March 28, 2012 - Paying the Vet Bill

Gypsy Stats:
Elapsed time:  7 hr 11 min
Riding time:  5 hr 26 min
Total distance:  272 miles
Ave mph:  50.1

Beemer Stats:
Total distance:  281 miles
Ave mph:  51
Ave mpg:  47

Pump Stats:
$4.15 for 93 octane today
46.5 mpg

A week and a half ago our two dogs went adventuring in the middle of the night while we were visiting out at in Perry County and had a run-in with a porcupine of which they got the losing end.  Under Mary's guidance, it took three of us about three hours to de-quill the two dogs while Jim finished the milking with no helpers.  It turns out that in Pennsylvania, I could pay the vet bill for this operation at the State Store but was having trouble finding a time to make the consequent delivery due to over full week end schedules in March and early April.  I finally decided to make a run out to Blain with the booty in the middle of the week.  I couldn't find anyone willing to play hooky and go along, so I had to settle on a solo run.

I got off about 9:20.  Temperatures were in the low 50's and I was in light cool-weather gear:  long LD base layer, Gerbing jacket, riding suit with liners, and insulated gloves with heat - jacket and hand grips - set on medium and glad to have it.  Heading out the sky was clear and I decided to take the long way out to Blain, so north thru Kutztown and over Hawk Mountain, then west on 895 and 443, eventually hitting the Susquehanna at Fort Hunter at the end of the Fishing Creek Vally 

It has been an abnormally warm winter in southeastern Pennsylvania this year.  [Did you hear about the woman who accused the Democrats of passing the law making daylight saving time start at the beginning of March so the extra hour of daylight would purposely make it warmer and fool us all into believing in global warming???]  The hillsides are showing a touch of color (light green and red) on the tips of the trees and the hay fields have turned bright green.  Daffodils are past their peak; the Forsythia, which has been especially brilliant this year, was just peaking; all of the fruit trees are in bloom as are japonica, spirea, and the later bulbs.  It seems the warm weather has brought everything out at the same time.   The redbud is blooming in the woods but no sign of dogwood yet.  It may just be a bad year for dogwood since these two usually come at the same time. 

I jogged slightly south on River Road to Rockville to make a visit to Uncle Ray and grab a cup of joe in the shadow of the Rockville Bridge, which is a pretty darn long stone arch railroad bridge over the Susquehanna.  I declare, I don't think I have ever seen a longer stone arch railroad bridge anywhere...  By this time the weather had clouded up and was looking somewhat ominous.  The temp was still around 50 but I had started feeling the chill so I took the opportunity to add a wind break layer (Aerostich jersey) and the chin fleece, then headed up river on Rt 322/22 towards the confluence with the Juniata.  Not long until I was dodging rain drops and looking at some ugly weather to the north and west.  After crossing the river, I pulled over to consult the weather map, thinking "50 degrees? OK.  Rain?  OK.  50 and raining?  Maybe not so smart for a ride that really was not essential today".  By the time the iPad had loaded the weather map on 3G, the sky above the Juniata Valley looked like it was clearing, and the map showed all of the weather moving south of the mountain, so I decided to press on.  I blasted up 322 to Millerstown, then up the Raccoon Valley on route 17 to Blain.

After an hour visit at Mary's, and about 18 kg lighter in weight from the delivery, I headed for home.  The weather had changed completely, now bright and sunny with temperature approaching 70!  I stowed the Gerbing jacket and switched to summer gloves and made tracks to get home the quickest way as I was starting to get short on time.  This turns out to be down the Sherman Creek to Sherman Dale, over the mountain on Rt 34 to link into I 81 at Rt 114, then Rt 581 to I 83 to the Harrisburg West interchange of the Pa Turnpike and blast on down to the Reading exit and Rt 222 to Reading and home.  Times like this it's great to have an EZ Pass in the tank bag and a bike that really knows how to move.

Well, the stats tell the story:  home by 4:30 with the vet bill paid and 280 miles on the clock on a beautiful spring day.  With the odometer reading 21,111, the old rear tire, installed at 14,180 miles, is sporting 6931 miles and starting to show its wear bars.  I guess I am going to call that a nominal 7000 and put the new tire on before riding anywhere else.