Overcast

As I rolled my bike outside, the excitement building, I wondered if I was going to get wet. Actually, I knew that I was going to get wet, the real question was, how wet? The sky was grey and overcast as it had been all day. And with the chance of rain increasing as darkness grew closer, I knew that it was only a matter of time before the skies let loose.

I rode up to the parkway, going a little too fast, anxious to cover some ground before it started raining. Thinking that if I could get far enough into the ride, and it started raining, I would continue the ride instead of going home early.

I had almost two hours to ride until sunset, which on a clear day would have given me about 3 hr to ride without needing lights. Today I figured that I had right at two hrs before it got really dark.

I rolled down the road, small drops of water hitting me in the face, the knobs on my mtn bike tires buzzing. As I got to Bent Creek, I climbed up Hardtimes Rd and decided to take Owl Ridge the over to Rice Pinnacle to do a gravel loop, since the trails were very muddy.

The air was cool and damp, and the drops started to fall as I climbed higher. At first I was not sure if the drops were falling from the clouds or from the trees. I kept riding, climbing, descending, twisting, turning. I opted for a shorter route, and made the climb back up Hardtimes Rd, then descended back down to the Parkway. Heading home now, darkness fell. I turned the light on and road through the damp darkness, spinning my way home.

2.5 hrs after getting started, I rolled up to the house, satisfied.

Opening the door, I was greeted with heat from the woodstove, and the warm smells of homemade beef stew coming from the crockpot.

Have a great day!!