Jul 2 - "panic"

It suddenly struck me that in a week I'd be in Denver.  I've only ridden 20 miles since the Cascade 1200 !!!  Yikes !!!!

I setup the trainer and spent a few minutes on it, only a few minutes -- that was earlier in the day.  I also did some other exercises.  My back is starting to feel a bit better but not quite right.  Hopefully I'll get out on the bike today for a real ride and eliminate some of those kinks.

I played around with bike packing yesterday, trying to see if I can pack with the fork still attached -- no -- with the brakes still attached -- probably -- with the chain still attached -- definitely.  I have to reduce the number of things required to disassemble, pack and reassemble this bike.  I also wanted to see if I could NOT bring my pedal wrench but really cannot remove the pedals without it.  My 15mm chrome wrench, which is lighter, is just not long enough to provide enough leverage.  The S&S coupler wrench also has a 15mm side but is even shorter.  The Paul brakes need a 15mm for adjustment, but obviously I can use the pedal wrench for that, or the coupler wrench, which I'll always have with me, so I can leave the chrome wrench at home.

I started work on the inverted little boat, doing some sanding and using fiberglass to patch a couple of places.  The resin was supposed to be workable for 12 minutes but no, was going lumpy in 7 ... rats.  Later I sanded the lumps.  I've got more work to do ...

I did some trimming out the back with the hand clippers, clearing encroaching weeds from the hosta.  I want to transplant some of it but didn't get that far.  Later.

It was Mass day in Loring; Cassie stayed home and inside.  Christine and Maurice were there, along with their kids, their kids friends, Maurice's sister and her daughter.  My Aunt Ruth apparently was on a road trip with Anne and Paul to Nova Scotia to visit Anne's daughter (or son, I forget which).  Anne and Paul have just retired and sold their house. They're going to live at their cottage for the summer, which is next door to my Aunt's, and in Florida for the winter.  They don't have a place in Florida yet; will probably stay with my Aunt for a while but I don't think that can go on forever.  My Aunt wants her space.  Perhaps we'll see them this winter.

Michael retired on June 30, Karen a month earlier.  His last day was in London.  They'll spend the summer at the Bermuda place and then presumably will sell that.  Their daughters have a condo in Toronto, so they are empty nesters.  Michael has traveled so much in his career that he's never been home for more than a couple of days at a time and with a long time in between.  In a sense, he and Karen have never really lived together and, with the girls grown up, will have to learn to put up with each other ... ha ... Sandy and I went through that when we moved to Philly and I didn't travel for a couple of years, took the train home every day, was very predictable. 

Christine's three kids are going on a camping vacation together at the end of August so Christine and Maurice are planning one of those barge & cycle trips but were intrigued with Kilimanjaro.   I'll get info to them in case they're interested.   They would make good climbing company.  I wonder if Michael and Karen might be interested ... hmmm ... Michael more likely than Karen but you never know.

Cassie and I went fishing first thing in the morning; I was mostly skunked.  Shortly after I dropped my line, the rod end yanked into the water and the line was cut.  Clearly that was a good sized pike.  I replaced the snelled hook with a leader and later caught another pike but that one was only one foot long; not a keeper.  That was it.  We'll go again today, hopefully with better luck.

There's quite a gang next door.  They were all on the dock and/or swimming but Cassie declined to go in with them. She did, however, do a lot of fetching - she's not a swim-with-the-people kind of dog like Abby, who would have been out there swimming, nor is she a rescue dog like Vickie, who would have been out there trying to save you (actually climbing on top of you).  Perhaps I can get Cassie to come in with me but the water will have to be warmer ... it's only 70F at this point.

Later Cassie did more fetching and still later, more fetching.  I get tired of the game long before she would stop.  I can tell that she's tiring but she never wants to stop.

That's it ... I guess ... I can see from the Facebook post that Sandy and Marda are in Stratford (swans in the post).

Onward ?