HMMM, I thought. Does through traffic include bikes? But I saw no total barricading of the road and assumed things were torn up but locals could still get through. Had a nice tail wind so we went with the flow. Until we saw the road blocked with saw horses. OH OH!! Now what? Being too committed and with no desire to make the tail winds that helped us along into headwinds, we pressed on.

All of a sudden we faced a horrid uphill on a dirt road. My rear wheel kept slipping and skipping. I was afraid of losing traction and crashing. Got to the top of the hill, sweating like a convicted felon on the run and had a screaming downhill finally rolling into Scotia. It is owned by the lumber company lock, stock and barrel. All the building were made of wood (of course!) and some of the houses had signs in front saying, "This household supported by the lumber industry." Sounds like they were trying to kiss ass or curry favor from their employer.

Got out of there and began riding the Avenue of the Giants. We all found it to be very ironic that on the same roads where magnificent redwoods stand like sentinels, lumber trucks roared past loaded with dead trees. It actually bordered on the sacrilegious.

Spent the night at the Marin Garden Club which is situated on the Eel River. Dennis and Kurt went skinny dipping while I stayed writing in my journal. I knew the water would be cold for me and since I have absolutely no fondness for cold water did not even venture down to the river’s edge.

Being inland, the campground is considerably warmer than we’ve been used to. A nice pleasant break from the fog and cold.

Dick and John went to a private campground to get showers, stop in at the store in Weott and return but I found out they’d gone to Weott and the grocery store no longer existed. So they had to go to Myers Flat to eat and by then it was too far to come back. So don’t plan on getting food in Weott. Although it may not have showers, Marin Garden does have running water (and a river for bathing!) The site is quite huge with plenty of room for many bikers.

At the campground we met up with Tracy who is from Victoria, B.C. We shared lots of stories. She is pretty cool and daring to do this by herself. She’s putting in some serious miles. Much of our conversation dwelled on sporting activities. She’s into kick boxing, karate, soccer, squash, biking, running, and swimming. With the exception of soccer, they are all individual sports so suffice it to say her orientation in solo sports allow her to take an individualistic approach. A very interesting young lady.

Today Bill Clinton testified to the Grand Jury and the stock market seems to be taking it well. We listened to Clinton’s address to the nation and I got pissed at his implications that he was not fully at fault. He should have come clean (I guess he did with Monica!!) from the beginning and saved Americans from this mess. Even more amazing is that there were so many Democratic Senators and Representatives who believed this bozo. He lied about Gennifer Flowers, is known to be fond of young ladies, and still they believe his lies. Talk about living like ostriches.

A Republican conspiracy indeed!

I took my time snapping photos and even walked along the paths that snaked into the different cathedrals and groves.

Sure were lots of huge trees and in riding through this stretch a person feels absolutely humbled by the presence of these magnificent sentinels of the forest. One must realize that there has to be a supreme being responsible for this beauty.

Stopped off at Garberville for some groceries and then headed to Richardson Grove. Had a great downhill from Garberville. Built up some good speed and would have gone a bit faster if it weren’t for the wind resistance created by my flapping jacket.

Pulled in to the park, paid for my site, and unloaded gear. Dennis and Kurt just stopped for lunch and then decided they were going to go to Standish-Hickey.

I knew ahead of time that there would be some climbing to do between last night’s destination and tonight’s and since I was in no hurry to finish the trip, decided to split up the days and split up the climbing so as to take it a bit easier. After all, these are the redwoods and there is no rush to leave this beautiful place.

Took my shower and saw Dick and John arriving. Note to campers: keep at least 2 quarters in your shower kit. This site required quarters but I was not told at the gate. So I went to shower and realized I needed a quarter. Went back to the site, got one, and when I got in the stall it only operated if you inserted 2 quarters. Experience with other sites down the road was that only 1 was required so this campsite must have been a bit greedy.

Dick was having problems with his rear axle in that it would not freewheel so using a variety of crude (sticks, rocks, tire irons) and normal we completely disassembled his rear hub and realized the last mechanic put parts in the wrong place. We rearranged them and it worked like a champ. Dick was very relieved because if he’d not been able fix it, then he’d have had to quit the trip. Amazing that his mechanic put shims in the wrong side of the bearings! Moron!!

