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THE
JOURNAL
ONLINE
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QUIRE
ELEVEN
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
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The Quest for The Solace, Part Three
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On Loving The
Son of God
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Think about the following statements!
If you have money to spend as you wish and enjoy the freedom to go where ever that money allows you to travel to... then you are among the top eighteen percent (18%) of all of the world′s wealthiest people.
1
If you have a roof over your head, food in a refrigerator, a hot shower and a flush toilet.... then you possess what are call life′s necessary things, and which amounts to more possessions than eighty percent (80%) of all the people currently inhabiting this earth.
2
Furthermore, if you are alive today and your resources are greater than the countless illness that would drain your wherewithal... then you are blessed more than the one million people who will not survive through to the end of this week.
3
Lastly, if you can read and understand this message... then you are more fortunate than the 2.9 billion people who can not see, can not read and/or can not access the vast amounts of information and knowledge that is presently available to mankind.
4
Keep the above in Mind. Think about the above words and how they affect your attitude towards others upon your Life Journey and your
Quest for Life′s Meaning.
What is Life?
Life is not for complaining about the pain and sorrows that we experience, for if we do, few if any of our close friends will remain as such.
Life has never been about gaining more wealth, for in fact we have more than most of the people upon this Earth and most likely more than we deserve or need.
Further, it is the events that occur within our life that shape us, but more importantly, it is the choices we make that define us.
Therefore, life is indeed about choosing to get to know who the Person is that gave us this precious gift of life, and making sure we fully thank that person for such a wonderful gift.
Who is this Person?
Who is the person that has provided us with this gift of life? Well, this person is God Almighty. (Psalms 83:18) Too, we must also recognize that God has provided us with a book of instructions, a book with the sole purpose to teach us how to benefit ourselves. This book is God′s Word the Bible.
(Isaiah 48:17
- 18)
Furthermore, we must needs accept this book as our guide of our entire
life path. We do not try to interpret the words written thereupon.(Genesis 40:8) Instead, we endeavor to read it ever day of our life and about these words, we pray without ceasing and trust in God with all of our heart to provide understanding and wisdom. (Deuteronomy 17:19; Joshua 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Proverbs 3:5)
Who are we?
We are those who have chosen to accept this direction from God and begin our Life Journey upon the path that God shows us to walk upon. Within the pages of the Bible, we are referred to with the expression: the
People of God.
(Exodus 19:5,
2 Samuel 14:13,
Hosea 2:23,
Hebrews 4:9;
11:25,
Acts 15:14,
1 Peter 2:10)
To learn more about us, Please feel free to join us in our
Quest for Fellowship.
What do we do?
Since God has chosen us out of the world to be his servants, we have dedicated our lives to be his People, to serve Him and give a witness about Him to any and all who would lend an ear to listen. (Isaiah 43: 10-12, Psalms 83:18)
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The Summer Sojourn
Within Walls (continued)
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(Day 201 TS) 53°F. 7:00 am, overcast
27,000 DA, or
911 full moons,
-1421 DR70,
2222 DR80,
NLJ: Day 52
5
Coordinates: 48.28868785, -122.6522161
Elevation: 25 feet
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 40
336 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Oak Harbor Inn
Awake, rise from my slumber and walk immediately to the bathroom to get under the hot water. Then, I dress in my fall blues and take up a seat at the desk, turn on my computer and resume my work of pounding keys. I keep at this task for most all of this day.
Later, during the late afternoon, I drive to the g-mart to purchase some food stores, return to the room and stow the food in the refrigerator. In the evening, I cook two ocean fish fillets, put them on a plate with some rice and then sit down at my board to enjoy my e-meal. Later still, I turn of my computer and get into the bed for the night.
(Day 202 TS) 58°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 41
335 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot water, hot drinks, food, and key pounding.
(Day 203 TS) 54°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 42
334 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and walk into the bathroom to get into the hot water. I have been thinking that I should be also taking cold water showers after the hot one, but I just do not think that I am ready for that just yet.
(Day 204 TS) 55°F. 7:00 am, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 43
333 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and walk into the bathroom to get into the hot water. I spend another day inside the room pounding keys, all day and long into the evening.
This is some kind of national holiday and I just stay inside and keep pounding on the key board. I prepare my meals several times and then finally I turn off the computer and get into the horizontal.
(Day 205 TS) 57°F. 6:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 44
332 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, open my eyes and see from the small amount of light coming into the room that the day outside is overcast. I walk to the door, open it to confirm my supposition and see a dreary fog enshrouded sky with a thick presence of moisture. I then close this portal to the outside, remain inside my room to go about my mourning routine. However, not long after that first glimpse of that cheerless external canvas do I don my fall blues, despite the fact that equinox is not until the twenty-second of this month, and venture outward into the gloom. My first stop on this day is for my cup of hot and go to the local star vender, simply because Tuesdays all during this month are triple star days.
Once I my cup of hot next to my keyboard, I then begin to write in my journal. Immediately, I notice a woman in the seat next to me who appears to be writing in a journal, a small paperbound book with a marker ribbon connected at the head spline. So, I venture to say, I see that you keep a journal, I also write in my every day. She looks up from here journal, greets me and ask How long have you been writing. I get out the working copy of my book, look at the copyright page and reply, Since before 2006. Showing her my book, she says, My name is Susan, so yours is Tommy? I then reply, Tommy is my pseudonym, my name... and I show her the back cover of my book, point to the bottom corner and say, is Thom Buras.
We talk for a few more moments in time and then I return to my work of writing in my journal. I continue here for a couple more hours before I pack out and drive to the d-mart to purchase a couple of items, one of which is a hanging shower caddy that I will use to hold the items from my pack shower bag, toothpaste and brush, comb, shampoo and body soap. Doing this brings me one step closer to have to making this room wherein I do dwell, now for just over 44 days, more attune to the task I have to remain here for yet another 322 days.
Later, I call a close friend, Joe and his wife Sarah and talk with them for a time, during which I inform then that I will be here in this room until after the third week in July 2015, but then I recognize how to abnegate my necessity of remaining until the end of my one year lease, telling Joe that all I have to do is pay for the last month rent of my lease and then I can drive away from the room and begin my Journey On, an entire month earlier than I had previously thought.
Finally, I finish up my journal entry, upload the work to my website and then turn my computer off for the evening.
(Day 206 TS) 59°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 45
331 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and walk into the bath room so that I may have hot water sooth my aching back. I turn the water up as hot as I can endure and let it pound down upon my neck and back. After I have soaked for more than the normal time, I turn off the water, dry off and don clean clothes.
Then, I walk over to the water kettle, pour in one liter of water and put the switch to the on position. I then get my three cups ready; putting instant coffee in one, two tea bags in another and the ingredients for my Daystart in the third. When the water in the kettle is boiling, I put it into the three cups. Next, I carry the three cups to where I will be working and set them on the night stand next to the desk. Then, I sit down and begin pounding keys while I enjoy my f-meal. After eating, I rise, grab my broom and sweep the entire floor of the motel room, after which, I use my dry Swiffer Sweeper to spread a coat of Mop and Glow liquid and then wait for it to dry.
The motel manager, Doug, when he sees me, asks me if I am going to pay my rent for this month and I tell him that the Veterans Services are suppose to do that, however, I also say that I will call the VS to find out why there is a delay. When calling the VS, I get an answering machine and so, leave a message for the VSO to give me a call.
Later, the VSO, Emily returns my call and asks me a few questions about the progress of the VASH program, to which, I tell them that they still have not finalized my lease. Emily tells me that the VS will get a check in the mail today for the entire amount for September. I go over to the managers room and tell him what I have found out. I then go back into my room and continue my work pounding keys.
(Day 207 TS) 60°F. 7:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 46
330 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot shower, boil water, f-meal, pound keys.
After a very long day working on the keyboard, I stop, don my meeting clothes and drive to the Kingdom Hall for the midweek meeting. Immediately after it ends, I walk with Andy out to his vehicle and he gives me a package that has arrive in his mail box.
Earlier, I had ordered three four ounce bags of Dulse seaweed flakes, which I had completely ran out of in my food stores. I open one of the bags and tell Andy to take a pinch and taste it. He then says, Wow, the flavor is strong. I thank him for bringing the package to me and then I get into the jammer and drive to my room.
(Day 208 TS) 59°F. 7:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 47
329 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, hot shower, cup of hot, cup of hot, cup of Daystart, and then key pounding all day long. Well, I do stop in the late afternoon to drive to the d-mart and purchase four gallons of spring water, some toilet paper, a box of nose tissues, two new mechanical pencils and a carton to ice cream.
Upon my return to the room, I prepare my e-meal to enjoy while pounding key, after which, I have a bowl of ice cream while watching a rerun of the Stargate television show. I do enjoy this science fiction series as there are still many of them that I have never seen.
(Day 209 TS) 56°F. 7:30 am, sunny, light fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 48
328 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and walk into the bathroom for a shower with hot water. Then for the last minute or so, I turn off the hot water and remain in the cold water. Yes, I have for the last couple of days been taking a cold shower after the hot water.
Immediately afterward, I boil water and prepare my three-cup meal and use blueberries for the fruit. Some time earlier, I had purchased a bag of frozen blueberries and have been using them instead of my dried cherries. I sit down at the board and enjoy my f-meal while I pound keys and begin my journal entry for today. Not long after that, I put on my meeting clothes, pack out of the room and drive to the kingdom hall for the ministry meeting. I do this because it is the first Saturday of the month when the People of God , which is a longtime tradition of the People of God to .
(Day 210 TS) 55°F. 7:00 am, partly cloudy
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 49
327 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake and lie in bed for a few moments. Then I arise, walk into the bathroom, get into the hot water, and continue in my new routine of standing in the downpour while turn the faucet to cold. I the dress in my summer blues and prepare my morning nourishment. Then, I retire to the board to eat my Daystart and sip on my iced coffee while I study for the meeting later this morning.
Then, at nine this morning, I dress in my meeting clothes, pack out to the jammer and drive to the KH, park, walk inside and enjoy the meeting. After the meeting, I return to the room and once my computer is set up and turned on, I resume the work on my website, which currently is on the new
website index page.
(Day 211 TS) 56°F. 7:30 am, thick fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 50
326 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, first at about six-thirty but go back to sleep and await for the alarm which I had set to ring this morning at seven-thirty. It seams that my body clock is still set to the earlier time. Once I arise, I then walk into the bathroom and step into the hot water, which always help to wake me up. However, now, it is the cold water shower immediately after the hot water soaking that accomplishes the awakening. I dry off, don my summer blues and then proceed to prepare my f-meal, which three cups I carry to the board and resume work on my the current endeavor.
