Usually I get to the start early and spend some time wandering around taking pictures while the costumes are at their peaks and so forth. This time Virginia and I spent a lot of time on our costumes. It was the kind of thing where we kept coming up with another good idea and it kept pushing back the moment when we headed out. We hauled ass on the way down there. Got to the start just in time to join the parade. Then we birded the "Right on California!" turn. Watching bike party go by, I learned that theme participation was light this month. Still there were some good ones. I worked on finding those to document them at the first regroup.

A rocket ship/sound system.

      

Astronauts, including a bear with a lit tomahawk crown.

Virginia and I showed up on spaceship VATN-147. The arrow was for telling bike party to go "right on California!" Most of the time we spent riding we'd play wookie and princess. She'd go "Warp speed wookie!" I'd groan out some Chewbacca-ish growly sound.

        

I had look hard to find theme participation this month. Things like stars and moons and spaceships in the art on peoples backs.

     

The galaxy in Lauren's hair. The stars on Karen's tights.

        

The Lockheed/Martin cycling team showed up in their cycling kits with close ups of our Sun on the front. Sally Ride was there.

        

I heard later that the white rocket ship came in billions of dollars under budget, unlike the stuff NASA really puts out.

Seemed like the crowd was a few hundred people, not bad for a night that the weather report said would end in rain. The rainfall wasn't noticeable, although the sky was quite threatening by the time it was over.

We parted company with bike party where they turned left on the 237 access road. It was three turns before the end of the ride, and by far the closest the ride got to where I actually live. It was really a treat to do bike party and then have a short ride home afterwards. Thank you bike party for visiting the peninsula!