Met up with a couple of bikers going NORTH!! They must be crazy. Their destination tomorrow is Arcata---90 miles or more into a headwind! One of them is going to Eugene (he’s a lawyer just graduated from law school and never biked long distances before. Would you want a guy defending you who does not have the common sense to at least STUDY his case (the ride) before he goes to court (actually rides the course)? And these guys are supposed to be smart. DUH! The other is going to a wedding in Grant’s Pass. Interesting characters who have a lot of huevos and little common sense to attempt this trip with no shoulders and headwinds.

Today was another beautiful riding day quite a bit warmer than I was used to. It stayed sunny all day, too.

There is a small store across the highway from the campground so John and I stopped in there for coffee and a snack. No hurry to check into the campground. Dennis and Kurt walked up and we chatted for a while. Also got cursed by the presence of this Australian cyclist who was loud, obnoxious, abrasive, and overly critical of our country and our government.

Granted, I am the first to criticize our government, but to have a foreigner do it is intolerable. Wouldn’t be so bad if I knew him more or was a good friend but as a complete stranger………

He supposedly has been on the road since 1991 going around the world being sponsored by Specialized. Says his 1984 frame has 270,000 miles on it (I suspect many are airplane miles!!) J

In the winter he says he goes to Costa Rica where, according to him, you can get a cottage for three months for $1200 and the girls are lined up and smiling giving you the opportunity to choose one for each day. HMMM?!?! Now for the visual. This guy is short, very overweight, a lush, and definitely NOT studly.

We talked for only a little while and found out from Dennis that Tracy spent the night there last night at the hiker/biker site. Dennis and Kurt got a regular campsite as they could not stand being near him. Good choice, guys! Anyway, this asshole says Tracy was a lesbian!! He probably did this because she would not give him the time of day and this was his way of affirming himself.

The one thing I did not like about this campground and last night’s campground was the fact that they are very close to the roadway so you hear lots of trucks laboring to climb the hills or using their jake brakes liberally on downhills. Virtually every truck that passed by stopped in at the deli/market across from the campground. Very unusual I thought. For those that did not stop, they’d blow their horns. A real mystery to me. The market was a bit on the pricey side so I do not get the attraction---unless something nefarious was going on!!

Well, it seems as if our group is on the verge of splitting up. Dick is no longer interested in going to Mexico. Says he does not want to go to LA and deal with the traffic. For someone who rides in Portland I find this a strange comment to make but…….I’ve been expecting it for a while.

Kurt will end in San Francisco. Says he just has too much going on in his life and needs to go back and resolve matters. John, of course, will leave in San Jose but we knew that going in.

It’s been four days since we’ve seen Saving Private Ryan and it is still as topic of our conversation. Also high on our list of topics is Sweetness’ beliefs that our bodies have spiritual energy that is given back to the universe upon our death.

Had us another nice fire tonight but no beer. Also quite nice to have such a low expense day. If I can keep this up then I can finish this trip at less than $40 per day.

John entertained us with stories of his days as a warden. Poachers seemed to be the biggest problems and to get their attention and make sure they took him seriously, he’d approach them, crank a shell into his shotgun, and then order the perpetrators to the ground. If he didn’t get the upper hand right away, they’d have taken him out first. Assholes. More candidates for Vilmar’s school of neutering.

One day he was in civilian clothes and observed this guy digging clams illegally. He brandished his badge and asked the guy to open his bags. The guy turns out to be Portuguese and tried to nail John with his clamming pitchfork. John finally got the guy to the roadway and asks this lady who happened to be there if she spoke Portuguese. Wonder of wonders she did and translated for him. Odd that she just happened to be there, huh??

She told him the guy spoke English and understood John but was making it hard on him. The guy got busted.

I can’t help but wonder if John made this up knowing I am of Portuguese descent and he was trying to get my goat.

Another time in the 70’s, this girl in a virtually see through bikini walked up to him and yelled, "You fucking pig!" Nice, eh?

My knees are beginning to act up and from here on until the end of the ride they bothered me virtually every day. Since it took so long to surface, I now know it is not because I was out of shape. Been climbing and descending for several days and if it were weakness then they should have crapped out long ago. So I must obviously have a physiological reason for this. From which I conclude I may not be able to tour again.

I tried tightening the traps for my shoes thinking foot placement caused the knees to travel through an unnatural arc. Did not really work.

