The countdown begins

 

My bike helmet with a few of the sponsoring individual's names

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I took my bike in for it's pre- ride tune up and followed the advice of Jeff (another one of my SAG guys) at Bike Barn. I now have road tires on Ms. Trekkie instead of hybrid tires. These tires are taking a bit of getting used to mentally. They are narrower than the hybrid tires and have no visible tread although you can feel a pebbly sort of texture when you fondle them. In my mind I am convinced that they have no traction although the past two days of riding on them on both bike path and road have proved that this is not the case. They also have considerably less rolling resistance which seems to have upped my average speed another couple of tenths of a mile. Not major league, but since I do endurance rather than speed, it will pay off in the long run. They also make a kind of a whiny hum rather than a thrum when I ride. Obviously it will take another couple of rides before my brain learns this new situation.

While I was out riding in George Bush Park the yesterday I saw several Scissor Tailed Fly Catchers at close range. These birds are fairly small, with gray and white stripes on their backs, a pearly gray head and the most incredible tails which consist of two long eliptically shaped black feathers edged in white. Their under wings are salmon pink and white. I scared one up off of the path in front of me and he flew off level with my face for about 50 feet which gave me time to examine him. Another flew off sideways from me which gave me ample opportunity to admire his pink armpits. They are truely gorgeous birds, but their tails look like something Dr. Seuss might have drawn. When I first saw one last year, I was sure it was a misplaced exotic or an escapee from a collector or zoo, but apparently they are fairly common to the fields and woods outside of the metro area.

Pledges from weavers, spinners, friends and family continue to come in so I have begun putting names on my helmet in pink paint. You can see some preliminary results in the photo above. By the time I am finished I don't think there will be much blue or gray visible.

The generosity and outpouring of support for my effort is pretty amazing and I am truely grateful.