435 Miles Later…

New Quotes:

"Dying to ride- Dying to finish!" - The Hammer

Ride the Rockies 2008…been there done that!   Without a doubt, this was the hardest one yet, but also the most rewarding. Besides, if it was easy, everybody would do it. As always, it was a pleasure to ride with Uncle Doug, Johnnie Utah & Mama T. I also enjoyed getting to know Sherpa Matt & Pretty Boy (Ogden, Utah…Road Trip?!?) Mountain Hats off to the Coach and The Princess for putting up with me all week (the cabin house sitting offer still stands). Of Course, I am really glad I had the opportunity to share this trip with the best Mom in the world and my super cool Big Sis. I won’t be defenestrating these memories any time soon! (Thanks again for backtracking from Leadville to Fairplay, crossing Hoosier Pass three times just to make sure I could make it to the finish). I have held my head high and seen the World only from standing on your shoulders.. I love you both!  Since this blog is getting hits from all over the Nation and even Tel Aviv, Israel here are some shout outs:  To Cubby-san, you were here in spirit my brother, to the Flash and the Rocket, fellow Cobra 39’s biking across the country as we speak, to MBBC Racing and the Bulge Crew…represent! To anybody who drives a car…..thanks for sharing the road!

Rock On,

The Hammer

The End!

The Final Frontier

What a ride!  Queen Mum and I have seen some sights, ridden some miles and met and made some great friends.  Lisa and Chuck, you made the trip a success in allowing us to use your experience and memory!  Your cabin is to die for, a cozy little home with Pike’s Peak being your backdrop and excellent view.   I especially enjoyed the sizzling steaks and rousing conversation at San Isabel B&B.  Dick and Cam  could  quite possibly have the SECOND best abode in the Rockies!  To Johnnie Utah, Pretty Boy Ryan, Sherpa Matt and Mama T - you guys are my new heroes!!  Not only can you bike 435 miles uphill in atrocious heat and bitter cold but you can put up with the Hammer for a week straight without strangling him!  My mountain hat is off to you!  Uncle Doug, you still elude me, but watch your back… I might be on your left.  We are descending as I type and the heat and humidity remind me why I wanted to tag along in the RTR Support Vehicle in the first place.  Thanks guys, it was an adventure to be remembered.  Till next time…keep the rubber side down!

Viscountess Wendy – aka – Big Sis and newest RTR fan

Day 7 Broken Spokes, Cables and Pedal Bushings….Oh My!

Last year on RTR I had a problem breaking spokes on My Bontrager Race X-Lite wheels. So, this year I bought a Fulcrum Racing 1 rear wheel to make the trip. The bike shop I bought it from said “You can’t break this wheel”. Two miles from Fairplay, 24 miles from the finish with Hoosier Pass still to go, I broke it.  I had to jury rig the broken spoke and manipulate the break caliper to accommodate the wheel being out of dish to limp into Fairplay. I called in to the Official Team Bizzo Chase vehicle to bring me my Chris King back-up wheel. (See, I did learn something from last year!). They were in Leadville…………two hours away.

Not wanting the rest of the team to bake in the sun with Hoosier Pass looming, I sent them on since help was on the way and I.....

Wait!

As the last riders are leaving for Breckinridge, the crew shows up with my wheel. The wrenches were closing up shop, but switched out my cassette. As I roll away I feel a strange sensation in my derailleur shifter. I’m stuck in my hardest gear then I hear the sickening sound of the cable snapping!  I turn around and catch the wrenches as they headed out.

“Um.. you guys got a Shimano shifter cable?” He found one and I’m fairly certain it was at the very bottom of the van. He told me that he wasn’t sure that if the one he had was long enough. Worst case scenario, I was told that I would have my easier gears but might not be able to shift down. “You will be able to climb, but only be able to coast on the downhill’s” Citing ‘death before sag’ I said hook me up and I…………

Wait!

“I’ve got good news and bad news! The cable was long enough and I think you will have all of your gears but I had to rebuild your shifter which is headed south, and we have another problem. I dropped one of the brass ferrules in the grass and I can’t find it. The Shifter won’t work without it and we don’t have any spares. I think I can MacGyver one out of plastic tho! “ And I………..

Wait!

