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I came away from the recent club ride to Lake Nunijup with a
smile on my face. Dan Webb and I enjoyed a beautiful sun-filled
morning riding the gravel from Denmark to Mt Barker where we met
John McKinnon and Rob Boyes for coffee and cake that we didn’t
need but felt we deserved.
Then on to the Lake in time to catch up with those that prefer
the sealed roads. Bob Jackson and I had a lovely chat and then
it was back to the serious fun of getting home on the dirt. All
was fine although the rain started in earnest as we approached
Rocky Gully and was absolutely heaving it down by the time we
parked under the service station awning for shelter.
A discussion was had between John, Dan and I about which was
the best way home. Already wet and up for an adventure I handed
the decision to the guys. I can’t tell you exactly where we went
but the idea of writing this story is to share the aquatic
experience I had on the ride home.
It happened somewhere south of Rocky Gully on exceptionally
slippery clay covered track. Wheel ruts with a few inches of
water in them made me head for the higher side of the track,
pretty ‘good thinking’ for the first little while and then not
so very ‘good thinking’ at all.
With the rear wheel slipping into the water-filled
wheel rut I decided that I would be happier with both wheels
back on the higher ground, hence the acceleration that brought
the rear wheel up out of the rut but threw the front wheel down
into it. Oh boy, I’m suddenly tired and not at all interested in
wrestling with my bike anymore. Bike to the left, Chris to the
right heading for what I thought would be light scrub on the
side of the track.
To my surprise I am heading for water. No problems my brain
says “Put your hands out”. So I put my hands out, I saw the
splash of the water as my palms hit the surface of the water and
then waited to feel the bottom of the puddle. As I waited, my
head entered the water and as the water entered my helmet, my
brain decided that waiting was no longer the best course of
action but swimming might be a better idea. Floundering around I
eventually found my footing and stood up to watch the water
level falling down my visor.
Dan’s hot tea and a piece of Mary’s wonderful fruit cake were
served and the ‘what happens in the dirt stays in the dirt’
conversation was had. However I found myself smiling for hours
after getting home and decided to share the story with the guys
at home. They, like me, found it funny and I hope you find
something to smile about each time you take your helmet off.
Harley was moved to poetry after laughing at Chris' story: