Thursday, August 20, 2015

A Shivering Wet Bike Ride With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts

I had not been on my bike for a couple days, and with the current Arctic Blast putting a temporary end to sizzling at above 100, today I thought I would have myself a might fine, very cool, time rolling my wheels with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts.

Well.

I should have heeded pre-bike ride advice I got from Miss Julie, who told me to wear long underwear, a sweater and galoshes.

Upon arrival at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area I was pleased to see all that I could see was dry, with no water puddles to dodge.

I had rolled my wheels about 100 feet when I realized I was underdressed. The wind chill factor caused by my high speed wheel rolling, on top of the only 30 some degrees above freezing temperature, had me shivering.

But, I did not give up, I persevered against the cold. Eventually I got to the formerly blue Blue Bayou. Those are my handlebars on the formerly blue Blue Bayou Overlook, now overlooking a Green Bayou.

At the Green Bayou Overlook I stood still til the shivering stopped and then began rolling my wheels again. My turn around point when I bike along Village Creek is at the point where the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail passes under Green Oaks Boulevard. That is usually where I stop for my first drink of the bike ride.

Today I did not stop to hydrate. Instead of drinking I found myself pedaling as fast as I could make my wheels roll. Rain started off slow, but then turned to downpour deluge mode. By the time I had exited the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail to re-enter the Village Creek Natural Historical Area I was a wet mess.

The rain stopped when I got back to the Indian Ghosts zone, but now I was soaking wet, and all that wetness caused another bout of extreme shivering. I pedaled slow so as to lessen the wind chill factor.

Eventually made it back to my mechanized transport device, loaded the bike in the back, hopped on board, turned on the engine.

And turned the temperature control slider from A/C to Heat.

Yesterday, when I was driving around Arlington with the A/C keeping me cool, had you told me today I would be driving in Arlington with the heat on, well, I would not have believed you.

Do these frigid temperatures in August portend ill for this coming winter? With temperatures well below zero? And a lot of snow.

I hope not.....

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