High Humidity

When I stuck my head out of the door this morning, I was not really sure I wanted to ride this morning. No air moving, hot, humid, and foggy. But I have other commitments Wednesday, and knew I will feel better once I got on the bike.
Early ride (left the house at 6am). Planning to do my normal laps around Lake Manawa. I was off and on the trail at 6:30. Hoping to see a nice sunrise. Really need to be up a little earlier for the best sunrise - but there was some clouds in the East sky, enough to put some color in the sunrise. Stopped on the road so that my sun will be partially blocked by a tree on Boy Scout Island. Anyway - that's today's photo.
The first section of the ride I felt some of a chill from the dampness. Other places I was comfortable. That is, until I was on my second lap when the sun started having its effect. Thankful for the breeze along the East side of the lake (or was it the breeze I was creating when riding?) When I returned to the car, there was NO air moving as I loaded the bike on the car.
Quickly changed shoes and headed over to Panera Break for coffee and some air.

My favorite billboard

The devil sign is near Montgomery on I-65 north.
Just in case you didn't get the message:

Go to church or the Devil will get you!
We belong to anti-billboard Scenic Alabama, but I think this is one advertisement that everyone can appreciate.
The original sign was even more devilish. Satan was a more dynamic figure, hovering sinisterly, attached only by his scythe. Seemingly more prepared to leap and reap.
The earlier sign was damaged in a storm, I believe. You can see a picture of it here. There's also an audio story at that link -- Scott Simon speaking to the landowner, Mr. Newell, when he temporarily changed the sign during the last governor's race.

Get The Bacon

With cyclocross ...

Sometimes you suck really bad. Sometimes you're mediocre. Sometimes you feel good. Most times not. Sometimes you win. And sometimes you lose pretty badly. Me, mostly, I'm usually pretty mediocre. I guess you could say I'm consistently pretty mediocre. And then once or twice a season I'll have a really fabulous race.

But yesterday, I have to say, I was the suck. I got owned. I never felt like I got into a groove. And I felt a little out of control the whole time.
Maybe it was the wine hangover. Maybe it was the cold weather that caught me off guard that I didn't dress appropriately for. Maybe it was because I had the wrong bra on. Or maybe it was because I felt guilty for racing while Lulu was curled up in a ball in the camp chair barfing, with the onslaught of the 24 hour flu.

The nice technical stuff was fun and twisty and swoopy and rooty. But with the kinds of swoops and twists where you feel like you're constantly on the verge of doing an endo. And then there was the long, long, long, stretches of pavement which was just, well, long. Not to my advantage I tell you.
So I made the best of it.

And by the third and fourth laps, when I'd calculated that I was in LAST in my field I took the bacon feeds and the beer feeds and heckled back.

So spectacular was my slow motion crash into the tree because I couldn't get either foot into the pedal and had both feet up in the air as I rolled into it, that I mumbled some bad words. But at least I stayed somewhat up right. At the same time I was jumping off the bike to run down and back up, I noticed two other women on the ground, bodies flailing under bikes, muttering similar words.
So I ran around them.

And did the swoops and hills and sand and at the top of the hill where you feel like barfing, and there it was, the bacon. Which caught me off guard the first time - and I couldn't get close enough because I was actually trying to pass people and keep my head above water.
But after the next few laps, I was ready for the bacon. It was time for bacon. It's bacon time. And I took the bacon, after climbing that awful hill. And ate it. And immediately started gagging. And thankfully, someone saw, and gave me a can of tecate. And that washed the bacon down.

On my last lap, they yelled out to me to GET THE MONEY! GET THE $5 BILL!
And I didn't see any bacon. So I yelled back I DON'T WANT THE MONEY, I WANT THE BACON. And lickety split a bacon bottle was set up right as I arrived and they all yelled GET THE BACON! And I got the bacon. And they cheered SHE GOT THE BACON!

(bacon pic by scotty paz)
And then I put the bacon in my shorts. And I finished my last lap with bacon in my shorts.

Tissington Trail short walk

Walk on 13 August late afternoon.



We walked from the Hartington Station car park north along the Tissington Trail as far as Parsley Hay, then we turned back, and took the High Peak Trail which goes off to the left.

We walked under the A515 and took a farm track to the right, which crosses the A515 before reaching the minor road a short distance from our starting point.



The High Peak Trail follows the old Cromford and High Peak Railway, which was one of the earliest railways in the country, opening in 1830.




