We are back. Everything is just as we left it. Happy to see our things. Nice to wake up in my own bed. It was a terrific trip, a wonderful adventure, and we are pleased to be back.

Woke the cycling computer up today.

Just a brief ride. I haven’t been on my bike since April, I’m sad to say. But I’ve been busy. So we took a quick loop around the time trial route and over a few little hills, reminding my bike who I was.

And my bike said, “Oh. Slower than usual, huh?”

Yes. But it was nice to feel the handlebars again and sweat over the headset and remember I still struggle on climbs.

One of the things about travel is that, if you are gone for long enough you begin to make a list of things you miss about home. I missed pavement, as opposed to cobbles. I missed free refills on ice water. I missed not having to pay to visit a restroom.

I missed barbecue:

So we’re making up for that tonight.

She likes suitcases normally, anyway, but now she’s determined that we aren’t going anywhere with out her.

She’s seen lots of suitcases. I wouldn’t be surprised if she really has put that together.

Allie forgave me, finally, this afternoon. She was demonstratively mad. Running away from us, becoming dead weight if I tried to pick her up and disappearing as quickly as possible.

That’s what you get for leaving me, hooman.

Finally she gave in and came over for a cuddle before dinner.

I am so tired. Surely it doesn’t take everyone else as long to overcome jet lag as I do.

Just a few quick snapshots from a day that started earlier than this guy:

It has been a while since I’ve been up before the sun. I have nights where I finally get to sleep when the sky is starting to lighten up, but this is different. Last year might be the last time I saw the sunrise. I did that for years when I was in the broadcast game. In the office at 4 a.m., on the air before 5 a.m. Outside, during a break, to watch orange light drench the valley. It still impresses me and makes me sleepy, each time I see it.

You sometimes see signs that you know were posted not because someone was proactive, but because some activity needed to be stopped. Usually the sign has to do with something obvious, like this one:

Clanton, Alabama doesn’t have the only peach water tank. And the seam on this one points to the highway, too:

Toll booths, the other thing that makes you notice the poor condition of the road you’re on:

Always makes me wonder where those quarters go. They sure don’t put them in potholes.