Bainbridge Island loves Halloween.

When it rains, it pours – literally and figuratively. I left the house today in a pretty steady rain, managed to get about a mile from home and then stopped. My rear tire, fine on Friday and over the weekend, went flat! After a quick cyclocross run home, Pig and I made the next boat. Ugh.

Today was rough – I punctured – I will never forgive the hippo.

Sometimes an animal journeys with me with whom I have less history, today was one of those days. The reason in this particular case stems from a PII incident which I can’t divulge. Nonetheless, we still ventured out.

No bike, no animals.

I look to my left at a fellow cyclist stretching along the railing as I pull the sheep from my bag and secure them for the shot.

We enjoyed our last trip to the Bloedel Reserve enough to become members and membership has its privileges – an annual mushroom walk.

“There’s the polar bear. The polar bear is on the big boat. The polar bear is eating.”

I was pretty excited today when my daughter presented both ZoZo and Amélie for a trip on the big boat. I’m pretty fond of the letter Z and zebras, less so the animal and more so the football official, my dad having officiated football throughout most of my childhood and the memories I have thereof. I knew just where I was going.

Sadly no animal shared the morning commute with me today. At dinner, it occurred to my daughter she had forgotten to send an animal and explained she could not provide one at that moment because she was “not wearing pajamas” – tomorrow perhaps.