http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4478390. This was a nice, long ride. Although it was around 90 something, it didn't feel so bad considering the low humidity factor.
The ride started off pleasantly enough. Fixed myself a bottle of Elderflower water and packed a juice bottle of mango coconut water. Can't carry bananas, so coconut water is way so much better. More potassium than 2 bananas and more electrolytes than all sports drinks. I bag of sports beans and a Lucky Charms bar (we all have our weak points). I resolve that I will stop somewhere and get something to eat on the run so I take along the credit card too. The kid and I take off from the house and head to his school, St. Cloud Elementary. It's a nice morning. I stop and take a few pictures of the flowers that are blooming. The society garlic apparently likes to bloom all year around with no care, and the Magnolias are right on time, but the weird thing is that the Crape Myrtles are already blooming. How very unusual. They normally don't bloom until at least late May to early June, but it's been a very warm April, being in the lower 90's almost everyday. Hey, hey. I refuse to complain. Not after that fiasco of another bad winter. December is now a distant memory.
After dropping the kid off at school I try and decide where I am going to ride. Sometimes I've got a definite plan, especially if I have to work, or have other obligations, but this morning I have none. In fact, this ride is because I need some "me" time. Sometimes you have no one to depend on except yourself. I reflect. I am not on the "pity" episode, I am just acutely aware. Chalk it up to that awful intuitiveness. As I go down Budinger, I am traveling at the same speed as the cars in compliance with the school zone speeds. It's funny sometimes. I swear, some drivers don't know what to make of me. It's getting easier to cross over 192 and lucky for me I have my good friend Jane at my back. She and her big yellow bus. As I stop at the intersection of 192, I glance over at the bus that's been trailing my ass. It's Jane. Great comfort! Nothing better than having a big yellow bus covering your arse. She and I laugh as I mouth that I am going over to Lake Runnymeade and where ever for a 50 miles ride. The light changes and off I go.
On Louisiana I look around to figure out where Roxie lives. I can't be sure although since her Trek was yellow, I am half heartily assuming she must live where the yellow sports car is? I think she mentioned her favorite color being yellow. Roxie had a bad bike crash about 2 years ago. She's got lots and lots of rods and pins in her, but she is one of those admirable people. I can appreciate her. I think about the people who actually could ride and don't. Always an excuse. Wonder what will happen if gas actually hits 7.00 dollars a gallon as they predict by Christmas? Of all the things, while I am thinking this a Hummer passes me. I'll never understand that one. At the end of Louisiana I see the Jacaranda. Gosh, this tree is a beaut! Like a lilac I would assume, but a tree! No fragrance that I am aware of, although I hear tell that lilacs smell wonderful.
I stop at the Lakefront to use the lady's room and then keep heading east. The seabreeze is out of the east this morning, nothing heavy, but still, a steady, brisk blow to it. I decide to just let my imagination take me wherever. I head down Rummel and toward Lake Runnymeade where I've decided this is my headphone time and my introspective time. No traffic. Only traffic is the wildlife and it don't bother me none. My first stop to take pictures is of the Purple Swamp Flower aka
Report · 9:21pm
Pickerelweed
l Weed. It's pretty and they keep it in control.
http://web.fccj.org/~dbyres/flora/pick.htm
I've decided that I am going to do a good 15 miles or more around the area. There is no traffic to speak of and it's a nice, quiet and safe place to ride. I've been doing a lot of thinking.
But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me
I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and..."-
Carly Simon
I am thinking alot. Thoughts today consists of the dilemma of which is worst? Being self absorbed and knowing it and doing nothing about it, or being self absorbed and still doing it? Ignorance versus self awareness. I am not sure which is worst. I just know it's sad.
"I tell you the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
Vincent Van Gogh
I don't know why some folks don't get it. I just feel for them, you know.
The other thing I am musing on is the media. All day yesterday the media was feeding us a line. From the start to the end. Makes me wonder how stupid either we are or they are. I dislike the media intensely simply for the fact that they take a alot and try and pigeonhole it into a neat, tight little, perfect bundle. They were speaking of how Americans are so happy, relieved over the capture of Osama Bin Ladin (well, yes), that we've temporarily forgotten the steep cost of gas and unemployment (uh, no). Who do they think they are fooling? Sure, one less nut on the planet is good, but still, what about the crooks in the oil industry and banks? You think we've forgotten? Shame on you and thank God I don't have cable. At times I wonder about things. I am neither Liberal, nor Conservative, finding both of them to be galling to say the least; just common sense. Freedom of Speech also consists of freedom of being able to disagree. Something neither, and I say NEITHER side aligns itself to. I am reminded of what Beethoven once said-
‘I carry my thoughts about with me for a long time, often for a very long time, before writing them down.’-
Ludwig Van Beethoven
One of my favorites has always been-
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you"-
Don Marqui
Trust me, it's a fine line. You learn to watch what you say.
