If you aren't afraid that the water in your bottles might freeze, it
is too soon to stop carrying ice.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

On Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:05:02 -0500, Joy Beeson
<jbeeson@invalid.net.invalid> wrote:

>
> If you aren't afraid that the water in your bottles might freeze, it
> is too soon to stop carrying ice.

The predicted high for tomorrow is 38F. I'm not worried about
freezing bottles, but I don't think I'll carry ice.

On the other hand, maybe I should put my back-up bottle into the
insulated pannier, so it won't be quite so chilled when I drink it.
Maybe start it out warm.

And can I really, truly, and honestly count on topping up at the
Mini-Mart? I haven't been to Oswego in years, and I've carefully
planned the route to be entirely out in the country, so that is my
only chance until I'm almost home.

My goal is to ride five miles further than my previous ride.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

On Fri, 24 Nov 2023 22:00:34 -0500, Joy Beeson
<jbeeson@invalid.net.invalid> wrote:

> And can I really, truly, and honestly count on topping up at the
> Mini-Mart? I haven't been to Oswego in years, and I've carefully
> planned the route to be entirely out in the country, so that is my
> only chance until I'm almost home.

I forgot that there is a Family Express (gas station) where I cross
30. It was noon when I got there, so I bought a slice of pizza, drank
half my half-pint of milk, and filled my bottle with black iced tea. I
wanted hot chocolate, but couldn't be sure the button didn't dispense
mocha latte, and once contaminated with coffee, a plastic bottle will
never hold potable liquid again.

I did put the back-up bottle into the insulated pannier, and when I
started to drink it about three-fourths of the way around, it was
still about as warm as it had been when it came out of the cold-water
tap.

I filled the exposed bottle with hot water (and a dash of sweet-pickle
vinegar syrup), and it was cold (though still above ambient) before I
got to Zales, which is about two miles from here. But I did stop at
an ATM on the way.

Every time I look into my wallet and say "Eighty-six dollars! It is
urgent that I get to an ATM.", I remember that when I was first
married, ten dollars was an immense sum to be carrying around.

Once again, I turned back at 450 N instead of going to Oswego. But
since I was already on 450 N, having gone north on the west side of
the lakes, instead of turning around, I turned right instead of left.
Used the same telephone pole to send a text.

Having to be home half an hour before supper time is a pain, but the
days will start getting longer before Christmas.

----------------

speaking of telephone poles, after I walked up McElroy Hill (avoiding
some sort of cable a guy in a yellow vest was fiddling with), the only
thing suitable for supporting my bike while I checked my watch and
wrote in my notebook was a telephone pole that had been cut off five
or six feet above the ground. I'm quite certain that this stump
hadn't been left there for my personal convenience, but what it's for
I can't imagine. I wonder whether it was part of the project with the
cable on the ground on the hill and guys working with some sort of
buried thingy at the bottom. I don't recall whether the cut on top
was fresh.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGESEW/