Just about anything I can report is going to sound like an excuse but here goes. - It rained a little. When we assembled there were 11 riders to start at 6:00 Am. Vickie gave us all the work about possible water crossings and in the face of a forecast of 100% chance of rain we rode through downtown SLO, complete with gobs of college students, out at 6:00 Am, all in search of more green beer. Although it had rained in the night and we experienced small sprinkles throughout the beginning of the ride it was quite nice riding up Cuesta Grade before even a hint of sunlight. Descending into Santa Margarita brought a drop in temperature but still the skies held back. I rode with Steve, then with Donato, Jim, Andrew, and Shai at various times through the beautiful horse country of Atascadero and Templeton and into Paso Robles. As we headed out of Paso on River Rd our weather luck ran out and the skys opened up in a big way. The water crossings were running but we all made it across OK. Steve's tail light had disappeared into the rain obscured horizon before Donato, Jim, Andrew, Shai, and I arrived into the San Miguel market. We shed water like wet dogs, wringing out gloves and the like. I took a picture of the rain pounding the streets and the gutters running high but within minutes a blue sky patch appeared in the general direction of our route and we gathered up for a quick exit to take advantage of it. The miles out San Marcos Rd to Chimney Rock Rd were quite nice and we came into the checkpoint at Adelaida Rd in good order. Vickie was prepared with everything we could want or need, including drop bags but in my hurry I did not take my bag, which I later regretted. Continuing the short climbs along Adelaida and then Vineyard it all came to grief with a cold wind blast and stinging icy rain. We drove through this all along the "vineyard row" where there were many aggressive drivers going what seemed to be way too fast for the conditions of limited visibility. My visibility was impaired by the freezing windchill as my right eye started acting up and not closing; this a result of acoustic neuroma surgery some 16 years ago. I tried holding my eye closed with my gloved hand but more often than not I was poking my eye. My vision was getting increasingly blurred and my eye sore and scratchy, which was not good since there were many fallen branches in the road to avoid. By the time I made the corner of Vineyard and Hwy 46 it was over for me and I pulled into the wine tasting room and got on the phone. Fast forward to the time where I was dried and dressed and I called Vickie to tell her I was out and was there anything I could do for her and the other riders. It didn't take much for me to be on my way, back tracking the course and Vickie reporting where to go next. So I will leave it there, since other riders can pick up the story. It was an adventure. I hope we get a "do-over" sometime soon.