Then I saw the RTR Support crews coming through town REMOVING the directional route signs.  The wrench takes my bike for a test ride to check his creativity and reports that my right pedal bushings are also headed south……..nice……all this good news before climbing to 11, 542’ over Hoosier Pass. Did I make it? 

Hell Yea!

Hoosier Pass can kiss my ass! With the power of my MoJo bag and an awesome support crew I limped in and slammed the door on RTR 2008.

El Martillo Grande ("The Hammer")

Quote of the Day - Day 7

"This Ride is an All Day Sucker!" - The Coach

Princess Corner's Final Post

After leaving Telluride, I drove on climbing up Blue Mesa - the same path as the riders. I saw Chuck so I pulled over to take a few pictures. This is when I was informed of the bee sting. Maybe the bee thought he was a flower with the loud colors of a previous year's RTR jersey? Chuck said he had another bee fly into his jersey after this but this one happened to not sting him.

Can you imagine riding on the side of these highways with all of this traffic? I know for you riders that are used to this that it can still be a sometimes scary near miss with some of the vehicles around you. I took this shot of Chuck continuing on his way with a huge, loud, logging truck passing him.

Here is the top of this particular climb (Blue Mesa) with the rest stop and gorgeous views!

Here is Hammer, Pretty Boy (Ryan), and the Coach. The boys were still all smiles at this point.

Chuck told you about how this day went for him. This was the engine failure day. I felt like the check engine light coming on after 75 miles and with the particulars of this ride hitting him, all in all that engine is pretty strong with everything that was thrown at it.

My day was spent being a Sherpa/support vehicle. When we finally arrived in Crested Butte we reveled in the cooler temperatures (finally!). This picture is the view from our Condo balcony.

On Friday morning, I finally got a nature walk in. This particular trail goes to Peanut Lake in Crested Butte.

Here is the view looking down into Crested Butte with Mount Crested Butte to the left.

Ahhh, the sound of the Aspen leaves dancing in the wind. I had to walk into this grove and enjoy the beautiful sounds and see the wild strawberries and columbines blooming.

As I was leaving, I got the hugest kick out of watching this cattle drive in front of us, stopping traffic. I had a huge grin on my face watching the 3 cowboys and one very hyper dog rustling the cattle on. Of course some of the other vehicles waiting weren't nearly as patient.

After this I drove onto our destination for the evening (San Isabel B&B) by way of Monarch Pass. Pretty uneventful except for my being robbed at the gas station I stopped at paying $4.11 for regular unleaded! I wish that I had taken pictures of our stay at the B&B. It was in a gorgeous spot with views all around and the owners, Dick and Cam were just wonderful to us. Maybe some of the other paparazzi took some pictures to share.

Chuck finally making it to the finish line! This was a tough year! I think that Chuck feels like this year was the toughest so far. He was a bit cranky the night before the last day but I reminded him that he is this way every year. RTR, once again threw everything at Chuck and he still conquered!

I really enjoyed having other female companions on this trip with Wendy (Viscountress), and Nancy (Queen Mum). It helped level out the levels of testosterone vs. estrogen. This certainly is not a vacation trip though. I drove around 450 miles on my own. Driving home today, Chuck drove 9 hours to my 3 hours. I felt that was only fair :)

Congratulations to Team Bizzo and all of the other riders at this year's RTR! You are the victors!

LOL to all!

Lisa

Day 7 – Buena Vista to Breckenridge – RTR 2008 Is Over & Done

Like I closed out yesterday, today was a mixture of emotions, positive and negative.  Today’s ride went from Buena Vista to Breckenridge via Trout Creek Pass and Hoosier Pass. 

The morning, as usual, started out early, 7:00 a.m. start time.  Our gracious hosts of the San Isabel Bed & Breakfast made us a feast of fruit/yogurt along with an egg casserole and coffee.  It laid down a solid base of calories, but I was concerned on how the eggs, onions, and green peppers would settle with a big morning of climbing.  The good news is that it sat very well!  Hats off to Cam and Dick on a great breakfast.

The day started out climbing from the get-go!  We started at just over 7,800 feet at the junction of Hwy. US-285 and US-24 in Buena Vista.  It was a 1500 feet slog up to Trout Creek Pass, Elevation 9,346 Feet, over about 10 miles.

