore, tomorrow. As for now, I'm very sleepy. Nancy's already asleep so I'm going, too.