Swallows and Band-Tailed Pigeons

Yesterday evening, as if on some cue. The Swallows come back to this area to do what they do best. Eat bugs and lots of them. I took this as a sign that the better part of Spring was here. This morning at the bird feeders it was Band-Tailed Pigeons. Both these birds, the Swallows and the Band-Tailed Pigeons go South for the winter. Their return a sure sign the warmer weather must be close. It started snowing at about 10:30 AM this morning. Not a blizzard, but cold mixed rain and snow. Cold was the word for the day. A ride day. I was looking for a way out of this ride. There was no way. Even if I wanted to. I had to do the miles. At 11:30 AM I could not see across Puget Sound for the snow that was coming our way. It was 38 degrees and April 18th. It was going to get colder to. The weather event was coming from the North. I just could not wait any longer. So out into the wet/snow and cold I went. My heaviest gear on. 2 pair of gloves, one neoprene. A very heavy wool vest. I was as ready as I knew how to be for this. Out I went. Another 40 miler. Down the roads to the first climb of Lone Lake Road. It was snowing that wet does not stick snow with a little hail. Hum, back down the hill to Langley. Well that's the short version. Back up out of Langley past all the schools. It was as much rain as snow. More like a glass full of water with ice to cool it down. It was to cold to push to hard. Plus I was still on the mend from the food poisoning. Just working on not working to hard. Building my body back up, not tearing it down. The snow was getting a little heaver. Maybe more snow than rain. My hands were starting to get cold. It was way early for the hands to start freezing up. My feet were starting to get cold to. Even with thick neoprene booties on. My feet were starting to freeze. I was not even to the top part of my ride. The area where it is always cold and tree covered. Holst Road hill. A nice climb to the ridge of one of the taller hills in the area. As I climbed the temperature fell fast. The snow took over. It was so cold and I was now so cold I had to change my plans. I went down Heggenes hill instead of climbing it. In the snow. I was really freezing at this point. I was going to have to make it home fast. Numb hands and feet now. Neoprene was no help at all today. That's never happened to me before. I cut back for home on French Road hill. Still up a little high. Going down French hill I was pelted hard with snow and a lot of hail. I could barely turn a gear over. I think everything was freezing up. A couple of small but hard climbs and I was home. 2 hours 45 mins and 33 miles. Wow, I think the Swallows and the Pigeons had it wrong for today. As I write this there is another snow front coming across the Sound. It's colder now than it was at 10 AM. It was a hard day in the saddle.