A Bee in my Bun-net

I left Wickenburg riding solo once again. The ride into the Scottsdale/Cave Creek area had some interesting events, but I was so well rested and fed from the night before that I hardly minded. While I was riding on the wide shoulder of a fairly busy highway, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my left buttocks. It continued to grow stronger and stronger as I slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the road, tearing my Spandex shorts down and exposing myself to the Greater Phoenix area. As soon as my shorts were down, a bee whizzed off into the sagebrush. How he got in there is beyond me, but I had to ride in a slightly different position for the remainder of the trip.

About twenty miles down the road from the bee, I passed a sign that read No Hitch Hiking: Prison Area. Not a second after I thought about how ironic it would be for me to get a flat in that area, I heard the surefire "pop" and felt my rear tire deflate. 30 feet beyond the sign, I had to take off my trailer, pop off the rear tire, and change the tube as highway travelers no doubt considered the likelihood of a prisoner using this clever ploy to hitchhike into town and terrorize Phoenix.

When I got near the house, I got my hair cut. Clayton saw me riding in as he was driving out, and Shelly had everything I would need waiting for me in a guest bedroom, complete with a plethora of throw pillows.

At dinner, I FINALLY got to meet my Dad's Aunt Barb! Dad has always told me about his Uncle Dave and Aunt Barb who lived off of the Sea of Cortez and enjoy everything Baja California has to offer. I was very sad to hear that Uncle Dave passed away last summer; I heard nothing but good things about him and would have liked very much to meet him.

After dinner, I worked for what felt like endless hours trying to load pictures and write up my Blog from Wickenburg. Marissa came home late from preparing for her last finals before graduating from ASU (President Obama is speaking at their graduation!), and we had a nice opportunity to catch up and chat.

Today we had breakfast, took Beau and Happy to the dog park, met up with my cousin Matthew, had a delicious dinner at Clayton's house and took a quick dip in the pool. It has been a very restful day. I'm going to wake up early and work with Clayton before getting on the road towards the East by late morning. Thank you Barb, Shelly, and Clayton for all of the hospitality I've received while in the Phoenix area!