Day 20 of 365

I woke this morning feeling thoroughly exhausted and very crabby. Staying up until 2:30 in the morning arguing on teh internets--even about that most arguable of topics, religion-- probably isn't the best use of my time. But sometimes I do stuff I shouldn't; it's part of my charm, I suppose... or what makes me just like every other person in the world!

Anyway, nothing seemed to go right on my ride today. The sun was too bright, the shade was too dark. Walkers and other cyclists either rudely ignored me or bugged me by saying good morning. My cranberry juice got warm, the camera wouldn't cooperate, and some lady thought I was eating "public" raspberries when I was actually taking a picture of them! Physically every turn of the pedal was hard, and mentally I just didn't want to deal with it.

And to top it all off I missed an opportunity to get a picture of Clifford, and then got scratched up by a giant thorn bush.


There is a guy who rides around town here on a scooter covered with red fur. It also has floppy ears and a black nose, and the word "Clifford" somehow attached to it. I guess for those who don't know Clifford the Big Red Dog. I see this guy all the time and have often hoped I'd be able to get a picture of him riding down the street.

Well, when I was down in the gulley off of Front Street photographing some forget-me-nots, he pulled up right next to my bike and started looking around for something. Here was my opportunity-- I could just ask him for permission to take a picture or two of Clifford. But I chickened out. I couldn't bring myself to do it! Oh for the rashness and brashness of youth... I would have done it twenty years ago, and with aplomb!

So I had to settle for a friendly greeting and no pictures. He drove off pretty quickly; I don't even know why he stopped in the first place. And then when I rode away, I took a route that caused me to have to ride so close alongside some bushes that I got scratched up by their thorns.

I'm still crabby and tired, but I'm going to the bookstore in a few minutes. That should cheer me up.

Pictures today are top left, Butterfly Weed and top right, a Black Swallowtail caterpillar in my parsley. There are actually three of them there right now but this guy's the biggest.

Bottom left is Asiatic Dayflower and bottom right, the aforementioned raspberries!

Miles today: 6 Total miles: 124