Blue Skies, Smilin' At Me
In which Mike revisits the old phrase, "Never assume."
Suquamish, WA - 12 Jan 2025
Fooled again. I made the decision that it was time to pull out the bike and get back in the routine of using it as much as possible rather than use the car. I save gas, I help the planet a tiny little bit and I benefit with improved fitness. We had nearly a full week of clear skies and warmer weather last week. Friday it did rain, but it was short lived and was followed with clear skies and sunshine. I am also noticing more daylight hours, especially in the afternoon. I really don't have any excuse to not shift to two wheels.
I got up this morning, had my coffee, wrote my Morning Pages and a letter to a penpal and then proceeded to prepare for the morning trip to the grocery store and parts nearby. The outside thermometer reads 39 degrees so I pulled appropriate clothing to keep me warm. I packed my saddle bags with the things I would need for the ride. I had a BLS class yesterday so I packed up the books and test results and other admin stuff to submit to American Heart. I had some recycle to unload along the way so I packed that up too. Everything was looking good so when the sun was above the horizon enough to let me see I headed outside to begin my mission. But wait. What's this? Is it raining? I could feel the slightest drizzle. I figured it was morning mist from fog and put the notion aside. My deep inner brain was screaming. Hey Mike, don't you think you should go back in the house and grab some rain gear? Because I'm an idiot, I ignored my instincts and headed on down my steep driveway and onto the muddy dirt road that would take me to my destination. Once I got up to the main road it was misty still, but I could see patches of blue and knew my instinct was right and the day would be good for traveling. First stop, the clinic.
I got my admin stuff scanned up and electronically delivered to AHA for acceptance and approval. I took some time to put air in my tires since it had been a few months since my last excursion. Good thing I did, they was pretty low. Then I was out and off. Hmm... it sure looks funny outside. The blue skies were now black and the mist turned to a light rain. Awe, no worries, it's just Mother Nature teasing me. Off to the grocery store I go.
I made my stop and secured the bike to a stationary object, unloaded the recycle and mailed a couple of letters. My store has it all. I was inside and had my business taken care of lickety split. (what does that mean anyway?) and was off to home where I had a tree pruning mission ahead of me. Or did I?
It was raining pretty good now. The drizzle was long gone and it was a rainy, cold mess. The rain wouldn't be so bad except it was still 39 degrees out. Brrr... I could hear my inner self saying I told you so dip$*%*. Next time you will pack rain gear. The ride home was cold and wet, my glasses were covered in moisture and I could feel the rain seeping through my jeans. Now my inner self was laughing out loud. I really do need to listen to it more. It seems to be right more often than not.
Finally home and happy that I didn't have to climb up into the trees to give them a haircut. That can be dangerous in the rain and I am not the luckiest person when it comes to injury avoidance. That's a voice I always pay attention to. A hot shower and a good steaming cup of tea and I was right as rain. Tomorrow I intend to give it another go, except this time the rain gear is going in the saddle bags before I make another move. What is it the Boy Scouts say?
Keep on truckin'
-Mike
