27 Dec 2011 Ride: ...4...

I waited till just before 1:00 to get on the bike so that I could take advantage of the above average highs for December.  I was in high spirits after posting an announcement of a Victory Lap Ride on Saturday where I invited others to join me for a casual final hour ride to cap off this year-long journey.  I don't know how many people will be able to show up but there were numerous encouraging responses and the excitement of the finals days of this adventure are beginning to swell.

I left from the Botanical Garden and planned to stop and see Joe at the hospital where he is, unfortunately, still holed up.  I also planned to take lots of pictures as I was very much in the mood to do so.  But as I rode and looked around, I found it difficult to find a photo opportunity that matched the emotions of the morning: the enormity of the journey really hit me and that I was actually accomplishing this adventure filled me with an incredible high.

Joe seemed to be doing better, even if the medication he was on made him view objects sideways at times, literally; a very disconcerting perspective.  I stayed long enough to tire him out and then moved on.  I was enjoying the ride, having now one more new goal in mind for the end of the year.  I noticed the other day that I had put in 885 hours for the year.  Well, naturally, that got me to thinking that I should make that a nice round figure of 900 by Saturday.

Finally, a photo op.  Back on a very early ride last summer, I came across a trail bridge where the shadow of the opposing railing cast a shadow on the other.  It made for a striking image.  It was with the new Nikon camera and I ended up erasing all images from the card when I was trying to remove just one.  So, I looked forward to recapturing that image.

It is interesting that at 3:30 in the afternoon on December 27, the sun is low enough to cast a similar shadow to that of a very early summer morning.  But, the reddish-orange light of that early morning is missing.  That early morning light gave the shadow more depth and created a more interesting composition.  Next summer.

If you can make it:  1:00PM, Saturday at the Botanical Garden.  A very casual one hour ride followed by a tailgate celebration of apple cider, fruit and maybe homemade cookies.  Be there!

Today's Ride:  2hrs 41mins.  30.04 miles.  44°-47°   12mph wind.   Miles YTD:  10,209.53

Donations for Biking for Food, which support the Community Meals at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, AR, can be sent to:  Biking for Food,  St Paul’s Episcopal Church,   224 N. East Ave.,   Fayetteville, AR  72701

Or, make a pledge per bike miles ridden at  www.stpaulsfay.org/bikingforfood.html.

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