mile 3779

Hallo people, friends, first let you know there are no pictures today because we were riding all day in steady stream of rain.  But this was not all the excitement we had today.  It was a day with mixed emotions.
The day started pretty well as we had beaten the rain in breaking the tent down and packing the bike.  But upon pressing the starter all I got was a clunk, and nothing more.  I had left the whole night the ignition on with all lights, the radio, and all the electronics plugged in to get recharged.  So this morning the batterie was completely drained, and regardless how much Elke pushed me down the hill and along the straights on the campsite roads, we could not get the bike started.  So no worries, have Roadside Assistance with my HOG membership, call them and they can send someone to give us a jump start.  Wishful thinking, because as I learned they will provide all other services, but no jump starts as they had batteries explode in doing so.  Nevertheless the agent offered me to get towed to the next HD dealership, but I rather decided not so.  In the meantime it started to rain like hell, and a guy from Texas on the camp ground found me a charger, Thank you (and I confirm everything is bigger there!).  So I learned where the batterie is located on my bike, what to take away and apart to get there and got it charged (off course on high Amp charge, because we were burning daylight already, our early start was already gone).  Once this was done, the batterie back installed and the bike packed again, we were wet like dogs and dripping off rain.  With finally two hours delay we were on our way, the rain had stabilized itself and was coming down now in a constant flow, so our original plan was altered in going a more southern route (because I think it is a bit lighter there) instead of the northern route along the Canadian border.  But just some miles down the road I realize the Intercom is not working again (did I forget to connect some wires back), and the iPod was also not playing anymore.  Anyway a couple of miles further was a HD dealership, perhaps they can look at it or give me a dry shelter to do myself.  But the courtesy to travelers of some HD dealerships is how should I say, rather limited, and so I leave with the problems unattended and for me to ponder during the ride through the rain what could have gone wrong.  As it dawned on me some more miles down those foggy, rainy roads (what else could you think off as you couldn't see any of the mountain scenery), it was all a question of menu settings.  So with that solved, we went to Coeur d'Alene, ID to solve some banking issues, as our bank had canceled Elke's and mine Credit and Debit cards because of a possible fraud attack on our accounts.  The new ones issued to our home address are not serving anyone, so we needed a resolution to this problem, and what better than including that into this day (as we haven't had enough excitement already). But thanks to Julia and Teena at the bank, and some cooperation of Tori at House of Harley Davidson in Anchorage we got that solved as well, and the day looked a bit brighter.  Our attempt to get some quarter in Coeur d'Alene was of no success as they have an Ironman race this weekend, and in Spokane, WA we also got the runaround as they have a hoop festival this weekend.  But we got the luck of the Irish and found a dry place to put our heads done, and after a hot shower the day looked already brighter.
So all in all it was not a bad day, we made against all odds still some good distance, and the rain did not  break our spirit (once again).  Just a couple of hundred miles more, and we will be changing direction and crossing in to British Columbia (or as one friend said, "... go west until you hit the ocean, then turn right".

"It's all nonsense.  It's only nonsense.  I'm not afraid of the rain.  I am not afraid of the rain.  Oh, oh, God, I wish I wasn't." - Ernest Hemingway