We had a slight downhill to Hartsel.  We got together with Team Flying High (minus Momma T, sorry?!) for a picture.  Team Flying High was our entry team and is comprised of Team Bizzo and Team Bad Ass (Coffee – that is!).  We had a great time riding with Sherpa (Matt), Pretty Boy (Ryan), Uncle Doug, Momma T (Johhny Utah’s mom), and Johnny Utah (Diane) over the last seven days!

(From L to R) - Hammer, Sherpa, Uncle Doug, Pretty Boy, Johnny Utah & Coach

The rest of the ride is one that I’m thoroughly familiar with in the car as it is the standard route from our cabin to Breckridge during the winter for skiing.  It is largely one long climb of 33 miles from Hartsel up to Hoosier Pass through the towns of Fairplay and Alma..  However, I’ve never done it on a bicycle.  It’s a lot steeper than it looks from a car window!  L

My boy, Hammer, had an enormous set of mechanical issues to deal with (he’ll update you with this).  It’s one of those axioms of “Stuff Happens”.  I generally faired better with the single exception of a sore backside.  One of the common themes of this year’s ride was that the three hardest days (of which, this is one – the other two were Day 2 and Day 4) involved climbing well over 2/3’s of each stage, in two of these over 75%.  While Day 6 involved a wickedly long climb, it was aided by almost 30+ miles of descent.  The same was true for Day 1 and Day 3?!

From Fairplay, road begins to get steep.  Here is  a look at the town sign for Alma, CO along with a view up the climb to Hoosier Pass.

Base of Climb to Hoosier Pass (Pass is in the "V")

Cool Mountain Town - Alma, Colorado

The climb up to Hoosier pass was only 4 miles long, but it was almost all wickedly steep at +7% grade.  It’s one of those climbs, where you find your lowest gear, keep your head down and turn the cranks.  Coach road it solo while Hammer worked on his technical issues.

From Hoosier Pass, it’s straight downhill 11 miles to the finish line!  Here’s a pic of me and Hammer @ the finish.

Tomorrow, I’ll post my final stats and parting comments.  I’m working on a video from Day 3 and Day 6, so it’ll be headed out tomorrow or Tuesday as well.

The Coach “Chuck” 

Day 6 – Crested Butte to Buena Vista - Recovery & A Beautiful Day in the Mountains

Today was a wonderful day for two reasons.  Firstly, my day off without riding paid some serious good dividends in the recovery department.  Secondly, we got a chance to get off the beaten track and ride some roads that aren’t widely traveled.  The ride went down from Crested Butte to Buena Vista via Almont and Cottonwood Pass.

The ride started rather cold; slightly above freezing in Mt. Crested Butte.  My student chose not to follow the Coach’s advice and wear a vest and tights.  Consequently, he had issues keeping warm.  It was a 20 mile downhill jaunt, so the wind chills became an issue.  Kind of wish that I wore some long fingered gloves.  But, no time for worrying about that.   We made a big left hand turn up the Taylor River Canyon and worked our way up the climb to Taylor Park Reservoir.  Here’s some pics of the namesake canyon and reservoir.

The Taylor River Valley

Getting Near The Top of Climb Up to Taylor Park Reservoir

Taylor Park Reservoir w/ The Rocky Mountains as a Backdrop

There was an aid station in Taylor Park, so Hammer and I dutifully wolfed down some Turkey Wraps that had become the staple of our lunch diet.  For most folks, these are rather bland, flour torilla, white American cheese, sliced deli turkey, lettuce mix and some ranch dressing.  However, they are filling enough to provide good calories and sustenance, but not so heavy as to make you sick while you’re pedaling.

It was a good thing that we did.  The next fourteen miles became the grand-daddy climb of this year’s RTR route, Cottonwood Pass, 12, 126 feet in elevation.  It is twelve miles of dirt road; most of which is at +5% grade.  The biggest challenges were finding a solid piece of road to ride on (tires don’t roll well in loose gravel) and finding enough O2 molecules (Oxygen – for those you non-chemists) to breathe.  The beauty was stunning.  Here are a few pics short of the top:

Cottonwood Pass from Base of Climb

"TP" Reservoir from 11,500 Ft. in Elevation

The ride to the top took about 2 hours and 15 minutes.  It was absolutely worth the effort!  Here’s some pics of Team Bizzo at the top of Cottonwood Pass:

It's Hammer Time - Finishing the Climb Strong

Team Bizzo Chalks Up Another Pass!

