Must be too hot or too cold everywhere...
Today was the day. Ride #23!!! 187 miles.
The last two weeks have been a little awkward, so it was great to get out and ride, even if it wasn't the ride I had been thinking about doing.
My son came to visit last week, which was great. But I got word last Friday while he was here, on the 30th that my mother had passed away. She had been struggling with foggy brain and then full-blown dementia for several years. She had been in an assisted living facility for the last 14 months. The last two months were particularly rough on her, and it was her time. I had to drive to her town and with the help of my son and my aunt we had to empty her room at the facility. Fortunately, is went much smoother than expected. The arrangements for her cremation also went smoothly. Still lots to do.
I got back home early Tuesday evening, but had work to do. Today's date is a meaningful day of remembrance for me, so I decided to try to make today's ride an all-encompassing dedication ride sort of thing, with thoughts of my mother and also being ride #23 for Frank. The weather guessers said the weather would be decent with cooler temps and partial cloudy skies. Turns out the guessers were only right about the cooler temps.
After a quick stop in town I headed to Kerrville for some breakfast tacos. I caught a very light drizzle for a couple of miles as got closer to the taco place. When I got there it had stopped. I checked the weather again and it looked promising, so I ate my tacos and left. I headed south on Hwy 16 to Medina, TX, over the big hill with the twisties and a heavier misty drizzle showed up which developed into a light rain. Some of those turns are pretty sharp, 1st gear, up hill turns. Not too fun on a wet road with rain all over my visor. I kept it slow and was rained on all the way to the south side of Medina and ended up getting soaked. I kept heading towards Bandera where the sun began to show itself, and I started drying out.
I filled up with gas and headed for a county park on Medina Lake. I had ridden to the park back in 2009 during a July 4th vacation. By the time I got there today I was pretty much dried out. Turns out the park was closed and gated up. I suspect it was because there was almost no lake left. The water was extremely low back in '09, but I barely caught a glimpse of any water today. I snapped a photo of the cove next to the park and it's all dried up with grass growing in it. It looks like 4x4s have been driving around on the dried-up lakebed. The lake is man-made and functions as a reservoir. It's just to the northwest of San Antonio and I suspect that a lot of the water gets pumped into San Antonio. A small river that isn't much more than a creek is the only thing that feeds the lake and we've had low rainfall for several years. I tried to get a better look of the water, but all the lake front property is private other than the park. I'm guessing the bait shops, marinas and lake view restaurants aren't doing well. Across the street from the park were the remains of an old house so I decide the trespass and get a pic.
I headed home from there. I hit a few more light sprinkles here and there and then a bit of light rain going through Sisterdale, TX. I didn't get as soaked as I had earlier. I dried out pretty quick.
All in all it was great to get out and ride, even though I hate getting rained on. I guess I'll keep riding. Maybe try to hit 46?
...total mileage for the 23 rides so far this year is 3103. Looking at my tires...going to need new ones soon.