Then, in the late afternoon, I drive to the d-mart to purchase a dozen eggs, several vegetables, two jars of almond butter and a half gallon of almond milk. Finally, I drive home and prepare my supper, after which I retire for the evening.
(Day 212 TS) 53°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 51
325 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues and drive to the state license plate office to buy a new tab for the license plate on the jammer. After I install the tab on the rear license plate, I then drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer, during which I have two refills and some egg bites. Then, I stop briefly at the g-mart for some food stores. After that, I return to my room and resume working on my website files.
At six this evening, I turn on the presidential debate to see how that goes, but I am totally disgusted by both candidates who are just calling one another liars. I barely continue for a quarter hour before I turn the program off and return to the work on my website pages. Too, any channel that I do watch is so inundated with commercial after commercial, all claiming that their product is what I really need. All of what they claim is only Hogwash!
So, I turn on Survivor-man as he tries to walk out of the Arctic wilderness. There are so many outdoor skills that this series elaborate on, some of which I am aware of and many more that I am only now learning. I watch several of the series programs and find that this is one tv show that I do really enjoy. The second program is his walking down off of a mountain top alpine zone down through the sub-alpine to the safer tropical climate forested area. During a heavy rain, he comes to a huge evergreen tree under which he finds a perfectly dry area where he decides to spend the night. Methinks, I have been under that tree when I was backpacking in the Olympic National Forest decades ago. Then, I bivouacked for a night during a heavy rain but remained completely dry. Later, he arrives at river bank where he used the inner cedar bark which is dry to start a fire to use to signal the returning helicopter.
Finally, I prepare my e-meal and enjoy my food while completing my journal entry for this day.
(Day 213 TS) 51°F. 7:00 am, rain, fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 52
324 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress, boil water, eat, pound keys.
(Day 214 TS) 54°F. 6:10 am, thick fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 53
323 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, make the bed, get into hot water, then sit down at the board and turn on my computer to begin today′s journal entry.
I continue most all day inside working on my website and a few other things, stopping briefly a few times to prepare meals along the way. Finally, after it becomes dark outside, I turn off my electronics, climb into the confines of bed sheets and close my eyes.
(Day 215 TS) 52°F. 7:00 am, overcast, thick fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 54
322 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise slowly, walk to the bathroom for my hot then cold shower, dry off, dress in my summer blues, after which, I prepare my three-cup f-meal, sit down at the board and begin pounding keys while eating my f-meal.
In the early afternoon, I pack out, drive to the d-mart for food stores, after which I return to my room and prepare my e-meal and then pound keys while eating. I end another day by pounding keys until late and then getting into the horizontal.
(Day 216 TS) 53°F. 7:00 am, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 55
321 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, slow to rise, then walk into the bathroom for my now regular hot and then cold showers, after which I prepare my f-meal and then sit down at the board to eat while I begin a day of pounding keys.
(Day 217 TS) 54°F. 6:00 am, rain, then clearing
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 56
320 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and walk into the bathroom for my shower. Then I prepare my f-meal after which I sit down at the board and begin my preparations for the weekend meeting, which is a study about a profit called Zadok and how he set a good example for being courageous. I really enjoyed this study because I was able to learn a good deal about a Bible character that I did not know much about. After the meeting, I was able to talk with Troy for a long time and learned a little more about this brother, from Minnesota, I believer near Lake Superior.
Then, I close out the zoom app and then pack out to drive to the d-mart for some items and then return to the room to spend the remainder of this day.
(Day 218 TS) 55°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 57
319 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, hot water, cold water, boil water, then coffee, com and computer. Later Joann calls to ask about how to print her legal documents and I tell her to go to the w-mart and purchase a thumb drive. Later, she come by and I go over the documents with her, make some final corrections and then copy the documents to the thumb drive.
When she leaves, I return to my key pounding, which I continue until some time after it becomes dark outside. Then, I turn off my electronics, climb into the bed, pull the covers up and close my eyes.
(Day 219 TS) 54°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Supermoon, Full Harvest Moon, 07:34 PDT (10:34 PM EDT)
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 58
318 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, hot water, dress in my fall blues, drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer. At eleven, I leave the cafe, drive north on SH 20 and stop at Joann′s home so that we can ride with here off the island and together go to Mount Vernon on the mainland to have the legal documents printed at the o-mart. We also stop at a thrift store where I purchase a navy blue suit jacket. Afterwards, we return back to the island, where I get into my van and return to Oak Harbor, and then drive to my room.
It is about five in the afternoon when I arrive at my room, carry my things inside and then, I turn my computer on and update my journal entry. Finally, at about half past late, I turn of my electronics, climb into my bed and go horizontal for the night.
(Day 220 TS) 52°F. 6:30 am, overcast and fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 59
317 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk into the bathroom for some hot water and then finish with a cold rinse. Next, I put water into the kettle to boil, after which I prepare my f-meal, which when it is, I sit down at the board, turn on my computer to begin pounding keys while I eat the food. Remaining inside my room all day, I alternate pounding keys with playing some solitaire games.
(Day 221 TS) 51°F. 6:00 am, areas of fog, later sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 60
316 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues, eat my f-meal and then pound keys the rest of the morning. At almost two this afternoon, I pack out and drive to the Opportunity Counsel to pick up another issue of the food and gas vouchers. I then drive back to the motel room, walk inside and then have something to eat.
Later, I connect to the Oak Harbor congregation with my zoom app and join in for the mid-week meeting. After that, I retire for the evening.
(Day 222 TS) 54°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 61
315 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, boil water, eat three-cup meal, pound keys.
(Day 223 TS) 52°F. 7:00 am, early morning fog
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 62
314 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot water, cold water, boil water, three-cup meal, pound keys until outside, the sun begins to burn off the morning fog. Then, I pack out of my room to the jammer and drive to the d-mart to buy groceries, one hundred and twelve dollars worth of the food stores, using the food voucher I obtained this past Thursday.
I arrive back at the motel, pack the food stores into the room, then put the cold food on the inside of the refrigerator and the dry food on the top of the cold box. After stowing the food, I then update today′s journal entry while watching the 1998 movie Armageddon. Yes, I have seen this movie before, but that was a quarter of a century ago.
It is not until eleven-thirty this evening when the movie ends and I turn off the electronics, pull the covers up and close my eyes.
(Day 224 TS) 53°F. 8:00 am, sunny and partly cloudy
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 63
313 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
After sleeping in late, I awake, arise and start with my morning routine, when completed, I then turn on my computer and study for the weekend meeting. In only a short time it is time to connect to the Oak Harbor weekend meeting with my zoom app, which I do and then the meeting begins. The public talk is from brother Paul Kirk, who is visiting from the south end of the island and the talk is just what I needed. His matter of fact talk really helps me to, what I believe, will be a better servant of Jehovah.
When the meeting is over, I remain connected to the app and visit with some of the friends for a bit longer. After that, I turn off the zoom app and return to pounding keys to continue with the work on my website.
(Day 225 TS) 51°F. 7:00 am, fog, later partly cloudy
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 64
312 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, boil water, eat while pounding keys. Today, I work on moving the Store Page from th Burden Passage to the Journal Passage. After working on this task for the entire day, I must needs return to the task upon the morrow, possibly two.
(Day 226 TS) 52°F. 6:00 am, patches of fog, then clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 65
311 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot shower, boil water, three-cup f-meal, com and computer. Then I remain in the room all day pounding keys and working on my latest web page update, even into the evening.
(Day 227 TS) 51°F. 6:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 66
310 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Today, I reached a small milepost of three hundred days remaining until the next Journey On, and also, this milepost means I have been here for more than two months. After my morning routine, I sit down at the board and continue with the current project, that of updating the Burden Passage with the new menu item, five of seven,
The Sleeping Bag. I must needs go through all of the Burden Passage files which amount to one hundred and eighty-eight files and even though this change in the menu is extensive, I am able to us copy and past to do much of this menu change. I continue pounding keys until later into the evening and then shortly before midnight, I turn off the electronics and get into the sack.
Once I pull the covers up, I used my phone and read out loud the sixteen verses of Psalms 91. Finally, I turn of the phone and close my eyes.
(Day 228 TS) 48°F. 6:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 67
309 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and begin my morning routine, after which, I return to the work of making the menu change in the Burden Passage. It is about four in the afternoon, when I complete this portion of the latest website update.
(Day 229 TS) 49°F. 8:00 am, overcast and cool
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 68
308 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Arise, shower, dress, pack out, drive to the w-mart to begin using the amassed bonus stars, eight hundred and forty in number. Upon my arrival, I have a large black medium blend coffee and sip on the hot liquid while I continue working on the menu change within the Burden Passage. Later this morning, four of the friends stop for a coffee break and I greet them hello. Soon, they head back out into the ministry and I return to my key pounding during which I complete the menu change.
Upon leaving the w-mart, I stop at the d-mart to search for a navy blue pair of trousards that I can wear at the meeting but to no avail, I still can not find any pants large enough for me to wear. I return to room seven, carry my computer bag inside and then begin my e-meal preparations. I use up some of the food stores that I was given by the help house, after which I pound keys until I am too tired to continue. Finally, I get under the covers and close my eyes.
(Day 230 TS) 51°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 69
307 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, slow to rise, shower, dress, pack out, drive to the w-mart to continue using then now more than seven hundred bonus stars on my account. I arrive at the cafe, walk in and sit down at a table. Some time later, I walk up to the counter and order a large coffee, purchasing the coffee with 100 bonus stars. Returning to my table, I resume my key pounding during which I begin the change I desire to make to the Journal Passage menu. What this will involve is to combine the Contact and Comment pages into one page and then, the now available menu slot will become the new
Wayƒarer′s Store page.
I continue working on this menu change all day until about six this evening when I pack out and drive back to the motel room. I carry my computer bag into room seven, set up on the board, connect to the internet and then upload all of the undated files to the web server. Then, I prepare my e-meal and eat while I play a few games of solitaire. Finally, at about eleven this evening, I get into the horizontal, pull the covers up over myself and close my eyes once again.
