July 7, 2026

 Tuesday. Left around 1:30. Blacksmith. Summer. White clouds, but mostly sunny. Breezy from the northwest. Vecht westside to Op Buuren and Zuilensebrug, Maarssenbroek, and around the Haarrijnse plas. Schoolkids on the way home, but manageable. Around Haarzuilens to natuurpad leading to Laag Nieuwkoop. Wildflowers and colored nettles and weeds still around, but not as exuberant as a couple of weeks ago. Vacation cyclists, but not bad at all on the Hollandse Kade. There, the reeds and bushes moving majestically in the wind. Houtdijkerpad to Kromme Rijn and Harmelen. The special bike route prominently running through town now. De Meern toward the city. Taken down hard by a fat bike in the turn leading to De Meern brug. As if there was no right-of-way. But there is no right-of-way, there's only maintaining sufficient margin-for-error at all times--your error, or someone else's. Banged up, but able to continue home.