It's a rainy end to the year - My Bicycling Bliss - CycleBlaze

December 31, 2021

It's a rainy end to the year

We enjoyed a full rainbow after the storm.
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My phone has two weather apps. One shows a clear spot in the AM for three hours (right now). The other shows it being clear from 1-3 PM. Whom do I believe? My own eyes. Looking outside, it is raining steadily at the moment. NOAA radar shows an insignificant, spotty cloud over Tucson. Perhaps I can ride this afternoon? 

I do have a raincoat and fenders. If we were moving from town to town, I could ride. 80 degrees and wet is one thing. 50 degrees and wet is another. Here I sit! I am getting softer as I age!

Later - The sky suddenly cleared. A small patch of blue grew larger and larger until I couldn't see a cloud at all! What? I wasn't ready! I went from thinking I wouldn't ride, to scurrying around getting ready. I at a tamale and yogurt with fruit for breakfast. I thought to myself that it wasn't enough, but I was planning/hoping for 30 miles. That should be a sufficient breakfast. I didn't even take an apple, I was in such a hurry to take advantage of the blue sky. The trees were swaying in the wind, but I was mentally emphasizing the blue part of the day.

I followed the same pattern as of late, it suits me. I stayed close to home, just in case. I rode this way, and that way. There were few cyclists, with more walkers, but not too many of those. It seems most of the walkers had small children. Perhaps they had been cooped up inside too long?

The longer I rode, the better the sky looked. I kept doing the mental math on my desired 600 miles for the trip and how I could make that happen with bad weather days. I extended my ride from 30 miles, to 35, 38, and then 42. As I was taking the last spur to push me over 40, a passing cyclist commented that he thought we were going to get wet. Wet? The sky was blue. Wasn't it? I had been looking everywhere but at the sky. It was indeed threatening. Hmmm, maybe I should go on home. No, it will be fine. Famous last words. I was three miles from home when I saw a flash of lightning in the distance. I was slated to turn around at this point. Good timing. That's when it started to sprinkle. The sprinkles soon turned into serious rain. Most people facing me on the path had grim looks on their faces. Only one man returned my giant grin at the predicament we were in. As I turned onto Dodge Street, the rain was coming down in waves. Of course, I got stuck at the traffic light and sat there FOREVER. I was certainly soaked then. There was no point of bothering with a jacket, only a mile from home.

Jacinto wasn't there to tell my tale of woe. He went to the gym. I had made a special phone call to tell him what a great riding day it had turned out to be. But, he wasn't swayed. Now he will probably tell me he was the smarter of the two of us. 

My bike is all wiped down. I'm not bothering to wash my riding clothes. They are dripping dry!

It is still raining like crazy outside. The drops are bouncing in the puddles. I'm happy I got a great ride in to finish the year. It wasn't drudgery, this ride was totally in the fun zone.

Happy New Year!

This is Dozer. He is paralyzed. He looks like a happy dog to me!
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Look closely at the sculpture details. There are many. Don’t forget to admire the blue sky also.
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I had to turn around to ask Dave what the significance was of swinging this lock on a chain. None, it’s a little habit as he takes his daily walk.
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I was so close to home, but didn’t quite beat the rain.
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Wayne EstesHappy New Year. Today I had a bit of sleet. It stings when it hits the face but mostly bounces off clothes.
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2 years ago
Kelly IniguezTo Wayne EstesHappy New Year! It's been snowing for days at home - it might sound like I'm complaining about the rain - but I'd rather have rain than snow. You don't have to shovel rain!
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2 years ago
Wayne EstesI just recorded my 14th consecutive day of precipitation in the rain gauge. Tomorrow will probably break the string with no precipitation.
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2 years ago

Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 529 miles (851 km)

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jerry witherspoonSofter? Or Smarter?

spoon
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2 years ago
Kelly IniguezIn just a few days, I will be hibernating in Rifle! Wishing I were complaining about 50 degrees and raining!
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2 years ago
Rachael AndersonSorry you got caught in the rain but glad to hear you got out! I decided to walk today and it just kept getting nicer as I went. It was nicer than the last 2 days. It did help that I got back by 1:30 pm. Have a great New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
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2 years ago
Kelly IniguezTo Rachael AndersonJacinto went for a walk also, and then to the gym. He wasn't very invested in my story about getting wet. I tried to spin it with all sorts of details, but he was just interested in where we were going for dinner! Men!

Happy New Year to you - did you see the full rainbow? I got a crummy photo, I'm sure Scott would have gotten an excellent photo.
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2 years ago