I’m now two months into my car-free year and it’s still going well.

Last week was the first real rain of the season in Boise. It also happened to be the week that worked moved from being 2-3 miles each way of the commute to 5 miles each way. This made for some interesting rides.

The rain started on Thursday afternoon. I had expected this and brought a coat for the ride home. Unfortunately, it was raining harder than I expected, and although my shirt stayed dry, my jeans were soaked through. That night, the wind picked up and more rain fell. In the morning, the clouds we dark, angry and covered the entire sky. I assumed a cold front had moved in so I bundled up to stay warm and dry. No cold front had arrived. In fact, the weather was warmer than the day before. When I arrived at work, I was not dry, but it hadn’t rained one drop during the ride in.

Rain was promised all weekend and by Monday, I was ready for another rainy ride. This time, I checked the temperature before leaving the house and dressed appropriately for the weather. This time, it rained. This time, I arrived at work dripping with rain. In Boise, rain falling like a tropical storm so rarely happens that my supply of rain gear is light. Happily, it was enough to get me through the stormy ride and, after changing into dry clothes, only my shoes remained wet. I guess I still need to find a solution to that.

The first big storm of the season has blown through and it’s sunny again in Boise. As the year progresses, more rain, snow, hail and graupel are sure to hit me on my commute. Luckily, I’ve only got about one more week until our new building is finished and my commute gets cut in half.