erict
Regular
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 34
Location: Nisakyuna
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 Posted:
Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:48 pm |
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A picture is worth a thousand words, but no one brought a camera last night, so......
Somewhere over 20 riders showed up for Henry Wilkie's final scheduled 2011 Wacky Wednesday ride last night. The weather looked "iffy" all day long, but other than a thick layer of clouds the ride was completed without a drop of rain and temps in the upper 60's.
Things started off shaky, as Henry was accosted by "Nurse Rachet" from the Okte School staff, who proceeded to give him a stern earful about parking in their lot, taking spaces from their "paying customers", blah, blah, blah. Henry worked it out with her, as always and we were ready..... almost. One late arrival to the parking lot, but wait, he forgot something.... whoops, no bike! Won't mention any names, but it sounds like the excitement was too much when he packed his car earlier in the day. Henry started, and finished, the ride without his water bottle - guess he was just building up his thirst for later.
Some of the "regulars" couldn't make it, but about 20 who did also took the short drive up the road to Pancho's restaurant after the ride. We had our own corner of the joint and a good time was had by all. Two of the ladies of the group were kind enough to add some class to the event - Eileen had a card and gift certificate for Henry from donations she collected in the past week, and Bonnie made the biggest apple pie you ever saw and managed to get 20 slices out of it. Henry finished with a short speech that brought tears to everyone's eyes - well, not quite, but Henry said it as only he can.
I had a chance to ask Henry about the origin of "Wacky Wednesdays". He said they all started back around 1994 or 1995. He had been doing the Terrible Tuesday rides and noticed that no one was leading rides in Saratoga County on Wednesdays. A short while later, "Wacky Wednesdays" were born. He also mentioned how he generally does one or more "preview" rides ahead of every one of his Wed and Saturday rides to make sure that the roads are still in good shape, have safe shoulders, have lower traffic, that there is a rest stop planned at the right place mid-ride, that there is a good mix of hills and flats and sometimes he throws in a historic or picturesque location.
Thanks and congrats on another successful WW season Henry!
(From earlier in the year - sidekick Paul lends a hand as Henry gets a (nother) flat!):
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