Started the day with a nice cruise into Leggett only to run into an inhospitable and down right asshole restaurant owner. Dennis arrived first at about 720 and the guy said he did not open until 830. The proprietor than went back inside, sat down at a table and did not move from it. Then I arrived and asked a service station operator if there was another restaurant in the area. Answer—no. The other three guys arrived and we sat on the restaurant porch in the hopes the guy would open up. If it were me with the business, I’d have invited 5 customers inside, fired up the coffee pots and engaged them in conversation until normal business hours.

Not this numb nuts. Finally a delivery driver shows up at 745 and Mr. Personality walks out to let him in with not a word to us. I stood up and said that if this jerk wanted my business he’d just blown it. I headed off to the local store to buy breakfast. The other guys followed. Knucklehead lost about $35 to $40 worth of business. We just transferred the money to the store owner (and no, they are not related!!)

Personally I hope this Butthead goes bankrupt. He has the business sense of a chimpanzee and does not deserve to make any money.

Since the post office opened up at 830, I took advantage of it to mail back my radio---which gave up the ghost and I did not feel like lugging it around with me.

Stomachs full, we headed for Leggett Hill, summit 2000 feet. We were already at 950 so it was not as bad as people like to make it out to be. Arriving at the top I got a psychological edge out of it since I had expected much worse. One good thing was that the climb took us back to the coast and away from truck traffic. There was also little construction and few cars on the road so that helped immensely.

Once at the top the ride down was awesome and involved lots of hairpin turns and switchbacks. This then required intense braking and power accelerations around the curves. Then another straight stretch, brake hard, swoop into a corner and barrel down again. Lots of fun!!

Being on the other side of the mountain was like entering another planet’s atmosphere. One side hot and humid resulting in a overheated cyclists with sweat pouring off then crest the top and run smack into cold, fog, and cloud cover. That’s when the sweaty clothes came into play doing an A-Number One job of chilling the old overheated body.

All good things must come to an end and so did the exhilaration of descending Leggett. Soon I was climbing to Westport. The elevation gain was not as great but the slope was steeper, resulting in another fast blast downwards to the Pacific. Got to see lots of sea stacks, bird rookeries, and vista upon sweeping vistas. Just absolutely beautiful.

Pulled into Westport and had a great deli sandwich seated on a sunny porch discussing how many blow jobs Clinton got. Dennis’ theory is that he was asleep in the Oval Office when she walked in and had sex with him. He woke up, became confused as to his situation and declared that since he was a non-participant, it could not be considered sex for him. Plausible deniability is the term I believe they use. We had a lot of fun with that.

The next 10 miles involved lots of short, steep climbs and descents. Reminiscent of the Ozarks but with much better views!!

Far too much traffic, though, and I came close to getting hit 3 times. Resolved then and there that if this were to continue I’d find the nearest bike shop and pack it in. Too dangerous. These people are assholes!

Then I hit upon the perfect solution: riding in the middle of the road and if necessary, sticking my arm out to stop traffic. I could see them in my rear view mirror and if they looked like they were getting into the other lane to give me room, I’d start to move over a bit to the right. If they were making no effort to give me room, I’d move farther out into the lane, stick my arm out and either force them to stop or move completely into the opposite lane. And you know what? Not one person got angry or beeped their horn at me!!

I’d discovered that if I hugged the right side of the road, drivers would be more reluctant to move to their left thereby creating a squeeze play with me being the squeezee. The more room I gave them, the more they forced me over. And then they’d get irate and yell or blow their horn! So my change of habit proved to be very effective and I recommend it to everyone. But please have a very good mirror before you do this so you can get a good idea of what options are available to you. In traffic you can not afford to be looking over your shoulder especially if there is no shoulder to ride on!!

Did a little grocery shopping at Cleone and then headed into MacErricher Beach State Park about 230 in the afternoon. When I arrived it was sunny, I was wearing shorts and no shirt. Between 230 and 530 it got foggy, cold and I resorted to sweat pants, sweat shirt, and socks. Pretty radical but expected on the coast.

Make no mistake, though, about this stretch of the ride---services are few and far between. Stay well stocked to avoid paying overly high prices.