(Day 231 TS) 45°F. 7:30 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 70
306 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, walk to the bathroom and get into shower-tub for some hot water after which I turn the faucet dial to cold water. Then I get out of the shower, dry off and don my meeting clothes. Next, I pack out to the jammer, drive to the w-mart for a free coffee and free food, receiving both from the bonus stars and other benefits. I remain in the cafe for a short time to finish my hot drink and meal before I pack out and drive to the Kingdom Hall for the week-end meeting. Today′s Watchtower Study was an exception one, really looking deep into the subject Avoid committing a sin as well as the steps that lead up to it. Wow, what a wonderfully superbly wonderfully study.
After the meeting, I then drive back to the room, carry my computer bag inside and the set up to continue working on the Journal Passage menu change to add the store page and update the other links to reflect the updated menu change. Then at about seven this evening, I upload all of the finished files, after which, I prepare a pot of soup for me to eat for my e-meal to which I add fresh chopped onions and red bell pepper. After eating, I put away my kitchen and then sit down at the board to eat and begin watching a cop show, one which is called Blue Bloods and one that I enjoy watching.
(Day 232 TS) 50°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 71
305 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise and walk to the bathroom for a shower after which I dry off and dress in my fall blues. Then I load up my computer bag and pack out to the jammer. I start the jammer, let is idle for a couple of minutes and then drive slowly out of the parking lot, turn left onto SE City Beach Street, then an immediate right onto Pioneer Avenue. I next drive a quarter mile until I arrive at the next stop light where I turn left onto SW Beeksma Drive and then an immediate right onto SW Bayshore Drive after which I turn into the parking lot where I make frequent visits to a coffee house. I walk inside and then sit down at one of the tables, set up my computer and begin pounding keys. Soon after, I walk up to the counter and use one hundred of my bonus stars to purchase a large cup of black coffee. By this time, my computer has connected to the cafe WiFi and I then begin working on the general update of my website.
(Day 233 TS) 49°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 72
304 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues, pack out to the jammer and by eight this morning, I drive to the coffee cafe for a large cup of coffee. Then, I return to the jammer and begin the drive to my doctor′s appointment in Mount Vernon, Washington. Too, since the appointment is not until one in the afternoon, leaving me with several hours for shopping for those items which are just not available on Whidbey Island.
The first stop is at the large d-mart where I purchase nearly one hundred dollars of groceries and other supplies. After several hours in this story, I then load my bags into the jammer and then drive to the VA medical center and park in one of the spaces close to the front entrance. However, being over an hour early, I remain in the jammer and wait until the appointment time draws closer.
This optical appointment is for my annual checkup where first, a technician uses several machines to examine my vision and next, the optometrist will examine my eyes. Then the optometrist uses dilating drops to widen the pupils, allowing the doctor to see more of the inside of my eyes. I then go back to the waiting room to await for the drops to work. In about twenty-five minutes, the doctor invites me back into her examination room to do the final exam.
When the doctor has completed the examination, she tell me that my eyes are good and have no more tears or other problems to be concerned with. I thank her and say, "See you again in another year or so." After that, I don my sunglasses, walk back out of the exam room, through the waiting room, out of the medical center and back to the jammer.
Then, I start the jammer and begin my drive to Bellingham, then to the hf-mart where I purchase several more of my regular food items. Next, I drive to the grocery co-op market so that I can purchase more of the sprouted brown rice, which I find that there are five more bags on the shelf. So, I take all five bags, walk to the check out counter, pay for the five bags and leave the store to return to the jammer.
Arriving back in the jammer, I start the engine and begin my drive back south on IH 5 to Burlington, Washington where I exit onto SH 20 and here drive west to where the state highway splits. At the highway split, I enter the round about and take the second exit and continue on SH 20, but now southbound. I always enjoy this scenic corridor which travels through a wooded area, along several lakes and through
Deception Pass park.
Finally, I arrive back into Oak Harbor, Washington, drive to my motel room, park and carry my things inside where I turn on my computer and begin pounding keys to add this day into my journal.
(Day 234 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 73
303 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bath room for a shower, dress in my fall blues, then sit down at the table and turn on my computer. After about an hour, I pause from my key pounding, walk back into the kitchen to boil a kettle of water and make some hot drink and a cup of Daystart ©. Once my f-meal is ready, I return to the board to eat while I continue pounding keys. This goes on all day long as I work on creating two new monthly templates for my daily journal.
It is not until after six this afternoon when I finish the October and November templates and immediately afterwards, I start my journal entry for today. Then, by six-thirty, I have finished today′s journal entry and then prepare something to eat. I sit down at the board to eat during which I turn on the TV and watch a couple episodes of the cop series called Blue Bloods. After that, I get into the horizontal and close my eyes.
(Day 235 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 74
302 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, eat f-meal, pound keys and continue to work on my current website update. In the late afternoon, I get ready for the mid-week meeting, going over my Bible reading for the umpteenth time.
(Day 236 TS) 50°F. 8:00 am, rain and windy
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 75
301 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Sleeping late, awake, shower, boil water, and then sit down at the board to pound keys on my computer. The first thing that I do is answer an email from a long time long distance friend. I met John and Karen in 2012 at the Oak Harbor
Kingdom Hall Build.
After that, I continue pounding keys on my computer working on the current website updates. I continue until long after the sunsets.
(Day 237 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 76
300 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot water, boil water, eat, pound keys, eat, pound keys, get into the horizontal, watch tv, sleep.
(Day 238 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 77
299 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, dress, take a hot shower, boil water for my f-meal, and prepare for the weekend meeting. I connect to the Oak Harbor congregation with my zoom app and even though it is just ten minutes before the meeting begins, I am the first to join. I comment to the next person that connects that this waiting until the last three minutes before joining is reminiscence of the time I did temporary work at Brooklyn Bethel and would go down from my room to the cafeteria about twenty minutes before breakfast began. The cafeteria would remain empty until three minutes before the meal began and then everyone would show up at once. This seems to be the case with most meetings and gatherings of Jehovah′s Witnesses where ever I go.
The meeting begins and it is during this meeting that I find out about a Circuit Assembly that is being held next Sunday, 13 October 2024 and immediately I begin to think through my plans for the next couple of weeks in this month. First, I have been
(Day 239 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 78
298 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, walk into the bathroom for a hot shower after which I boil water to prepare my f-meal. Then sit down at the board to eat and catch up on my journal writing. This continues throughout the day until after the sun sets. I then drive to the ff-mart to order a pizza, something that I have not eaten for likely more that ten, maybe even twenty years.
I really enjoy having it once again but I know that it is not on the list of foods that are healthy, so it is most likely that it will be another ten years until I consider eating pizza again. After eating, I resume pounding keys until late and the finally get into the horizontal.
(Day 240 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Coordinates: 48.2861839, -122.6626868
Elevation: 25 feet
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 79
297 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, take a hot shower followed by a cold rinse, dress in my fall blues and then begin boiling water for my f-meal. Once the food and drink is ready, I carry it to the board where I begin eating while I pound keys upon my computer. I continue doing this until I receive a knock on the outside of my front door. I get up from the board, walk to the door and greet Bettie, the person here to inspect the room for Island County Housing Authority.
I let her into the room and when she is finished the inspection, she says that the room needs a GFIC receptacle in the sink location and a smoke and carbon monoxide detector in place of the current smoke detector. I tell her that I will tell the manager, walk outside, locate Doug and tell him what the room needs. He says that he will have it done right away, and requests that the inspector come back in an hour or so. In just a few minutes, the maintenance man arrives, installs the receptacle and detector and then leaves. When Bettie returns, she look at the corrections and says, You are good to go. I thank her for her time and I walk outside with her and then the inspector leaves.
While I am outside, I see Dan walk up to room 10 and I greet him to which he replies, I will be over to talk to you in a couple of minutes. I wait outside and soon, he and I am sitting on the chairs outside my room. We talk for a time during which I ask questions to clarify some concerns about this housing program that I am in. Then, he gets into his vehicle and leaves.
What I have found out is that after my first year in this program, I will be able to move anywhere in the US which has the same or similar Housing Authority and the voucher can be ported to that location. However, this transfer must be completed within a 60 day period. Thus, when I leave Oak Harbor, I must arrive at my location, check in and be in then next dwelling before that period ends. I am certain that the move between the locations is much too hurried for this old man and most likely, I will not pursue a second year with this housing program. Still, I will wait until that time arrives before I make my decision.
I return into my room, prepare something to eat and the return to the board to eat while I pound on the computer keyboard for the remainder of this day. Nevertheless, I am going to leave tomorrow evening to drive to Oregon for ten days of camping in the state parks.
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The Fall Sojourn
Northern Oregon Forests
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(Day 241 TS) 45°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Coordinates: 48.2861839, -122.6626868
Elevation: 25 feet
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 80
296 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues, pack out and drive to the w-mart for coffee, key pounding, a breakfast wrap and stay here all day. At about eleven this morning, one of the service groups stops in the cafe for a break in their witnessing and I greet the friends. We talk for a few minutes before them must needs return to the witness work and I return to my computer to continue pounding keys.
At about six this evening, I pack out and begin my drive to the Oregon campground. I begin by driving north on SH 20, across
Deception Pass, then continue north until arriving at the SH 20 northernmost turnaround where I take the state highway east exit and continue eastbound until I arrive at the IH 5 junction where I take the first exit and enter the southbound interstate highway.
Once I am driving south on IH 5, I am able to drive completely through Seattle without any traffic slowdowns and continue for a total of four and a half hours during which I travel 254 miles. It is just before midnight when I pull into the parking lot of the hf-mart, locate a parking space where the jammer will be partially concealed, back in, then put up my window shades and finally get into the horizontal.
It had been a really long day which has brought me to the brink of exhaustion, but I have arrived at this location without any mishaps and I thank the Almighty for the safe journey.
(Day 242 TS) 44°F. 7:00 am, cloudy
Coordinates: 45.6778923, -122.6685267
Elevation: 192 feet
Lease Fulfilled, Day 81
295 Days Until Journey On
Overnighting in a parking lot
Vancouver Grocery Parking Lot
Awake, dress in my fall blues, climb into the drivers seat, start the jammer and when it warms up, I drive to a w-mart for coffee, com and key pounding. When I get somewhat close to catching up with my journal writing, I then connect to the Oregon state park website and make reservations for a campsite at Viento State Park. At about ten this morning, I drive back to the hf-mart in whose parking lot I overnighted last night, park, walk into the store and begin my grocery shopping.
