Jen's Journal

The ride was so amazing and fast I really didn't want to stop. I was dodging cows as I passed Fort Ross, got pushed right through Bodega Bay with the (wind)surfers, passed a cyclist heading directly into the wind at Valley Ford - laughed at him as he swore and smiled, I then hit about 5 miles of head/side/front/back/screwed-up wind, then cruised along Tomales Bay at record speeds. The knee didn't ache at all, my bum is another story. It was an entirely solo day, the first one since I started up in Washington.

At the campsite I quickly set up camp, and admired the twilight in a grove of Redwood trees. There was a food box to store food in, and as I finished my meal I packed everything up and shut the latch. I noticed it wasn't entirely locked up, and I had heard the raccoons and seen their eyes in the bushes. I put a spare piece of firewood against the box and went to bed. After a few hours, (or minutes), of sleep I was awoken to the sound of something tipping. I caught my breath and wondered what the heck was going on. Then it occured to me-BUGGARDED RACCOONS. I jumped up and ran out of the tent screaming raccoon profanities. I grabbed my combination lock and really did it up wondering what was missing in my meager inventory.

I got up this morning to find they took off with my last two instant oatmeal packages and two instant cappuchinos. So if you see a couple raccoons sipping lattes and eating hot oatmeal you know who to thank.