The ride around the water is a tad bit adventurous. There is a big gator, must be at least 8 feet long, who has been basking in the sun for the last 6 laps. He's facing me, 6 feet away as I whiz past him, with his mouth open, enjoying the rays of the sun. A glimpse of those nice, big, pearly whites is enough to keep me at bay and stop from taking pictures. I am waiting for the right moment when he'll take a dip in the water and come back the other ways around. Sure enough, he does not disappoint me. Obviously he has a nice sized harem from the amount of smaller gators surrounding him as I count 4 exactly. I brave the moment and snap a few pictures, chalking it up that they've all already ate and are quite content.
I close up the miles around the area with a few snaps of the entrance to Lake Runnymeade and a flock of sandhill cranes cross my bike path. I love the sound these birds makel; almost prehistoric. Obviously very close knit as most birds tend to be. The lily pads that were so abundantly blooming a week ago have lost some of their flowers. That, or the wildlife has ate them up. Most folks don't know that you can eat the seeds from the lily. They are quite edible and nutritious. Had a real good friend from Vietnam when I was a youngster. His mother, who was half French half Vietnamese, was the most wonderful cook. His father would take us kids on fishing trips and I even learned that you could eat a stingray, although I really don't recommend this one. Many a day that was spent on the Ochlockonee Bay with paint buckets, wading through the estuaries and bayous gathering blue crabs. I really miss those days. .
Suddenly I realize that the big ole gator with the huge teeth is no longer on the banks; he's done got into the waters. I make it a mental note to zip a few times around and see what he'll do. Upon the 3rd lap I find him up on the banks in the opposite direction. Not quite as startling as him smile snaggle tooth and all at me as he's been doing for the last hour or so. It's quite jarring to be so close to one when they've got their mouth's open like that. Gives you a good idea of what it would actually feel like to get trapped in there. I also notice that his "females" have gotten closer to him. This is breeding season after all and even gators have to have fun, right?
Okay! I've had enough of this runaround. I've got more miles to cover and the day is growing longer. Plus, I know at home I've got laundry and beans and rice to cook. Is there ever a day when I don't have something to do? Not really. If it's not the garden, it's the house, if not the house, the yard, not the yard, the kids.... you get my drift. I head back out to Rummell and cruise in and out of neighborhoods. These tend to be either interesting, boring or just another way to put on some miles. I also notice that if a streetsweeper is coming through here, he's pushing all the debris and glass into the bike lane. Another headache to take up? Almost at the end I stop and take a picture or two of some Mexican Sunflowers that are blooming so nicely after that horrid slap in the face this past winter. They, like so many of our flowers, put on a cheerful display for us passerbys.
I take a well deserved bathroom break at the Lakefront and see a sign about a Blues Festival. Hmmm. I love the Blues, and think about attending this. Saturday night, hmmm? Think I'll take my kids and head on down here. Been a very long time since I've heard a live Blues band play. Not since I've lived up in the Panhandle. After a quick bathroom break, I ride my bike on down the pier to get a glimpse of the water and what's going on. I am still mildly surprised that folks have money to put into their boats when the price of gas is so high. Boats are downright expensive to run! I could do anything in a boat but I'll honestly admit the only thing I could never do was back one up. Was a major pain in the ass trying to get it down the loading ramp. As I head down the pier, rolling along the metal grate (vastly annoying to the old folks hanging out there), I observe the lily pads and the American Coots in the water and manage to take some time and snap the pictures of such. It's hard to overlook a coot; their bills are so white in response to their darker coats that they are distinctly noticeable on the water despite their smallest size. I have not, however, observed one limpkin on this ride, although I've seen many blue herons for certs. The turtles especially have overcome their shyness and I've observed many perching on logs here and there, or wherever they managed to come up and find something to lay on and enjoy the rays. The marsh grasses are making a comeback after all the wacking control by the city.
"Oh, pauvre Mama,
Priez pour moi.
Sauvez mon âme,
Des flammes d’enfer"-
Zachary Richards
Dang, I realize it's getting rather hot. Hot as hell. Whoo hoo! The water looks really enticing. The water at the kiddy's splash looks like an oasis. My bottles are empty and I realize, "dang, I am hungry". What to do? I head down Lakeshore to Massachusetts and then over to 4th and up toward 192. Not so many choices. I consider, should I cross 192 and head into the CVS for junk food, or should I go to Burger King and just chalk it up to a hunger beyond my control? I decide on Burger King. It's too hot for chocolate. I order a Whopper Junior and stand outside by my bike wolfing this down realizing I could do with another. However, I am too cheap. After eating I contemplate where I want to go next. I don't really have a set plan. I really don't like traffic and don't want to do the East Loop. I have no idea where I want to go, just that I do. I contemplate the area that would have the least amount of traffic. I settle on heading back to Vermont and crossing 192. Lordy, I tell ya, the lovebugs were just awful. Swarms. I mean, literally millions. I could not for the love of me see the damn path. Wearing a helmet, they were in in my hair where I could not reach them. I could feel them crawling through my hair, having sex through the jungles of my hair. I did laugh at that one. I did not laugh at the itching. I avoided cursing and kept my mouth shut. I could handle the bugs in my hair, just not in my mouth. I had to keep my head downward and noticed the road littered with zillions of these damn things. Usually don't show up til May. They made an early calling. Did I mention it's hot and they are glued to my legs like dirt? I don't dare smudge them. Getting down to New Nolte I make a right turn and head west to Old Canoe Creek Road where I turn left and head to Kissimmee Park Road. Over the turnpike ramp. I stop at the top and catch the seabreeze blowing at the top. Top of a mountain it felt like.
