Well I’ve just managed to slip this post in edgeways to complete this months challenge. True, it’s the 1st of November here but this website is still in Californian time and I’ve really been busy doing lots of rides lately. A few weeks ago I joined my cycling club and rode for nine days around … Continue reading "October Challenge – Vanishing points"
As Suzanne says, it is hard to believe that October is gone already!! As October ends, I will post photos through now. If interested there is a bit more of story for the photos on my blog https://adventureswithnancyg.blogspot.com
I’m a tough guy, so obviously I don’t scare easily. I mean, I’ve watched such movies as Rosemary’s Baby, The Excorcist, and Young Frankenstein and made it all the way to the end without hardly screaming at all. But on the last day of October, the ghosts and witches and zombies and mummies and vampires … Continue reading "Halloween is Scary"
It seems I have started every month’s entry with a comment on how fast time is going by – so I won’t do it this time. But it remains true. The fact that time is passing so quickly also means that winter will come and go just as fast as any other season. Is that … Continue reading "Cycle Days Challenge: October 2020"
Empty grain wagon Soybean field empty of its crop Empty space where Honeywell school used to be Empty CSX tracks Empty containers discarded by equally empty headed personWill empty your checking account Smashed can believed to be empty Bud Light? May not be the only thing that got ‘smashed’ (Corona Virus concerns precluded further … Continue reading "Empty"
Former NBA star and noted recreational cyclist Bill Walton is hosting his Bike for Humanity “Halloween Ride” on Saturday, 31 October. Riders can ride any distance, any location, while physically distancing. Participation is free, but donations are accepted for charities to benefit firefighters, their families, and fire victims, especially related to this year’s wildfires. More … Continue reading "Bill Walton’s Halloween charity ride"
Isn’t life challenging enough right now? Who needs more challenge than we’re already dealing with this month? It’s enough of a challenge to just keep your sanity and your health. Isn’t that quite enough? Just be happy if you manage to get outside on your bike, and show us your ride – any ride, anywhere, … Continue reading "November’s challenge is to ride!"
I had commented in one of Greg’s posts a few days ago that I loved getting some early snow before Halloween, but that it rarely happened here. Well, 2020 has spoken one more time to tell us that it’s an unusual year. During the height of the snowfall this morning, we had about 3 inches … Continue reading "First Snow"
As some of you know already, we’re cutting our tour short and heading home tomorrow. The Covid situation is becoming alarming in Europe, so there’s that of course – but then it’s plenty alarming back home too. There are a couple of other things on our mind calling us back now also, and it’s just … Continue reading "Europe, at the vanishing point"
Due to the amount of rain we have had over the last week and that expected this afternoon today’s Quest to Otmoor (north of Oxford) had to be cancelled. Otmoor is a large, flat, low level area with a number of villages I have yet to visit, as the area floods easily I will go … Continue reading "A Ride to the Blowing Stone"
Those who have followed my rides (and who wouldn’t want to waste a great deal of time doing exactly that?) know I haven’t been out and about exploring new locales as much as usual over the last nine months or so. That’s because of—surprise, surprise—virus, fires, and family obligations. Naturally, I’ve been itching to pedal … Continue reading "Big River"
A Recipe for a Successful Bike Ride (With Illustrations From Today and From Yesteryear) Dress appropriately Don’t take yourself too seriously Use your gears often and use your brakes when necessary Groove out on nature Don’t get bummed out because of wind, hills and view-blockers Stop and smell not just the roses, but also the … Continue reading "Two Recipes for Success"
I had thrown out a suggestion of ‘something empty’ for a challenge. That is meant to be empty places such as this dugout. Or empty things such as this bottle — I know we have too many of these around, but this is just to serve as an example. Or empty spaces like the one … Continue reading "EMPTINESS"
Built in 1927 and named after one of the town’s founders Alba Honeywell History of the school The demolition begins 🙁 Vanished So, this may be something for the Vanishing Challenge, or equally, the possible Empty Spaces Challenge Nancy suggested I can say this, no one was happy about the fate of the school, and … Continue reading "Vanished or Vanquished?"
