68 Days, 50 Miles, 5+ animals, Wonderful People

68 days to the PMC and Team Avanti did a gorgeous, gorgeous 50-miler from Weston to Dover and back. On my way out of the driveway at 5:45 a.m., I rode between two turkeys. I saw another when we got back into Weston.

As we rode through some of the most beautiful countryside on aptly-named Farm Road (Dover, I think), near the head of the Charles River, we came upon the first of two LARGE snapping turtles. The big fella was right in the middle of the road, sunning his belly on the quickly-warming pavement. We stopped and I moved him to the side of the road -- not an easy task as he was large, wet, very snappy, and substantially covered with some very unattractive slimy stuff. The picture is of a MUCH more attractive turtle.

The route took us up Strawberry Hill Road to Wilsondale Avenue, where a best friend, Lalla, grew up with her delightful siblings and her wonderful parents, Charlie and Bootsie, both of whom I ride the PMC to honor. If there has ever been a nicer couple, I haven't meant them. My son Charlie has a bear he named Bootsie. 'Nuff said. Soon, I hope, the tears will stop.
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75 Days; 40 Miles Today

Today was the first "real" ride of the season -- Team Avanti hit the roads at 6 a.m., and not a moment too soon, for the PMC is only 75 days away. We rode the "Eastern European" to Carlisle and Concord, though nobody knows why it's called that. One thought is that the stone walls evoke Eastern Europe. More likely, some crazy Eastern European came out and screamed at bikers who were making too much noise at 6:20 some Sunday morning. Can't you just see a "frau" in a housecoat with a straw broom screaming while here husband, wearing black pants and suspenders, looks on with a dour look? Hey, it made the ride that much more fun.

See the GPS trace from our rocket-scientist 'mate, who's just back from "Oz" and New Zealand.

Do you know Ros McLean (right). She's a great friend who was profiled in the PMC Yearbook. Among all the other things she did was jump out of an airplane.