4.1.2011 Ride: Yes, Virgina. There is a sun.

The forecast called for sun and a slight chance of a shower in the morning but it did seem like an April Fool's joke when I prepared to go for my morning walk while it was till dark and I heard some strange noise outside: rain.   It only lasted a few minutes but rained again for a few minutes a couple of hours later.  However, by the time I headed out on the bike, the sun was indeed out and the temperature was warming.  I checked the biking log and the last time we had seen sun was a week ago.
In preparation for the road trip April 16th, I carried two full panniers and a handlebar bag for a total of 30lbs.  The Jim Beam bottle added two pounds.  I found it within the first mile.  A very pretty piece of litter.

Even with the sun, I was in a bit of a melancholy mood and moving sluggishly.
I came across this Blue Heeler on Habberton which I have encountered before.  He has given me a small chase but nothing really threatening.  I stopped to say hello and I love this first photo of him because he seems so threatening. 

But, after a bit of sweet talking, he lied down and stretched, feeling more comfortable with my presence.  However, I never could get him to come over and say hello. 

Shed on Guy Terry Rd.

There was a decent headwind and I had to adjust to the load I was carrying, especially in front. 
This was a destination trip, which was probably a good thing in my given state of mind.  But, I just tried to sit back and enjoy the ride, not worrying about how quickly I arrived at my destination.

Riding on the trail around lake Fayetteville, I was surprised at the amount of litter. I guess I expected more from the people who use the trail.

It was feeling like a slow photo day and I was looking around to see what ordinary every day thing that I might take a picture of.  I spotted the lowly dandelions, hopped off the bike and laid flat on the ground to try and capture a different perspective.  I guess I could have plucked it out of the ground and held it up to get the same picture but it wouldn't have felt the same.

On the way back, I stopped again to see if I could capture a picture of this white barn that stood surrounded by modern homes.  I would have had to walk into someone's back yard to get a good picture but I wasn't up to going that far today.  As I was about to get back on the bike, I spotted the white plastic ring.  This reminded me of Miriam, my brother-in-law Walter's friend, whom I met on my last trip to Atlanta.  She takes flattened debris, mostly metal I believe, and turns them into little miniature works of art. Though, I am not sure if she would make use of plastic.   I googled her to see if I could find any of her work but only came up with one item, which is called Horse Warrior.

I believe that's a piece of fungi on the top.

She also makes what are called Ketubahs, which are Jewish marriage contracts.  Hers are beautifully designed and some of her work can be seen at www.customketubah.com/index.html.

I was passing a small bank on the side of the road that looked basically weedy and rocky but the red plants scattered among the rocky soil caught my eye.  It was interesting to see that each one of these plants had a center green leader with the red ones spread out in a circle around it.

I recall from my AR - GA trip that sometimes I would need to ride a couple of hours to get into a good rhythm.  Today was such a day as I didn't really feel energized until into my return trip.  Having the wind at my back certainly didn't hurt!

Today's Ride:  2hrs 40mins.  25.42 miles.  57-64 degrees. Miles YTD:  1,637.28