More from Val

 

In Praise of Ponchos.
I have in the past been quite dismissive of cheap plastic ponchos.. well...
While in Toronto I bought a smart new biking rain jacket. It has long long sleeves, zippy underarms and is a lovely red colour. On it first outing I was thrilled, dry inside , comfy and warm. But then it really rained, record breaking rain it was too. The rain coursed off my helmet and through the over large neck hole of the jacket. My body was soon soaked and cold, and big pools of water collected round my elbows in the sleeves. I solved the problem that day with a super market bag under the helmet and a bundle of rags round my neck.
Yesterday I bought a cheap plastic poncho, and already have delighted in is efficacy. Worn over the red jacket it sheds the rain. Don says I look like the Vicar of Dibbly, cosy, round and very content.
At a recent camp ground there were no showers of washing facilities. Don solved an old problem of clothes washing by filling an empty pannier bag with water and clothes, and swishing it round for a bit. I can feel a poncho combo coming on. With a pannier of water up a tree, and a syphon pipe coming down to my neck I will be inside the poncho, enjoying a very public yet private shower.

 

As the day got hotter and the hills steeper I called for time out under a tree. We lay back and watched the buzzards circling way high. The sky blackened very fast and as the first huge drops of water fell we hurried to put up pinky, out little shelter tent. The thunder shook the ground and the lightening really did crack overhead. Sadly we had put up the tent inside out, so the rain drained in through the vents. I relaxed with my I pod, Mozart's violin no 3 was the perfect music and played exactly the length of the storm. The temp dropped many degrees and on we went.