I was able to get on the bike and ride this weekend. For those that live out of the area, the Portland metro area has two kinds of weather in January. It’s either gray, gray, gray and raining, or it’s clear blue skies with a bitterly cold east wind.

Except Sunday.

Where I live in Sandy, we had clear blue skies but no wind, and the temps were in the upper 40’s. I left the house and headed south through Estacada and through the hills toward Molalla. Just as I reached Colton, a dozen miles outside of Molalla, I rode under clouds. Once I hit Molalla, I was in a cold fog that formed a mist on my bike’s windshield. I even had a few rain drops on my face shield.

I made it Silverton with cold fingers (I was wearing my medium gloves, not the cold-weather kind) and was pleased to see the Silver Creek Coffee House was open. Once my belly was full of ham sandwich and Tuscan white bean and chicken soup — plus the requisite mocha — I remounted and headed back the way I came.

The only frustrating part of the trip, other than some cold fingers, were the obliviots that think it’s okay to drive their Buicks 35 mph in a 55 mph zone. They probably think they’re being safe. Ha! If they only realized just how disruptive they actually are.