End of week one with the Scott Joan took me by surprise on Sunday - after church she suggested I go for a ride on my new bike while she looked after Warwick. She's a lovely person. I took up her offer and took off for an hour. Did ten miles or so down to Naburn and back on the Selby cycle track. I have to admit to scowling at the owners of a dozy dog that wandered into my path at the far side if the racecourse. I was less than gracious when they apologised and I curtly replied "It's your dog not mine" I'm nervous about dogs ever since a nasty accident with a bull mastiff on Rowntree Avenue a few years back. I wrecked my bike and had to hobble to a phone box to ask Joan to pick me up (almost literally, off the tarmac). The dog was running towards me and without any warning did a 90 degree right turn under my wheels. It yelped and ran off. I tumbled over the bars and landed on my helmet. Thank God for the helmet. It cracked and saved me from a very nasty head injury. I was bruised all over. The bike frame was twisted, it was a write off. The dog's owner left me on the road and ran off after his dog. So when I see a dog I get twitchy, slow down and frown at the owner if they're nearby. I squeezed in another ride on Thursday. I pedalled up to Warwick's and then took off for another seven or eight miles around the north of York. It was dark so I stuck to lit roads where possible. That night I devised a "lit roads" route around York for use on winter evenings. I guess it's about 15 miles. I may try it out today in daylight just to check. If it works I'll publish the details here.