A Short Ride that Took Forever

Monmouth Battlefield

29 March 2015

NOAA said: 

Below normal temperatures are expected in the eastern U.S on Sunday

A deep trough over the Eastern U.S. will be responsible for below normal temperatures on Sunday. Temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees below normal from the Great Lakes to portions of the Southeast. Temperatures will be the coldest in the Northeast where afternoon highs will only reach the mid to upper 30s. 

We went anyway.  We started at 28 degrees and finished at 38.  Despite his 32-or-below-cancels policy, both Mark and I had independently talked Winter Larry into leading.  Ron, Marc, and Jim found out through me.  Barry and Chris must be reading my blog before sunrise.

Somewhere near Cranbury, Mark said, "I heard it's going to be a snowy April."

"No," I said.

"No," he said.

"Noooooooo!" I whined.

"Noooooooo!" he replied.

"No, no, no!" I declared.

"No!" he proclaimed.

Then, Chris had one of his patented can't-fix-it flats. Marc, Jim, and I were stopped in front of a construction site.  Marc said, "This house will have a moat, whether they want it or not."

Next week, a comment like that will earn him a chocolate bunny.

After a 20-minute wait, Chris ordered us on without him. We were headed to Battleground Orchards, which is a less than ideal rest stop, and Larry always puts it only 15 miles into the ride.  I grumble about it, but some things are fixed in stone.  I'm grateful to him that he avoids Clarksburg when I'm around. Reversing course to put the orchard three quarters of the way through the short ride would be too much to ask.

We took a short detour to Monmouth Battlefield:

There's a blue cannon at the pavilion.  Alluding to an internet fad that wasted far too much time a couple of weeks ago, Marc asked, "What color is this cannon?"

Next week, a comment like that will earn him another bunny.

A handful of miles later, Mark had a flat.  Spring is flat tire season.  That we got away with only two is reasonable.

The stopping and the detours got us back relatively late for the short distance.  It didn't help that we were poking along at less than a customary pace either.  But, hell, at least we got out.

Speaking of which, next Saturday is our traditional Chocolate Bunny Ride. If the roads are clear and nothing is falling from the sky, we are going to ride.