I did not yesterday because we got some much needed rain and it took several hours for the roads to dry out. The rain freshened many things but it turned some bugs into stinky piles. On the FM1960 Lake Houston Causeway dead bugs accumulate along the barriers on the side of the road, more so on the east bound land than the west bound lane. Normally these dry piles of bugs just lay there and do not emit much of a fragrance but when the rain comes the fermentation begins. Today riding over the causeway awoke my nostrils with the strong smell. Hopefully the sun and the heat will cook the piles enough that the smell will go away.

The ride did not get underway until 1:59 but the weather was fantastic: 91 degrees, clear sky and a very light 5 mph breeze. Even the humidity was nice at 32%. Riding south through Atascocita after exiting Kingwood the traffic was light. Once I crossed over FM1960 I stayed on residential streets with a brief stretch on W. Lake Houston getting to Walden. Through Walden and back into Atascocita brought me to the mile and a half on the causeway heading east. At first I did not remember what was causing the smell but then it didn’t take long to see the rotting piles of bugs. I am not sure what kills them but the wind from the traffic on the causeway moves them into various piles along with other debris. I think they come out at night and meet their fate.

This route totaled 32.4 miles today and I averaged 15.5 mph during the 2:05:38 riding time. I did stop at the Huffman Chevron. As I was drinking my Diet Pepsi I watched the time and temperature sign across FM1960 at Action Sign. I knew the temperature was in the 90’s but the board showed varying numbers from 118 to 132 degrees. One of the ladies at the station said the sign goes haywire in the afternoon when the sun hits the Action Sign roof just right. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing it was not so hot after all. Ha! Ha!

June miles total 76.67 towards my 524 mile goal. Year to date is now over the 2500 mile point at 2516.

Tuesday looks like another great day to bike.

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