Monday was another eventful day for me. First off, I rode my bicycle to Donna's place to check on Stinky, Maggie and Molly. Bungee corded on my bicycle rack was a bowl of Donna's - she has given me a bowl of taco soup before she left. As I rode I had two vehicles meet up where I was riding. The vehicle behind me, a pickup pulling a large dump trailer, had to wait for the other vehicle to pass by. After the dump trailer vehicle passed by I heard a crash. Donna's bowl fell off my bicycle rack and shattered. Darn.
After checking on Donna's pets I continued my ride. As I was riding on the shoulder of Hwy 2 - where the speed limit is 65 mph - a car slowed down next to me. To my great surprise it was Ruby driving the car. I met Ruby back in 2007 when she was hiking in Glacier Park. Ruby lived out of state. While she has been back to Glacier a few times over the years I don't remember hiking with her as our schedules didn't work out. And she recognized me as I was riding my bicycle. Unbelievable!
It was great seeing Ruby again. We had stopped before an intersection, and after realizing we knew each other, we quickly moved to the other side of the intersection so cars could use the shoulder to make a right turn to the side road. A few minutes after catching up a highway patrol car pulled up from behind with its lights flashing. What? Why did they stop and are using flashing lights? We were off the road and on the wide shoulder and that is legal.
The highway patrolman in the passenger seat came out to talk with me and the highway patrol driver walked up to talk with Ruby in the car. I was asked if I had a problem. No. Why do you think that? Why were we on the shoulder? I told him this was a woman I hadn't seen in five, six or more years. He said the car was too close to the road. No, it's not. He then said it was when the car was on the other side of the intersection. I said, right after we realized we knew each other we moved away from there and to this spot. We weren't there long. Apparently they were driving on the highway going the other direction and saw us when we were on the other side of the intersection so they turned around and came back. We're not there now and we had quickly moved.
By now he was getting mad at me and told me not to yell at him. I wasn't yelling at him. I was correcting him and explaining the situation. After my head injury and with the ringing in half my head I talk louder now. I explained that to him, and told him I wasn't yelling at him; I talk loud normally; especially with the traffic noise; and we weren't doing anything wrong. He's got to chill out. He said alright and then walked up to the other patrolman still talking to Ruby. After a few minutes they left. I told them as they walked back to their patrol car, that with all the people speeding on the roads they need to do their job and get after them. They ignored me.
Donna can tell me that I talk too loud, and I need to try to talk quieter. Someone else can't tell me I am yelling at them when I am not, even if that person is a patrolman. People who know me can talk to me like I'm an idiot. I let it slide. If you don't know me, you can't talk to me like I'm an idiot. I got ticked at that patrolman. Good thing I didn't get arrested for being right.
Riding between Donna's house and meeting Ruby, as I rode on a county road that has no shoulder, even though there was no traffic in the other lane, a motorcycle that passed me as I was riding, passed by close. Guess he wanted to scare me, or not ride briefly near the middle of the road. The patrolmen should have went after that guy.
I didn't like being on the road's shoulder. I don't trust the traffic in the Flathead. So I had Ruby drive up to the next large driveway off the road. Then we were able to talk and catch up on things. Ruby is now living in Montana. In East Glacier. She had Monday off from work and came over to Flathead Valley for an oil change. It was an amazing coincidence that we met.
Since Patti moved to Wisconsin 
I don't have someone to hike with. Maybe Ruby will get me hiking again.
After talking with Ruby for a while I then continued on my bicycle ride. I had decided to ride a little longer route as the temperature was in the mid 60s and it was nice outside. I was NE of Whitefish, Montana when my bicycle's rear tire went flat. You got to be kidding! I didn't have a patch kit for my tire with me. Not that it would help as I later learned a nail, or wire, or staple, punctured my tire and tube and the tube couldn't be fixed.
I ended up riding my bicycle home with the flat tire. I had to find a different route - shorter route - home. A month ago, at the place where I had Rascal get his updated rabies vaccine shot, I had met a woman who lives on Conn Road. She said Conn Road went up a steep hill, and the road was open on the hill now that the snow has melted. This part of Conn Road is gravel, and I don't remember ever riding this section of the road. Well, now I did. And I found out that yes, this is the steepest road in the Valley. Why the county made this section as a road I don't understand. It is almost like going straight downhill. And how vehicles can drive up the road.... um, I don't think I would try. And it's a gravel road. Fortunately the wheel tracks are packed and don't have loose gravel on them. Still I used my bicycle's brakes continuously on the ride downhill to ride slower, and I didn't crash.
14 miles after I got my flat tire I finally made it home.
What a day. Highs and lows.
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