Michael: Had to Happen

The little lizard
Balanced on the bucket’s lip
Seems prepared to leap.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

This has been an unusual week.

Today was the first day we’ve had both the internet and our land phone line. I saw my first large Panamanian snake yesterday. It didn’t rain for two days, then rained for three hours this morning; both abnormal. And to top it off, because it was raining this morning, instead of just calling off my typical Thursday morning ride, I put it off until the afternoon figuring the clouds had spent themselves and I’d be able to get a dry ride in. I was mistaken.

Not only did it rain for the last hour plus of my ride, at times it rained very hard; dangerously hard. So hard that when I directly faced into the rain I was almost blinded by the large heavy drops hitting my eyes. Fortunately the road I was on snaked so much my near blindness never lasted for long.

I’m also just not comfortable riding in the rain, let alone a downpour. Fortunately, my bike has disc brakes, so braking wasn’t as much of a concern as with calipers. No, I was the concern. I wanted to be relaxed, but not so relaxed I’d slide out in a turn, or let the bike glide down hill into a pot hole I couldn’t see because the road is coming at me in small waves.

And even though there are few cars and trucks out there relative to Los Angeles, my old stomping grounds, I could barely see and that had me concerned as to how well I could be seen, or how concerned Panamanians are about looking out for a dufus cyclist.

I could say all’s well that ends well, but as any cyclist will tell you, that’s not the case after a wet bike ride. I may be clean, warm and dry, but tomorrow my bike’s going to remind me that it wants a little tender loving care after getting me home safe and sound.