Wednesday, May 2, 2018 More time travel on my trusty trike this day. Almost starred in a movie. Sorta. There’s an old road that winds its way up and over a mountain on the Pacific Coast south of San Francisco, officially called Pedro Mountain Road but people in the know call it Planet of the … Continue reading "Planet of the Apes and Devil’s Slide"
Read MoreYesterday’s plan was to visit the small hamlet of Fyfield Wick, drizzle was forecast for the early afternoon, so I set mid morning just as the heavy rain began. Taking around about route I got to Appleton where the scene of the following two photo’s took my eye. Lovely iris’s in the village pond. Even … Continue reading "a tale of two quests"
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I’ll try to get in one more this month. We still have no internet and I’m operating with my cellphone and the prepaid card. Frustrating, I wish Vodafone and Telekom would get their act together. We got out on our bikes today, and Buchendorf is just about 1km away. And we are surrounded by fields … Continue reading "Challenge of the Month: Bricks in Buchendorf"
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Part 5 concludes my bicycle safari among the wild and unpredictable creatures inhabiting the desert around Borrego Springs. Read more at Bill Bikes
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After interrupting my exploration of animal sculptures with a morning ride to Fonts Point, part 4 of Creatures of the Desert resumes my bicycle safari among the wild and unpredictable creatures inhabiting the desert around Borrego Springs. Read more at Bill Bikes
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Part 3 continues my bicycle safari among the wild and unpredictable creatures inhabiting the desert around Borrego Springs. Read more at Bill Bikes
Read MoreManaged to get out for a couple of hours this morning, cool though sunny to start heavier cloud and spots of rain came in a the morning progressed. Saw this the other day while I was out though didn’t have my camera. Insect infestation of hedge, there was another section further up the same road. … Continue reading "Out for a Quick Quest"
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Part 2 continues my bicycle safari among the wild and unpredictable creatures inhabiting the desert around Borrego Springs. Read more at Bill Bikes
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I’ve been hearing murmurings that it would be great to get an early declaration of this month’s Challenge, so people can start thinking and plan ahead a bit. Well, here it is. Just remember though, that this is the challenge for JUNE, not May. Early submissions are subject to the usual penalties, which may include … Continue reading "Challenge of the month: June, 2019"
Read MoreWe didn’t wish we had a view from our previous apartment, but now that we have views we love them. Our apartment faces north. This is the view to the northwest, looking a bit more to the left as compared to the night photograph I posted previously. Two floors up on the roof we have … Continue reading "Hidden Bricks"
Read MoreCould this substantiate that fact? At least it is not glue for the fallen bricks. My final post before I take off for Saint Louis plus the Katy Trail tour. When I know the new challenge for the new month, I will try to get some for posting while on the tour. All … Continue reading "Mortar is not glue He said"
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We continued to get highly unusual torrents of rain in May. I lost track of the rainfall records being set around Santa Rosa this month, but I knew I was tired of precipitation. Time to head for the desert. For this trip I wanted to take the Ogre off road to the Fonts Point scenic … Continue reading "Creatures of the Desert, part 1"
Read MoreIn July 2016 I started a Quest that involved visiting by bike every settlement, city, town, village and hamlet in my home county of Oxfordshire. These settlements total around 500, reviewing my details in early April of this year I found I visited just over 300 or around 60%. I hadn’t actually visited anywhere new … Continue reading "County Quest Restart"
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As part of my brief expedition to the desert, I intended to pedal the Ogre up to Fonts Point, reputedly offering a fine view of the badlands between the Salton Sea and the town of Borrego Springs. The turn from the paved road is marked with a small sign in the sand. Interestingly, whether configured … Continue reading "Fonts Point"
Read MoreLike it was for Suzanne, May has been moving month for me. Unlike Suzanne, I am still in the city centre, so my views look like this: A combination of unpacking, lots of rain and indolence meant that it wasn’t until today that I rode my bike from my new home and out onto the … Continue reading "First ride from new home"
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I spent a couple of days bicycling through the desert. Who knew it could be so dangerous? Fortunately, I survived this and further attacks by dragons, giant scorpions, and other wild beasts who thought the Ogre and I looked like tasty morsels. I made it home safely, and I’m trying to put together details of … Continue reading "Coming soon: Dinosaur attacks in the Desert"
