Sometimes you have to be creative to get your ride in.  Levi (our new puppy) has puppy training (well, adolescent training) at 3:30pm on Sundays.  Also, we both volunteer at Gales Creek Camp (GCC) for Kids with Diabetes from 12-2pm on Sundays.  Gales Creek Camp is 34 miles from home in the opposite direction of the dog trainer which is 6 miles away.

So,  I (Janet) got up early and rode out to GCC and Jay drove out there and rode home. After helping at camp, I jumped in the car, drove home, grabbed the dog and headed over to the dog training. Jay rode home  –  everyone wins!

My ride was eventful.  Usually my rides are just beautiful and uneventful.

To start with, a young racer chick passed me on the way out… and, well, I just couldn’t help myself. I had to see if “I still got it” … and yes, I was able to catch her (on my Long Haul Trucker!) – let her twitch a bit as I sat behind her for a few minutes watching her glance sideways to see where I was.  Once I tagged her, I dropped off the back and had a celebratory snack.

My second event included a right hand turn right smack into the middle of a criterium road race – entering at the back of the pack.  Fun for a minute- but there was no way I could keep up.  I sat back and let them go.

My last event was perhaps the most eventful.  Just after stopping to pick and eat blackberries, I was cruising along when a bee decided to fly between my sunglasses and eye.  After a momentary spaz in which I finally dislodged my glasses from my face, the bee inserted it’s stinger into my eyelid.  Ouch.

Intense pain followed by instant swelling.  I stopped to assess the situation: I was 10 miles from any town;  I don’t know if I am allergic to bees (I have a lot of allergies);  my eye is swelling and it hurts; my cell phone works.  I called Jay.

I thought I might knock on the door of a house to get some ice … however, the first one I cycled up to was a bit scary (Perhaps I have been watching too much Grimm)-  at least four dead cars in the yard and bored rottweilers roaming around, licking their chops while sizing me up.  I’ll try the next house.   Nobody home (probably at church).   By this time, 15 minutes had passed and the swelling seemed to stabilize. I decided to ride to the gas station on  Hwy 6 – where I was able to ice my eye (which was almost swollen shut).  A kind ATV rider offered me some Benedryl cream (“I am always getting bees under my helmet- I never leave home without Benedryl”). The cream was awesome for reducing the pain and itching.

I rode on to GCC without any additional problems-  my eye is fine…. Guess I wasn’t allergic to THAT bee.

JP