Heard on the news that we bombed Sudan and Afghanistan in retaliation for our embassies having been bombed earlier. I can just imagine tomorrow morning’s headlines, "HOLLYWOOD’S ‘WAG THE DOG’ COMES TO LIFE"

For all we know there will be conspiracy theorists saying Clinton orchestrated the embassy bombings to allow him to make these retaliatory strikes in order to get the heat off his hot seat. Nice theory, though, eh?

An older guy rolled into camp about 7 PM headed northbound. We warned him about it and he related how he’d be going downhill and still had to pedal in lower gears just to keep moving!! He was fed up and would be going east then south again. Another example of not having studied your opponent before engaging in battle with him. Wasn’t that one of Clausewitz’s lines?

A younger guy who wants to be a doctor also rolled in after having ridden south 120 miles. He pitched his tent in the dark and during the night had to move it as a mole was trying to burrow underneath him. Not sure what satisfaction he gets out of doing 120 miles a day but there must be something there. I guess if all you want to see is the little white line on the roadway, that’s fine.

Got on the Old Haul logging road as we left the campground and had a nice peaceful 3 mile ride without traffic. Just before the bridge, we took a short dirt path down to an access road and headed into Ft. Bragg and a Denny’s for breakfast.

Came to the conclusion today that maybe laundry isn’t so boring after all. Today we got entertained by this very drunk/drugged/stoned guy wearing swim trunks hanging half off his ass. He was trying to do laundry and had just finished putting the third box of laundry soap in the washer when the manager came out and challenged him. This guy then proceeds to entertain us. He started yelling and calling the manager names. So next thing we know two of Ft. Bragg’s finest roll in. Have to give them credit. They were models of patience in dealing with this guy. If it were me I’d have smacked him for GPs, taken him in, and left him in there until someone claimed him. Sad, in a way, to see how low people allow their lives to go. I regret not having taken a picture. Oh, well.

Tightening my traps resulted in a relief from some pain today even though we climbed about 2500 vertical feet.

It is very perilous to cycle the coast and I’d not advise it to just anybody. At this point I need to finish but this is not for the faint of heart. I promised myself that if I were to experience what I did yesterday I’d quit. So time will tell.

Fortunately today went well. I employed my OFFENSIVE riding technique today repeatedly with no problems. I will add one more thing: if you’ve slowed traffic behind you, pull over as soon as it is safe and then wave thanks to the passing cars. Many will appreciate it and wave back.

One last thing: if it’s a truck behind you, just get the hell out of the way immediately. They like it when you do that and will toot their thanks or wave. Plus you will live to ride again.

Awesome scenery all day long as I slipped in and out of fog cover. I don’t know if I could live in this area but it is splendidly beautiful when you can see it. Watching the fog slithering up and over canyon walls, snaking its way vertically up the cliffs and then blowing over and across the road surface along the tops of the headlands was magnificent. Photography was difficult but I managed to pull off some great photos. Especially of the rookeries and stacks found just offshore and many times a couple of hundred feet down the cliff faces. One mis-step and sayonara.

That’s not to say I’ve not been riding with my heart in my throat. Of course, it does not help to be talking to folks along the way and invariably almost every single one of them knowing or hearing of some cyclist who got whacked while riding out here. Of course, they do not know the details but it is still no consolation even if we did know. But the attraction of cycling the Pacific Coat is just too much for many cyclists.

Riders need to be very careful as it’s easy to go blasting down the many hills only to find yourself riding into one of the many coves that hide along the coast. Winds blow in from all directions and it is easy to lose one’s balance in a gust. Discretion and a low speed are advised.

Got to ride through Mendocino. Quite a cool little town just perched above the ocean. Too bad it was so foggy or the views would have been killer.

Then we stopped in at Albion for lunch and groceries. A cool looking fog shrouded bridge over the river into town greeted us. At times it was so thick we could not see the other end of the bridge. More good photo ops.

Outside of Elk, once over the small bridge, I was expecting a severe climb but it turned out to be a piece of cake. Then I hit some construction and the flag lady said we’d have to be taken over the construction area in one of their vans. Kurt and I were in no position to argue with the lady so we waited. The van comes, we load our bikes on it and the driver takes us about one mile and over what had to be the most grueling looking uphill switchback seen to date. This one was the nasty hill the book mentions was to be found after the bridge outside Elk. We were SO HAPPY and grinning from ear to ear for not having to ride that ugliness. Made it to camp about 45 minutes later.