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We absolutely love the area where we are living now, but there are still a few problems to deal with: One, the move involved a lot of work and I haven’t found much time for getting out on my bike. That should change soon (if it stops raining). And secondly, for the time being I … Continue reading "Coming Soon …"
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It’s that time of year when the sun is at such a mellow angle that there is lots of golden light that really illuminates rocks and bricks in a beautiful way. So I should have taken heaps of rides to take advantage of it. The weather has been really good, too – lots of sunny, … Continue reading "May Challenge – Bricks: 1860s- early 1900s"
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Matera is renowned for many things, including its claim to being the third oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Less well known though is its use of brick. Most people associate the city with its famous caves, which many of the city’s residents lived in until the 1950’s, when they were forcibly relocated for … Continue reading "The famous bricks of Matera"
Read MoreAfter several false starts, I finally got back on the bike today. Jen’s mom had a bad fall in March and we’ve been spending much of our time on “Judy Duty” (Jen’s mom is Judy), so not much time for riding . We rode to a park in Littleton, ate lunch and rode home. Hopefully … Continue reading "Mr. Grumby Finally Hits the Bricks"
Read MoreHaving been traveling and about to travel again, I have had little to no time to post here. But here are some bricks from a few rides — in Elk Grove CA, and home in WA. This next photo is from a walk and not a bike ride, but so nice I have to post … Continue reading "Got Lots of Bricks"
Read MoreI was listening to a 99% Invisible podcast where good old Roman Mars featured three episodes of a BBC podcast called 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy. (It’s a thing he does – promote other podcasts he thinks subscribers would be interested in – amongst his own productions.) One of the 50 things is … Continue reading "Bricks: one of 50 things"
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We had planned a ride for today however with yesterday’s extreme weather we weren’t sure if it would happen. We woke up to clear skies at 30 degrees. That was good because it wasn’t snowing or raining. We waited around until 9am and by then it was 40’ish and we figured we’d go ahead and … Continue reading "Road Trip …….Day Six"
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It’s not supposed to rain around here in May! Rainfall total for the entire month averages under an inch. Ha! On Wednesday alone approximately twice that amount poured down upon us. And that was just one day out of the current rainy spell, with more rain falling as I type these words, and more in … Continue reading "Lovall Valley"
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Day thee was a combination road trip and bike trip. We drove from St George to Springdale at the mouth of Zion National Park. Once there we were going to follow Bill’s suggestion of riding up to bus stop #9 and back. The challenge for today was going to be ‘wind’ and just how much … Continue reading "Road Trip……Day Three, Four and Five"
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I was going to try and do this trip all in one rightup but it’s already getting way out of hand and I haven’t even started. We left Monday the 13th from Seaside and headed to St George, UT. We made it in just about 11 hours…..seems we stop often to “stretch”. Tuesday we … Continue reading "Road Trip…..Day One and Two"
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The Willdon Building viewed from the back side Named for the sons of the first mayor, William and Donald Building served as a Department Store, Professional Offices, Offices for a Theatre Group, and a Bank J.S. doesn’t look like the kind of guy you would pick out to kid Been generally abandoned for several years … Continue reading "Bricks and More Bricks"
Read MoreI had to visit Launceston, Tasmania (not the English town of the same name) today and the thought was with me – “Bricks” and the Cycle 365 challenge for May.
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Click here for details Here’s my submission for the May monthly challenge and I’ve even done an odious ode.
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Space where a building burned exposes adjoining brick wall, and provides an area for a small park Collapsing flower box and a short alley Interesting old windows framed in brick Vines climbing brick wall and electrical entrance Down Town Motel continues to deteriorate Building was in an imminent stage for collapse and was removed Bricks … Continue reading "Sunday Morning Brick Tour"
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While at Silverton near Broken Hill, NSW we came upon an artist’s studio – and he has a thing for decorating with bicycles. I like this diorama! Now we are back home I will tackle bricks.
