Claire Petersky wrote:
You know its coming, faster and faster every day.

It starts by just wearing a light jacket in the morning. Riding in
the first fall rains. Putting the fenders and lights back on the
bike. The last official club event of the year. The first ride where
your fingers turn numb and you realize you need to go to the
full-finger gloves. The first ride where your legs are really, really
cold, and you realize it's time to get out the tights. Wearing a wool
shirt as an outer layer -- then a wool shirt with a fleece vest. The
first day where you ride to work the entire ride in the dark -- and
all the way home in the dark, too. Booties on the day it rains hard.

Then it's November. It rains, and rains, and rains. High of 43, low
of 41, the paper says, day after day. Endless rain, darkness, and a
little voice in your head says, "Mexico...Mexico...Mexico..."

We don't get the rain issue often here in San Diego, but on my solo night
mountain bike rides on Wednesdays the light goes on sooner and sooner.
Alas, two nights ago the light was turned on before I left the parking lot.

Bill "then we'll turn the clocks back and then will come knee and arm
warmers and vests and...well, SD still rocks" S.