It’s March 4th and time for our annual spring trip to southern California.

 There’s been buckets of rain and the hills are alive with fauna and flora.  

We are looking forward to five weeks of early spring riding, to get into shape for what is about to be a busy cycling season.  

What could possibly go wrong? (Cue up the spooky music…)

Fast forward two weeks and we are in the midst of the coronavirus worldwide pandemic.  Toilet paper and hand sanitizer are highly prized and valuable commodities and most of us are social distancing.  

California is locked down, meaning all non-essential businesses are closed.

All restaurants are take-out or delivery only.

We must shelter in place, but we can still go on bike rides and walks.

In fact, everyone is going on rides and walks.

Normally deserted trails are full of families, who are probably spending more time together now than they did all of last year. The roads are empty and the sometimes-murky skies are clearer than usual.

Schools are closed and the kids are driving their parents nuts. Glad we are past that stage in our lives!

So far, it’s been a little rainy. We’ve lost five riding days to rain, but sometimes the moisture brings rewards.

Our over-filled spring cycling calendar is suddenly empty.  The Southwest Tandem Rally gets canceled as well as the Georgia Tandem Rally (the rally we put on), which gets postponed until September.  

With all this free time on our hands and uncertain airline schedules, we might have to extend our stay.

This is a tough place to be “stranded”.

Wash your hands, don’t hoard toilet paper, and practice social distancing. Stay safe!