After loading the groceries into the jammer, I then drive back out to the interstate highway and continue driving south into Oregon where I take the eastbound exit onto IH 84 and travel east to the state park. However, I realize that I still need to buy a few items such as motor oil and drinking water, so I pass by the state park and dive to Hood River, Oregon, stop at the d-mart and purchase my list is items I still need. Finally, I drive on IH 84 back west the six miles to the state park and drive in. As I drive through the north campground, I notice that there are very few camping and I soon arrive at and back into campsite A-34, the one next to the upper walkway down to the bathroom and shower house.
Next, I begin setting up camp by first plugging in my electric cord and check for power. Then, I get out my stove and skillet to cook my m-meal. To do so, I chop a yellow onion, and put in the skillet with some olive oil and put the skillet on the burner. Next, I chop half a bell pepper and some cilantro, after which I add it into the skillet. When the veggies are sautéed I move them to my plate and then put two salmon fillets in the skillet to cook. When the salmon is done cooking, I spread some of the veggies onto a slice of sprouted bread, then add one of the fillets and cover the it with a second slice of bread. Voila, a fish sandwich. I eat two of the fish sandwiches. Finally, I wash and stow the dishes and then climb into the jammer and move things around so that I can set up my computer and pound keys this evening. Later this evening, I have a package of cooked beets for desert after which I get into the horizontal and read for a time.
(Day 243 TS) 52°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Coordinates: 45.6980273, -121.666219
Elevation: 130 feet
Lease Fulfilled, Day 82
294 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-34
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day One
Awake, dress in my summer blues, step outside and open up the rear jammer. I then walk to the shower house for some hot water after which I return to the campsite and begin my preparations for breakfast. While I am finalizing the three-cup meal, I talk to a man from Salem, Oregon and offer him a cup of hot coffee. We talk while we both sip on the coffee. He then leaves before I am able to talk to him about the upcoming paradise. I then stow my kitchen gear, climb back inside the jammer and with my electric heater turned on to warm the interior of the jammer, resume pounding keys.
All day long there are frequent sounds coming from the interstate highway, the railroad and an occasional airplane that traverse through the Columbia River Gorge. Even when those roadway sounds are quiet and/or absent, there remains the constant rustling of the wind blowing through the treetops. Too, as the day progresses, the number of camper in the park increases and by evening, the campground is nearly full with weekend warriors, who carry with them all of the toys and possessions that they could fit into their vehicle, even strapping on additional item to the outside of the mobile weekend home. Oh, how I do deplore the vast majority of these goofers and turkeys. Still, they come to the campgrounds every weekend, leaving me to have only wait for there departure by midday Sunday.
For my midday meal, I got out all of my veggies, finely chopped selected amounts and then mixed them into a shallow bowl with mustard, The Wayƒarers Spice Mix © and after added a can of wild caught skipjack tuna spread ample amounts onto spouted bread. After three sandwiches, I was totally ready for a nap, so I put away my kitchen, turned off my overhead light and got into the horizontal for some zzz time.
(Day 244 TS) 51°F. 8:00 am, partly sunny
Lease Fulfilled, Day 83
293 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-34
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Two
Awake, dress in my summer blues, step outside, open the rear lift door and grab my towel and shower bag. I then walk down the walkway to the shower house for some hot water. Today, I do not use the handicap shower room but instead use the men′s shower room. I find that the water temperature in the men′s shower room is as close to steamy hot as it can get, but the handicap shower is at least two degrees cooler, which is only medium hot.
Upon returning to the jammer, I then get out my kitchen to boil water for my three-cup f-meal. When the meal is ready, I carry it inside to eat while I am pounding keys on my computer to add to my journal entry.
In the afternoon, I ask the ranger is I can move from my current campsite to the handicap campsite, telling him that the incline from my current site to the restroom and shower house is just too steep for me. He asks me to fill out a new SRE, too which I say, What is a SRE? He replies, Sorry, I am in the habit of using acronyms, SRE means self registration envelope.
I tell him that I will fill one out and he goes about his work of cleaning the restroom and shower house. When he is walking back to his truck, I give him my new SRE and he says that I can move there anytime I wish. I roll up my electric cord and stow it inside the jammer. Then I drive the loop around, back into campsite A-26, get out my electric cord and plug it into the campsite receptacle box.
(Day 245 TN) 50°F. 7:30 am, partly sunny
Coordinates: 45.6980300, -121.6652681
Elevation: 124 feet
Lease Fulfilled, Day 84
292 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Three
Awake, dress in my fall blues, step outside, open the rear lift door to get out my kitchen and begin my f-meal preparations, after which, I resume the updating of my website.
Later, I have something to eat and then retire for the evening.
(Day 246 TN) 53°F. 7:00 am, sun breaks
Lease Fulfilled, Day 85
291 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Four
This morning begins late for me as it seems that lately, I have been needing much more than the recommended eight hours of sleep. I have learned that whenever my body needs to heal, it usually does so by addition sleep time. The illness that I am trying to overcome is eczema, a chronic inflammatory skim condition with dry, itchy and inflamed skin. To help reduce the itch and rash, I have begun to use several essential oils including eucalyptus and frankincense along with tea tree. So far, it seems that the frankincense works the best for alleviating the itch. However, I know well that in order to cure this condition, I must needs return unconditionally to following my
Living Food list. Further, in order to do this while still here camping, I must needs drive the six miles to Hood River, Oregon and purchase some fresh vegetables which I am planing to do first thing tomorrow morning.
As the sun shines down into the mature forest with an occasional break-through, I continue into the afternoon pounding upon my computer keys. Later, I stop for something to eat and finish the day watching the first two circuit assembly videos, which are the morning cession. Finally, I get into the horizontal for the night.
(Day 247 TS) 57°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Five
Lease Fulfilled, Day 86
290 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Awake, dress in my fall blues, step outside to walk to the shower house for some hot water on my body after which I return to the jammer, get out my teapot and boil water for my three-cup morning meal. Next, I stow my kitchen. then climb back into the office to eat my meal and pound keys.
Later, for my evening meal, I use my repast recipe to prepare rice, quinoa, a chopped onion and spice mix. When the food is done, I climb back into the jammer and eat while I pound keys. After another day here within the Columbia Gorge, I retire for the evening.
(Day 248 TS) 48°F. 7:30 am, overcast, rain
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Six
Lease Fulfilled, Day 87
289 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Awake, dress in my fall blues, step outside and stow all my gear inside the jammer, disconnect the electrical cord, roll it up and stow the cord in its place and close the side sliding door. I then walk around the jammer, climb into the drivers seat, start the jammer engine and after waiting for about three minutes, pull out of the campsite and drive around the loop to the exit. I then take the east bound entrance onto IH 84 and drive to Hood River where I get off at exit 64, for US 30, drive east half a mile and stop first at the d-mart for a couple of items. Next, upon leaving the d-mart, I continue east on US 30 a few more blocks to a g-mart to buy some fresh vegetables including celery, red bell peppers, a package of spinach, a bunch of cilantro, onions, a sweet potato and a half gallon of almond milk. After that, I return back along US 30 to IH 84, then west to exit 56 and drive back into Viento State Park, during which time I see and photograph a rainbow over the Columbia river. If I recall correctly, this is the first rainbow that I have seen this year.
Once I arrived back at the campsite, I realized that I forgot to purchase fuel for my stove. However, I decide not to return for fuel until I have eaten all of my fresh vegetable, which should last two of three days. Too, I will drink a lot of water and even some bone broth that I keep in my pantry. Later, I finish my day with a little reading before going to sleep.
(Day 249 TS) 41°F. 10:00 am, rain, clearing
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Seven
Lease Fulfilled, Day 88
288 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Awake, dress in my summer blues, walk to the mens room, then return to the jammer and begin the process of moving the jammer forward six feet in order to not have the side sliding door open into a large pool of water. Once this is done, I then use paper napkins to wipe the condensation from the bottom inside of the front windshield. Too, after moving the jammer, I leave the engine running with the defroster on in order to further dry out the jammer interior.
This wet spot has been acuminating for several days during the rains. Today, however, I begin seeing the first sun patches on the ground where the sun is breaking through the cloud cover. I begin my morning a bit different from my regular routine in that I do not go to the shower house for hot water, neither do I boil water for my three-cup meal but instead drink water and eat fresh vegetables. I begin eating out of a bag of spinach into what I have added some fresh chopped cilantro. Too, I have some sliced red peppers and celery sticks to eat. Also, I snack the rest of this day on pecans and dried cherries, drinking lots of water.
Then, at about eleven this morning, when the front of the jammer appears to be dry, I turn off the jammer engine. Too, the sky has fully cleared of the low lying clouds and the sun is shining down through the
mature forest casting shadows throughout. However, as the day continues, there are a few brief periods of rain but most all of this day has the sun shining down through the trees. I continue inside the jammer all the rest of this day, which by the way end quite early this time of the year. Later, after it becomes dark, I connect with the Oak Harbor Congregation of Jehovah′s Witnesses for the midweek meeting.
After the meeting, I turn off my electronics and get into the horizontal.
(Day 250 TS) 46°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Eight
Lease Fulfilled, Day 89
287 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Awake, walk to the shower house for some hot water, then return to the jammer and drink water while eating spinach with some cilantro mixed into it. I also cut up some celery and much on the small pieces. After eating my fill of these veggies, I also have some pecans and dried cherry pieces, all the while drinking plenty of spring water. I am doing this now in order to stop the inflammation within my body, but also, I must needs get myself healthy again, especially since the seasons are changing into the winter months. This reminds me to check the radiator coolant and find that it needs about a liter to top it off. I also check the oil and it is only about one half a quart down but I leave it as is.
Too, I have been noticing that the weekend warriors are back in the park with what seems to me to about half of the campsites becoming occupied.
Too, I spend my time today doing research and updating the associated pages on my website with the new information I come across. Later in the evening, I update my journal entry for today and then when I get into the horizontal tonight, plan to read some more in my Bible. I am currently reading in Book Four of Psalms (Psalms 90-106)
Finally, at about eight-thirty this evening, I get into the horizontal, pull the covers up over myself and turn on my phone to begin my reading. However, tonight is quite hard for me to achieve sleep and I remain awake for a long time before it happens.
