opportunist

I had expected to have to get a short ride in early today, because later in the day a visit to The Excellent Mother-In-Law was planned... but while I was on the ride, I got the message not to come, because she was on her way to the emergency room after a fall. I am postponing contemplation of what the outcome might be.

But for the ride, I decided to stretch it to over 50 miles. I might have gone longer on the light and responsive Yellow Maserati, but the Krakow Monster weighs 38 lbs loaded, and the ride was long enough.

On the ride, I got a picture of the sign that replaced the earlier "Black Lives Matter" sign on Canal Road:

...as well as one of the dredging barges on the canal (they were both working between the water plant and the Blackwells Mills causeway today):

I love that the name of the barge is "Palm Beach". Irony.

That garage at the top of Canal Road in Millstone was open today. The guy has a pair of HUGE antlers on stands (I couldn't get pictures of both):

... as well as this nifty car I couldn't identify:

The porta-potty at Blackwells Mills/Six mile is still gone, but the one at the park on Amsterdam is back, as well as at the school before the turn onto Hillsborough Road. I also found a mile-long park on Mountain View Road with TWO, but the park is not convenient - to get pretty much anywhere after that requires a mile on Route 206.

My hopes are dashed about the Philly Pretzel Factory at 518 & 206; not only is it closed, but most of the store fixtures have been removed. I mourn; I know the pretzels are the junkiest of junk foods, with ONLY empty calories... but I loved them, for taste and for associations (they reminded me of an earlier, less-fraught time).

It was while I was stopped at the grave of the pretzel shop that I got the call not to go visit The Excellent Mother-In-Law, so instead of going straight home, I went to Kingston to spend a bit of money at Gennaro's, where The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I went to celebrate the anniversary of our first date. The fellow at Gennaro's lost a freezerload of food when his power went out during Isaias. My little purchase will not make him whole, but it's better than doing nothing.

From there I went to Princeton to the Terra Momo Bakery and got a salami sandwich (if I'm pushing that heavy Krakow Monster around for all this miles, I figure I can afford the calories). And from there, home, and laundry, shower, nap, and awaiting news of the condition of the mother-in-law.

Ride page. How did I push that bike at over 14mph for all those miles?