Heading down Kissimmee Park Road the bugs still follow, but not as bad as on Vermont. It's quiet out here. County roads.
"Take the highway
Lord knows I've been gone too long
Lot of sad days, yeah
One day you'll turn around
and I'll be gone
And the time has finally come
for me to pack my bags and walk away"-
Marshall Tucker Band
Love it out here. It's a pretty road, quiet, and serene for most of the ride. Within a mile of a ride I am startled by a wild turkey running clear out in front of me. Going 22 mph down the road, that's an adrenaline rush when things like that happen. Made me hungry too. LOL. On down the road I see a nursery. Been wondering where I am fixing to find some blue flag irises. Can't find them anywhere. I'd love those blues in my yard. So much for Florida natives. Can't find them anywhere anymore. Ah, but no sooner does this thought cross my mind when I zip past a young black racer. I was going so fast I wasn't sure whether I ran over him or the road is too hot? I back around and examine him. Not fixing to touch him, they are prone to bite when pissed off. Apparently they also have a thing for my son's bathroom, found 3 in there last year. Oh, yeah, and the garage. They are pretty, with their lithe movements. Probably one of my more likable snakes snakes. The other being an indigo. I make my ways down to Lake Toho. Not the East Lake Toho, but the other one. Forever divided by levees for flood control. The needs and demands of men. Ah, Florida. Roads like this. So close to real. Don't speak to me of the heat. Hell is real too.
Can they destroy you more yet? Everyone wants a piece of paradise but with conditions. I despise conditions. Conditions and stipulations. It's all about control. Once you learn the only thing you can control is your thoughts, life becomes much clearer. But enough of that. I reach the end of the line. The Lake lies afore me. I travel up and down the ways, and find, now I know where the snowbirds come and stay. Although the lots are full, they are devoid of human existence, they fleeing North. Like I said. Too bad because it's so beautiful now. Maybe this is why the road is less traveled? Last time I went down this road there were cars zipping by faster than hell, 20 miles over the speed limit. Everyone going nowhere. No one stopping to catch most of what goes by unnoticed?
Heading around I go back to St. Cloud. Half ways down I recognize the road where I would launch my boat. Haven't been there now in about 5 years. Remember getting lost on the Lake. So large, and the GPS such a pain in the ass. The passageways so elusive. Remember how beautiful I thought it was when I first saw it. One passageway opening onto another and over and over again until you started thinking about not running out of gas with as much fun as you were having exploring. I sometimes thought I'd died and went straight to heaven. Run the boat all over the Lake. At the end of the road, past the orange groves, one died out and the other thriving, I come to the end. A kid is playing in the water as his father works on the airboat, the dog running around and some other folks getting ready to head out. It's a nice afternoon. Calm, steady waters, blue skies. Can't ask for more. I can't think of beer right now. Too hot. Memories. These are memories I'll always keep. I grew up on rivers and the ocean; not lakes. This was the most pleasant surprise of moving here. I imagine I look a sight to these menfolk here. They are keeping a keen eye on me and the guy in the boat over yonder yells and ask how far I've gone. I tell him probably over 50. He laughs and the kid looks shocked and falls backwards into the water. LOL. But the guy gets it and gives me a smile and thumbs up. Ask me if it's the best thing? I says, yes, I think so now, used to be fishing. Life.
Going down the road, I head for home. The rest of the ride is pleasant enough. I think I could do this forever if I had a magical water fountain. I don't really get hungry. My ride for the week. Tuesday morning, afternoon. Now to head home to cook and back to the "real" world. I count myself blessed to be where I am.
"Train roll on, on down the line,
Won't you please take me far away?
Now I feel the wind blow outside my door,
Means I'm leaving my woman behind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
My woman's gone with the wind.
And I don't know where I'm going.
I just want to be left alone.
Well, when this train ends I'll try again,
But I'm leaving my woman at home.
[chorus]
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
My woman's gone with the wind.
Train roll on many miles from my home,
See, I'm riding my blues away.
Tuesday, you see, she had to be free
But somehow I've got to carry on."-
Lynyrd Skynyrd
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