Riding and Rain

Yesterday's key learning is this:  If there is rain in the forecast, even though you don't think it will rain, take baggies to keep the cell phones dry.  When we left, it looked like this.  White puffy clouds, no rainish looking clouds.  Just blue skies and white clouds.

We rode up the trail to go see a new construction site.  From the trail all we can see is a large pile of dirt.  After walking the bikes up the stairs to the upper level we could see this.  More apartments.  The Rio Nuevo project has brought money, development,  and businesses into a depressed part of the city.  One giant retail down, renters up complex is completed, and it looks pretty good.  This will be the same.  It's anchored by Mercado St. Augustine, a complex of restaurants and foo foo shops.

 After gawking at this, we went over and looked at our favorite neighborhood in the world.  These town houses are just gorgeous.  Most have interior court yards that are beautiful.

This is the line for Seis, one of the restaurants in the Mercado.  Note the four bicyclists standing in line.  Yesterday was the annual El Tour de Tucson.  Nine thousand people signed up for it, many for the 102 mile loop.  This year's course was down south due to the fact that the frontage roads they usually use are now functioning as a freeway by-pass.

Anyway, after touring the Mission Neighborhood, as its now being called, we continued north on the trail until our turn around point.  The skies got darker, the wind picked up.  It rained like hell right when we got back to the back gate to the RV park.  By the time we reached the park model we were soaked.  I feel so bad for anyone who got caught in the rain.  People pay a lot of money to stay here, eat, and register for the tour, hoping for a sunny day.  Usually it's nice, unless it's not.

Today it was better, albeit remarkably windy.  This is odd for November.  I guess the wind and the heat we've been having are part of the new normal.  Blue skies again.  See the South West Airlines plane, it's on final to the airport.  They are very noisy.

Here is part of the Santa Cruz river that's getting reclaimed water.  Very green.  You can see water under the over pass.

This was parking as we arrived back at the RV park.  That's a big 5th wheel, it's a toy hauler with triple axles, but I'm not convinced it needs that much truck to tow it.  Note the custom graphics on the truck that match the 5th wheel.  They have put a lot of money into this endeavor. 

Finally, here is a brief video from yesterday's rain.  The sound is rain hitting the carport roof.  Note the street filling with water in the background.