Julie

UMBRELLA CAPE BY GRANDDAD

           This is Julie.  She and her granddad camped near us as they finished a couple  40+ mile days on their recumbent tandem, pulling a gear trailer.  Granddad was wasted, but Julie, in her chic umbrella cape, was up early walking to town for breakfast and then checking up on all the fishermen.
“This fish is grouchy, so I’m not going to hold him up too long…”

Granddad is president of The Pittsburg Trail Association.
“Emperor Actually.” 
They left from a dedication of the last link in the trail puzzle—a major feat of negotiation—and planned to visit an aunt with a new baby several days down the trail. 
Age, weather and injuries dictated an early end to the trip, but Julie was just as upbeat and quietly philosophical as her Granddad.
“This trip has given me a chance to get to know you, Granddad.”
We helped pack them up in Gram’s rescue pickup and headed out South on the GAP ourselves.  It was cloudy and threatening sprinkles, but we were off to see Markleton and the Pinkerton Tunnel bypass or “shoofly”. 
It was easy to see why Granddad decided not to tackle this.  It was up –- slightly up, but interminably UP.  We climbed alongside the Castleman River for six miles then around the Shoofly (a train detour built long ago when the tunnel burned.) 
We lunched at Markleton (a bridge and a Post Office) and headed back just as the clouds opened up. We suited up, turned on lights and pushed on.
“This ain’t our first wet rodeo.”

Misty wet ride, but all downhill from here...

...even water to drink.