Before the month vanishes, I thought I would round up a few pictures for the challenge from my October rides. Many look almost the same – a forest path disappearing in the distant trees, but that’s where I ride most often – when I ride. Due to a pesty infection I have been off my … Continue reading "Going Going Gone"
While riding my bicycle around this morning I had a different title in mind for this post. It was a really good one too, but I can’t remember what it was. So I was ready to go with “Riding By The River On A Snowy Day.” Then I noticed that most of the pictures I … Continue reading "A Cycle365 Post With Attention Deficit Disorder"
Well, let’s see. So far, Rachael has disappeared in the distance into a mirage, at the end of a long, non-winding road, and into the fog. Somehow though she keeps reappearing, only to disappear again. Today she’s escaped once more, this time crossing the scary bridge over the Po when entering Ferrara. What next?
What happened to Ride #3/15? It’s complicated, but took place on Oct. 3rd. I hope to tell you about it soon. While at a checkup for one of the tiny kittens we are fostering, I asked the vet tech if he thought the kittens were old enough to go for a bike ride. It was … Continue reading "Cycle Days Challenge #4/15 Riding with Friends"
The first photo is form a ride I had done earlier this week; the second is from my ride yesterday, who’s is also my photo of the day. When thinking of vanishing photos, it is usually roads that come to mind, and of course I find a lot of those. More challenging to find thing … Continue reading "VANISHING MORE"
Today is the last of some nice weather we have been having. 80 degrees, but it came with a cost of a strong south wind. Dwight had planned a route from Potomac, IL to Collison, IL which mainly followed the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Lots of woods, which for us is a nice … Continue reading "Cycle Life Challenge Ride #7 Bean Creek Road"
I wish I lived in an exotic cycling locale like coastal California, the Pacific Northwest, England, New England, Bavaria, the Chesapeake Bay area, northern Kentucky, anyplace in Australia, Illinois farm country, etc., etc., etc. It would also be nice to have no permanent home at all and bike my way through such interesting places as, … Continue reading "More Weather-Related Facts, Opinions and Boasts"
I’m starting to feel insecure. Day after day, my companion ditches me the first chance she gets. She always comes back, eventually – typically just in time for dinner, because I’m carrying the cash. Today we weren’t even on the road for a mile before she disappeared into the fog.
On my last challenge post, we lost Rocky at the vanishing point. Some of you comforted me by assuring me that she’d return, and you were right! But now, sadly she’s disappeared in the distance again, in the Valleys of Cormacchio. Where’s Rachael?
Especially after Greg’s recent post, I feel verrrrrry fortunate to have OUR weather in MY town. ;’-). We remain in the 50s though gearing up this week for 40s and in the 30s at night, oh my! Again — most about these photos is on my blog — as a kind of repeat of a … Continue reading "CYCLE DAYS CHALLNEGE #16 -17"
The Gregorian Calendar does not designate an official date for The Most Exciting Day of the Year because, historically, it tends to fall on a different day every year. In that way, it’s kind of like Easter — except it can’t be predicted by the phase of the moon. Some years, we don’t even know … Continue reading "The Most Exciting Cycling Day of the Year"
Posted: October 18, 2020 Under: Cycle Life Challenge By Rich-Illinois 6 Comments Like1 Which wasn’t going to be a Cycle Life ride until I saw something out of the ordinary. Very strong winds yesterday (almost Minnesota strong). Got a ride in early before they really got rolling. Breezy again this morning, but not a huge … Continue reading "Cycle Life Challenge Ride #6 (Updated)"
This completes the challenge I set to ride and photograph 15 days this year. Obviously I very much underestimated ;’-). I won’t stop taking photos of rides I do for the remainder of this year, those will be my bonus photos ?? More about each ride is on my blog. https://adventureswithnancyg.blogspot.com/
Today’s task would be to ride to Binsey, a hamlet close to Oxford City centre and locate a Well I had noticed on my map of the area. Binsey would add to my County Quest List.
