A happy Friday

One week to go until retirement. Today I rode down to Mataura and joined some school children on a ride to Gore. It was lucky that Dana put the time forward an hour because it was hot enough at 10 am. It was a great relief to have the Fire Brigade waiting at the race course to douse us all. And again when we reached the trout. Thanks also to the people at South Gore Dairy who supplied ice blocks and cold water. It was good to have a police escort. Thanks to Sally and Fenton.
And then I managed to bike up Johnson and Thistle Streets without stopping!

         

The cows gathered at the fence with great interest in this crazy old lady on a bike.

The thunderclouds were growing and this reminded me of a flying pig.

It was hot and luckily I got home before the clouds decided to cool us down.

32.5 kms today around Waimumu, Stopped off and called in to see friends on the way.  Almost bit off more than I could chew I think.

25 November

Early in the day it was overcast again. Just right for a ride in my book. So off down Broughton St. No traffic. Just lovely! And then out past the cemetery and onto Terrace Road and then right to Friend Road. The first hill as Friend turns into Humhrey Road is a stinker. By the time I got halfway up it ws time to get the jacket off and be thankful that the sun was not out yet. It was lovely though. A skylark sang it's way down to the paddock. A duck burst out of the long grass in front of me. The trees on either side of the road made a cool tunnel with only the crunch of the gravel under my tires to disturb the silence. Down Lady Charlton Road and then comes Newton's Law - the one that says for every down there is an up - or similar anyway. In places the tar on the road had been running nad left ripples. Nearly home and a blue heron flew across in front of me and then landed in the water table. Unfortunately my camera was in my pocket on the back of the bike. I passed Ron too and he told me later he had seen the heron too. I wsn't fast but I enjoyed my 27 km.

Next stage

I am starting to get quite excited.  Only three weeks to go until I retire. We have booked a trip to China,on to the UK, and back via Sri Lanka and Melbourne in time to look after Simon and Rosa's children.  There is so much to do between now and Christmas and I am sitting watching Say Yes to the Dress.