An unplanned excursion today.
I discovered this morning that I needed to take the Senior Cat Of The Household to visit the Evil
Man With The Needles, so having secured an appointment, cat was secured in the trailer (cat carrier
swathed in blanket and old waterproof jacket to keep the weather off him) and the pair of us set off
into the headwind and rain. Ick.
Now, I'm slow at the best of times, but I averaged just over 6mph for this trip (about 5 miles),
which is flat apart from a motorway bridge. Aargh.
Vet asked if Senior Cat is eating. I restrained myself with difficulty from bursting into hysterical
laughter and explained that Senior Cat rarely does anything else, at least by choice.
Evil Needles having been put to use, and cat prevented from escaping backwards from the vet's
table, I re-swathed him in his carrier and set off home. At half again the speed I'd attained
coming out. Whee!
About 2 miles from home I detected a slackening of the pace, although I was still pedalling as hard
as ever. Yep, the P*nct*re Fairy had paid me a long overdue visit. Bugger.
Fear not, thought I, I always carry a spare tube, shouldn't take too long to swap them over. An
extensive rummage through the pannier reveals that I have in fact been deluding myself and there is
no spare tube to be had. Bugger 2.
Not wanting to leave cat in trailer for any longer than strictly necessary, I pumped up the tyre as
much as I could (i.e. enough to keep from trashing the rim) and set off again. Fortunately it held
enough pressure to get me back to the level crossing at the edge of the village where I live,
although crossing the tracks seemed to be the last straw and I had to stop and pump it up again on
the far side. That was enough to get through the last half mile or so. Phew.
In case people think I'm cruel to take the cat in the bike trailer, experience has shown that he
(and indeed the Junior Cat) is much more relaxed after traveling thus than if they go somewhere by
motorised transport - the bike is quieter and less smelly after all, albeit probably a bit bumpier.
Other observations from the ride :-
- Karrimor fleece trousers are not waterproof, but remain nice and warm on the inside even when
the outside is damp.
- My new Freestyle jacket is considerably more waterproof than my old knackered one, not to mention
considerably more yellow....
- I need some Slime for my tyres.
Senior Cat, for those interested, is to remain indoors under observation for 48 hours, and if
symptoms persist is to return to the vet on Wednesday (don't tell him that though :-))
--
Carol Hague "There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat."
- Wesley Bates