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Kirk called. The trip is on. We'll go up Tuesday to camp in Elkmont and day hike around the area of the park. I made a bet with Bev that we'd end up doing day hikes. That's what was suggested. But not all that was suggested. Depending on the weather, we might have to hunt a hotel room. By doing day hikes, I think we might be able to do more hiking. By not carrying a pack, we can do miles in the morning, with a lunch in between, then an afternoon hike with time to prepare supper. What we will do about supper is another thing. Whether or not we will prepare for a group or just prepare for ourselves. We'll need to go out to town for food since we won't have a refrigerator.

Old Blue has been in the shop for a few days. Nothing serious. Just some things that occur with age. She's 16 years old now. Not exactly a youngster anymore. The motor for the electric window failed on the driver's side. We got that replaced. The door latches had a portion broken off that made the doors loose. Got those replaced. New belts. New shocks. New shackles for the rear suspension. She was ready yesterday but I couldn't get there till this morning. Bev's working, so I rode over on my bike. The repairs produced a pleasant surprise. Blue drives like a new truck. I'm just wow! Certainly eases my mind about adding those tracks for the carrier up top. We'll have a great vehicle for adventure.

So many things I've learned repeat on a cycle. The cold weather of February has broken on schedule to give us some respite and riding weather. My allergies have begun and my watery eyes have produced the annual nuisance as always. Our first cycling trip of the year was much more modest than expected. The length of rides could have been better. The hike ended up being only 3.5 miles instead of 5. The scenery, while beautiful, wasn't the extraordinary experience I'd hoped for. But it was travel. We got to use our bikes. We met some great people. Then it was back to work. Crystal will be leaving in another 3 days of work. The switch over hasn't been decided completely, but we will get Ashley. Then Crystal came down with something and missed work. So I've been handling nights without the tech. It has been a while since I've had to do that. It has kept me running so I am more tired than usual. SO finally I am down to the last 5 minutes of my week. It all passes so ...