(Day 251 TS) 49°F. 8:30 am, overcast, sun breaks
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Nine
Lease Fulfilled, Day 90
286 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Awake, dress in my summer blues, step out of the jammer, open the rear lift door and gather my shower gear. Then, I walk to the shower house for another hot shower. After I finish here, I return to the jammer and get out my stove and tea pot to boil water. During the preparation of my three-cup meal, a couple from Bend, Oregon walks by and I greet them, so they stop and we talk for a little while, mostly about our travels and our current type of RV; they have a Sprinter. Then, they return to their campsite, unplug and drive out of the park. I return my attention to my stove and methinks than I have been hoarding the last fuel canister for this morning to prepare something hot to drink and eat, so when the water boils, I prepare my meal, carry it inside and begin immediately eating my Daystart and drinking the hot liquids, while also pounding away on my keyboard.
In the afternoon, I step outside and open up the rear lift door to hang out my damp towel. Also, I begin cleaning up the interior of the jammer, sweeping the floor and organizing my gear, but mostly, I am just getting my stuff ready for an early departure tomorrow morning. There is no need for me to open the hood today because I checked all the fluids yesterday and added fluids to what needed some. Then by the early evening, I have the jammer ready for the trip to return north back to
Whidbey Island.
Finally, the sunlight begins to fade from the surrounding area, then it begins to fade from the forests and I see several campfires that have been lit around the mow crowded campground. Then finally, at about six this evening, the light of this day slowly begins to fades from the sky. My last overnight here in this Oregon forest has arrived upon me and most very likely, it will be another six months before I will be able to return here for another ten day stay.
(Day 252 TS) 46°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn along the Columbia River, Day Ten
Lease Fulfilled, Day 91
285 Days Until Journey On
Viento State Park, Campsite: A-26♿
Awake late again, open the jammer side sliding door, step outside, walk to the rear to gather my shower gear and then after closing both doors, walk to the shower house for a hot shower. Then, I walk back to the jammer, noticing that the adjacent camper now has his campfire aflame. Once back at my campsite, I open the sliding door, climb into the office and turn on my computer. Next, I connect with zoom to the Oak Harbor congregation for the weekend meeting. Brother Smith gives a talk about the family.
After the meeting, I talk with several friends about inflammation and when I say that cow′s milk is deadly to humans, I got quite a few questions. Too, I told Patty that I have been camping for ten days in Oregon and have succeeded in getting out of chronic inflammation, and now all I have to do is not eat any inflammatory foods and I will begin losing weight. However, the hard part is not eating fast food as I am totally addicted to it. We all say good bye and then disconnect from the zoom connection, turn off my computer and then begin packing out. It only take me a few minutes because I got everything ready yesterday and then I drove out of the campground.
Leaving the state park, I entered the east bound lane onto IH 84 through the eastern section of the Columbia Gorge, past the Deschutes River, then across the John Day River and on and on; it was the long route home so that I could stop at the hf-mart in Kennewick, Washinton. When I arrived at IH 82, I took the northbound exit, crossed over the top of the other ramps and continued north on IH 82. Soon after, I crossed over the Columbia into Washington, I continue north on IH 82 into Kennewick and got off at exit 9, drove north on W Clearwater Avenue to N Columbia Center Blvd where I turned left and continued until arriving at the hf-mart. After I did my shopping, I drove back to the internet highway and continued on IH 82, but now it traveled westward. I continued driving on IH 82 until arriving at exit 31 where I got off onto US 12, drove a couple of miles westward and the got off onto the exit for North 40th Avenue where I drive directly to the shopping center where I have spent several days overnighting a couple of time in the past.
Once the jammer is parked, I turn on my computer and get caught up with todays journal writing. It is about eight this evening when I get into the horizontal.
(Day 253 TS) 44°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Lease Fulfilled, Day 92
284 Days Until Journey On
Overnighting in a parking lot
Coordinates: 46.6192762, -120.5614751
Elevation: 1134 feet
Awake, dress in my fall blues, step outside and remove a flyer from under my windshield washer. Upon looking at the flyer, find that it is a Warning not to overnight in the g-mart parking lot because they could tow my vehicle. I get back inside the jammer, start the engine and drive out of the parking lot, and across the street to the f-mart to fill up my gas tank. Once the tank is full, I then drive east on US 12, connect to IH 82 and drive about thirty-two miles north to IH 90, during which I photograph several bridges along the way.
Once I make the connection to westbound IH 90, I immediately see a sign indicating that this is a scenic route within the Mountain to Sound Greenway NHA. So, I attach my phone on the window phone holder and begin taking a videos of my drive. I continue west on IH 90 until I arrive at North Bend where I exit the interstate highway and begin driving north on on another scenic byway, one that I have been using for many years, a route that I call the Seattle bypass scenic route. This route allows a traverse along the foothills above Seattle some ten or more miles from the city and along a somewhat rural landscape.
To access this scenic route, I leave IH 90 at exit 31, turn northeast on Bendigo Blvd (WA-State Highway 202), cross the S. Fork Snoqualmie River, drive through North Bend and at the T, follow N. Bendigo Blvd to the left, where it will soon cross the S Fork Snoqualmie River again. Continue northwest out of North Bend on State Highway 202 (SH 202) to and through the village of Snoqualmie, Washington after which, SH 202 crosses the Snoqualmie River onto the east side of that river and soon enter a round-a-bout and follow the sign for the third exit. At this point is the famous Snoqualmie Falls, however, this area, with the Salish Lodge and Spa has become a very expensive turkey shoot (tourist trap). However, there is a free falls parking lot (47.5430083, -121.8363448) with a walking trail to several overlooks.
Nevertheless, today, I continue north on SH 202 past this area and to the Fall City round-a-bout where I take the first exit right and begin driving north on State Highway 203 (SH 203), which continues northward along the east side of the Snoqualmie River. After driving a bit more than five miles, I cross the Tolt River, a tributary of the Snoqualmie river and then enter the village of Carnation.
From the Tolt River, it is a drive of eighteen miles to arrive at the Skykomish River, also a tributary of the Snoqualmie River, and after crossing the Skykomish River, I immediately arrive in the city of Monroe, Washington and drive north on South Lewis Street to where it intersects US 2, what is locally called the Stevens Pass Highway. Arriving at the intersection ends the middle section of the Seattle Bypass Scenic Route. Too, I hope to upload the videos of this scenic route to the
Tommy Michel Face page.
To continue to the northern section, I turn left and drive west on US 2 for nearly ten miles to the Arlington, Bothell exit to State Highway 9 (SH 9) and turn right heading north. At this junction begins the northern section of the Seattle Bypass Scenic Route.
(more to come soon)
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The Fall Sojourn
Islander
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(Day 254 TS) 46°F. 8:00 am, sunny
Coordinates: 48.2861839, -122.6626868
Elevation: 25 feet
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 93
283 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Oak Harbor Inn
After a rough night trying to sleep and then the struggle to stay asleep, I awake somewhat late and still tired. I walk into the bathroom and get directly into the hot shower which does help somewhat but does not revive me entirely. I don clean clothes and then pack out to the jammer. The first stop is the local w-mart where I purchase coffee and sip on the hot drink while I organize my journal page by creating this new section, (the Fall Sojourn Within Walls), which by doing so, I am able to resume my current counts: (1)
Sojourn Within Walls; (2)
Days Until Journey On; and (3)
New Life Journey. However, I then decide to take this New Life Journey away from the daily journal sub-headers and include it in the Section Day in the Life sub-header. (See Day 201 at the top of this page)
Methinks, most likely, none of these three counts will end until after the count of the
Days Until Journey On
comes to its completion. In fact, I will continue to be confined within the current walls until then, with one possible exception, that being when and if I decide, when spring arrives, to journey south back to the northern Oregon forested areas to again use the free state park camping granted to me by the State of Oregon. Then, like the most recent sojourn there, it will only amount to be a short break in the time spent Within Walls, after which I must needs return to the confinement of these walls wherein I now find myself
marking time. Only during that brief time will that confinement from these walls discontinue, but then, even though only brief.
Nevertheless, that count of which I do await more fervently for, despite how much I personally look forward to the upcoming Journey On, if truth be told, is something more remarkable than any Journey On could ever rise to. Of what I here bespeak is my most cherished hope for the future, a hope that upon achieving will provide every need of my existence, satisfy all of my wants and fulfill all of which my hearts desires, as it draws me ever closer to my heavenly Father. About this hope, I have expressed in great detail upon that page within my website known as The Real Way, Life Journey Step Seven:
Worship
My next stop is for a hair cut and after that I stop at a local grocery to purchase several more fresh vegetables and some apples. I then drive back to my room, and prepare a salad from the vegetables after which have an apple. Later, I boil up a package of Brussels sprouts, a vegetable that I am only recently becoming very fond of. I remain in my room for the rest of the day and watch some of the series Blue Bloods while pounding keys on my computer. It is about ten this evening when I turn off the electronics and get into the horizontal.
(Day 255 TS) 46°F. 7:30 am, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 94
282 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bathroom for a hot shower and then don my summer blues. Next, I prepare my three cup meal after which I sit down at the board to eat while I pound keys. I continue here all day while outside the cold wet rains keeps flowing down from above. In the afternoon, the sun begins to break through and some of the parking lot begins to dry up. I walk outside to retrieve a few items from the jammer and the go inside to resume the key pounding.
Later today, I chop fresh vegetable, and after I sauté them in a skillet with olive oil, I then cook brown rice which I had let soak overnight. Next, I drain the rice, then mix in the sautéd vegetable and finally sit down to eat my e-meal while I continue my key pounding. Lastly, I turn get into the horizontal to read a chapter in the Bible before I turn off my electronics.
(Day 256 TS) 45°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 95
281 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues and then drive to the W-mart for coffee, com and computer. I continue here this morning and just before eleven this morning, Joann arrives and sits down next to me. She has asked me to look at her computer to get the bugs out of it. She gets it out and I run a couple of diagnostic apps to clean it up. Then we go on line with the computer and it works quite well. I next show Joann a few short cuts, then tell her to try the short cuts, which she does and likes them. She then thanks me, packs up and heads out to return home. I, too, pack out and return to my room.
Once I return to my room, I set up my computer and spend some time trying to get a social security form mailed to me, but after waiting on my phone for over an hour, I just go online and send the SSA an email requesting them to send the form. I really doubt that this will work, and the form does not have to be returned until December, so I have enough time to drive to the Social Security office in Mount Vernon to get the form.
At seven this evening, I connect to the Oak Harbor, Washington congregation for the mid-week meeting and after it is over, visit with the friends for a short time. Then, I say goodbye, leave the meeting and then begin preparing for my evenings rest.
