A wonderful weekend, and what came after

I agree with Nick that last weekend was fantastic: all the comings and goings, so many informative and enjoyable conversations, good food prepared by lots of imaginative cooks, a good mix of indoor and outside things to do, and an ideal location -- community, house, and especially hosts. It's been hard to get back into the routine of my daily life.

I plan to do a photo site for the reunion; hope to work on it over the coming weekend.

There are many things to write but I'm weak on motivation. I had a list running in my head in a wakeful moment a night or two ago. Right now I'm drawing a blank.

I do want to say a few words about the weather and my commute. Fall's generally a good time for bike riding and there have been some spectacular days lately. I vividly recall the uplifting sensation of coming into a tunnel of light as the setting sun before me illuminated the red, gold, and orange leaves on overhaning trees; all this in Rock Creek Park on an evening when I was late and a worried about my lateness and the growing dark. Not just the visual sensation but the moist warmth of the air and the quietness of that space in that time.

Yesterday another story: warm temperatures and a gusty wind in my face as I rode in. Rain forecast for the afternoon which I believed would hold off until afte I made it home. Unfortunately, I didn't leave as early as I'd hoped and got caught in what seemed to be an instant change of weather: the temperature dropped from 73 to 50, the wind swung round to the north west and gusted mightily, and rain poured down in buckets. I was immediately cold, drenched, and, not miserable, but surprisingly angry. This mental state got me though the worst of it with much cursing. I arrived home with no feeling left in my poor fingers (I've got Raynauld's disease) but not really much feeling sorry for myself.

My spirits actually shifted a bit from determined-intense to relaxed-awed on seeing the gushing torrent of water, swelling Broad Branch Creek to many times its normal volume. I rode along side it for an enjoyable 10 min or so.

I was actually grateful that I hadn't gotten a flat tire, something that happens very more fequently when it's wet than dry. (Also that traffic wasn't impossible and drivers weren't being more than usually irrational.)

As it turns out my rear tire had been punctured, but held air until after I got home. This I discovered in the morning, forcing me to delay for the 10 min. it takes to do a fix. I also found that my headlamp mount had broken (just a coincidence and nothing I imagine to do with the wet) forcing another delay of 5 min or so to change to a different one (small self pat on back for having a new one to change to).

What image would go with this post? Here's one of a rushing book something like Broad Branch yesterday afternoon: