2018 mileage: 1732.7
When I wrote up my entry for yesterday's ride, I forgot to mention an enjoyable incident. As I was in the last couple of miles of my ride, heading north on the trail towards Ellsworth Rd., I passed my friends Tom and Doris Granum, heading in the other direction, back towards their home. We exchanged smiles and waves—but, sadly, this will not be a possibility for too much longer.
My son John and their daughter Meg were close friends at St. Olaf College a decade ago, both in the St. Olaf Choir. Tom and Doris are both highly musical. But after living the majority of their lives in Georgia, they moved to Ann Arbor a few years ago, for Tom to assume the position of Director of Music Ministries at First Presbyterian Church, a large church quite close to the University campus.
A couple of weeks ago, however, I learned that they are going to be moving again next month, back to their native Georgia, as Tom will accept the organist/choirmaster position at a large Methodist church in Macon, Georgia. I am happy for them, though sad for myself—their friendship has been an enjoyable part of my Ann Arbor experience, and I thought of them frequently as my rides to Marsh Park take me by their house.
Today, I strongly intended to ride two round trips to the park. I left relatively early (7:15), after walking Winnie, hoping to beat the rain that was forecast to move in by mid-morning. Just after I turned around to begin my second round trip, a light rain began falling. I pedaled on for a couple of minutes, while mulling it over (a favorite phrase of my Dad's), but then decided to press on, as a light rain was certainly not about to melt me. Shortly after that, though, I heard the rumble of thunder, and that was all the persuasion I needed to cut my ride short. So I wheeled around and hightailed it home, for a total ride of 12 miles in 1:31.
Today's ride had an enjoyable moment, as well. Starting out, about two miles into the ride, I was headed south on the trail, coming to St. James Blvd., when a big whitetail deer bounded across the road ahead of me, traveling from east to west! I would have loved to stop, dig out my phone, and snap a picture of it, but (oh deer! 😆) it was much too quick for me.
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