(Day 257 TS) 41°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 96
280 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake here in the motel room for the forth day in a row, again after a somewhat rough night of sleep. I know that sleeping on this bed will soon become easier on me as I become re-accustomed to sleeping on the bed here. I arise, step out of bed, walk to the bathroom and take a hot shower, dry off, dress in my fall blues and then since my computer is open on the board, I decide to start my journal entry for this day. Let me sum up the reasons for my current three counts.
First, I have now spent eighty-three nights of my life in this room. Second, ever since my wife died on the tenth of July 2024, which by doing so has returned me to life as a single person and today, it has been for one hundred and six days of singleness. Third, the amount of time remaining during which I must continue here confined by these walls before I fulfill my lease agreement and be ale to return to the Journey On is 270 days.
There it is! These are the current counts in my life journey, the later of which is why I am marking time and adding to the first count. The Second count, the time spent without having scriptural marital ties is very new experience for myself, one which I have not know for more than half of my life and for the last thirty-seven years of it. Seeing that this years is my seventy-fifth year, I have decided that I would like to remain with this status for quite a long time to come.
Then, at nine this morning, I pack out of this room and drive to the W-mart for coffee, com and computer and remain here until the early afternoon at which time, I pack out, drive to my room where and park just outside. I carry my computer bag inside, set the bag on the board and then walk into the kitchen area where I begin preparations of a large salad. Once my meal is ready, I sit down a the board to eat and also get out my computer to pound keys. Later, I put my electronics away and retire for the evening,
(Day 258 TS) 54°F. 7:00 am, overcast and light rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 97
279 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, get up from the bed and walk to the bathroom for some hot water on my body. Then, I walk back to the front of the room and sit down at the board, turn on my computer, start pounding keys and begin my journal entry for today. A little later, I walk into the kitchen to boil water to make my three-cup meal
Outside, the temperature has warmed up from how it was earlier this week. Too, I have seen very few sunbreaks since returning to this island, but the skies have remained almost entirely overcast since returning from my camping in Oregon. I continue here all day with the day beginning with rain, and remaining overcast all day. Long after the sun sets, long after the sky turns dark, I turn off my electronics and get into the horizontal for the night.
(Day 259 TS) 50°F. 7:30 am, fog at first, then sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 98
278 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, walk to the bathroom, step into hot water, dress in my summer blues, prepare my three-cup f-meal, sit down at the board and begin pounding keys while eating my breakfast. The first of my endeavors upon the computer is to study for the meeting later this morning, and I do so upon my computer, not my phone. In a short period, it is time for the weekend morning worship and not having ample time to transfer the study notes to my phone, I decide to attend here in my room using the Zoom application instead of in person.
After the meeting, I say goodbye to the friends, leave the Zoom app, and then resume my keep pounding work. Late in the afternoon, I prepare my e-meal, chopping vegetables to which I add mustard and a can of yellow-fin tuna and mix. Then, I scoop ample amounts of this mixture onto a slice of sprouted bread. Finally, I carry the plate of food to the board to eat while I continue with my pursuit of updating pages on my website.
Finally, I get into the horizontal and close my eyes but sleep does not come until very late.
(Day 260 TS) 48°F. 9:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 99
277 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake to the bright sunlight coming in through the kitchen window, turn over and cover my head with a pillow only to then feel the strong urges to go to the bathroom. So, I rise, walk into the bathroom and get directly into the tub so that I can get under the hot water to soothe all of my many aches and pains. After the long soak, I step out, dry off and the don my clean clothes. Next, I fill the kettle with spring water, turn on the heat and begin preparing my three-cup f-meal, which when ready, I move the cups to the board and begin eating my breakfast with I continue pounding on the keyboard.
The daylight hours of this day lingers into the evening when the light of day fades, first to gray and finally to dark. Not long after that, I get into the horizontal and close my eyes.
(Day 261 TS) 46°F. 8:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 100
276 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower in hot water, dress in my fall blues, drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer but then realize that I forgot to grab my phone, so I do not stay very long and pack out to return to the room to retrieve my phone, coffee cup and shopping list. Next, I drive to the Dollar store to purchase paper napkins, tissue and alkaline water. After that, I return to the w-mart to purchase a cup of coffee and continue pounding keys on my computer.
Today, I review all of the Camping page templates and completed all of the updates on them, in which I used the triple-letter-link "III" for all of the Ecoregion Number place holder. Previously, I had used UUU for the Ecoregion Number place holder but long ago decided to change the UUU to III on all of my web pages. So, this is what I have completed today, all of the Camping Page Templates.
Next on my upgrade agenda is to begin updating all of the Geographical Regions page templates, which is another set of templates. However, that work is not for me to do here at this time, but is for another time, possibly later tonight or tomorrow. At four this afternoon, I pack out and drive back to my room.
Upon arriver back at the room, I immediately begin preparing my e-meal and when it is done, I sit down at the board to begin eating. While doing that, I also get out my computer and begin looking at what it will take to complete the next template set. Once I obtain an idea as to what is required, I get right into the work and am amazed that I can get it completed in just a couple of hours. Finally, I turn off the electronics and get into the horizontal.
(Day 262 TS) 47°F. 7:30 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 101
275 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, remain in be for a few more moments and then finally rise, walk to the bathroom for a hot shower, dry off, dress in my summer blues and then walk back to the board to turn my computer on and begin writing today′s journal for this dreary morning. Although currently there is no rain, it it windy and the dark ominous clouds portent of rain. I then check online to see when the bank is open and since it has already done so, I soon don my fall blues, pack out and drive to the bank to see if I can have a banker help me with setting up some automatic paying of bills.
I arrive at the bank, ask for help with setting up my automatic rent payment and Sara says that she will help me with setting it up. She walks me through the steps and made it so very easy to set it up. I told her that she know this so well, probably because she does it so often. She agrees and helps me to wrap it up. I leave there amazed at how easy she made it to seem. Then, I drive back to the room, step inside and return to my key pounding.
Sometime in the late afternoon, a sister and her study stop by to look at the room because the woman who is studying is looking for a place to rent. So, I let her walk through the room.
Around five-thirty this evening, I notice that the outside light is beginning to change to illuminate with gold tones. I pick up my phone, walk to the front door and when I open it, I see a very amazing
sunglow view.
Then, at seven this evening, I prepare a vegetable soup for my supper and enjoy it while watching a couple of videos. A little later, I read for a while in the book of Psalms and read from the Songs of Praise. Soon after, I get into the horizontal and turn off the lights for the night.
(Day 263 TS) 46°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 102
274 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress, carry my computer bag out to the jammer and then drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer. I remain here until ten-thirty at which time, drive to the Opportunity Council office by the tennis courts near the Kingdom Hall to apply for another pair of food and gasoline vouchers. Once I have the vouchers in hand, I then drive north on SH 20 across the
Deception Pass Bridge and continue east on SH 20 to Mount Vernon where stop at the d-mart to look for a pair of meeting trousers, but do not find one. I do purchase a bottle of callus remover, some organic vegetables, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herb tea and instant coffee. After shopping, I get back into the jammer and drive back the same route that got me here, arriving back at the room by five this evening.
I bring my grocery bags inside, unload the contents into their places and then begin preparing my e-meal which is broiled chicken and brown rice. When the food is finished cooking, I eat my meal on the board while I pound keys in order to complete today′s journal entry. Later, I get into the horizontal, close my eyes so as to sleep but again, on this evening, it is hard to achieve sleep.
(Day 264 TS) 46°F. 7:00 am, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 103
273 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bathroom, massage some of the callus remover onto my feet, after which I rinse with warm water. Then I stand up in the tub and take a hot shower, dry off, put on clean clothes and walk back to the board where I sit down and begin today′s journal entry.
After another day inside away from the dreary, rainy and cold day, I prepare my e-meal, and sit at the board pounding keys while I eat. Later, I turn off the computer and get into my bed for the night.
(Day 265 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 104
272 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot shower, food and hot drink, pounding keys, more food, then sleep.
(Day 266 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, overcast, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 105
271 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk into the bathroom for a foot scrub and a hot shower. Then, I dress in my summer blues after which I prepare my three-cup f-meal and then sit down at the board to eat while I study for the meeting later this morning.
Then, at nine this morning, I pack out to the jammer and drive to the dollar mart to purchase a new callus file in order to remove more of the build up of callus on my feet. After that stop, I drive to the Kingdom Hall, park and then go inside for the weekend meeting.
(Day 267 TS) 47°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 106
270 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, hot water, foot scrub, dress in my summer blues, boil water for my three-cup f-meal and sit down at the board to eat, drink hot coffee, check my com and pound keys to first begin my daily journal entry, after which I continue at the keyboard working on the current update to my website.
Another day in the life of a Wayƒarer comes to its end by turning off the electronics and getting into the horizontal to read for a time in the Bible.
(Day 268 TS) 45°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 107
269 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bathroom for hot water and then pack out to the jammer and like most days here in the Pacific Northwet, there lies considerable dew on the windshield, both inside and outside. I start the jammer and let the engine run with the defroster turn up to maximum. Too, I use several paper napkins to wipe much of the moisture from the inside of the windshield and when the windows have dried enough for me to see clearly, I drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer, while I greet several of my acquaintances I have made during my most recent sojourn here in the northwest corner of the contiguous 48 states.
After more than a few hours inside the cafe, I then pack out, drive to a ff-mart to purchase a burger, which I enjoy eating while I am driving back to my room.
(Day 269 TS) 44°F. 6:40 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 108
268 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bathroom for some hot water, after which I prepare my three-cup f-meal and then sit down at the board to eat while I pound keys to begin my journal entry.
(Day 270 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 109
267 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, walk into the bathroom and get into the hot water. While under the hot water, I notice that the tub drain is not working and the water begins to rise. So, I finish my shower, dry off and dress in my summer blues. Next, I prepare my three-cup meal, sit down at the board and begin eating. Then,at nine this morning, I pick up my phone and call the owner of the motel, Ken to tell him about the clogged drain. He asks me, "Is there hair in the drain?" to which I answer, "I do not know what is causing the blockage." He then tells me that he will have Doug stop by and fix the problem. Doug does come by around ten-thirty, asks me if I am leaving, to which I tell him, "No, I will be here all day." He then says to me, "I have got to go feed my dog and will be right back", and then he leaves.
