My first quarter century of the season.

[Joy Beeson]

I plotted a long ride for Saturday. To make it twenty-five miles, I
added to my itinerary a garage sale that was completely over, put
away, and the mess cleaned up and the signs taken down before I got
there.

A quarter century is as big a deal now as a century used to be.

It was hot. I learned that I ought to take everything out of my front
pockets before trying to wet my sleeves at the pressure washer thay
are passing off as a bottle filler at Rotary Park.

Rotary Park was created to get rid of an eyesore of neglected gravel
at the intersection of Market Street, Hand Street, and a creek. When
I rolled off thoroughly wet, I was too cold as far as the bridge,
about a street's width from Center. I was quite dry before I got to
Zimmer.

About half-way through the ride I figured out that I could press a
bottle against my arm in a way that closed the open bottle, and crayon
a narrow wet line down my sleeve. If I had two or three wet lines, I
could put drops of water on my sleeve without them beading up and
leaping for the ground.

Before that, I'd figured out that I coul pour a teaspoon or so of
water into the palm of my hand and rub it on my sleeve to make wet
spots that could absorb water.

I hope I remember to ask the Trail House whether they have a spray
bottle I can drink from. I could carry a laundry sprinkler, but I'm
already carrying three bottles and trying to figure out how to make it
two.

I found water often enough that I never drained any of my bags of ice.
Forgot to unpack my panniers until late evening, and there was still
ice in two of the bags, so I guess four sandwich bags are enough.

Two are definitely not enough.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/