A day in Paradise

Monday, June 6th.
Paradise, CA to Oroville, CA

Morning camp at aquatic park with fishing pond (for children under 15 yrs) and a swimming pool.

Talked with neighbors, homeless people and ate a beans and bread breakfast.

Surprised no one called the cops on me. Once again, there were neighborhood people on walks and I'm blatantly sleeping out in full view. I have my blankets spread out on several picnic tables. Cars in the parking lot facing me. Children on the playground. I'm surprised they don't care. "I hope no one calls the cops, you're not causing any harm," lady tells me.

Sprinklers got me at 2:30 am. Powerful streams with coverage from all sides. I heard them and tarped my bike right away. Bike was locked to a picnic table with saddle bags and shoes- I couldn't move all that in time, so I had to cover them first.

Then I got hosed before I could roll up my bed. I was still wearing my sleeping bag but the water went through it like a screen door. When you are wet, you are cold.

The sprinklers made one round. I looked for any spot that was still dry. A pale damp strip under the picnic table. Threw all my wet bedding underneath and ducked there for cover.

After second round of coverage from four sides, it was clear the table was not dry enough to wait out the storm. After the big stream made its pass, I emerged from below. Bodyguarded my backpack with mobile devices inside, took that with me, and walked around the sentinel sprinklers. The bathroom building stayed unlocked at night and it was warm.

I sat on the John for a while to restore sense. I had heard the sprinklers working on the far edge of the park at midnight. Wasn't sure what to expect, whether I could just throw the tarp over and wait it out, or if I could get up and move when the neighboring lawn got wet, before my turn. I was too tired to care, really.

Surprise sprinklers would be a good army training exercise, I think. You gotta do some fast thinking the few seconds before water impact. You gotta prioritize the important things to protect. You gotta plan an escape and reach safety.

I did pretty well overall. Except one dummy thing I embarrassed myself with. I thought about the sprinkler punching my crotch when I tried to jump over its stream. If it was a war scenario, I probably would've done fine, all except for the getting myself shot and killed part.

There was a long bug swimming in the toilet. I washed some of the greasy sweat out of my hair. In half an hour, the sprinklers moved on somewhere else and I returned to camp.

I surveyed the damage. Bedding: soaked through. Bags and blankets under bike tarp: slightly moist, but usable. Tarp itself: slick and waterproof.

I spread my wet bedding on the picnic tables to dry. Wore my hoodie that was wet, but kept me sorta warm. Lay on my tarp, threw a sherpa blanket over me. I wondered if the sprinklers would make a return pass - then my only remaining warmth would be wet and I would really be screwed. But they didn't and I slept.

The wet clothes warmed up with my body heat a little - it was a warm 70 F night. When I woke up, I was still wet.

Sunday, June 5th
Chico, CA to Paradise, CA

Getting into Paradise was a workout. Honey Run road jogs out of Chico past some farms and a historic covered bridge.

A nice lady walking her dog found me camped at the edge of her property. At first I thought she was upset, and maybe she was, but when she returned with coffee with some toast, we got to sharing stories and she didn't mind.

Sunday morning was an annual pancake breakfast held on the bridge, with antique cars, motorcycle enthusiasts, and balloon animals.

Then the road stops playing, and goes up 1500 ft into Paradise. They hold a race into town, recently in late April it seemed from the fresh graffiti on the road cheering on bicyclists from their loved ones. One lane road for both directions of cars, curving and climbing. But people know there's bicyclists. It was safe.

My body overheating was a bigger issue. But I made it. Drank about six large sodas at McDonald's and needed to camp in the bathroom to ease my bladder.

A 'Cozy Diner' in town had a weekend buffet special. Their BBQ ribs were delicious and so were the battered fries. Pie was heavenly.

I timed my dinner to catch the fourth quarter of basketball game, and the Mexican staff let me switch channels on the TV after their soccer team won 3-1. Golden State Warriors laid a similar spanking on the Cleveland Cavaliers 110 - 77. Every horse a winner.

It was a local diner. Three or four parties in the room, mostly old people who were regulars. The waiter turned the screen so it was facing right at me and turned up the volume. Real personal service.

I set out at 8 pm, intending to play slots at a casino in Oroville, two hours down the road. But as I left town I noticed the park very pleasant with its pond, its swimming pool, and electrical outlets so I loitered. Watched crystallography lectures on my laptop and fed mosquitoes.

Nobody minded that I was there. At 11 pm I got real sleepy and knew I'd end the day in Paradise. Paradise, CA felt like a nice little town.

Monday, June 6th

As I rode down from Paradise on Monday morning, I sang Guns 'N Roses. The wind played my cheeks as I sang. It sounded in my ears like a car passing by, or like when you crack open a single window as you're driving. I sang to the wind and it sang back.

Now I'm at a Butte community college off rt 191. The campus is on a wildlife preserve. I dunno why they stuck this college out here between towns, where it looks like there's nothing on the map. Wow, Wikipedia tells me that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent his first year of college here. That's so cool!

Saturday, June 5th
Chico, CA

Remote control cars racing.