Very Pleasant

Near the Trail's starting point in Archer

I t was another perfect spring day in Florida and required that I do something outside. I joined three things I wanted to do into one extended ride.

Heading toward Archer gave me an opportunity to see progress on the Archer Braid Trail after I recently discovered how much work had been done and how little remained to be completed. I hoped to be able to ride into Archer on the segment that disappearing into the woods west of SW 143rd Street. Before doing so I spoke briefly to two men working on the path. They expected that asphalt would be ordered to begin paving "sometime next week." I thanked them for doing all of this work for me and set off toward Archer.

The nature of the path changes dramatically when it enters the woods east of Archer. To that point traveling west it will be a wide black ribbon and it will be a well used black ribbon, too, but the Archer section will become one of the favorite places to ride because of the  seclusion created by the canopy of trees. Sounds of Archer Road remain a constant, but visually it will be a nice place to ride.

The starting point in Archer is much further from completion that the rest of the path. For riders accustomed to riding through Archer on one of the many GCC routes and stopping at

Not yet ready for Prime Time Riding

the Kangaroo will be comforted knowing that the path is a conveniently short distance south of the common stopping point where the railroad crosses N. University Avenue (US 41). While there is still much to do the result of the investment of money and time will be of broad benefit, especially to people living in Archer. For anyone trying to ride the path now be aware that you cannot easily exit the path in Archer, as the accompanying pictures show, but this is a minor and temporary inconvenience.

  

Looking north toward Kangaroo in Archer from unfinished starting point of Archer Braid Trail

After enjoying discovery of this portion of the Archer Braid Trail I headed north on US 41 to Newberry then east on State Road 26 with the intention of stopping at Tioga Town Center. The last time I'd had a battery replaced in my Fossil chronograph I felt the guy who did it didn't have even a hint of customer care. I knew. I knew that I could count on the people at Lang Jewelers to do the same thing and I'd feel better about the whole transaction.

When I received the Fossil as a gift it had been many years since I last wore an analog wrist watch, but reduced visual clarity made seeing time on a digital very difficult. Hand position solved the problem of telling time. Eventually, new lenses cured the problem of being able to see at all, but by then I had grown very attached to the chronograph. You say, "But it's only a battery!" I say, "Yeah, but it's no different than choosing to have work done by my FNBS" (which you all know is Friendly Neighborhood Bike Shop and that is, of course, Bikes and More). It's no different than choosing a set of Marathons over any other tires. And it's no different than making my FNBS the place to acquire 'em. Some things make more sense to me than other things do.

I got to experience the Archer Braid Trail, got my watch running again and did a very pleasant 32 miles. What a day!