Saturday's Ride Photos
Official PMC Start - before 6 am - Sturbridge Host Hotel
Carl models the Hefty look in
the morning drizzle. Sutton
Note
the sign pointing to "Purgatory." Roads with significant hills
always seem to have ominous-sounding names.
Luckily,
the people who live on the hill are very supportive... Wrentham - Cherry Street
We always try to "give
five." Note the elaborate shelter - this family is committed to
supporting the riders, no matter what the weather. Apponequet High School Waterstop, Lakeville, about Noon |
"No, I don't have a cell
phone addiction. Why do you ask?"
At this point, we were on track
for our earliest completion of Saturday's ride.
Somewhere on Neck
Road, Rochester (Saturday mile 95)
Grinding out the miles at 17-20
mph, Carl and David bumped wheels. Carl stayed up, but David was pitchpoled
onto his face. The PMC support van arrived within about 2 minutes of the
tumble. They cleaned David up and decided to take him to the next waterstop for
further examination.
Decas Elementary
School Waterstop, Wareham
Q: "Any allergies? "
A: "Codeine...Penicillin...Pavement"
Here the conclusion was reached
that the cut above the eye would require "one or two" stitches and
that a trip to the hospital was in order. Profound thanks to Jeff Del Papa, PMC
volunteer bike mechanic, for bending David's glasses back into wearable shape
here.
When
we saw the 2003 PMC riding jersey in Sturbridge, we had been joking about Fallon Ambulance Service being an
official sponsor. Little did we know how valuable they would prove to be...
Tobey Hospital,
Wareham
Well, ultimately 9 stitches, but
maybe Dr. Spector was extra meticulous because David's then-wife Laurie talked with
him before he started sewing.
Massachusetts
Maritime Academy, Bourne, 1:45 pm
Once David was carted off to the
hospital and it was confirmed that his mother Lydia was on her way there to
collect him, Carl rode on to complete Saturday's ride. Here's the finish line
at MMA.
David
and Lydia, having gotten to MMA and met up with Carl. Lydia has attended all
four of our PMCs and this year drove a support vehicle for our Friday ride, in
addition to getting David back to MMA from the hospital.
Here we are waiting to get time
with a bike mechanic to make sure David's steed would be ready for Sunday. As
it turned out, the bike fared much better than David in the fall.