Full* Moon Decade

I'm not sure I heard the guy say anything all day. Even when the chain snapped on his single speed cruiser going up a steep hill and people asking him if he's alright I think he just nodded. Seth was able to knock the pin out of the chain with a screwdriver and something heavy he must have found. I crossed the road into the woods to change into some shorts since I was still muddy from laying down in the drought-shallow lake. Lost my sunglasses in that lake somehow too. Leena lost a little face glitter.

While Sarah diligently canvassed nearby houses for a chain tool we pushed the bikes up the hill into the shade. It was miles of hills back to the ferry and no one wanted to walk it or leave the silent guy to do it alone. But no one seemed worried. I passed my wine to Dan as he worked on the chain.

It wasn't until after we had taken off again that I noticed the guy on the single speed seemingly had nothing with him. Biking around all day just the clothes he was wearing and a single speed bike. I later found out his name is Kane.

At the outset, milling around Ratsmission, it was suddenly time to go and everyone filtered into cars. Seth only had room in his van for loose cargo he said and Theo enthusiastically offered to be loose cargo. So I did too. Rolling around back there we took turns magnifying our eyes.

At the picnic, a cardboard cracker box was dissected to form a makeshift extravagant cheese plate upon which everyone arrayed the foods they brought to share. Two kinds of olives, two kinds of grapes, cheese, bread, gingerbread, cookies, dolmas, a sandwich, etc, etc, etc, etc. Video cameras came out to try and capture a bubble pop on my face in slow motion.

Eventually I ran out of paper in my camera so we ripped up receipts to print on.

At some point long after sunset it became clear that Derren was missing. In an increasingly ripped apart shirt he had been chaotically careening around all day with more energy than anyone could fathom. No contact from him yet it somehow seemed he must be where wanted to be. News spread over the coming days that he slept that night in some hay in a barn. I saw him at the Roochie Toochie show two days later, he seemed quite well.

At the end of the day ice cream felt inevitable. We talked about how magical it was when the horses ran along with our rivulet of cyclists on that long downhill during the sunset.

As we said our goodbyes, goodnights, and see-you-at-the-nexts, Seth offered me the little day-saving chain breaker. He already has one, he said, and I'd be more likely to bring it on the next Decade. Perfect addition to my bike repair kit.

It's impossibly perfect weather days like this that remind me that the name "the Decade" is not only a play on a century ride, but also on the word decadence. Reminded me that 17 years later this is still far and away my favorite event that is.