The left knee flared up after last Wednesday's ride. By Friday I was feeling a lot of grouchy pain that I gave in and called the doctor. The earliest appointment was for this coming Friday. I suppose if I had cried, moaned, and demanded to see him sooner, the gatekeeper would've squeezed me in that day. Just as well. I prescribed my knee rest. The knee felt good yesterday, so the Husband and I pedaled our bikes around town (4.25 miles) to do errands. I did well, but the Husband had a spill. He has a beautiful egghead of a purple bruise on his shin. The poor guy! Oh, it felt wonderful to be out pedaling Tilda-Hilda this morning. I was good about not going far, but I was tempted. We pedaled 7.5 miles in 43 minutes. The bum knee had no problem. The other knee complained a bit. It's been overcompensating for the bummed one. I might as well present both knees to the doctor when I see him this Friday. Ah, the fun of the body growing older.

"Why are you up so early?" asked the Husband. "I want to ride the bike before it gets too hot," I said. "Take the phone." Tilda-Hilda and pedaled off to Tres Pinos, going about a mile pass the village. Our round trip today was about 13.5 miles in 78 minutes. Whooo-hooo!

The TV weather casters say we're going to go through another heat wave. So far, so good today. Tilda-Hilda and I went out later than usual so I could drop off books and DVDs at the library. The Mama said, "Don't go far." The Husband said, "Do you have the phone? Be careful." Molly the Cat said, "Mewww." I think she wanted to either a snack or to go outside in the front yard. I asked her if she'd like to ride with us. She could ride in the basket. No answer. Tilda-Hilda and I both agree. Earlier is better. Today, we pedaled 10.5 miles in 59 minutes. We made sure we didn't overdo or overheat ourselves. Until next time.

Tilda-Hilda and I went out with the Husband and his Sun Flame this afternoon. Yaay! We pedaled to downtown, stopping here and there for me to take photos for my other blog, Take 25 to Hollister . We pedaled and walked about 4 miles. Slow and easy. Half the time we pedaled against the wind so that made for a good workout.  Fun.

Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled over 12.5 miles in 67 minutes today. Quite good, I say, after missing three days. On Thursday, the Husband and I went on hike, climbing up and down a mountain path. It was fun. But, my left knee was crying out in pain as I walked the last mile. The poor Husband, having to listen to me. 

Tilda-Hilda and I did another long loop today—over 14 miles in 74 minutes. We went over three bridges. One was short, wooden, and very low to the ground, more like a cattle crossing. Ah, cattle crossing. What a misnomer. A cattle crossing is supposed to keep cows from passing through that point. Onward and upward.

Tilda-Hilda's and my mantra today was: Traverse, traverse, traverse. Zig-zag up the hill. Because we have a late morning appointment, we did a short ride today. It was invigorating. I averaged an 11.1 mph pace on our 7.77 mile route (I love the redundancy in digits) in 42 minutes. I discovered something today. A bicycle ride can clear up a morning headache. Yaay! Until the next time.

The other night I dreamt that Tilda-Hilda had two flat tires. I asked the Husband what that could mean. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe it has to do with the car tires we're going to buy." I hope so. Knock on wood that Tilda-Hilda doesn't ever get two flat tires at the same time. Just before I went out the door this morning, the Mama called out to me from her bedroom. I peeked in and told her I was going for a ride. She sat up in bed. "Don't go far," she said. "I won't." The dream. The Mama's warning. A sky that looked like it could rain. Maybe I shouldn't go out, I thought. But, it had been two days since the last ride. And, my appetite has been up lately. So, out the door I went. Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled for 78 minutes, roaming around 14.5 miles, today. No flats. Okay, I didn't pay attention to the Mama. But, I did turn around on one road when I saw a Confederate flag.

I didn't think I would have a chance to go out riding with Tilda-Hilda this morning. The fog was thick when I woke up. Fortunately, it started breaking up within an hour. So, off we went. It would've been a good day for a long ride, but I told the Husband we were going through the neighborhoods. I had the phone, but I didn't feel like calling. As a compromise with myself, Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled down a road parallel with the last neighborhood. We also took a very short side trip on a road that ended at a winery. That's what's beyond Tilda-Hilda in the photo. Our trip today was nearly 10 miles, which we did in 54 minutes. Happy trails to you.

Tilda-Hilda and I had an excellent ride this morning, 10 miles in 55 minutes. It resulted in me sweating afterwards for quite awhile. Zap! Zap! Zap! Take that, Fat Cells! Mwaaahhaaa. We're not scared of hills, I'll tell you what, as Hank Hill (of King of the Hill ) might say. We pedaled up a hill, coasted down another, and pedaled right up another one. I don't know about Tilda-Hilda, but I feel like I could face anything. Even the black rat that may be in the backyard (See the previous post ). I saw a cute black kitten scurry quickly around A&W, which made me wonder if the black rat is actually a black kitten. I can only hope. We stopped downtown for a photo in front of the biker's mural that celebrates Hollister as being the "Birthplace of the American Biker". Yes, that's Marlon Brando gazing wistfully at Tilda-Hilda. Did you ever see that movie The Wild One , in which Brando played a supposed rebel of a biker? It was loosely based on a 1947 ou

Tilda-Hilda wanted to pose in front of something different this morning, especially since we were going further out. Not orchards. Not barns. Not signs. Cornfields! Our ride today was relatively flat, which meant we pedaled a bit more in about the usual time. Over 12 miles in 64 minutes. Whooo-hooo! Until the next time.