The ride down into Buena Vista was a quick 30 minute freefall with some serious crosswinds.  Ask me about it when you see me next!  All in all, it was a very strong day in the saddle with no issues.  Thank God that “Check Engine Light” went off.

Tomorrow’s ride is the final day.  I meet it with mixed emotions, happy and sad.  It is always a lot of fun and full of personal gratification to cross the finish line, but the body is wearing down from the level of effort which tends to make me grouchy.  Oh well, we’ll see how it plays out.  Until tomorrow!

Chuck “The Coach”

Day 6- BRRRRRRRR Rabbit

Cold..Cold..Cold ..It was 40 degrees when we left our cozy little condo and headed out to Buena Vista. The first 17 miles were all downhill so we averaged a b-b-b-risk pace (note to self-listen to the Coach when he suggests a vest and leg warmers) By the time we reached Almont, I was frozen.  We made a left turn and headed into the canyon. Guess what happens when you head into the canyon…you leave the sunlight. Did I mention that I was cold? 

Cabin in the Canyon - Notice the Chimney Smoke?!

Next up cattle guards (note to self-beware of cattle on descent).  Freezing cold, cattle guard crossings, how bout we add some dirt road…..14 miles of it…some at a 9% grade (note to self-next year bring cyclocross bike). So, up we go towards Cottonwood Pass at 12,125’ where (you guessed it) it was cold. We went above the tree line and past snow drifts that were taller than I was.

Coach & Hammer - Chillin' @ the Top of Cottonwood Pass

Then came the descent, my top speed was 52.5 so I was a complete popsicle when I rolled into Buena Vista.  Sure was purty tho!

Today’s stats

• Ride Time: 05:52:40
  
• Calories Burned: 7072
  
• AV HR: 121 MX: 159
  
• Max Speed: 52.5
  
• Distance: 79 miles
  
• Total Ascent:  4526’

Got Heat? Got Oxygen?

The Hammer

Day 4 Hey Waitress….Check Please!

Holy Jiminy Christmas Cow…what a day.  Mother Nature threw everything but rain and snow at us.

Today’s Stats:

• Ride Time: 07:21:10
  
• Total Distance: 90.52
  
• AV HR: 132 MX: 167
  
• Top Speed: 43.7 mph
  
• Total Ascent: 6023’
  
• Calories Burned: 7313

Interesting RTR Stats:

• Number of Riders: 2000
  
• Number of Volunteers: 100
  
• Oldest age: 81 Youngest age: 7
  
• States represented: 47
  
• Countries Represented: 11

Got to go and check on the Coach, I think his check engine light is on…..

El Martillo Grande

 

Video - Day 1

Here is the video from my handlebar cam.  It gets a little skittish in parts because of the roughness of the road, so I apologize in advance.  Make sure you turn up your speakers...the music is a little country and a little rock 'n roll!

Day 4 - Montrose to Crested Butte - Check Engine Light ON!

Every once in a while, you have a day when the engine light comes on.  Today was that day for me.  But, before we get to that tale, let's set up the day's ride.  The plan was to go the 92 miles from Montrose, CO to Crested Butte, CO, via Gunnison Colorado.  There was over 6,000 feet of climbing traversing Cerro Summit, Blue Mesa Summit and Hwy 135 up into Crested Butte.

The day’s first challenge was the 11-mile ride into the 15 to 20 mph headwinds and the 2 to 4% grade (1,500 feet of elevation gain) of the Cedar Creek valley up to Aid Station 1.  Hammer and I took turns taking 5 minute pulls into the wind.  It took an hour to get there.  From there we began the 4-mile, 1,000 feet climb up to the Cerro Summit.  The grade averaged from 4 to 10%. It took 45 minutes.

Base of Climb - Cirro Summit

Cirro Summit - Hammer & Coach - All Smiles

From the Summit, it was a quick descent into Cimarron and Pleasant Valley which promptly began the next climb, the 6-mile, 2,600 feet climb up to Blue Mesa Summit.

Looking Down Blue Mesa Summit from Top

It took almost one hour to make the climb and was followed by another descent into a valley where I was promptly stung by a bee/wasp in my thigh.  It swelled and tingled and thus began the slow fade that was to be the rest of the day.  I was able to get up the 500 feet climb up to Blue Mesa Reservoir and downhill to Aid Station 3.  It allowed me to pull out the stinger and get some benzocaine on the bite.  Ate lunch and got back on the bike.

