Hey coasting,

Did you come up with a replacement summer solstice challenge? (I assume you aren't going to make it to Stonehenge).

funny you mention that. this evening i was called by a guy i knew in england who i played golf with and he has turned into a roadie. he asked me to ride with him and his mates. he tentatively said at the end, "We basically ride up the mountain. You're ok with that right?"....errrrrrr....i lied.

What's this? The nearby 1,000 foot "mountain"?

to me anything longer than a 3 min climb is a mountain.

"Why in sam hell are you riding around by yourself dressed for all the world to see like you are flagging for a large group of riders behind. That shirt is twice the size of what I tie on 2x4's sticking 10' out the back of my pickup truck."

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and decided to go out for breakfast. About a mile from home I hit a short stretch of nicely wooded road that curves around a slough that is a popular watering hole with the local wildlife. Being as I had a full belly and am quite unaccustomed to being alive at such an early hour, I was gawking around at the scenery half asleep. Something on the edge of the road caught my eye enough I moved over a couple inches and starting turning my head to look down at what it was as I went past. Of course my drive side pedal is at the bottom of its stroke as I see the quite large snapping turtles eyes pop open in surprise. Luckily he was unaware of my approach or I may have been missing a foot. The bottom of my pedal was about half and inch above his brow. Pretty lucky and I was fully awake by the time I got home.

How slow were you going to be worried about a turtle attack?

So, I don't need to go out and by a razor any time soon then.

Down to 190lbs! Five more to go *dances*

My stomach was actually flat when I woke up this morning.

Also, makel, thanks for the offer but I really was kidding around, which is why I said you are too guarded. I think my humor is too dry sometimes, but lighten up in any case.

Fair question.

Oh pul-eeease!

And how could you not see a snapping turtle in the road and pass within inches of it?

Billy, Are you really begging to see another guy's smooth legs?

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Oh ye of little faith.

Me too.

I saw the remains of a run-over turtle on the road yesterday. It made me sad.

I don't like it when I see remains on or near the road.

me neither, but I see roadkill on every ride. Usually more than 10 animals.

i had to pass by a dead deer last year during the Tour de Cure...it had been there for a while

Now that the hot days are here, the roadkill smells have gotten worse. I think it's better if you can see 'em coming so you can hold your breath in anticipation. The ones that are off the road, hidden in the tall grass are the worst. The smell hits you out of nowhere and can be quite nauseating.

Possums and Armadillos smell the worst. I do not know why.

I've never smelled an armadillo, but rotten 'possum is certainly rank.

Saddest one I saw was a mama 'possum squished in the road and her pink offspring had fled the pouch and all were headed towards the side of the road but they were all dead too.

How is it I am always the one to start these awful tangents that really do not need to be explored.

The road is very low traffic and I was doing maybe 10 mph looking at the birds and wildflowers as I rode 4" from the side of the road. I just thought it was a downed limb or truck muffler, something I did not want to hit but nothing that would try to jump out and hurt me. More than once I have seen one of these guys stop traffic for hours till they feel like moving along which normally results in them disabling multiple vehicles as people try to scare it or drive by.

At 4:30 a.m.?

Closer to 6:30, if you had looked harder you would have noted that my belly being full coupled with the early hour I arose led to the near defooting.

Seeing one in person completely wrecked my 2011 bike schwag diet. I am ok with that.

The November Bikes blog is also quite entertaining. https://www.novemberbicycles.com/blog/

Had a nice easy 22 mile recovery ride today. https://connect.garmin.com/activity/89328067

Only ended up with 682 miles for May. Lower than expected but I'll have to live with it.

Yep. The St. Johns smelled quite foul today also.