On this Christmas morning, there were few people out when I got outfitted to ride my bike on my usual ten-mile jaunt. There were few cars and the lowering cloudy sky looked safe.  I felt good because this was the third time in three days that I was able to get my self going and take exercise in the early morning.  The usual exercise and heat of the Florida sun would leave me wringing wet but feeling that I had accomplished something worthwhile. This morning as I rounded the turn into Snake River Creek and the bike path, it started to sprinkle and although I speeded up, I could not outdistance the rain that progressively fell harder.  It was evident I needed shelter and had passed up some very tall thick trees hanging over the path.

Sometimes you have to submit to inevitable forces and decide enough is enough.  I parked under a tree that was the only nearby shelter and huddled there waiting until the shower passed although it looked as though the dark clouds went on forever.  I knew I had made a poor decision because I was rained on where I was anyway. You have to get up and go when the getting is good enough and it was not a downpour so I thought to slog on and find a better place. I had to cross 15th Avenue, which is usually dicey, but there were no cars at this early point on Christmas morning and I headed onwards. I remembered one possible refuge. This was the parking garage of Nova University that bordered the bike path.  I was lucky and the gate was open so I could wheel right in.

I knew I made the right decision for when I got off the bike I took off my gloves and wrung a cupful of water from them.  I had two handkerchiefs in various pockets and had to wring them out before I could blot my glasses and exposed body parts. When you are wet and it is raining outside your shelter, it would help if there were a seat (there was none) and a big dry towel to help get comfortable. There was none.  It was a bit helpful to know that people were getting up on Christmas morning in their jammies and bathrobes to open presents around a festive tree.  We had none of this at home, I was out in an empty wet world; I was wet, half way home and it was still raining.

I made the decision when I had hopes that the water coming down had lessened and my wet clothing might be warmer if I moved on.  Therefore, I resumed my bike ride thinking that at one point I would have to dry both the bike and me off and was warmed at the thought.  Right now, with the bike sort of dried and parked in the back of the car and me out of wet clothing and sitting at the keyboard, the sun is shining outside.  Nevertheless, I am dry and warm and it is morning and, Merry Christmas to all.