AFBC Muster Day 7

This was going to   be the last day of the muster.  It had been a cool night and I used my down sleeping bag as a quilt over my sheet sleeping bag and was quite comfortable.  In the morning I put on my windproof cycling jacket when I had breakfast  in the camp kitchen.

There was only one ride today.  A 20km ride to the Blue Wren Winery for a farewell lunch.  For some reason I set off towards the end of the group and following a stop to adjust my front mudguard dropped further back down the group.   At about 7km I was passed by an elderly lady who said that she thought she was last but, as she had just passed me, I pointed out that it was me that was probably last.  She ask if I knew the way and I said,"No but I have a map in my bag."  She also had a map but was actually having problems with the written instructions.  I got out my map and determined that our next turn would be at 9.1Km.  When we reached there according to my bike computer she said that we were only at 7.4Km!  It took me sometime to convince her that we should turn right or we would be riding away from lunch.  At about 14Km we made and executive decision to  cut the ride short an head directly to the winery cutting the ride to 17km.  We actually arrived first of all the riders.

While riding she told me that she was 68 years old and that her husband had insisted she come to the Muster.  He had been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease and it was progressing quickly.  She had enjoyed the break from being his carer but was looking to seeing him on Monday.

At lunch I sat with a group who had adopted me as a lone male, Chrissy and John from Noosa and Judith and Hugh from Toowoomba.  We had dinner together the night before and generally sat together in the camp kitchen for breakfast.  After lunch I rode the 3Km back to camp with Chrissy as John had a split tyre and  Chrissy would drive back in their van to rescue him.  Hugh and Judith tore off ahead on their tandem.

In the afternoon the five of us joined another eight riders at the Mudgee Brewery for a beer an listened to the live music.  Afterwards I provided a bottle of red and Chrissy and John quiche and salad for a light dinner.   Most of the riders had gone home but there were still a couple of dozen at the campsite and we chatted for a bit before going to bed.