Thoughts while on a very small seat...

So what have I learned this week during my 75 miles of tootling around the great IE?

1. Redlands was, at one point in history, famous for her oranges.  What can I tell you about the orange groves?  

• The trees smell really, really good while they're in blossom in the spring (not now). 
• The orchard has it's own microclimate which is a lot cooler than the road, and when you ride by, a nice cool breeze might greet you.
• Rotting oranges stink.

2. Worse than rotting oranges is the smell of dead critter wafting out of the orange groves.  Nothing like pedaling flat out, huffing and puffing all the way, and getting a great lung-full of yuck.  At least it was brief, and at least it wasn't a dead skunk.

3.  Those little brown birds (sparrows?--I'm not much of an ornithologist) fly at about 20 miles per hour.  I was last in that pace line.  Actually had three of them flying along beside me for about a quarter of a mile.

4.  The city of Redlands has not yet caught up in the pot-hole rehab department.

5.  Sunday afternoon is when most of Loma Linda does their laundry.

6. Two-tube Tuesdays at Cyclery USA are the best.  Buy two, get the third free.  I'll use 'em sometime, right?

Oh yeah, and that fundraising deadline keeps getting closer...if you would like to help out, please visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/ocie/tdps11/kcondonahu .