Luciano Pavarotti

Dead, of pancreatic cancer.

I'm not a big fan of opera, with long sieges of "Martha, take out the laundry" sung in embellished Italian and with dying consumptive heroines still managing to reach the second balcony.  But the man had a voice and a passion that even I could enjoy.

Thursday roadkill report

One very flat skunk up near the golf course, a shredded red squirrel in the bog, and garter-snake stains on the paved shoulder by the cemetery.  Those garter snakes, by the way, both were out of the traffic lanes and thus probably represent malice.  The ancient fear of serpents rides again, or something.  (No poisonous snakes in Maine...)

Windy again this morning, temperature around 60 F, but I refuse to be daunted.  Well, by some things, anyway.  More maples turning red in the swamp, tips of milkweed pods browning, and other signs of impending autumn on the wind.  Forecast for mid 80s tomorrow...

Example of wind effect on bicyclists -- one downhill (so speed is mainly determined by gravity rather than my puny efforts) my bike computer logged a peak speed of under 32 mph today.  Tuesday's ride, different wind direction, we peaked over 36.

15.32 miles, 1:06:39