July 8 rides

[Nanci]

I rode 30 miles today, out in the country and on a paved trail. I had a very near-collision with a squirrel- it came out from the right- I screamed- he flipped around four inches from my wheel, and almost ran smack into the bike behind me to the right, but managed to stop in time...

Then there was a yellow rat snake stretched out from the right covering a thirs of the trail. I was in the lead and started screaming "Snake! Snake! Watch out for the snake!!" and gesturing to the right wildly. Not one hit him. I don't think he moved!!

We arrived back at Tim's Fast Nickel and got our chairs out of our cars and sat in the shade and waited for Tim to bring us country-style ribs and potato salad and green beans with sausage...It was delicious, and there was a lovely breeze and we just sat there for about two hours after the ride. I love it when I don't have to be anywhere, and no one else does, either.

I rode up some hills at 17mph. That's good for me. In the last half of the ride, a lot of us broke away and were riding about 20mph, (the group average is dictated by the leader who rides 13.5-14 mph) when suddenly there was an attack! One guy took off, and another guy chased, and another guy chased, leaving the three girls. I took off after them and picked off the trailing guy, and caught the leaders, and finished the last five miles at 24 mph. It was very nice for a change!

Our weather was a little cooler than normal- maybe 80 or 85, and then the usual 80% humidity, which burns off later in the day to near 50-60%. I like it like that.