Just this side of Julietta after you leave the bike path for the road headed back to Arrow Bridge, a dog safely behind his fence barks his enthusiastic greeting--The Bikes are Back! The Bikes are Back!

I know how he feels. This weekend's forecast was poor but the actual weather was great. And the bikes were indeed back including a an unconfirmed sighting of Wendy on a bike in a month with an R in it.

Mark Allen, using, his wife's email apparently, wondered if anyone would join him for an easy two hour ride at 10 on Saturday. Doug and I were leaving at 9 but I thought we might decided to come back since Doug was backpedaling on the idea of a century. Turns out Scott and Jen showed up as well. We agreed to going around to Arrow Bridge and reassessing the plan to go to Kendrick.

Scott was suffering from asthma and backward pants syndrome (you'll have to ask him. So, while Jen seemed to have recovered from the cold and would have gone on, Scott and Jen headed back to town.

I had my own problems with the day. I felt tired and slow on the bike coming across Southway. I couldn't maintain 15 mph. I discovered a rubbing brake and thought that was my problem. It did help but at Lapwai I dismounted only to discover the arch of my left foot had become very painful.

Still, I wasn't ready to quit. Doug and I rode on to Zoey's for lunch. The temp at Lapwai had been 51 but it felt much colder. It was warm enough to make me sweat which meant I was wet and cold at Kendrick. That seemed familiar.

Doug and I left by 1 and now I felt labored again. Doug even commented at one point that I must be hurting. Doug left me at Hahn to ride into Pedals 'n Spokes. I headed home and stood to climb up to the levy and felt a wobble in the back tire. Sure enough, it was lose. That explained the brake and the constant adjusting I was doing to my shifting.

Tired, feeling blobby, left foot in some discomfort (not bad on the bike), I just couldn't turn up the hill to home. I needed another 20 miles and I was going to get it. 2 miles beyond the 10 mile bridge above Asotin, I turned around and rode home up Critchfield, added one lap of Hallgren Dr and stopped at the garage. My GPS read 100.0 exactly.

I know I was getting spacey 'cause near the boat launch I caught three bikes. The first was Debbie all bundled up. The third was George. I could handle all that, but the middle cyclist was Wendy. The apparation spoke to me. She claimed Linda had taken a picture just to prove Wendy had really been there. I told the apparition she was only a figment of my imagination. Later at home Linda uploaded her pictures to the computer but mysteriiously they have disappeared.

On Sunday Sean and Carol joined us as well as Mike Warnock and Bill Arnold. Scott and Jen were back too. It was a crowed. We made an easy recovery ride by going round Evans and Clemans. Mike and Bill hadn't had enough and headed up Asotin Creek. I needed 20 miles to get 250 for the week--my usual summer goal for a week. I'd have 25 today so I headed home.

It's good to see the bikes are back. Arf! Arf!

For the ride of it.--Corrie