We aren’t riding our own bikes in this post, so it’s not a challenge entry. There are plenty of bikes in the picture though, so that’s something. Think of this more as a PSA about Pesaro, a place you may not have heard of but should know about: it’s the self-declared City of Bicycles.
I got kind of a late start today. I didn’t want to get out from under the covers because the house was cold. Last night it got down to 34-degrees (F) outside and the wind seemed to be blowing that air through our windows. I did get up though, and I turned the thermostat up … Continue reading "Well, It IS Minnesota"
In place of a “normal” fall vacation week, my wife and I did two short outdoor getaways. First we drove to Staunton VA, stayed at a B&B, did some car touring while it rained, and hiked Crabtree Falls when the rain finally ended. We came back home, did a few chores and then headed out … Continue reading "A Two Day Cycling Getaway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore"
As usual, there are more photos and stories about the photos on my blog, and I wanted to put these up rather than have too long of a post here. We are winding down our RV trip and heading to rain at home ;’-). I am not sure what to expect about bike ride weather, … Continue reading "CYCLE DAYS CHALLENGE #10-13"
To continue with my county Quest I thought I would head up into the Chilterns, an area of the county I haven’t visited for a while. The Chilterns are a range of hills that bisect the South Eastern corner of the county. From Adwell I thought it would be a reasonably straight forward ride home, … Continue reading "To The Maharajah’s Well"
It was windy today. I don’t know exactly HOW windy, but my extensive experience in weather-related subjects tells me it was coming out of the west-north-west at approximately 95-miles per hour. (See Footnote) That incredible wind speed comes as quite a coincidence since, just yesterday, Old Grumbleface, The Navigator, and I were discussing the rare … Continue reading "Storm Chaser Greg Battles The Wind"
Yup, I was in Iowa this weekend. I hadn’t been down there to see my dad since Christmas on account of this Covid-19 thing. He’s 85 years old, lives all alone, and, like many Americans, hasn’t been going anywhere or visiting anybody. And that’s particularly hard on him because he’s a way more social person … Continue reading "Iowa Farm Structures"
Bright and beautiful and then the fog came in South of town, 1550 E vanishes Certainly not a marine layer around here Must have been an advection fog that moved in from Indiana Rails vanish into the fog Vanishing rail and fog
Since moving into our bungalow in late April we have been slowly cleaning, tidying and decorating as well as tackling the overgrown garden. Today’s mission was to cycle to the outskirts of Oxford to a D.I.Y Store, here they stocked the brand and colour of paint we required for our lounge. Our local store in … Continue reading "A Trip to Buy Some Paint"
I wish the rain would vanish, but we are in for a couple of days of this kind of weather. It certainly cramps my style. I’m calling this a ride although to be honest I did little more than get my errands done and a picture.
I’m of course exceptionally lucky to have a cycling partner to share my life with. Among the many other benefits, one big plus is that I have a subject at hand to include in action shots. Without that, I’d be dependent on either getting better at cycling selfies or on becoming a better artist so … Continue reading "Rocky at the vanishing point"
As I’ve mentioned a few times in previous posts I, like many people, have been riding the same old routes all spring and summer, sticking nice and close to home. Yesterday, I decided I was really in the mood to get away and do something a little different. In other times, I might head over … Continue reading "Head North!"
While riding around and taking pictures of Halloween decorations in people’s yards today, two great things happened: 1) Nobody came running out their front door with a loaded shotgun to question what I was doing. 2) I invented a new, exciting and challenging game. I called the game Scary? Or Whimsical? It’s a great game … Continue reading "HALLOWEEN: Scary? Or Whimsical?"
Had the chance of getting out for a decent ride today, so the plan was to head for the village of Ramsden located north west from home, a village I have never visited before.