However, I remain in the room all day, spending my time working on the monthly pre-formatted day-by-day files for my journal entries, completing the months of December 2024 through July 2025. Then, at six this evening, I prepare my e-meal consisting of brown rice, to which I add sautéed fresh finely chopped vegetables including: sweet potato, yellow onion, yellow squash, celery, ginger, cabbage, and mushrooms. Finally, I sprinkle on some of my spice mix, then stir and enjoy while I continue to pound keys.
At about eight this evening, I turn off the computer, pull back the sheets, climb into the bed and position myself into the horizontal. I then grab my phone and read for a time in the book of Psalms, after which I lay the phone on the bedside cabinet, roll over and close my eyes. Before sleep arrives, methinks, "The motel manager Doug never did return like he said he would, so, I will have to call the owner again."
(Day 271 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 110
266 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, walk into the kitchen area and begin boiling water for my three-cup meal. Methinks, "This is the first time that I have not had a hot shower in the morning for more than three months. I finish my f-meal preparations, carry the three cups to the board and begin pounding keys whilst eating my breakfast. When the time approaches nine o′clock, I pick up my phone and call the motel owner to let him know that the manager, Doug did not stop by to unclog the tub. He replied, "I will get him to come there this morning."
At ten this morning, I see Doug walking across the parking lot, so I get up from my seat at the board, unlock the front door and let him in. He has in his hand a drill-driver with a Philips-head screw-bit attached. He walks directly into the bathroom, sits on the tub ledge and begins to unscrew the two screws of the overflow cover plate which has the drain trip-lever. Then he pulls on the plate and it comes out together with the connector and the drain stopper. All along. I was watching what he was doing and taking mental notes. Once he has the overflow-drain mechanism out of the overflow pipe, the tub immediately begins to drain the standing water. What was totally amazing to me is that the entire procedure only took about two or three minutes. Methinks, I can not believe how my entire routine was totally disrupted for more than twenty four hours by such a minor malfunction. What did I learn from this event?
Well, I must say that the most important response, no matter how bad the situation appears, no matter how hard my life becomes because of any mishap that occurs, is for me to Remain Calm. So, what is it that I mean by keeping calm? First, this would be that I remain unaffected and not allow my mind race with the many consequences that may come about by the mishap. Second, I must needs maintain my equilibrium in such a way as not to try to devise plans of which others have put into effect to bring this mishap upon myself. Third, I must needs remain composed, not allow myself to panic and not begin devising ways in which I would retaliate to all of those plans in my thinking that others may have devised against me.
(Day 272 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 111
265 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, hot shower, boil water, eat Daystart, sip hot coffee, pound keys, and after that forty-eight hour disruption, I am back in my regular routine again.
Again, I remain inside for the entire day pounding keys and continuing to work on the pre-formatted journal entry files and inserting them into their locations in Chapter Fifteen:
Part Four,
Part Five and
Part Six of The Quest for the Solace. Then, I exposed only the Date-header paragraph of the first and last day within each Chapter Part as well as the Date-header paragraph of some of the more notable celestial events within each one-hundred day Chapter Part. As of today′s date, I have completed all of the pre-formatted journal entry files through to Day One of the Journey On, which occurs on
(Day 537 TS) on Friday, 01 August 2025 and upon this date, I will be when I will start the new period called Journey On, Return to the Mountain.
(Day 273 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 112
264 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, walk into the bathroom for a hot shower, then prepare my three-cup meal and when the meal is ready, I carry it to the board, sit down and begin eating my meal while pounding keys. Later, I connect to the Kingdom Hall and join in with the week-end meeting. After the meeting ends, I resume my key pounding.
Later, I turn off the computer, climb into the bed and get in the horizontal for the night.
(Day 274 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 113
263 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bathroom for hot water and then pack out to the jammer. There is considerable dew on the windows and I let the jammer engine run with the defroster turn up to maximum. Too, I use several paper napkins to wipe much of the moisture from the inside of the windshield.
Then, when the glass is dry enough for me to see clearly, I put the transmission into drive and head out across the parking lot to SE City Beach Street, turn left, drive the few feet to SE Pioneer Way, turn right and drive to the first traffic light at SH 20 where I turn left onto SE Beeksma Drive and drive one block to SW Bayshore Drive where I turn right and drive to the second parking lot entrance where I then park in the coffee house parking lot. This is the driving path that I have used whenever, in the morning, I choose to leave the room and drive to the cafe for coffee, com, and computer. Too, I have been driving this same route most ever since Day
162 TS, which was my
Sojourn Within Walls, Day One.
Now, I have arrived at a new milepost in the marking time routine, the one hundredth day within walls, making this confinement seem somewhat closer to its end. Too, fast approaching is the Winter Solstice and the beginning of winter. Furthermore, here in the Pacific Northwest, the daytime hours continue to slowly shortening, while the daytime temperature are slowly decreasing. So, with two hundred and fifty-three days remaining until the Journey On, I now have about about eight and a half months to wait. Therefore, yes, I have decided to leave being a Northwest Islander after the rental lease comes to its end.
After pounding keys for most of this day, I then leave the cafe, return back along my ever so traveled path here within the City of Oak Harbor, Washington, returning to my room, so that I can prepare my supper, eat, read in my Bible, and then prepare for my time in the horizontal.
(Day 275 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 114
262 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, dress in my fall blues, drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer.
After a day within the cafe, I finally pack out and drive back to my room for my evening meal, Bible reading and then getting into the horizontal.
(Day 276 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 115
261 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Another day begins, but this one only has me remain within the walls of my room where I work most all day on the pages of my web site.
I have begun working in the Mountain Passage and on the Earth Gallery which before was primarily the Geological features of the Earth. However, since I have come to realize that these Geological features, even though some are in fact wondrous on their own, I have only this year determined the need to change my menu from just the Geological, but to a new menu list which now will include: Geochronology, the Geographical and also the Geological. Then, each of these menu links will direct the reader to a separate web page, on which each will have additions information with a variety of links to direct all to even more information and gallery pages. There is still much to do to connect all the links together and to upgrade all of the subsequent pages.
(Day 277 TS) 50°F. 7:30 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 116
260 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, dress in my fall blues, pack out my computer bag to the jammer and then drive out of town north on SH 20 to Sharps Corner roundabout then west on SH 20 to IH 5 in Burlington, Washington at which location, I take the south bound entrance, drive south across the Skagit River and then take exit 227 and turn right at West College Way, then right again on Freeway Drive.
Next, I drive north on Freeway Drive about one quarter mile and then left into the parking lot of the local D-mart, park and then walk inside to do some grocery shopping for several of my normal food stores. Immediately after that, I drive to the Social Security Office to drop off a form that I have completed, but the security guard tells me that instead of waiting for hours, he hands me a self-addressed stamped envelope for me to put the form in and then drop in the mail. So, I take the envelope and walk back out to the jammer. After that, because the first g-mart, although having the cheapest pricing does not offer for purchase several items which I include as part of my regular food staples, so I then have need to drive another twenty-five miles to Bellingham, Washington and then leave the interstate at exit 253, the Lakeway drive exit where I drive into an hf-mart, park, walk inside and purchase several more of the items that have come to be my staple foods. Once I purchase these items, I return to the jammer and begin the drive back south on the Five, then west on SH 20 to the turn-a-round at Sharps Corner and next south on SH 20 to
Deception Pass, then over the
Bridge and in doing so, cross from Skagit county into Island County. I continue driving south to Oak Harbor, then turn on SE Barrington Drive, then right on SE City Beach Street
(Day 278 TS) 41°F. 7:30 am, partly sunny
Full
Beaver Moon 21:29 UTC, 13:29 PST
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 117
259 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot shower, dress, drive my route to the cafe and park. Then, I walk inside for coffee, com and computer. Once I am sipping on the hot brew, I resume my work on the three Earth-Geo directories and remain here until around two this afternoon. I pack out and then go to the local Grocery Outlets in order to finish off my grocery shopping with the purchase of the fresh vegetables that are on my regular list of food stores. Finally, I return to my room, carry the grocery bags inside and stow the food in the refrigerator.
After that, I sit down at the board,set up my computer and return to pounding keys.
(Day 279 TS) 50°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 118
258 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
(Day 280 TS) 50°F. 7:30 am, rain
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 119
257 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, walk to the bathroom for a hot shower, dress in my summer blues and then walk back to the table to open my computer and read the
Daily Text. Once I have finished my reading and looking up the verses, I recall how the main verse, Proverbs 14:7 compares well on those verses I have included in my definition of a
Wayƒarer.
Then, when I am done with my Daily Text, my phone alarm goes off to remind me to get ready for the weekend meeting, so I stop pounding keys and prepare myself for the impending meeting. But atlas, that meeting arrives ever so quickly, even before I am able to boil water and prepare my f-meal.
However, during the middle song, I walk into the kitchen and put on a pot of water. Then, when the water boils, I return to the kitchen and pour the water into the three cups that I had previously prepared. I then return to the board carrying my f-meal and continue watching the meeting on the zoom app. When the meeting has finished, I say good bye and disconnect from the meeting app. I then return to working on my web site and continue doing so for the remaining part of this day.
When I become tired, I stop, close my computer, get ready for bed and soon after, I get horizontal.
(Day 281 TS) 39°F. 8:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 120
256 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, walk to the bathroom for a hot shower, then I dress in my summer blues and walk back to the board to begin pounding keys. I put off eating until about eleven this morning when I walk into the kitchen to boil water and prepare my three-cup f-meal. While I eat my breakfast, I continue to pound keys and work on my geographical map of Africa by adding names to the several areas and regions.
(Day 282 TS) 50°F. 8:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 121
255 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues, pack out to the jammer and then drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer. At about eleven, three of the the witnesses stop for a coffee break and I talk with one sister for a short time. I continue here until the early afternoon, when I then pack out and drive next door to the g-mart to purchase a few items. Next, I drive back to my room, pack my gear inside and prepare something to eat. Afterwards, I sit down at the board to eat and resume working on my computer.
Later, I stop, turn off the computer and get into the horizontal to read for a while and then watch some videos. After a time, I turn off the light and turn over.
(Day 283 TS) 43°F. 7:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 122
254 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, pack out and drive to the hardware store and the o-mart looking for a bottle of camp soap but to no avail. I then stop at the ff-mart for a double meat burger and after eating, return to my room for the day and return to pounding keys and the work on the three new third level menus of
The Earth Gallery, which from henceforth shall be three studies of the Earth: Geochronology; Geographical; and Geological. I continue with this work throughout the day and right up until it is time for me to get into the bed. Thus, I stop, turn off the electronics, get into the horizontal and close my eyes.
