I'm with you, Emily, on not pushing others to do the smart thing and wear a helmet, though when it's with people I know, I do stop and try to convince them. Have even offered to give a helmet, free of charge, to a couple of neighbors, but to no avail. Go figure.

Did better in the 90 degree heat and humidity, today, with 17 miles. I really could have done more with a better fitting bike. The junker I rented has a horrible, skinny guy saddle with only room for one cheek at a time for full support. Yuk! The handlebars are high rise bars that make me feel like I'm riding a Harley chopper. The old 21 speed gearing and twist shift are fine, though. After all, I ride single speeds a lot. Oh, well. That's par for the course renting a bike in a tourist area.

While taking a water break on a local park bench, I met a wonderful senior. He asked if he could join me on the bench, because it was his regular rest stop on his daily 3 mile walk. The guy looked in great shape. He then told me had just celebrated his 89th birthday. Couldn't believe it. Wow! Made my day.

I really think I could adapt to this and climate, given enough time. Lovely area, for sure, though I'm sure living here would be way out of our budget.