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A beautiful day in Wine Country. While it’s possible to pedal the direct route out Highway 12 to the multitude of wineries around Kenwood, it’s always much more fun to take the longer route up and down Lawndale Road. Read more at Bill Bikes
Read MoreI biked over a few bricks and one of them stood up to ask if I know “Brick”. I told Brickette that I would let Greg know that she is hunting for Brick. Here is Brickette looking for Brick. I left here there with no guilt.
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Ruins of the Stokely-Van Camp Tomato Canning facility Sweet corn was the major claim to fame back in the day, lots of other products were canned here as well, such as Asparagus, Lentils, Pumpkins, and Tomatoes Coal fired boilers supplied the energy used in processing A fairly impressive brick smokestack emitted the smoke high above … Continue reading "May Challenge . . . . A Stack of Bricks (photos added)"
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So…today is the 10th wedding anniversary of our 29th year together. Of course this seemed like the perfect card. You’ve heard off and on about my arm issues and how riding ‘Uptown’ has seemed to help with that and Monday I just decided to go to our local bike shop “Work Horse Bikes” because they … Continue reading "Let Me Introduce You ………"
Read MoreGarceau for Sure… Not much time to write anything, but this is an UPSCALE Porta Potty with a working sink for hand washing. We are in Oceanside CA and took the bike route through Camp Pendleton (after a half hour in line to get a pass). This Garceau is at one of the entry gates.
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This is not, I repeat not, a monthly challenge ride. If it were, I’d have to disqualify myself because there’s no photo with both bricks and bikes to show you. There is a very nice brick tier along the base of the featured arched bridge crossing the Lao River in Calabria, but we didn’t stage … Continue reading "In Pollino NationalPark: Bricks without bikes"
Read MoreFinally, I managed to get on my bike and do a little shake down cruise from home, before I drive it elsewhere. Good thing I did because my computer wasn’t working. Most of my rides will have to be on Tuesdays or Thursdays, because those are the days my husband attends an Adult Day Center. … Continue reading "First Ride of the Season"
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Raleigh for Tuesday’s Ride One of the better days we’ve had so far, so take advantage if it
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A Trek readies for a ride in front of a brick flower box Mr. Honeywell deferred when the railroad chose to name the station after him, and hence the town was named for Thomas Hoopes
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Janet is right. Northern California suffers from a relative dearth of brick buildings. Why? Earthquakes. Brick buildings tend not to stand up to earthquakes too well. In the big 1906 quake, Santa Rosa suffered proportionally more damage than San Francisco. Practically every brick edifice in town collapsed. Nowadays, most of the brick walls around here … Continue reading "One Brick at a Time"
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Ashlar! That’s my new word for the day. I’ve been staring at ashlar walls and streets for much of my adult life, but I don’t remember even seeing the word before now. It took a lowly brick to bring it to my attention. Thanks, Brick! Ashlar is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that … Continue reading "Bricks over ashlar"
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I don’t think of there being any brick in our area. Northern California in particular just doesn’t have a lot of brick left……but hey wait! Where did all these golf balls come from?
Read MoreIt’s been several days now since it has been issued, but I’m still feeling some serious anxiety over Scott’s “Brick Challenge.” I mean, it’s a BRICK for godsakes. What am I supposed to say about a brick? Something like this: “Here is a brick. It’s, how shall I say, brick-colored.” Or how about this: “I … Continue reading "Brick and I"
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Today’s agenda: 1. Yard work and chores 2. Short bike ride 3. Chores and yard work Here I present photographic evidence of only the second agenda item. Read more at Bill Bikes
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Western Brick Company Danville, Illinois Estimated to have produced over 3 billion bricks in its lifetime One of the bricks produced at Western Brick What the 4 little nubs are for is a question. . . . . The + Part Flowers along 1550E Lots of rain lately, no flooding here — yet Mixing of … Continue reading "May Challenge +"
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Bricks? Hmmmm…. Here are a few photos of bricks from the last few years, including a “built like a brick garceau” shot. Read more at Bill Bikes
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An amazing month, although it started out innocently enough. No April Fools’ pranks on the first, but on the day after a series of events led to unexpected developments in a flash. Yes, I’ve already told you that we are moving and that isn’t really a bicycle related topic … or is it? If riding … Continue reading "Cycle Days in April"
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