Started the day off well with the sighting of a 4 point deer or elk—still not sure which---in the fields next to the campground. It just stood there all by its lonesome chewing away on the native grasses, chowing down on its version of breakfast.

Cruised about 7 miles into Point Arena and tried to find a place for breakfast. The first one I came to was just like an instant replay from yesterday so no more time was wasted there. Headed into town only to find the next restaurant also closed. Things were beginning to get ugly in my stomach. Finally some migrant workers mentioned that a restaurant named "Giannini" or something like that was open on down the hill. And it was. Warmed up with some coffee, our little group proceeded to put on some miles.

Saw some stunning scenery riding the crest of the headlands.

Also, today was the first fully sunny day where it started without fog, had no fog during the day, and ended with no fog.

A fantastic ride but at the same time mentally and physically exhausting. Had the day been foggy I’d have packed it in for a campground at the 40 mile point. Now I know what it is like to have a love/hate relationship with a bicycle. Poor Betty Boop, though. She’s been a trooper and I’ve had no problems so far.

By the end of the day I was beginning to wonder if I should have sought psychiatric help for doing this ride! Not only me, but all of us were very stressed out when we got to camp. It manifested itself by our being eerily giddy at having accomplished this day’s ride.

Ended the day with about 4000 feet of vertical gain. By the end of the day my legs were intimately familiar with every one of those feet. Yet amazingly, and probably due to the intense amounts of adrenaline launched into my body, I actually felt good at the end of the day. The last 10 miles from Jenner, a little yuppie place by a harbor where I took a long break, I actually picked up my average speed from 11.3 to 11.6; quite impressive when you’ve already done 58 miles. Powered all the way to the campground.

If it were not for the beautiful scenery, today would not have been a fun ride. Let me make that perfectly clear: today would have been a miserable day.

Along the way, met a couple of abalone fishermen and asked them about their sport. Seems abalone’s been overfished and is very expensive (about $50 for a 7 inch specimen.) Divers are required to use snorkeling gear as o scubas are permitted. Strict limits are set as to size and quantity and John confirmed the seriousness the state takes with people who break the law in that regard. Signs everywhere threaten people with $1000 fines!

These guys had a couple of huge ones in their bags and based on the prices they fetch, I am sure they were quite happy with their day’s adventures.

To prepare abalone I was told you need to pound it (similar to what I saw fishermen do to octopus in Athens) and then it can be cooked in a variety of ways. The preferred method is breaded and fried. If I was going to pay that much for something I sure would not want it disguised by breading and frying but what the hell do I know?

Stopped at Stewart’s Point for lunch and ended up buying groceries and making my own sandwich. There was no real restaurant nearby.

John got to meet up with the local game warden who he knew from before his retirement. So, since John’s been retired a few years now and grown considerable amounts of facial hair, he was not readily recognized. He goes up to the guy and said something like, "Hey you motherf*****, I want to talk to you." The guy wasn’t facing John at the time therefore all he got was this angry sounding voice behind him. He turns and asks, "Were you talking to me?" and John responds, "yeah, you, motherf*****!"

I missed it but it must have been hilarious when it finally dawned on the guy who this lunatic talking to him was. I am certain that before that point his hand must have been making its way slowly and surreptitiously towards his 9 mil. AHHH, those funny moments we have on the trip! How we cherish them!

I (we) did encounter treacherous climbing from Ft. Ross. It was 10 miles of sheer drops, hairpin turns, cattle guards in the road, steep roads, and more. My riding clothes smell from the sweat of fear versus the sweat of exertion

Finally got to Bodega Bay State Beach Park and was disappointed as it is really not such a great place for hikers/bikers. The sites were accessible by a short stretch of uphill through deep sand. Obviously, the climb through that mess was laborious. Especially after a long day.

On arrival, the ranger said the hot showers near the site were not functioning so three of our group walked a mile or so to the next convenient hot shower. Luckily, as I was going to take mine, a guy (who was on his honeymoon---but more about that later) told me the showers functioned just fine. Unfortunately I had 4 guys ahead of me and had to wait 40 minutes. I might as well have walked to the further ones.

