After yet another hard winter of damage, both personal and to loved ones, The Logging Road Cyclist and Gnat headed out to Oregon’s Spectacular Coast Range for comfort and rebuilding on a truly spectacular Spring day that wasn’t supposed to have happened.

As they tooled out to Chandler Pass, they laughed companionably about how these little hills wore them out and traded to usual barbs, e.g. when Gnat stopped to doff gear at the base of the climb to the pass, TLRC remarked (politely, in his view) that he would just go slow until Gnat caught up. “What were you gonna do different if I hadn’t stopped?” Gnat asked.

Once near Valsetz, they headed back to the Luckiamute and compared notes on how their various owies were faring. Reaching the car, and apparently none the worse for wear, they headed home, happy with their day.

Until they passed the field where TLRC’s little black piggy friends lived and saw that it was empty save for one. TLRC, who had given up sliced deli ham on their behalf was distressed.  His unease grew as the miles passed and he wondered out loud if the worst fate of all had befallen them.

Gnat, who has a broad streak of kindness, looked over at the distraught TLRC, fixed his soothing brown eyes on his nearly tearful companion and said: “Don’t worry TLRC, I’m sure the farmer has just taken them to Piggy Camp for the weekend.” TLRC, who knew that Gnat rarely just made stuff up, smiled, leaned back into his headrest and took his usual 1pm nap.