I have to get up, walk outside to retrieve the prescription cream that I had previously received to fight the fungus that was in my left leg, an infection I got years ago when falling on a cactus. The infection only recently has flared back up and has caused a constant itching on my left shin just above the ankle. Once I apply the cream, it is easier for me to sleep.
(Day 284 TS) 43°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 123
253 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
I awake late this morning because of how it was hard to get to sleep last night. I arise, walk into the bathroom and get under the hot water. Then, I dress in my summer blue and begin my f-meal preparations. When the water boils and the three-cup meal is done, I carry the three cups to the board and begin eating while I return to pounding keys on my computer. I remain here all day pounding keys and working on the web site.
At six-fifty, I connect to the mid-week meeting, sign in and visit with the friends while we wait for it to begin. Then, afterwards, those of us connected with the Zoom app talk and all too soon, I greet everyone goodbye.
(Day 285 TS) 44°F. 8:00 am, overnight rain, midday sun
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 124
252 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, walk into the bathroom for a hot shower, after which I walk to the board, turn on my computer and resume the ongoing work of this Gallery. Today, my work begins with the completion of the nineteen pages of the North American continent Geographical Regions pages, which are the
nineteen fifth level menus that represent those nineteen regions. After those were completed, I then continue my work on updating the associated menu pages with the three new third level menus of the Earth Gallery. Still, I have a very large collection of pages within the sixth level that still need to be updated. Thus, as the day proceeds into the afternoon, my updating work continues apace.
(Day 286 TS) 43°F. 8:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 125
251 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, hot shower, walk to the board, turn on my computer and begin pounding keys to start my journal entry for this day. I remain inside all morning, but in the early afternoon, I pack out for a quick trip to the g-mart to purchase sprouted grain bread but upon checking, find that the store shelf is completely devoid of any.
I leave there, drive to the dollar mart and pick up eight rolls of toilet paper, three 150-count packs of napkins and two packages of peanut butter crackers. Then, I drive back to the room, stow the paper goods and return to my work on the countless sixth-level pages that currently have place within my depiction of the Earth′s geographical regions.
Then, after working well into the dark side of this day, I turn off my computer, close the lid, and stow the device in the appropriate sleeve in the all leather bag. Finally, I get into the horizontal and read the Bible using my phone app, after which, I turn off the lights, the electronics, pull the coverer up over my shoulders and close my eyes.
(Day 287 TS) 41°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 126
250 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, walk to the bathroom, turn on the hot water and step into the tub for a shower. Afterwards, I dress in my summer blues, walk to the board and turn on my computer to begin another entry in my daily journal. Once I am caught up, I upload the journal log to the internet and then begin preparing for the weekend meeting. I get dressed; pants, shirt, tie and then go out to the jammer to retrieve my dress shoes. I look where their place is but do not find the shoes.
I then begin systematically searching through each section of the van but still do not find the dress shoes. Afterwards, I walk back inside and search through the room, look under the bed and and all places throughout the room, but to no avail. Finally, I close up the jammer, walk back into the room, turn on my computer and connect to the meeting using my Zoom app. Then, while waiting for the meeting to begin, I walk into the kitchen, boil water and prepare my three-cup f-meal. Once the meal is made ready, I sit down at the board to eat and to watch the meeting as it progresses. The meeting begins with a public talk and as I am listening, methinks, I have not looked in my dresser which has three drawers, so I pull open the bottom to find three pairs of pants, then pull open the middle drawer to find my shorts and underwear, and finally, when I open the top drawer, I find my dress shoes together with a pair of socks. I turn back to the computer and continue listening to the meeting, while I eat my f-meal and sip on the hot coffee.
(Day 288 TS) 41°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 127
249 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
(Day 289 TS) 39°F. 8:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 128
248 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues, pack out to the jammer and then drive to the g-mart to located a loaf of sprouted bread, still to no avail. Next, I drive to a ff-mart for a breakfast burrito and a cup of hot coffee and eat the food inside at a table. Then, I drive to the hc-mart but find that the store is closed until tomorrow morning, so, I return to my room to await until another day.
Once back in my room, I open up my computer and return to my key pounding.
(Day 290 TS) 40°F. 8:00 am, overcast
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 129
247 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my fall blues, pack out to the jammer and drive to the ff-mart for a breakfast burrito and a cup of coffee. After eating, I then drive to the hc-mart and sign in to get in line for my hair to be cut. After my turn, I pack out and then drive to the g-mart for a loaf of sprouted grain bread. Finally, I drive back to my room, carry my computer and grocery bags into the room and soon after that, I begin pounding keys for one more long day of updating my website.
After a very long day of pounding keys, I turn off the electronics and get into the horizontal.
(Day 291 TS) 38°F. 8:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 130
246 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my summer blues, turn on my computer and begin my journal entry for this day, after which, I then walk back to the rear of the room to put water in the kettle to boil and then start preparing my three-cup f-meal. When the water boils, I turn off the electric power, pick out the kettle and pour the right amount into each of the three cups. Next, I put the kettle into the dish drain and invert it so as to drain any residual water out. Finally, I carry my three-cup meal to the board and while the hot drinks cool off a little bit, I resume my key pounding to initiate another day of updating my web pages within the
Geographical Region gallery, in which I am now working on updating in the
Great Plains Region, the forth of nineteen Regions on the North American continent.
In the early afternoon, I put on my fall blues, pack out of the motel room and drive to the dollar-mart to purchase a package of brown rice and a few other packaged foods. As I drive through town, I see that most every business is closed because today is a holiday. It is always eerie on holidays as most all people are taking a break from this world. After I acquire my intended purchases, I then return to my room, carry the grocery bag inside, return to my summer blues and then resume my key pounding for the rest of the day.
At seven this evening, I connect to the mid-week meeting using my Zoom app and listen in on the parts. Afterwards, I get into the horizontal and fall asleep.
(Day 292 TS) 40°F. 7:30 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 131
245 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, dress in my summer blues and begin pounding on my keyboard. At eight-thirty, I stop the key-pounding and walk to the rear of the room to prepare my f-meal. Then, I return to the board to eat and resume pounding keys, keeping busy at the current update for the rest of this day. By three this afternoon, I have finished the forth region and then begin working on the fifth region, the
Interior Lowlands Region.
I continue inside the room all day working to complete the current region and then after having my e-meal, I put away my computer and get into the horizontal. Just another cold day in the pacific northwest.
(Day 293 TS) 39°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 132
244 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, hot shower, boil water, prepare my three-cup meal and sit down at the table to eat and pound keys.
(Day 294 TS) 37°F. 7:00 am, sunny
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 133
243 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, walk to the bathroom for a hot shower and then dress in my summer blues. Then, I sit down at the board, open my phone and study for the meeting, which study is about the three parables of Jesus with respect to what his followers should be doing in these last days. When that is done, I use my computer and begin pounding keys to start my journal entry for this day. At nine this morning, I dress for the meeting, pack out to the jammer and drive to the ff-mart for coffee and a breakfast burrito.
Then, I drive to the hall, park, walk inside and enjoy the fellowship and the meeting. Afterwards, I drive back to the room, pack my gear inside and set up my computer at the board. Then, I get out something to eat and begin pounding keys while enjoying my m-meal. I have already completed the first seven of the nineteen regions and today will resume working on the eighth geographical region. After the eighth region is finished, I then initiate another major change before I resume my work on the current upgrade. More later. I continue working on the project until late tonight.
Finally, I do the horizontal thing and close my eyes for the night.
(Day 295 TS) 36°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 134
242 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, arise, dress in my summer blues and sit down at the board. Ever since I have been living in this room, now approaching four months, I have each day taken a shower first thing in the morning, mostly because I could and it was always there; however, today, I did not. I am not sure why, but I just felt that I did not want to take a shower this morning. Maybe the reason is because I am not doing any physical work and thus do not sweat; or maybe the reason is because I am just tired of taking showers every day. Nevertheless, I have begun this day somewhat out of the ordinary, apart from the regular, disjunctive from my routine and still, I just do not the reason why.
Still, I continue the other items associated with my everyday routine, particularly, those involving eating, hot drinks and key pounding. Then, at about one this afternoon, I get out my broom to sweep the floor, then I do a quick wet mop with a disposable-pad mop, after which I install a new pad on the mop, spay some of a liquid wax product onto the floor and then, using the mop, spread it around onto the surface of the floor. Next, while I wait for the wax to dry, I return to the board to continue pounding keys.
(Day 296 TS) 35°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 135
241 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake to another very cold day and choose to remain inside all day, well, except for during mid-day when the temperature rises into the high 40s when I go out to the jammer to retrieve a couple of items. I spend this entire day occupied with my current website update, that of revising the region maps and pages. This is a very tedious and prolonged update which I have been working on for many days. I am just glad that I have a room and a board wherein I can work undisturbed to accomplish this undertaking.
(Day 297 TS) 37°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 136
240 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, eat, pound keys, read the Bible and finally sleep.
(Day 298 TS) 43°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 137
239 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, shower, prepare my f-meal, eat breakfast, pound keys, eat my m-meal, more key pounding, more food, again, more key pounding until after the dark overcomes the sky, then taking a break from the journal work for some spiritual association and meeting, after which it is time to get into the horizontal.
(Day 299 TS) 41°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 138
238 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, walk into the bathroom for a hot shower, dress in my summer blues and sit down at the board to begin today′s journal entry as well as to catch up on a couple of previous days where I missed adding my journal entries. Once the journal entries are up to date, I then return to work on the pages and maps of the
Rocky Mountains Region Index, which is the sixth of the nineteen geographical regions of North America.
(Day 300 TS) 43°F. 6:00 am, sunny and clear
Sojourn Within Walls, Day 139
237 Days Until Journey On
Sleeping in Room 7
Awake, rise, walk into the bathroom for a hot shower and after a somewhat long soak, I dry off, dress, return to the board to begin my journal entry. Soon after that, I walk into the sink area and prepare my f-meal, which when done I carry it to the board and eat whilst I resume pounding keys. The work on my current website upgrade is directed primarily to the state maps, which amounts to editing each map to upgrade to the new geographical region numbering order that progresses from north down.
In the early evening, I become overly tired, so I stop work my website work and get into the horizontal to watch a couple of videos. After that, I read in the Bible for a time. Finally, I turn off my phone and close my eyes.
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This Page Last Updated: 31 March 2025
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