Where's Waldo? or, The Case of the Vanishing Rider

Dum, da-dum-dum (Dragnet music). This is the city...or perhaps we should say the highway between cities, where a most puzzling and amusing thing happened on today's Saturday club ride. Our name is...call us Jae-Rae, that geezer couple on the tandem recumbant. This is a true story. Only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Saturday morning, 8:15 AM. The Freewheelers Bicycle Club riders assemble at the usual Pensacola parking lot. It is decided to ride to Lillian, Alabama, to enjoy the beautiful water view crossing over the bridge from one state to another. One of our members has not come to the ride start. We know he lives in Lillian, and decide to call him in case he would like to join us there. "Waldo" (not his real name) answers the phone and says he would be delighted to join us at the foot of the Florida-Alabama Highway 98 bridge.

We make the turn from Chiefs Way/Old Corry Road onto Navy Boulevard and down to Highway 98, where we head west towards Lillian. It is a perfect spring day, clear, temperature in the 70's, blue skies, fresh green grass and trees, colorful wildflowers and waterlillies all along the roadside. The warm, fresh air is intoxicating.

Even better, we have a new member riding with us. The ride leader makes a Brief Scenic Detour through a neighborhood off the highway so we can look at the nearby water, sparkling blue. We turn back onto the highway after less than a few blocks. We're getting close to the Alabama bridge.

Someone is riding a bicycle east, towards us. We recognize her as "Mrs. Waldo," and call out. She meets us and asks, "Where's Waldo? He was ahead of me."

"Wasn't he going to meet us at the bridge?" Yes, but he decided to ride ahead and meet us on the highway.

This results in brief confusion until we quickly realize that Waldo must have missed us while we were on our Brief Scenic Detour. Uh oh.

Mrs. Waldo calls her husband on the cell phone, but he doesn't answer, so she leaves a fairly frustrated message.

Since our club motto is Descido Nemo, (leave no one behind), Jae-Rae decide to find Waldo.
We tell everyone else to go ahead to Alabama and enjoy the view. We head back east, expecting to see Waldo at any minute. It is such a beautiful spring day, we can't help but enjoy our search for the Vanished Rider. We pedal for miles, looking for a moving helmeted speck just ahead.

We spy a couple of bike riders, one in a parking lot who might be Waldo, but wasn't, and another one headed back west. We yell "WALDO!" at him, but he just waves, happy to let us know he is not the prodigal peddler.

Finally...after about 10 miles we reach Fairfield Drive, and there is Waldo. He is peddling back west, and we cross the highway to meet. Waldo says he bicycled all the way to the ride start in Pensacola, and never saw us. Says it was getting warm, and was on his way home. We call the other Freewheelers waiting in Alabama and tell them the suspect has been apprehended and we're bringing him in. Jae-Rae enjoy the ride back, as the roadside continues to be warm, green and bright with wildflowers.

We make our way back to the Alabama bridge and across the water, where everyone is glad to see Waldo safe and sound. Waldo's cell phone, though, is implicated in this case, as it neither rang loudly enough or vibrated vigorously enough to turn Waldo around. The moral of this story is: when you ride, ride with a buddy who also has a cell phone, in case you vanish. And remember to have friends like the Freewheelers, who will look for you!

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 23, we plan a "regular" ride at 8 AM, starting at our usual parking lot at Old Corry/Chiefs Way. We might start out in some fog, but it will clear quickly. Roxanna has asked a friend to ride with us, so let's see what kind of ride would be best for our "guest". Last Saturday I was a little under the weather (not the fog) so I missed out on riding with a small group-- Jake, Lloyd, Lois (who else came?), but I heard it was a nice couple of hours. I plan to be there tomorrow; hope you will, too. --Rachel

