Thursday July 6, 2006 0 miles - Total so far: 1,395 miles

Today I had intended to get an early start on a long day of cycling but woke to lingering rain and lightening, so I rolled over and slept till 6 o'clock...then walked to the Coffee Trader with my laptop and continued catching up on journal entries. At 8 o'clock it was still overcast and wet, so I decided to make it a rest day and do some watercolor painting. I chose an old covered wagon I had photographed along the way...illuminated by the sun rising over mountains and mesas.

I also polished a haiku (poem) that came to mind while cycling. For those who are unfamiliar with haiku, it is a Japanese poetry form that (for purists) has three lines and a pattern of approximately 5, 7, and 5 syllables, as well as other standards which I have chosen to ignore, since I have an artistic license.

**************
bicycling uphill
downwind from a road kill skunk...
breathing is torture!
**************

Now that I've elevated the subject of road kill to fine art, I'll mention that this is a serious matter for cyclists pedaling along at 5 to 15 miles an hour...as you might imagine...if you dare. Gene says that rabbits out west have a favorite game, called "dodge the car", and they don't appear to have mastered it yet.