Wow, rode my usual 37 mile route today. First real extended ride of the season. After 3 months of riding in my basement on a trainer or on a stationary bike at the rec center I had almost forgotten what the different actual biking on the road entails. First, I again had to contend with a 15 mph headwind which is becoming commonplace, but as usual the road took its toll. The ride started out quite normally but after two miles I got my first puncture of the season. That's flat tire for all you non-English Cretans. I think that it is an involuntary response when the sound of a slow hissss followed by a loud pop results in an outburst of profanity. What the _____ fill in the blank and you get the idea. The good news is that I still retain some ability to fix a flat in a relatively short period of time. So, after the repair I was off. It is now becoming routine that dogs will attack virtually every time I'm on the road and not always from the same location. fortunately, even at my advanced age, I was able to outrun those critters and not have to blast them with water from my bottle. But, as usual, and I'm reminded every time I ride, motorists forget to look for bicycles on the road. Two very close calls without oncoming vehicles. I suggest the motorists were not paying attention because the only other alternative would be they were trying to barely miss me. Anyway, it appears I have only lost one-half mile per hour during the winter layoff. Enough for now, the ride actually tired me out.