Technically, ”Rhythm of the Rain” is just a single not an actual playlist, but it seemed appropriate for today as I was really expecting rain and I did listen to it on my way to Corpus Christi this afternoon. No rain was experienced but a large smattering of bird related liquid did hit the windshield as I crossed the causeway.
I didn’t leave Corpus Christi until 7:45 PM so I knew there would be no cycling tonight. Instead I pulled off at Indian Point Park and took a walk around. I was hoping for a Sahara dust sunset but it wasn’t that impressive. Later, as I drove past Gregory, I noticed a much more spectacular sunset but I couldn’t pull off anywhere to take a photograph.
Not looking like good cycling weather for the rest of the week.
Having taken two days off cycling over the weekend I was a little upset to discover that the weather forecast predicted adverse conditions for this week. Nevertheless when it came to the bit this evening the radar was clear and off I set to do battle against a 20 mph South wind. Turned out to be not too bad an evening and I managed 15 miles.
For whatever reason a few memories from the ancient history that is my cycling career have been in my mind today. No reason other than I can’t get motivated to ride today so I’m “Relive-ing” past journeys – without the benefit of the app
Ford Popular
BMW 7 Series
Photo credits to DuckDuckGo Search Engine.
Cycling to school one Fall morning I was struggling up the not inconsiderably steep Bruntsfield Place when I was hit side on by a veterinary student on her way to sit an exam. Presumably her mind was elsewhere. She was very embarrassed, I had slight abrasions on my knees. Way back then, last century, no one was into blame culture or of an instant mind to engage a lawyer, so she bundled me and my bike into her car and delivered me home. No more was said on the subject. I hope she passed her exam.
Fifteen or so years later I was cycling to work in Edinburgh City Center when a chauffeur driven BMW cut across Queensferry Road at speed and hit me side on; I did not get knocked off my bike because I hung onto the vehicle until he stopped. Unfortunately this resulted in a, no doubt, very expensive scratch along the side of the vehicle. Chauffeur and passenger were embarrassed but I had no injuries so once again no more was said. I hope the chauffeur kept his job.
On the A6088 heading up to Carter Bar
No vehicle impacts involved here but I did need to struggle up this very steep road which leads to the Scotland / England border with only one knee powering my bicycle. To this day I have no idea what injury I sustained, or how it happened, but this was day two of a 100 mile journey to reach the ferry to The Netherlands so I had no option but to carry on trucking. Downhill from the Border I was able to rest my knee as I hit 42mph by gravity alone – that was scary! The next day I had miraculously recovered and spent two weeks cycling the flat roads of The Netherlands without further incident.
I try to cycle everyday and I have set an arbitrary goal of 50 miles to complete each week. If I don’t register a little red bar on every day of the week in the Map my Ride graphic I get quite upset. However I have been watching a bunch of cycling videos on YouTube lately, videos made by the Global Cycle Network, one of which explained to me that taking a day off is no bad thing.
Steaming crab is a talent that young Andrew seems to have mastered although his ability to read maps or understand compass bearings is not so well honed as was demonstrated yesterday when he ended up in Kerrville by mistake!
After a day of thunderstorms and staring at computer screens I did not think I’d be able to get out on the bike tonight. However the evening weather proved conducive to cycling, even with quite a high SE wind.
To exercise, perchance to work – ay, there’s the rub. (To paraphrase The Bard and, to be clear, without any suicidal intent). The yard is jungle territory so I forfeit my evening cycle ride (exercise) in favor of mowing the yard (work). This should be just as beneficial health wise but also has the added bonus of making Patty happy especially as I eradicated the vine she so despises because it damages the trees.
Front Yard
In Between
Back Yard
I did cycle to the mailbox after finishing my yard work
Yesterday Andrew should have cut the grass in the front and back yards. He said he’d do it when he came back from Academy in Corpus Christi but he ended up going to The Bass Pro Shop in San Antonio. Then he took a wrong turn coming home and didn’t turn around until Kerrville – so no grass cutting at 3 a.m!
Playlist: Echo in the Canyon (Jakob Dylan) Reliving the Sixties whilst cycling.
On my Tuesday evening cycle as I rode across the bridge over Tule Creek I observed a man standing on the grass beside a large collection of golf balls. He was hitting them, one by one, along side the creek.
On the return leg of my journey, crossing the bridge over Tule Creek again, I met the golfing guy and asked him if he lost any balls in the creek. “Every day I come here I lose at least 6” he said. He was carrying his golf club – but no balls!
Meanwhile, as I cycled around the streets of Rockport, Patty experimented with Jim Lahey’s – of Sullivan Street Bakery “no knead” bread recipe. Turned out quite well although we need (no pun intended) to figure out how to extract the loaf from the Dutch oven more efficiently.