Tilda-Hilda and I had a double digit morning: 11.11 miles in 66 minutes. Too bad, today wasn't 7/7. We zig-zagged through the neighborhood to the edge of town and looped back home via downtown for a photo opp in front of the Veterans Memorial Building. The handsome landmark was built in 1927 to honor the local members of the military who died during WWI.  If you would like to read more about our Veterans Memorial Building, please click here . Onward and upward.

I was using football terms to keep Tilda-Hilda and me inspired as I pedaled us up the hill this morning. First down, second down, third, and fourth. Touchdown was getting to this parking lot for the new hiking trails-to-come. We got an extra point by pedaling about 100 feet further to the traffic sign that said 2 miles of curves up ahead. Hurrah for us! Our numbers today: A bit over 10 miles in 60 minutes. We also got a thumbs up from a motorcyclist coming down the hill.

Day 28 was on July 4. Tilda-Hilda and I went out with the Husband and his flashy chartreuse bicycle. I wonder if he'll name his cruiser one day. I wasn't going to count this as a work-out ride because we rode our bikes as transportation to two events in town. Then I thought they were separate events at different locations, and we went home after the first one before going out again. So, why not. The first event was the Independence Day Kiddie Parade . You can see Tilda-Hilda and Chartreuse Flash (my name for the Husband's bike for now) at the left top corner in the photo. A couple hours later, we all pedaled downtown to check out the motorcycle rally . Altogether, our bicycling and walking added up to five-and-a-half miles. Day 29 This morning, Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled for a bit over 12 miles in 70 minutes. We went further and longer than I had planned. That's good. It means we can go more than 10 miles without having to go too far away. It was hard gettin

Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled to and from Tres Pinos again. We rode about 13 miles in 74 minutes. She's posing in front of the Immaculate Conception Church at the southern edge of Tres Pinos. That's where the parents had me baptized when I was a baby. It's a pretty little wooden church that was built in 1892. I'm not a religious person, but I do like the feeling of spirit and community that I get whenever I step inside. I also like looking at the gorgeous stained glass windows. To see photos of the windows and a few of the statues on the grounds, head over to this post at my other blog, Take 25 to Hollister . Tilda-Hilda and I passed by an assortment of roadkill this morning—a very tiny skunk, a ground squirrel, a snake, and a jack rabbit. Poor fellows. May they rest in peace.

Yesterday afternoon, the Husband and I pedaled around town to do our errands. It has been awhile since the Husband and his flashy chartreuse bike came out for a ride. They did quite well in the heat and wind. Not including the time for stops and talking with people, we pedaled four-and-a-half miles in 27 minutes. This morning, Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled a bit over 10 miles in 54 minutes. It was a relatively flat ride. That's us (above photo) pedaling back towards town. I wanted to take a photo of us next to a funky sculpture made out of car parts. But, this yappy dog began racing down the driveway as we came to a stop. No way was I going to find out if he was all bark and no bite. Onward and upward.

I had to talk myself into getting on Tilda-Hilda this morning. I had great excuses. It's too hot. It's too hot. It's too hot.  And, it wasn't yet 7:30 a.m. Tilda-Hilda and I made a breeze for ourselves so it was actually pleasant. Now, stopping. That's a different story. We did a bit over 11 miles today in 64 minutes. Surprisingly, after two days away, I wasn't gasping as much as I pedaled Tilda-Hilda and me up the hills. I think it helped that the Husband and I walked under an umbrella of redwood trees on Sunday. All that wonderful oxygen. Marilyn Monroe's "We're Having a Heat Wave" was going through my head on much of the ride. At one point, Neil Young tried to come through but Marilyn overpowered him. I couldn't figure what he was singing. While looking for a video of Marilyn singing "We're Having a Heat Wave", I came across a rendition by Ella Fitzgerald. I like it far more.

The butterflies cheered Tilda-Hilda and me on as we slooooooowly pedaled up the long inclines. They flitted alongside us, weaving among the wild mustard flowers on the side of the road. A couple of the crazy butterflies played chicken with us, flying at us and swerving away at the last second. At one point, two ground squirrels popped in front of Tilda-Hilda and me, and ran, ran, ran. "Hurry up, hurry up," I called, nearly catching up with them. A vehicle passed Tilda-Hilda and me. The squirrels dived into the brush. An old guy (probably a bit younger than me) was taking photos of birds in a faraway tree with a camera with a humongous lens. I stopped to talk to him, thinking he was one of the photographers who posted their amazing photos at a Facebook group I pop in now and then. As we chatted, a woman in a red SUV pulled up beside us. "There's a wonderful picture around the curve to take. A deer is sitting beneath a bush. It's so cute." "Tha

Today's outing was more of Tilda-Hilda sitting around and waiting for me downtown. She hung out in front of a coffee shop while I was at a meeting. When that was done, we tootled around town so I could take photos here and there. All told, we were out about two hours.  Discounting the time for the meeting and picture taking, Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled about 4 miles in 20 minutes. I don't know about Tilda-Hilda, but I broke into a sweat.

The hot dog, four 4-ounce samples of different craft beer, garlic fries, grilled sirloin tips, and gooey chocolate cake with ice cream that I consumed late yesterday afternoon was my inspiration to sweat off some calories this morning. I pedaled Tilda-Hilda nearly 13 1/2 miles in 75 minutes. That's the longest we've traveled in both miles and minutes. Whooo-hooo! Yesterday was the Husband's and my 23rd-of-the-month date. Thus, all the food. We shared everything but the hot dog and beer. The hot dogs we ate as we watched Spy , starring Melissa McCarthy, and the rest of the food we had after the movie. Spy , by the way, is a very funny and wonderful movie. I like to think that I would be McCarthy's character if I was a spy. All sweet and helpful, but a bad-ass, as in don't you dare get in my way when I need to get something done now! Onward and upward.