The day of the redwing blackbird

On Thursday, Lou calls me at work: "let's go to Erie this weekend." So I call the kennel for Bandit, rustle up a motel in north east (that's a town, in addition to a compass point) and early Saturday, off we go. I am looking forward to a fairly flat weekend after the difficulty of last weekend's rides, and north is the way to go. In western Pa., the souther you go, the hillier it get. Both of us were in a norther mood. Lou's goal on the bike is to be able to cross another ride off the list in the Great Book of Rides. My goal is to rack up the miles, the more, the merrier. My general plan in life is to ride 75-100 miles on the weekends, and the same over the course of the week. I am not quite there, but I like to have the brass ring just beyond my reach -- all the more reason to celebrate when I push hard enough to grab it. 1st ride: Saturday, may 12. Cambridge springs, 34-mile route; 38 with doubling back, little side trips and the usual intermittent confusion of following a cue sheet. Driving north on 79 to Erie, I have always wondered about the erie national wildlife refuge that is marked on several exit signs around meadville and edinboro. http://www.fws.gov/northeast/erie/r5ernwr_wildlife.html Not enough to actually drive the 15 miles off the highway to visit, but still, I have noticed and I have wondered. The Cambridge springs ride starts at edinboro lake, goes through Cambridge springs, traverses the refuge (seneca division) and then back to Edinboro. The refuge is exhilarating, peaceful, bucolic. We didn't see the bald eagles that nest there, or the hooded mergansers or buffleheads. Or any of the 37 varieties of reptiles and amphibians that frequent the joint. But knowing they're there makes my heart sing in my chest, and yours should too. After the ride, it was about 15 miles to Erie and then 15 miles beyond to the colonial motel in north east -- we really lucked into that one. Clean, comfortable, spacious with a kitchenette -- and only $70 a night after taxes. And right on route 5, so we didn't have to load the bikes onto the car for Sunday's ride. Perfect! dinner at the Freeport inn, a quarter-mile from the hotel. Ok, they had no vegans on the menu. But I got a baked potato and some grilled veggies with some salsa on the side and really I couldn't have been happier. (I won't lie -- the prime rib looked great.) Lou wolfed down his chicken parm. 2nd ride: sunday may 13. We intended to do the 32-mile cruise through the vineyards, into new York and then a long stretch back on 5, but ended up doing only 20 miles of it and then driving to presque isle to finish off the day's adventure. The ride was fine, and pretty, and there were a few really gorgeous sections. But 5 was a little bumpy and I just love presque isle, so given the muther's day choice, I went with my heart. Did I mention 5 was bumpy? Well, when I got onto my bike at presque isle, I immediately felt it -- the dreaded flat, 2nd time in a week. So I hopped off my bike and told Lou to go on ahead, I wanted to fix it myself. 15 minutes later, he calls. Yes, I have the wheel off the bike. No, I don't have the tire off the rim yet. But I'm fixing this myself, dammit, go on ahead. Ten minutes later, I call him -- I can't get the $&@;)?$ tire off the rim. Just couldn't wedge the tire tools around the rim hard enough to dislodge the stupid mfer. Grr. Lou comes back and lets more air out of the inner tube, which makes it much more doable. Plus he puts the tire tools in differently than I had them. Once he gets it started, I'm able to do the rest. But my stubbornness cost me an hour out of an hour and a half ride. What, me stubborn? But I am a little hopeful that next time I'll be able to do it all by my lonesome. I sure don't want to get stuck by myself with an unfixable flat down in dead man's hollow... Highlight of the ride: lunch on the lake at north east township park. Gorgeous. wind-whipped. Sadly, no whales.