Just another "Day Off"

Tuesdays are the one day of the week I don't have school or work. Work that I get paid for at least. On today's day off I managed to track down my Mavic shoe order, track down my Sram order, track down my Niner order to the point of it's in port and waiting to go through customs (so I probably won't get it in time to race on it next weekend), cut the grass, weed-eat around the garden, water my seedlings, replace a board in the fence, and mountain bike 30 miles. Great rest from school and work.

The mountain bike ride was a little different. It is definitely Spring time now here in West Tennessee. The trails are starting to get overgrown and reach out and grab you. My arms were all cut up and itching 4 miles into the ride. The mosquitoes are out and so are the snakes. I saw three snakes today on the trail. I took a picture of all three. The first one was stretched out across the trail and I rode past it. Of course I stopped and turned around to go mess with it. Its head was off the trail and in the undergrowth. When I grabbed his tail he shook his tail at me like he was a rattle snake. After hissing a bit, I decided to leave him alone and get moving again so the mosquitoes would stop biting. The second time I saw a snake, they came in a pair. I rode past a blob that looked like a snake that had gotten hit and was curled up nursing his wound. As I walked up to it I could see two different colors of scales. I figured maybe his tail was just another color. However, when I started poking him with a stick he uncoiled and revealed another smaller brown snake inside. The larger black snake quickly left the trail while the smaller one started to come at me with his mouth open. He snapped at the stick a few times. I want to say he was a cottonmouth, but my friend Brandon isn't sure. I almost rode over a big one in Arkansas a few years back while we were on a biking/camping trip together. After I skidded to a stop and somehow avoided being bitten out in the middle of nowhere Mountain View Arkansas, we began messing with it and ended up picking it up. We are very bright children.

After I finished my ride and cleaned up so I would stop itching so much, I headed out to do some yard work. Taking notes from a wise friend of mine named Burt Colbert, I decided to walk around barefoot and rejuvenate my energy. I ended up cutting the grass barefoot. I know, Mom, that we were always told we have to wear shoes when we use the mower, but how much protection is that mesh and synthetic leather upper really going to give me when those blades are spinning so fast it mulches pine cones and sticks? You weren't home and I did it. The fresh cut grass under my bare feet felt great.

I'm growing up. My days off are full of all the chores and "to do" lists. Welcome to the world I guess. Now I need to write a final paper and get ready for another hard day of training tomorrow.