Surfin’ Safari

It rained here yesterday. We had nearly continuous light to moderate rainfall interspersed with bands of heavy downpours. I watched it on the radar console at work, hoping that I’d get a short break between those heavy bands for my ride home. I was lucky. It was a wet ride, but at least it wasn’t cold.

I’d had the foresight to put a rain jacket in my pannier along with a pair of full-fingered gloves and my windbreaker. The temperature was about 60F (15C) with the wind out of the east. My rule-of-thumb is to add an extra layer under the rain jacket. I don’t mind getting wet if I can stay warm.

Sure enough, within the first mile I was very wet. The rain soaked my bandana under the helmet. My shoes and shorts were wet, but the Centurion’s fenders kept most of the grime at bay.

I rode north, thinking about the huge puddle that forms at the first railroad crossing. The crossing is at an angle, so I have to zigzag to cross it safely even when it’s dry. In the wet, it’s more treacherous. The puddle forms every time it rains, or when the lawn sprinklers are on at the business next to the road. It complicates the crossing slightly, requiring an extra zigzag.

So I was spinning along, looking at traffic and thinking about the upcoming maneuver. I forgot about another, smaller dip that collected a puddle. That is, I forgot about it until I was almost on it. Just then, a pickup swung over the centerline to pass. It threw up a wall of water, a tsunami that crashed right down over my head! The shock woke me up better than any cup of coffee! Maybe he was being a dick. Maybe it was inadvertent. Regardless, all I could do was laugh. I was already soaked so what’s a little more water?

I could have ridden that wave all the way home. Naturally, that gave rise to a tune in my head that matched the pedal tempo.

We’ll all be gone for the summer,
We’re on safari to stay.
Tell the teacher we’re surfin’
Surfin’ USA.………….the Beach Boys

Sometimes, riding in the rain can be a lot of fun!