Rainy Sunday, quiet Monday

Rest, write, read, organize, pack, bike...

Yes, I know I said this was going to be a resting weekend, but one of my bikes insisted on taking advantage of the dry pavement and pleasant temperatures this afternoon. It was a slow 20-mile ride, so I think it still qualifies as a rest. And now that I'm home again, the sun and blue sky have once again been covered with clouds. It looks like there's more than a chance that this is going to be a wet week; I'm having an ongoing conversation with the weather wizard requesting dry weather for Thursday, the start of my trip to Nova Scotia.

Yesterday's persistent rain helped me treat the day as a real rest day. Resting, reading, writing journal entries, thinking about packing but not taking that next step...

Today is my real organization and packing day. I'm not leaving home until Wednesday afternoon, but I've learned that I'm a lot more relaxed if I pack for my trip a day early. If I discover I'm missing something that I think I need for the trip, that gives me enough time to calmly deal with the missing pieces. And it also provides the prize of a relaxing evening at home the day before my departure. My habit of packing a day early may seem wacky, but it makes me happy.

Clothing is still scattered on the floor, waiting to jump into my panniers. I need to do one more pass through to make sure that I'm covered for the expected (and unexpected) riding conditions, but that I don't have too much with me. It's funny, but as I start packing, I always think that there is no way everything will fit in my panniers. Somehow it always fits.

Almost ready, Nova Scotia bound...