Cycling in Rain Ain't as Bad as it Sounds

Breakfast out on the deck this morning under a sunny blue sky. I had planned to make it a lazy coffee shop day.

Cathy had other ideas!

She asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride. Why of course! She suggested out to a couple of the nearer wineries and back. Well I'd seen a sign for them when I came back yesterday from dressy clothes shopping for work. They didn't seem far at all.

Today's bikeride.

Off we went, under oh-so-slowly clouding over skies.

It was a gorgeous ride. Anything south of Eugene is guaranteed to be mind bogglingly beautiful. I was boggled.

And yes, I need to have my camera attached to me at all times. Today I didn't.

We pedaled on, encountering one hill, among many smaller ones, that did NOT want to end. We crawled up for what seemed like ages. Meanwhile the scenery was lovely, lots of evergreen hills and the forests revealed wild gnarly maples that were adorned in lichen and draped with moss. There were always houses tucked in along the way, some yielding gorgeous gardens and meticulously tended vegetable gardens. The rhododendrons are still flamingly in bloom. The fields were either grasses, cover crops or livestock. On one hill in the distance a moving white cloud of sheep moved it's way across the green slope.

The rain couldn't decide if it wanted to have it's way or not. We kept getting sprinkled upon and would belatedly notice it stopping again.

The vineyard we passed looked like it had been long harvested, the vines were cut way back.

We made a long loop and joined back up with the road we took out into the country. Here was where the rain made it's final decision, accompanying us all the way home. It wasn't cold, though, especially with the work we were doing. My biggest fear about riding in the rain was that I wouldn't be able to see, being glasses'd and all. Seemed, though, that my prescription sunglasses are the best solution: they protect my eyes from the drops and they didn't get anywhere near obscured enough to not feel like I could ride. Well there I go! That was my biggest fear of the rainy winter to come and I just found out something promising! Not to mention the visor on my helmet, when I cocked it lower, also proved to be great protection.

Three hours after leaving, we pulled back into our driveway, completely spent!

A warm shower and a late lunch did the trick, though! I enjoyed the second half of my Chef's Kitchen Plum Curried Hallibut which I got for working and ate half of last night. A night in the refrigerator and that hallibut is still to die for!! The curry sauce and firmness of the meat, MM! It's not a huge dish but I think it's worth the whopping thirty dollar price tag! Nice to get it for free!

Now what for dessert...hmmm...