First, I have to get out of the house and garage. I do not like having a back pack so I use the rainproof saddle bags that I bought in Oregon. They are also “Sand” Proof. The racks on Zeb make it easier to mount and dismount them. One side holds my work clothes and the other my lunch and bicycle tools. For safety reasons, I also have two sets of flashing lights with one set on the bike and one set on my helmet.
I used to have to use the side door of the garage and the gate to the back yard to get on the road. Georgia has thoughtfully provided me with a small garage door opener that I keep in the seat bag so that I can open and close the garage door
I ride a half block west past the “Kami Kazi” burrowing owl’s home. This burrowing owl has really shown some wild antics when I drive past. At times he screeches at me. Other times he jumps up at down and sometimes both. It is amazing watching this 10 ounce ball of feathered energy. I am glad that the two owls we have close to us are more placid. I then ride past the construction bin to get to the gravel road on the side of an irrigation canal.
Our house is located in an agricultural area with an ever changing patchwork quilt of vegetation. It looks like cotton growing in the field on the south side of the canal. The durum wheat is getting ready to be harvested on the north side. They soon should be planting acres of cantaloupes and watermelon in time for the summer heat.
The canal bank road is not paved and is a little rocky as I head across Avenue B and continue on my second mile of gravel road. Avenue B is the main route to San Luis and the main Mexican border crossing in the area and is complete with high speed traffic. I am glad that I only cross this street. And yes, I am careful. Ahead lies south Yuma’s water tower up on the bluff. Yes, I will be climbing it – the bluff not the tower.
Many mornings there are chickens running around and roosters crowing as I travel this section of the gravel road to the bridge over the main canal. This is where I have to get off Zeb and wander through the gate that prevents unauthorized motor vehicles from entering the pedestrian/bike path.
The bike path extends a half mile south and about 5 miles north as it parallels the main irrigation canal. It is really a pleasant ride except for crossing busy 32nd street which I have learned to avoid after getting hit by truck a few months back. Instead, I enter the subdivision area through a break in the fence and almost immediately start to climb up the bluff. When I get to the end of the street, there is an opening to the park by the water tower.
The park is a major recreational area for Yuma. Not only does it have tennis courts, baseball diamonds, etc., it also has the Ray Kroc baseball stadium used by the local minor league team. It was at one time the spring training camp for the San Diego Padres. The Yuma Civic Center is also here, which is where we went to a quilt show and other activities.
I soon cross over Avenue A and travel through a mobile home park and residential area and past the local Barnes and Noble bookstore (Randy and Georgia’s favorite retail establishment). Finally I get to my work area at Yuma Regional’s Corporate Center. I get to park my bike close to the building in its enclosed patio area that even sports a bike rack. Unfortunately, I am the only one who seems to use it.
With that, my morning commute is over. It is time to cool down and change into my office clothes. Hopefully I have remembered to turn off my helmet lights before I blind any fellow co-workers.
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