Monthly Archives: April 2014

Vaccinations and stuff sorting

Our vaccination certificates

Our vaccination certificates – some countries require proof before entry!

A couple weeks back, we had some sore arm muscles. That is because we each got 4 shots on the same day! Daisy got vaccinated against Yellow Fever, Tetanus (Tdap), Flu, and Rabies. I got vaccinated against Yellow Fever, Typhoid Fever, Flu, and Rabies. Daisy is also doing a pill-dose for Typhoid Fever. Does that sounds like enough to you?

It was actually all quite pleasant (relatively speaking). We didn’t have any adverse reactions, other than a red spot for Daisy for a couple days. The worst part was definitely the cost! The Rabies vaccination is $250, and there are three doses. However, rabies is one of the most necessary, since we’ll be going through areas with many stray dogs and the cure must be applied within 24 hrs. (Not very easy in a rural area.) Also, the Yellow Fever vaccine was necessary, because several countries require proof before entry. All told, we’ll break $1000 each for all of these vaccinations. This was surprising to me, since that is about half the cost of each bicycle!

The ever-growing pile of stuff to sell or give away

The ever-growing pile of stuff to sell or give away

 

 

We are also starting to decide which stuff will be stored and which stuff will be sold. It is a big job!

 

 

 

Last hike with Hamlet in Rothrock State Forest

Last hike with Hamlet in Rothrock State Forest

Last weekend was our last time with Hamlet. In the next 2 weeks, he will be matched with his partner and be trained job-specific tasks to finish his service dog training. We are proud of how he is an excellent helper!

 

Hamlet loves running through the water

Hamlet loves running through the water

A quick trip to Boston

At the top of Bussey hill in the Arnold Arboretum

Jason, Lori, Ryan, and Daisy at the top of Bussey hill in the Arnold Arboretum. I didn’t get the memo that we were supposed to wear red rain jackets.

Last weekend we went to visit our friends Ryan and Lori in Boston.  We really wanted to see them before we left on the trip, because once we are out of Pennsylvania it will become very difficult to visit our friends on the East Coast.  It was a very long drive, but worth it.

Jason and I have 7 bicycles between us, which seems a little over the top, but they really had us beat!  Twelve!  This worked to our advantage, because there were high-quality spares for a ride through Boston.

Ryan got the bikes all ready, but there was one problem – I was too tall so the seat needed to be raised. OK, so that really wasn’t a problem, but the problem was that the seat was stuck and didn’t want to be raised! With great effort Ryan pulled the seat up while I tried to hold it down. After significant effort and some chain lube we got it to a point where my long legs were satisfied.

bikes!

The battle to raise the bike seat

Our ride through Boston was great. We saw a bunch of different neighborhoods, and rode along the Charles River and one of it’s offshoots. We had lunch at “Grass Fed” which was a fun burger joint, and even had some beet fries. As it started to drizzle, we came back to Cambridge via a bike path along one of the train lines.

Delicious seafood feast!

Delicious seafood feast!

On the way back to their apartment, we stopped at a seafood market. Ryan and Lori bought a spread of fish, squid, scallops, and mussels. They prepared a seafood feast that night for dinner! Yum! We had ceviche, squid-ink pasta, pan-seared scallops, steamed mussels, and fried squid. Needless to say, it was delicious.

Daisy made a new friend!

Daisy made a new friend!

Thanks, Lori and Ryan for a great weekend. We look forward to more biking and visits in the future!

Dehydrated food feast

dehydrated food choices

Six different dehydrated food choices from the Bellingham Co-op

For most of our year-long cycling adventure we will pass through towns frequently enough to restock with fresh food.  In Alaska, however, there will sometimes be four or five days between towns.  We will go even longer between towns big enough to have fully-stocked grocery stores!  To prepare for this, we decided to do a taste-test of dehydrated foods available at the Co-op in Bellingham, WA.

tasting the rehydrated foods

Jason in the midst of the taste test.

On the tasting list:

  • Sweet Corn Chowder
  • Kettle Chili
  • Corn and Black Bean Chowder
  • Couscous Lentil Curry
  • Lentils, Rice, and Indian Spice
  • Curry Lentil Soup

Most of them needed salt, pepper and oil.  The corn and black bean chowder was pretty weird.  In general, though, they were pretty tasty!

Our favorites were the Kettle Chili and the Curry Lentil Soup.  We also know from previous experience that dehydrated black beans with Mexican seasoning are tasty.  The other lentil dishes were also good, but we decided to stick with pure legumes.  We will take a pound each of the chili, lentil soup, and black beans to Alaska to sustain us in the cold.

Combined with rice, cheese, onion, and carrots these dehydrated legumes will seem like a feast!  I am sure Jason will also add spicy powder to everything…

Re-hydrated foods!

Re-hydrated foods!

dog sleep on a chair

Hamlet, comfortable & sleeping on our chair

 

PS – Hamlet is still here with us!  He is recovering nicely from his kennel cough, and getting lots of naps.  Today he snuck into the closet where we keep his food and helped himself to about two days worth.  Now he is sleeping it off…