Astone plaque inscribed with the crest of the C&HPR, a four-wheeled wagon on a shield with the motto "Davina Palladis Arte", the whole surrounded by a garter reading "Cromford & High Peak Railway Comp'y Incorporated 1825". Above this are the words "Jos.s Jessop,Esq. Engineer". There is a better picture in the link to the CPHR.

Back to the beginning



and by car to the Manifold Inn, Hulme End for Barry's Birthday meal!

New Detour, Mana-Swamp Update

Dropped the car at Lyle's for a wheel sensor problem. Killed time at Xtreme Wheels until time to take a bike ride. Still had the hardtail at the shop, so just changed clothes and hopped on the bike.
Rode past the Wabash Trace Trailhead over toward Mosquito Creek. At the end of E. South Omaha Bridge Road I encountered some new construction. Appears they are creating a gravel detour - see photo.
Wind was from the NNE. "Flew" down the Lake Manawa Trail along the creek. Rode on over to the mountain bike trail area. Sections of the trails there are still under water.
However, West Sidewinder was high and dry. Took a spin on that trail. Encountered a couple branches over the trail that will need to be cleared. Trail surface of this trail is dry and dusty.

It will probably be at least a week until the river subsides. Then still longer until the trail dries out and can be ridden.
From the MtB trails, rode around Lake Manawa, up Indian Creek to S. 16th. (The bridge over Indian Creek is still closed for redecking - at least during the day.) At that time, received the call that my car was ready. Continued the ride into town to Lyle's.
A good 15 miles ride in 80 degree temps. Great way to end March.

Ginger Lemonade

Ugh. That's 43°C outside, 26°C inside.
Healthy Chef Alex's Sweet Ginger Lemonade (Serves 4)
4 cups filtered water
4 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed ginger juice
2 Tbsp. raw honey
You're supposed to make the ginger juice by grating fresh ginger and squeezing the pulp with your hand. Then you're supposed to simmer everything together until the honey is melted. Of course this makes warm lemonade, and if you want cool lemonade like most rational people, you have to wait for it to chill.
I'm glad to have gotten the recipe from Healthy Chef Alex, but this is how I really make it:
Karen's Quick and Dirty Ginger Lemonade (Serves 1)
(When you're in a hurry and don't have time to worry with all that)
2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup tap water
Small amount (to taste) bottled minced ginger
Stir it all up, and plunk in a few ice cubes. No waiting.
The amount of ginger you have to use is miniscule. The ginger I linked to is so fine that it practically dissolves.

A Real Life Visit

Today was a good day - actually any day when I see MSS of Zanthan Gardens is a good day! She came over for a few hours this afternoon bearing Japanese sweets, ready for conversation and garden viewing - mostly through glass. I tried to impress her with a salad containing some of our homegrown tomatoes and basil as we sat at the kitchen table and looked out the window to the fountain, where a constantly changing cast of avian characters acted out small dramas and comedies on themes of status, dominance and impudence. MSS took a photo of the view and posted it on Twitter.

We talked about the upcoming Austin Pond Society Tour that we all look forward to each July.
It will be hot this weekend when we're on the tour, but since the waterlilies are happiest in sun and warmth, like the Mad Dogs and Englishmen in Noel Coward's song we'll go out in the midday sun, hoping to catch some mist from the waterfalls on our faces. Tickets are only $15 - and for that price you get two days full of wonderful water features - don't miss it!
A hummingbird visited the Salvia coccinea while we ate our international snack of tomatoes and basil and soba cookies and talked and talked... about birds and weddings, journeys and parents, movies and restaurants... we may have even mentioned a few flowers. Unfortunately the sun had already wilted the flower I'd most wanted her to see! This morning a young Bauhinia from my friend Ellen opened its first white flowers but they were merely withered petals by mid-afternoon. From our air-conditioned seats we could see the fountain, and the back border, and the magnolia flowers, and the two triangle beds but we had to go outside to look at some other just-opened flowers. I planted two Amarcrinum bulbs along the back wall of the house a few years ago. This border gets strong morning sun but is shaded in the hot afternoon. I was pretty sure this was a good spot when one bulb bloomed last summer. This year that bulb came up with two tufts of leaves, and each tuft has made a flower stalk. Today the other bulb joined in and bloomed for the first time. One stem of delicate pink trumpets would be very welcome this year - a trio of these fragrant lovely flowers was totally unexpected. There was another plant blooming for the first time - one that was impossible for MSS to overlook before she said goodbye. Former Garden blogger MarthaChick was responsible for this show - she'd shared some Crocosmia bulbs in spring of ... In the hot sunny border along the fence this flower looks perfect with a background of Setcresia/Purple Heart.