Well, that blew.

OK Tucsonans - how did you like all that wind?

Most of my outdoor-based, leisure-time activities are foiled by excessive wind; cycling, fishing, disc golf, even birding suffers. I guess I could hike, but a few billion cubic yards of airborne dust particles to irritate the lungs make even that a bit trying. Rain already, dammit! I'm also married to a contact lens wearer, so neither of us have much patience for gale-force winds.

And so it was that I didn't get on the road bike at all Thursday, as I'd planned. I'd wrapped up some morning birding at Fort Lowell Park and Pantano Wash and returned to my pickup truck just in time to get sandblasted by the wind howling across a barren area with a lot of fetch. Wasn't doing that when I started and yeah, no, I'm sure not going to ride in it. This morning was more of the same, worse actually, so I went ahead and did a fairly hard workout. Four hours later it was calm and clear, but too late to start a road ride of any meaningful duration. My wife's idea: NIGHT RIDE! Good one.

The evening excursion on the home trail went off pretty well, though my better half stacked on a rocky descent, banged her knee on a big rock, and twisted her saddle rails. Still finished the ride, though. She's kind of core that way. The knee will heal, though it looks like one of those dings that will inexplicably hurt for months. The saddle is likely toast. I was pleased to have finally re-conquered one gravelly little climb that I'd been unable to flash since going back to a rigid fork on my onespeed. Its no epic ascent, just a semi-steep little pitch, but it was getting frustrating going zero for 3 since I built up the new ride. Turns out I just needed a little more momentum. Restoring one's rigid fork Zen requires time.

The coming weekend represents the last gasp of my winter vacation. I'm aiming to get last few outdoorsey-type adventures in before work starts back up. I sure hope the weather obliges.