Let Stacey Know

Hi, Freewheelers-- if you are reading this, then you have discovered the nice blog site Stacey has created for our club. We owe her a great deal of thanks! We also each need to let Stacey know if you like the blog's public accessibility, or if you'd rather it be more restricted. Personally, I think it is fine, since no one should ever post anything, even on a restricted site, that they don't want the public to see. There are too many clever people in the "public" who know how to get around most safeguards in any internet site...so let's keep this site reasonably appropriate!! Also, Stacey, Carol Sweeney and I need to know from everyone if we can have your blanket permission to post your picture from bike rides, your name, general info about you, etc. If there is anyone in our club who does not like any of the above on our blog, we can (1) make the blog less accessible or (2) just be careful to omit what you do not want, or (3) both. E-mail us, phone us, or just tell us on the next ride. I will be asking you if Stacey, Carol or I do not hear from you. Thanks!!! AND THANK YOU, STACEY AND CAROL, for posting our very first blogs and pictures. They are terrific! I say, let's keep telling and showing how much fun we have together. What a lucky group of bikers we are. ----Rachel

On Apr 10, 2011, at 4:04 PM, Carol S. wrote:

Hi everyone!

Dave and I were so glad that you could come to the April birthday party!  He was so worried about having enough food, but I knew that things would work out!

To Don: thank you for bringing Lisa and friends Laurie and Scott! Hope they all had a good time! And congrats to you one winning the gift card!!

To Sandy: thank you Miss Sandy for your helping out in the kitchen. More hands are always more fun to have when feeding those hungry cyclists (and those who work hard by just socializing!!  LOL)

To Jake: for demonstrating the fine art of eating animal crackers and Nutella! Whatta a way to go!!

To Larry: for his excellent grilling skills and his continuance of letting Dave know who is in charge of Pensacola NAS. It is the Navy and not the Air Force!

To Lloyd: for handling the wonderful clock with the chili peppers on it and not watching it go up in smoke from too hot chilis!

To Lois: who truly inspires me to hang in  there and bike until the bitter end of the day! And she has the energy to do all this in this humidity!

To Tina: for her wise and wonderful stories that I love to hear!

To Hugh: for cheating and wearing an Azalea Trail Run t-shirt and making us think that he is a hot-shot runner!  (grin!)

To Stacy and Roxannette: for bringing you lively spirits into the group, and for the wonderful salad that is loaded with complex carbohydrates!!

And to Rachel: without whose efforts I could not have pulled this off!  Rachel you are a true friend and thank you so very much for all your help, reminding and planning!!
Happy Birthday to Miss Lois, Mister Lloyd and to me, Miss Carol!!

Kind regards,

Carol and David S.

Pensacola Freewheelers -- Sat Apr 9 2011 (April birthdays)

Sat Apr 9 2011 3PM --   The group met for a birthday bash for Freewheelers born in April.  Had a nice bike ride before enjoying great company, grilled chicken and brats, lots of delicious appetizers/side dishes, and topped off with birthday cake and ice cream. 

Happy Birthday to Freewheelers born in April -!       && Thanks to all for a great time -!!  

Before we hit the road in Lillian (& this was Lisa, Scott, and Laurie's first ride) --



Great company --

            

Everyone enjoyed food, drink, and fun (& Don won the prize) --



Happy Birthday to Freewheelers born in April  --

               

Celebrated with birthday cake and ice cream  --

Awww, the fun almost over (cleaning up) --

Pensacola Freewheelers -- Sat Mar 26 2011

Sat Mar 26 2011 - We started across the street from Florabama and rode to and through Gulf State Park Trails in Orange Beach.  Round Trip:  ~28 miles.  Afterward, the group ate at Triggers. 

Photos from the park (courtesy of Rachel) --  Yes, those are alligators!

Group helped young ladies with a flat.  They were on a fundraiser ride that day.

Pensacola Freewheelers -- Sat Mar 19 2011

Sat Mar 19 2011 - Today's ride started outside of Corry Station and we rode Hwy 98 to Lillian Bridge and back.  Round trip ~20 miles.