There is nothing like biking in hot temperatures; humidity so high even the 1970s-style sweatbands I wear on my wrists won't help. But as Isak Dinesen wrote, “The cure for anything is salt water - tears, sweat, or the sea.”
Sunday was one of those days. We biked to the North Carolina Museum of Art, and thanks to the miles and miles of amazing bike trails, courtesy of our city (which can sometimes be a big, dumb city), Poseidon and I can bike from our driveway all the way to the museum, without having to rack up the bikes and drive.
The museum trail isn't an easy trail, and we get a crazy mad workout, but it's scenic (except for the pedestrian bridge over the belt line...traffic isn't a pretty thing to see from any height). Oh, and shortly after pedaling over the bridge, my front bike tire got up close and personal with a black snake. Fortunately, he was faster, so no harm done to either one of us. I had expected to implode when I first saw the slithering thing. Poseidon didn't even see it! He was busy tree-gawking and I was busy ground-watching.
When we arrived at destination NCMA, we decided we hadn't had enough torture from the sun, so we continued on to Reedy Creek. Our inaugural Reedy Creek trail ride! After a confusing start, we got it in gear (pun intended), and made it to Umstead Park where we took a breather, meaning, we drank the hell out of some water.
Our return trip was outstanding (except for that excursion down Edward's Mill Rd...we won't be doing that again). We stopped to snap pictures of some horses (I can never resist a horse), and one was curious enough to walk over and say, "Howdy." We stopped for a beer and a late lunch at a tavern on our route, then we began our winding trek through the woods back home, when we spotted the blue heron. My friend T and I saw him several weeks ago on a bike ride. Blue herons don't usually get this far from the coast, so I'm hoping he isn't hurt and unable to fly east.
Horsies, a heron, and humidity. Fantastic summer ahead!
Amphitrite
