This July 21st, Wednesday evening, the Tour de France having completed stage 16, is on a rest day. It has taken me until this point to get out on the old 1991 steel Basso Gap Italian bicycle and go for a ride. I wore the simple kit consisting of a full zip white jersey, black lycra shorts and the Lake black shoes. The route was either up Rossi Road to Gateway College(LCCC) or south on Price Creek and possibilities. I chose possibilities. With the Canon A540 point and shoot powershot on the top bar in a Benko Bag, it was one o'clock when I pulled out with 110 pounds of tire pressure.
The route was decided as I rode past the octagonal church, scene of last years flare up of the pain in my arms when I accelerated up the incline. I would ride down Price Creek, turn right onto Alfred Markham at Hopeful Baptist and take it to Old Country Club. From Country Club to Feagle Road, Gabe, then back onto Price Creek. Along the way, several scenes revealed possibilities but I did not stop. Past Mr Mills house next to Myrtis Road, I again inwardly fumed at selling him the Jeep Grand Cherokee several years ago for only $600. He promptly fixed it up with a new engine and never misses the opportunity to tell me how great it is. At the time, I was angry with it leaving me stranded and just wanted rid of it. Bad move I would later learn.
Getting the anger over with, I rode on down Price Creek, up the little hill and turned right onto
Aldine Feagle, then left onto Cline Feagle. My destination was to ride to the bottom of the hill where Cline Feagle lived before dying in his house fire.
This is one of the most scenic roads in the county and I rode it slowly. At Clines, I stopped and reflected on the scene, trying to understand how he died in his truck, in his garage as the house burned. All he had to do was ram through it, but we shall never know.
Riding back the same route, I stopped several times to take photographs along Cline Feagle Road. The little camera is tricky with exposure and you really have to manipulate the shutter button carefully, locking in the exposure you want. I got is right some of the time.
No shots were of any great significance. Just recordings of a ride. The heat getting to me, the water bottles running out, I cycled on home, never going over sixteen. There was a time not too long ago, I would have been unhappy had I gone under sixteen. Times change.
All in all, a good ride, despite the heat. There is always the satisfaction of getting out, of seeing the countryside, then returning to the cool of the home.
So here I sit, Tour de France being watched for about the third time today, listening to Pandora radio set on Pink Floyd type songs and watching the sun set, getting ready to take up camera and see what the evening light unfolds. Till later.