July 22nd
- Woke up at 6 and chatted with my brother-in-law Dale. I was up to go on a bike ride while it was under 100 degrees and Dale was up to study for his CPA exam.
- Went on a 1.5 hour mountain bike ride around the trails on the property we’re staying on and the dirt roads of the area. Was chased by two different dogs. Rode a number of hills larger than what we call hills in Dallas.
- Ran variations on the Marine-standard obstacle course installed on the property with Dale, Penn and my nephews Cade and Cody. Invented a leg-burning timed run that was a big hit.
- Went on a 30 minute walk and chatted with my sister Jan.
- Played a relatively epic game of hide-and-seek involving a decent amount of running for at least 30 minutes after dinner.
- Did not drink.
- Still went over my daily calorie allowance.
July 23rd
- Woke up at 6:15 and chatted with my brother in law again (this time about Macs).
- Rode about about 1 hour 40. The hills here are bigger and more frequent that in Dallas which is nice until you get tired. They’re really more like big rollers but throw in a brisk south headwind and I’m feeling it a bit now. Chased by three dogs this time. Actually one of those times it was a pack of 3 or 4 dogs—fortunately I was traveling north at the time so I was moving pretty fast thanks to the tailwind. Besides the dogs, though, it is really nice to be riding out in the country with better views, cleaner air and fewer cars.
- Went swimming in the pond. I had to talk myself into it but once I was in the water I was so glad I had. Fun!
- Napped for 2 hours.
Today looms. Margot would have been two years old today. When I said my riding is a shelter from her loss I was generalizing. I thought a lot about her on my ride today. After the pack of chasing dogs it was a bit of a relief to have my mind occupied with looking out for the next canine threat.
But God I just miss her so much. And I wish we could eradicate certain words from our vocabulary. And I wish you all were as raw as I am still so that when you said those words you felt that sting of pain. And I wish today would finally have come and gone for one more year. And I wish this family vacation didn’t remind me so much of last year’s family vacation, when she was there.
July 24th
- Rode the mountain bike just around the property so as to avoid dogs. Got chased by neighbor’s dogs anyway.
- Walked and swam. I think the swimming is working new muscles in my arms and legs. Good thing.
- Power napped.
- Extended family came today and we rather enjoyed their visit after the days of just immediate family.
July 25th
Woke up a little later than usual (a little before 6:30) to the sight of a wet driveway. The temperature was below 80 and while the humidity was high, it was a miracle. I decided to head out on the wet roads and not wait another minute to see if the sun came out to dry them. In fact I was hopeful that the clouds would remain for the duration of the ride, which they did.
It was–despite being chased by dogs three or four times*–my favorite ride of the year. It reminded me of riding in Pennsylvania when I was a teenager. It’s not hard to understand how I became attracted to the sport. I’ve been riding in the city for so long now that it actually took some time for me to adjust being out on an empty road, all by myself, with no other roads in sight. It’s an introvert’s perfect activity.
I was tentatively planning on riding about 50-60 miles but after making a wrong turn and diverting from my original route by five miles I improved a loop back and ended up with just a hair over 40.
Later that day we went to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum which was surprisingly awesome.
After that we had a traditional family dinner at Johnnie’s, then a birthday get-together for “aunt” Virginia, who is 94 and as healthy as I am at least.
* ...and even changing course once when I saw a giant loose German Shepard up the road--the road I diverted onto was the best of the ride. The best chase was a pair of terriers who never got closer than a few feet from me despite the fact I was climbing and going plenty slow. They followed me so far up that road I started to deviously wonder if I could lead them so far away they wouldn't be able to find their way home.
Here are some of Carissa's awesome photos...
Makes me want to go swimming in the pond again!
Me encouraging Penn his first time swimming in something other than a pool. He got used to it quick. You know he just couldn’t stand by and watch very long…
(Previously.)
The “farmhouse”.