STERNWHEELER PARK; La Center-WA

August 8th: Everything was creeping along today, in slo-mo: including me.

My lower back was on fire when I woke up this morning - I want the repairs on Independence to be done asap (!) … my spine needs that massaging memory foam mattress for lumbar support, and both our lungs need the adjustable, electric bed frame.

PAIN-PAIN-PAIN; fused tail bone.

Sacralization = Fused Tailbone:  (https://www.healthline.com/health/sacralization & https://www.healthline.com/health/si-joint-stretches)

I want my bed back! Asap!!

Seven weeks on this motel mattress is wrecking my back :-(

Walking across the motel room had me sweating and moaning with the pain burn; Holland wanted to call off the Park visit … but I said, "No, Hon; I need to walk. Walking will actually ease the pain, some. I want to go - I need to go." He wasn't so sure. But, in the end, he agreed.

Walking is a quick and low-impact exercise for lower back pain; walking is gentler on the sacroiliac joint than running or jogging, and has the added benefit of being easy to fit into a regular schedule: and has a low injury rate.

Holland prefers the freeway, but bridge work in Woodland is still crawling along; so Holland drove the back road to La Center - (((YIPPIE!)))

Back roads are my favorite drives to get anywhere … and I like this particular drive. I've been missing it :-)

Destination route: 12 min (6 mi) via E CC St. & NW Pacific Hwy-WA

La Center — Thumbnail History:

https://dev.historylink.org/File/9450

This Park is located in the heart of La Center - directly across from the 'Last Frontier Poker Room' Casino: in the past, Holland did work on this casino following a gruesome incident that required clean-up work and repair work.

He pulled into a parking area, and I suggested he leave me at this spot and park across the way - where I'd join him at the end of the trail: the upper trail I could see didn't seem too long to walk.

We veered off in different directions …

Something new.

Sternwheeler Park: #100 W 4th St, La Center, WA

Pretty Butterfly Bush.

I had assumed that the trail would begin with a gentle sloping footpath; I was unprepared for a back-jarring decent.

The Park path began at the foot of tiered steps.

But, I was game.

I'm starting here …

The Park has a nice layout … and features, along the trails.

The brick spaces need to be refilled.

Sunny 'Stella De'Oro' Daylilies.

'Black-eyed Susan's'; Rudbeckia.

Holland keeping a careful eye on his stubborn wife's progress ;-)

The back burn wasn't as bad as when I started - but I was feeling relief that the trail was ending. Normally, I would stretch walking out, but today would not be a good day to do that.

Thinking I would be joining Holland soon, I was surprised when the snaky brick-paved trail led away from Holland & Betsy, before it brought me back to them.

Interesting little sculpture grove …

Giant carved mushroom.

Moss-backed tadpoles & smiling mama frog ;-)

More walking trails with a Gazebo & carved Eagle.

History Info Plaque

La Center-WA, Steamer Era: (https://www.pacific-hwy.net/steamers.htm) & 

Captain Minnie Mae Mossman Hill: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnie_Mossman_Hill)

Log Flume: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_flume)

& River Pig: 

(https://www.pearldistrictportfolio.com/pearl-district-news/whats-a-river-pig & https://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/587)

By the time I wove my way back over the hilly switch-back trails, to where I had seen Betsy parked (a grand total of 12 minutes from start to finish), I was covered with a sheen of sun induced sweat, as well as pain burn sweat … but when Holland looked at me with his empathetic tender brown eyes, I felt beautiful in a way that only my husband can make me feel :-)

Fun, but it's good and done ;-)

And Holland has a surprise for me: he extended my out-of-house experience further, by driving up W 4th Street and into the countryside a while before turning around and heading back to Woodland.

Love in action :-D

As we neared Woodland, he asked, "Do you feel up to going to the river for a bit?"

Yes!

We drove to Austin Point, and sat for a while listening to the gentle lapping of the river waves - and watched a dredger deepen the Columbia River's shipping channel, for a while.

The day was sunny, and unfolded with a peaceful vibe.

Osprey nest still empty.

A schooner close to shore …

The dredger turned around very quick.

Boating season brings questions about maintenance of Columbia River, its tributaries:

https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jun/17/boating-season-brings-questions-about-maintenance-of-columbia-river-its-tributaries/

Port of Woodland will review the potential of riverside development:

https://www.thereflector.com/stories/port-of-woodland-will-review-the-potential-of-riverside-development,300139

Dragonflies flitted all around Betsy …

… and Holland batted his camo hat around, to shoo sand wasps out of Betsy's cab, so I wouldn't get stung (I'm severely allergic to bee, wasp, hornet, yellow jacket, ect. stings).

Sand Wasps: (https://www.angi.com/articles/wasp-types.htm)

Leaving the river behind on our way homeward, we saw several herons in the freshly gleaned fields … and freeway traffic, still crawling forward as bridge work creeps along :-(

A heron in the field; there were many.

Freeway traffic was still creeping along …