i needed this ride

I completely messed up the riding for yesterday. I took seriously the threats of rain, and just did this less-than-25-miler, missing entirely the 77°F temps later in the day, when it seems that EVERYBODY was out in their summer gear (in February!)

So I was delighted when I was included on an email from Laura OLPH:

After a hectic week and a day spent indoors, I need a ride. I'd rather not go to Cranbury. Are any of you up for a trip to Sergeantsville tomorrow?

Well, yes, MA'AM! So I suited up and headed for her place for the start, and met Snakehead there. (That's his bike; the picture of him came out just awful.)

We rode over to the usual start, and picked up Peter G. We thought John K was coming, but he didn't appear, and we were cold enough that we wanted to get going.

Laura had sort-of thoughts of going to Sergeantsville, but with trying to avoid the worst of the wind and improvising a route as we went, the next thing we knew we were visiting the girls in Mt Airy...

... and so we pretty much decided at that point...

... to head to Lambertville, which means we stopped at Rojo's, where we met John K, who was waiting for us.

John had planned to come with us, but was running late, and then he was running later, and then he just decided to try to meet us. Like me, he had overestimated the temps for today, but he was wearing far less for warmth than I, and was still cold after quite a time waiting at Rojo's; he briefly considered calling for a lift home, then decided to ride home on the comparatively wind-sheltered canal towpath.

The four of us continued up the Rocktown-Lambertville climb (we'd done Mine Road on the way out, and Laura decided that was enough wicked hill for the day). Somewhere along there, the anxiety kicked in; I got crazy (as I sometimes do) and had a hard time focusing on the ride; I fell back so the others wouldn't hear me arguing out loud with the demons (as I so frequently say, I'm not exactly a %$#&ing wellspring of mental health). My ruminations went on for miles; the only thing I can say is that if I HADN'T been on the ride, it probably would have been worse.

Then Laura stopped to get a picture...

...of this cow in the barn door:

...and by that time, some of the crazy had passed. (People who know me well would say it NEVER completely goes away.)

Y'wanna see the route?

In other news, keep Dave C in your thoughts. The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I took a trip to Hart's on Saturday afternoon, and met Dave H there, who told us that Dave C's wheel had slipped out from under him. Dave C is in the hospital with a number of fractures; from there he goes to physical rehab, I understand.