Incredible Journey

My biking readers will enjoy this tongue-in-cheek story by a relative about his 1.5-mile-long commute to work last week.

"I don't know what possessed me to take on the challenge, cycling 1/2 mile after 1/2 mile on compacted snow and glazed ice, through the frigid temperatures and howling winds.

I was on Surly Sue, my winter bike, loaded down with graded papers and lecture notes, carrying my only source of sustenance: an insulated mug containing once-hot coffee.
I set out early, the sun peeking over the horizon. I hopped on my bike but quickly jumped back off when I realized I would have to walk the first few feet, down my unplowed driveway.

The glide down my street was treacherous--and lonely. Not a soul to be seen at first, although later I encountered one human walking what appeared to be a wolf on a leash. My only company consisted of sounds, the wind battering like iced razorblades into small areas of flesh I had inexplicably left uncovered, the snow crunching underneath my Ritchey Speedmax 700x32c winter tires, the tree branches keeping the seeming endless time of my suffering.

My attention was anchored on every passing centimeter of dangerous path. Despite that, security was only momentary, and more than once I slid unexpectedly and uncontrollably.

I endured, rotation after rotation of those sneering pedals, and eventually arrived at work exhausted, blind, ravenous, and delirious. But when the morning custodial staff saw me and exclaimed, "You didn't bike in today, did you?"--an odd question given the fact that I looked like the Abominable Snowman and was holding a bike--I felt a tinge of pride. I had faced the elements, and for one small moment, I had triumphed over winter. And I learned something, that I can endure almost any amount of adversity if I need to...for about ten minutes."

Delay

A nonprofit group I belong to had its first meeting of the year scheduled for January 10. It was postponed due to snow and rescheduled for February 4. That meeting was again postponed for snow and rescheduled for Feb. 25. Sure enough, the morning of the 25th it was snowing, but we were all so sick of postponing that we held the darn meeting anyway. Props to our hardy board member from Bryn Mawr for hauling all the way out here to the country!

"Foal Cam"

Amazing: you can watch the birth of My Special Gal's foal live via New Bolton Center's "foal cam." The mare is due to give birth in mid-March at New Bolton's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. You can monitor My Special Gal before the birth and even help select a name for the little one. For more information, visit the website at www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam.

The Book Sale

A loyal reader wanted to share his high praise for the organization of this past weekend's used-book sale at Unionville High School! He said in an email:
"We attended the book sale as we usually do on the first day (Friday night) and were very pleasantly surprised to find that the “pro” buyers were very polite and non-pushy. What a difference from last year! As we waited in line for the opening bell, we heard a number of people comment on what a horrible experience they had also had with the “pros”. We conveyed our compliments for a job well done to the organizers and give them kudos to whatever they did to rein in the pros! It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience."

Stone Barn

What a sad sight to see the roof of the Stone Barn's banquet hall collapsed from the weight of the snow. The cupola is leaning severely to the north and the walls are completely out of kilter. Let's hope that the owners, the Thomfordes, can get the building repaired quickly and don't have to cancel many parties and wedding receptions. As a caterer friend said when he heard about the collapse: "What a nightmare for owners and clients!"

Township meeting

The monthly West Marlborough Township meetings are coming up on Tuesday, March 4. The planning commission meets at 7 p.m. (if they have any business to conduct; last month they didn't) and the supervisors' meeting starts afterward. Come out and hear what's going on in our township.

Bird report

Those four-and-twenty blackbirds of the nursery rhyme are frequenting my back yard. Actually, though, it's a diverse lot, with not only red-winged blackbirds but also starlings and grackles. It's amazing how quickly they can clean out a bird feeder!
There's word going around on the Internet that the frigid temperatures of the Polar Vertex have killed off 95 percent of the stinkbug population. We shall see!