Blue Mesa Reservoir (Largest Body of Water in Colorado)

My hope was that I could ride it off.  The 15-mile ride to Aid Station 4 followed the Blue Mesa Reservoir and the heat, sting and lack of water began to take their toll.  Determined to get to Gunnison and at least do 100 km/62.5 miles, I called Lisa to be available to hook up with me in Gunnison.  Made it to Gunnison and actually had a good pace going, ~ 21 to 22 mph with a tailwind.  The ride was routed around the city and we started heading up the road to Crested Butte.  I called Lisa and let her know where I was.

However, I began to notice something strange....all the people that I had passed 15 to 20 minutes earlier were passing me!  I had dropped my speed to 11 to 12 mph, so that my heart rate (HR) would stay under 140 bpm.  I would surge back up to maintain speed and my HR jumped back up.  Then it happened - the HR wouldn't go up, even though I was going faster. Even though the world started looking blurry around the edges, I recognized that this wasn't a good thing....The Check Engine Light had come on!  The lights were on, and no one was home.

At this point, it is simply a matter of dropping to a gear that you can comfortably push and getting to a place to stop.  Coasted in to Aid Station 5 where I sat for about 15 minutes drinking water....dazed and confused.  Hammer and Pretty Boy (Ryan - Team Flying High) came up to me asking, "Coach - Hello, Coach; are you there?"  I just leaned up against my bicycle.  Finally, I muttered that I probably need to stop.  Needless to say, Lisa pulled over and picked me up.  The day was done 73.91 miles.

In retrospect, I was suffering from pretty severe dehydration.  My strength was fine, but there just wasn't enough water for my body to do what it need to do.  Here were the final stats:

• Distance:  73.91 miles
• Duration:  5:55:17
• Calories Burned:  5,293
• Ascent/Elevation Climbed:  5,043 feet
• Average HR:  131 bpm

Here's some of the pics upon arriving @ Crested Butte:

Whetstone Mountain, Elevation - 12,516 Feet

Mt. Crested Butte - Elevation 12,162 Feet

Today is a rest day and I am enjoying it immensely....doing nothing!  Tomorrow is what cyclist's call the Queen Stage, the defining stage of a multi-stage race/ride.  It generally has the highest mountain pass or series of mountain climbs.  Tommorow is slated for 75 miles and climbs 4,000 feet over 12 miles of dirt road up to Cottonwood Pass, 12,126 feet.  I'm looking forward to it and telling you about it!

The Coach

RTR – My virgin voyage (Special Guest Post)

I had no idea what I was signing up for…my brother calls and says “Hey, let’s take your new Tahoe for a spin in Colorado.”  Always set on go for a ride to the mountains, I quickly said yes and began clearing my calendar and closing school.  You see my day job is principal for an elementary school.  I look for opportunities to commune with nature to revive my energy to commune with little people!  So off we go.  I was in for a pleasant surprise.  I already knew about the lure of the mountains, the beauty of the Aspens and rock formations, and the breathtaking views, but I had no idea of the awesome view from a bike.

Day 1 – Durango to Cortez proved to be a nice warm up for me.  We (Queen Mum and I) chose to follow the bike route and got to see firsthand what this is all about.  RTR is very organized, I must say, and treat their mountain climbers well.  We didn’t stop at any rest stops but cruised along at a safe distance just to get a feel of the ride.  At Cortez, we stocked up on some powerful Fettuccini for the evening meal!  Man, I could get used to this…

Day 2 – Cortez to Telluride was a neat journey.  Mum and I spotted Hammer and Johnnie Utah on the route so we scooted up to the rest stop and treated them royally.  We refilled water bottles (with Dasani water, of course) and met up with Mama T, so it was a fun reunion!  The Dolores River was our faithful companion all the way.

Waterfall - Downtown Telluride

Day 3 – Telluride to Montrose was a hoot.  I took Mum to the True Grit Café in Ridgeway to dine where they filmed the movie of the same name.  We had the special…club sandwich wraps…in honor of the Duke and shot some great pics.  Feeling that we were acquiring our touring legs we saddled up and took a detour – we cruised down to Ouray and on to Silverton to take in the sights.  Mum had been there 20 plus years before and commented on the changes (ya think?  Couldn’t resist).  I took in a few shops (always on the hunt for great bargain, and to me goodies from the area are always good bargains!)  and Mum saw the sights.  We rode out to the One Hundred Mine – go see it and pan for gold yourself.   The riders tell me that this was a good day – not too stressful  and easy going in places.  I would have to wholeheartedly agree!!!