Now, as to this guy. He’s on his honeymoon, in a state park, in the hiker/biker site. No backpack. No bike. Just luggage he hauled off the bus, to the campground, and through the sand! He and his wife had been there for a week!! Lives in Las Vegas, took a bus to San Fran, then another bus to this park. Woo me, baby, with your romance! He fractured his foot while at the park and his wife, a bit overweight, had braces for her knees. And these folks are living in a 2 person tent for their honeymoon! I could not believe it. Too weird.

Built ourselves a roaring fire and I mean ROARING fire! All courtesy of John’s friend who brought us lots of oak logs instead of that overpriced cheap soft crap wood the parks sell. At one point it was so hot it looked like a scene out of the "Backdraft" movie. We could not be near it. But boy, were we proud of ourselves.

Trying to find the best way to sum up the day and the lessons learned, I can only repeat what I’ve already written:

1.) if traffic intimidates you, if long climbs with no shoulder intimidates you, if you are faint of heart, if you are hesitant to claim your space on the roadway, then do not embark on this trip

Ken also used to be a warden but left the business to begin his own---diving for sea urchins. He sells them to the Japanese who use the roe as a sort of delicacy. He has his own boat and uses a wet suit and compressed air via hoses from his boat usually staying underwater 4-6 hours at a stretch!!

Headed out of town and into a rough and tumble climb into Tomales. Man, am I glad I changed my gearing! I may not climb any faster but I do not have to pedal as hard!

Blasted into town to find it is a popular meeting place for roadies---local cyclists coming from the Bay area and Petaluma. We were advised to check out the Tomales Bakery, renowned the area over and a favorite of local cyclists. A very cool place doing an hellacious amount of business. Today, many cyclists were loitering in front of the place and if I do not miss my guess, most of them were either gay or lesbian. Dress, mannerisms, and the extreme amount of coziness displayed by members of the same sex were a dead give away. Somewhat humorous to watch how, when the women saw us four guys approach, they made it a point to drape their arms over each others’ shoulders as if to say, "she’s taken so go away!"

Unfortunately, while in Tomales, I committed one of those really stupid cyclist things---fell over from a dead stop trying to get off my bike! WOW! It hurt. Clobbered my knee, smacked hard on my tailbone, and sprained my wrist. For several seconds I just lay there, stunned. Pretty embarrassing and I will suffer for it the next several days.

The closer we got to San Fran, the more we could smell money in the air. At Point Reyes, the money spigot got turned on. Everyone trying to look chic. BMWs, Mercedes, SUVs, Lexus everywhere. Women are dressed nicely, cyclists on their $3000 bikes trying to look studly and being very aloof. Shops are quaint and spelled with an extra "pe" at the end. The stuff they sell is pricey and trendy, even the food.

Had lunch at Pt. Reyes. The Adventure Cycling maps do not take you into town but it has a good market/grocery store so if you are hungry or need to stock up, go into town. At first Kurt and I couldn’t find the store as we’d just screamed downhill into town but upon wandering around a bit we located it. Dennis, John, and Dick were rolling through the intersection away from us so I bellowed Dennis’ name. I was a block away from them and when I bellowed, Kurt cringed as if he were a Vietnam vet suffering from shell-shock. One thing I have is a voice that carries. Must be my military training!

Stuffed my face and then we headed out of town for Sir Francis Drake St. There are two options for leaving town: one is to climb the hill you descended or the other is to take Sir Francis Drake. I think Sir Francis Drake is easier to get to the park from so I recommend it.

The climb was not the most fun but then again it was quite warm out. On the descent I almost blew by the bike path entrance to the park. So to avoid doing same, begin to slow as you approach the end of the downhill!! The path was very nice. What a great park!!

Rolling into camp, Scott, who’d already been there, yelled out mine and Kurt’s name. Amazing that he recognized us at that distance. It saved us having to go to the registration desk to locate him. Scott looks good and has not changed much. But then again, none of us have with the exception of more or less head and facial hair.

The hiker/biker site is situated in the midst of redwoods and the spot I pitched my tent was within a ring of 6 large trees. Supposedly the "mother" tree died hundreds of years ago leaving these 6 "babies" to mark her passing.

Having purchased a bottle of scotch in Tomales Bay, most of us proceeded to get quickly, thoroughly, and goofily besotted. Had our standard liberal/conservative YAK-OFF, then got into other political issues complete with finger pointing. A good time was had by all.

Didn’t even bother to put rain flys on the tents as the night promised to be dry.