Not that we’re sorry to see September go, but we’re dragging our feet just a bit. Here’s one last arch for the road, from our ride to the historically important Croatian city of Nin. Time enough to find some vanishing points for October – they seem easy enough to find.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It seems like every locale where I pedal a bicycle in California eventually burns down. From Redding to Venado to Berryessa to Bizz Johnson and more, I’ve lost track of the number of places I’ve pedaled that have subsequently been consumed by fire. Of course, that probably has little to do with me. The … Continue reading "Glass Fire Burn Zone"
I know I’ve been kind of hard on Wisconsin in the past, but I believe every word I’ve written about the state is justified. And I’m not just saying that because Wisconsin’s college and professional sports teams are the hated rivals of Minnesota teams. Wisconsin is also our nemesis in politics, in agriculture, in tall … Continue reading "Wisconsin Is Weird"
Rides every day but most are redundant loops and out and backs and nothing much to see we haven’t already seen. So, the Challenge Rides are reserved for rides of a little bit different nature. Today, the day dawned bright and beautiful but with a moderate SW wind. So in light of that Dave and … Continue reading "Cycle Life Challenge Ride #4"
I may have underestimated the number of rides and photos for this challenge. But winter may bring more rain/snow/fog/ice than I am comfortable riding in. So I will wait and see before increasing my challenge numbers. Here I will include just the photo of these rides. As usual, a few words will discuss each ride … Continue reading "CYCLE DAYS CHALLENGE #6-9"
I don’t know what that title means, I just liked the saying ;’-). In this first photo you will see that the golf fairway vanishes over the hill, but if you can enraged the picture you will see more vanishing. There are tracks there, most likely from a maintenance vehicle as I cannot imagine that … Continue reading "YOU CAN VANISH BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE"
So the feature photo has just one example of vanishing lines from a short overnight ride the guys and I did on Fri/Sat. There’s more vanishing lines to be found in my journal entry which can be found here: https://rambleoutyonder.org/2020/10/04/shifting-oct-ride-1-re-emerging/
Last week, for the third time in four years, we received evacuation orders due to approaching wildfires. In 2017 and 2019 my ace support crew and I loaded her car with photo albums and other important items. She and our elderly dog took off for safer venues. I stayed behind, deployed hose lines, and rode … Continue reading "It’s a wonderful place to live when not engulfed in flames"
For many years here in the Baltimore Washington area, one of my favorites rides has been the Thurmont MD Civil War Century put on by the Baltimore Bicycling Club in mid September. I generally do the 65 mile metric century, which takes you through 4 different covered bridges, through the Gettysburg Battlefield National Park and … Continue reading "Quad Covered Bridges Metric Century – with Bonus Wedding"
I was posed a question concerning my last post from the other side of the world, so the easiest way to answer it was to get out on the bike and take the following.
Hard to believe that I actually suggested the Holiday Challenge a full year ago! Well, Halloween is back, and the decorations are occurring. Here is the beginning in my neighborhood. I know I will have more to post as the month progresses. These next three are at the same house. There are so many things … Continue reading "HALLOWEEN IS COMING ;’-). HOLIDAY CHALLENGE"
How’s that for a title! As a follow along to Rick’s earlier post, I thought it might be fun to keep an eye out for some PUGE this month. And here is what I was able to find, or ‘collect’ if you will. And for the grand finale of September’s PUGE: The only things I … Continue reading "(SEPTEMBER’S) POTENTIALLY USEFUL GRAVITATIONAL EJECTI (OR ‘PUGE’?)"
There are many ways one can tell October has arrived in MY State besides looking at a calendar. The most obvious indicator is the weather, which was in the 40-degree range this morning. I had to wear a lined jacket for the first time since April, but I’m still stubbornly wearing shorts. Also since April, … Continue reading "A Few Of The Ways October Introduces Itself To Minnesota"
Yikes, I thought I just posted August and now it’s October. It’s that time of year again – the days are getting shorter, there’s a chill in the air, and the trees are beginning to turn. But it isn’t freezing cold yet, we have good air quality and no fires, there is nothing to complain … Continue reading "Cycle Days Challenge: September 2020"
The Baltimore and Annapolis Trail is a 14 mile urban gem of a rail trail that is now part of the East Coast Greenway. It has many crossings and can be crowded, but the southern half is less interrupted and has fewer stroller pushers/dog walkers and connects to a nicely shouldered road that takes you … Continue reading "Biking On a Gray Day Along the Chesapeake Bay"