True Grit Cafe - Ridgway

The Viscountess (Wendy)

Day 3 Express Elevator Going……….Down!

So let me get this straight, we are leaving Telluride (New Hotness) and going to Montrose (Old & Busted)? How come nobody asked me about this? The good news is, what goes up, must come down. As soon as we left town we went over 15 miles, averaging over 20 MPH without even turning the crank. 

Now of course, this being RTR, they aren’t gonna let us get off that easy.  We had to tackle the Dallas Divide (8,970’) just to make us earn it.  Had a guy smack my rear tire and he almost ate it on the climb up. I think he zoned out.  Plenty of other carnage today, yard sales, wipeouts, sounds of sirens coming to mend the road rash and roll out the cheesecloth.  One broken hip, one broken shoulder & a few other assorted broken bones are the ones we have seen and/or have heard about.  Passing these are always a mental picture you don’t need as you barrel down the mountain at 40+ mph on tires that are less than a inch wide.

Hammer w/ Johnny Utah (fellow member of Team Flying High)

Todays’s stats:

•        Distance 68.46 Miles
  
•        Time in the saddle: 04:50:18
  
•        Calories burned: 4687
  
•        Average HR:  121
  
•        Top Speed: 43.6 

Here comes the elevator…Crusty Butt floor,  Please………

The Hammer

Day 3 - Telluride to Montrose: Pics Have Arrived

As promised here the pics from yesterday's ride:

Hammer & Coach - Sitting @ Top of the Dallas Divide

San Juan Mountains (Mount Sneffels, 14,150 ft. is Tallest Right of Center)

Ralph Lauren's Ranch (Front Gate)

Same Pic (with Coach's Backside & Back Wheel)

Princess Corner Makes Its Debut

The Halloween costumes are out, the sounds of hundreds of bicycle shoe clips are heard, my schedule now revolves around bikes, eating, rehydrating, sleeping (repeat process daily). It must be that time of year again! Yes folks, Ride the Rockies 2008 has arrived!

The Coach and Hammer have it made with their support represented by myself, Nancy and Wendy (the Hammer's mom and sister). Of course, we all get to enjoy the beauty of Colorado together so I do believe that we are all winners.

The boys can update you with all of those pesky details, facts, and figures of their bicycle rides. I, on the other hand, like to give updates to the non-bike-knerds out there about the other world - the non bicycle world.

The ladies and I visited Mesa Verde outside of Cortez although we did our visits on separate days. I was there to enjoy the amazing construction of the ancient Pueblo's cliff dwellings. I was hoping to even pick up some of the Indian spirit vibes while there. It was a bit difficult to do that with the crowds also visiting but I managed to find some areas off of the beaten path. The picture below shows one of these cliff dwellings out of the many in the area. It was just me and the park ranger due to the mile walk to get to this one. Unfortunately, no Indian vibes were picked up. There was just a lot of huffing and puffing (due to the altitude - clearly not due to my fitness level), intense glistening because I DO NOT sweat, and many of Gods creatures either flying in my face, into my mouth, or scurrying in front of me and scaring the bejesus out of me.

Here is an example of Xero-scaping, aka xeriscaping in the wild. It is amazing to see beautiful flowers growing out of the conditions that were there - dry heat, rocks, and a bit of sand for soil.

Onto Telluride where it was blessedly cooler. I caught a picture of the traveling bike camp on the way into town. Not a bad camping site really.

A beautiful river flowing rapidly through town from the snow melting from the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately our time was short-lived here in Telluride. Today we traveled onto Montrose where it was HOT! I'm very happy to have our time short-lived here. The official temperature here was mid-90's although my temperature reading from my car was at 100. I did not drive that long drive from Dallas for these temperatures! Tomorrow we are going to Crested Butte which is expected to have a high tomorrow of 74 - much more like it! We will be there over the next two days with the boys having a day off while there. I'm sure they will still manage to get a ride in on that day or at the very least lovingly stroke their babies which have got them to this point - with the help of months of training and strong-like-bull tree trunk legs.

More updates soon! Love to all,

Lisa (Princess)