As Suzanne tactfully noted, we’ve been tardy in posting the challenge for the new month. Those of you down under have been in March for several hours already and are undoubtedly champing at the bit, impatient for your marching orders. Well, your long wait is over. Champ no longer, champs. In our defense, we’ve been … Continue reading "Challenge of the month, March 2021: Kodachrome"
A new month, a new challenge? But that question wasn’t the real reason for this post. In the wake of being asked to remove all my posts from the cgoab site, I have been thinking about what to do with the many journals that have only been published there and no where else. Jeff over … Continue reading "Speaking of Challenges"
I’m still sticking close to home, but at least I wandered into another county today. I’ve done the ride from Petaluma to Novato several times. Compared to the old death traps along the route, it’s much easier now that all the (relatively) new cycling infrastructure is complete. The expedition offers a good variety of riding. … Continue reading "Petaluma – Novato"
You never know what you’re gonna get when the spring thaw begins. In winter you know what you’re going to get: cold, snow and ice. The new season, however, brings a whole new set of hazards that can bring harm to you. Yesterday was a beautiful day for a bike ride, and I was able … Continue reading "A Few Last Minute February Hazards"
You’ll of course remember Old Grumbleface’s excellent adventure nearly two years ago, when he carried his Ogre up four miles of sand to Fonts Point. It’s definitely well worth the effort to get thee to Fonts Point, with its stupefying views of the Borrego Badlands. But by bicycle? Rereading his post, we realized we had to … Continue reading "Fonts Point, another way"
Only 2 rides in week #3 of of this month. Now we step into March with rain in the forecast for this last week ?. At least there is one thing I can count on — the forecast is often wrong ?. Not much more than this on my blog, but there is a little … Continue reading "WEEK 3 FEBRUARY RIDE PHOTOS"
Today’s post features some of My Town’s best scenery. I’ve shown them several times before, but I don’t think I’ve done so when they’ve been frozen. If I have shown them in that state, then I don’t think I’ve shown them frozen on such a sunny day and with lots of snow cover. If I … Continue reading "Splendor In The Ice"
The Borrego Badlands! That certainly sounds hazardous enough, doesn’t it? It conjures up images of contorted, sandy draws where you could lose your way in a maze and die a lonely death, sun-baked and parched under the hot desert sun; or be attacked by bandits holed up just around the next bend who would torture … Continue reading "The Borrego Badlands"
In my last post I wrote that it’s very difficult to show COLD in a picture. Today I will add that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to show STINK in a picture. STINK is what got me to investigate further today after picking up my mail at the post office. I had a pretty good idea where it … Continue reading "MY Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and Other Pleasantries"
Today’s post comes to us thanks to Bill, who posed this question to me yesterday: What do you think about merging Cycle365 and CycleBlaze? It seems like there’s an awful lot of cross-over between the two. If Jeff is amenable to having day rides at what I think was intended to be a touring site, … Continue reading "CycleBlaze/Cycle365?"
Reading about Team Anderson’s car warning light coming on in their old Vetta made me think of the feature photo. Then, when Scott (Rocky shouldn’t be pulled in as a guilty party) mistook the engine temp gauge for the fuel gauge, I thought: Oh, I ‘ve got to share the car warning light photo. The … Continue reading "Ahh, the simplicity… maybe"
Last month, most of us Minnesotan’s were getting pretty darn cocky about our winter weather. I can’t tell you how many times I participated in some form of the following conversation with dog walkers while out walking my own dog: “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Yes, it’s a GREAT day. In fact, this whole winter has … Continue reading "Smoking May Be Hazardous To One’s Health"
Today we drove to Borrego Springs for a 5 night stay. I headed out on a 10.5 mile hike while Scott rested his toe. I wish I would have brought his camera and his excellent photography skills. This was the best hike I’ve taken in a long time. It was a great trail! The trail … Continue reading "Borrego Palm Canyon Hike"
I feel so full of sympathy for the northerners right now, with harsh, brutal conditions holding reign over most of the country. If I were living in Vermont or Illinois or Minnesota or Washington (or even Kentucky, amazingly enough), I certainly wouldn’t be out biking right now either, and probably wouldn’t be out walking any … Continue reading "Organ Pipe National Monument"
First off, I’ll state the obvious and say that the feature photo above has nothing to do with the cycling I was doing today. It is a nice reminder however, of the much warmer place I was four years ago about this time, Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia. Jumping back to 2021, January here in … Continue reading "Ah, February"
This wasn’t exactly a hike, but a couple weeks ago I did visit a park I had not been to before and walked around some. Fisherman’s Park is part of our metro park system and as the crow flies is fairly close to my house. It’s in the ZIP code next to ours and the … Continue reading "Do you speak English?"
I’m sure I’ve pointed out that the desert is rife with hazards. Yesterday’s hike in the Mule Mountains outside of Bisbee is a good case in point. It’s pretty rugged terrain, with risks everywhere you look: treacherous footing, rockfalls, getting lost, getting punctured, you name it. You can’t let your guard down for a minute.
Tomorrow actually ends week 2 of my cycling photos, but with snow all day today, and what he aftermath will be, there is no telling when I will get to ride again ;’-0. I had a difficult time with uploading photos here so rather than taking more time to write anything about them, I will … Continue reading "WEEK 2 FEBRUARY RIDES AND PHOTOS #26-30"
Are we in Munisota or perhaps Germaine? Finally we have some minus temperatures that should impress – night time low was -16C/1F and the days’ highs are around -6C/21F. I’m not riding my bike but the sun is shining and if there is no wind, it’s still fine for walking and hazard spotting. If there … Continue reading "Toto, we’re not in Munich any more"
“Potential” because they didn’t get me. Of course, after writing that we don’t have much in broken glass, I should find some. This is not on a road however, and on the bridge the sweepers cannot access it. It’s up to someone (maybe me at another time) to sweep it up. Cyclists must keep their … Continue reading "A FEW POTENTIAL HAZARDS"
Most weekends of the year so far were taken with packing, moving, cleaning the old place, cleaning the new place and unpacking. I spent so much energy on the weekends, I didn’t have much energy to ride on weekdays after work, as that has been crazy busy, too. I guess the greatest hazard for me … Continue reading "Hazards of NE Victoria"
The sunshine was brilliant out the front window of my Greg Room this morning. A light dusting of fresh snow on my car, the mail box, and the streets, made the world look clean and pure and incredibly white. Gentle wisps of wind occasionally blew glistening snowflakes from tree branches to the ground, and each … Continue reading "A Disney-Like Day With Only One Hazard"
Who dreamed up this month’s challenge, anyway? Suddenly I’m seeing risks everywhere that I never gave much thought to before, and starting to feel paranoid. Our climb up Mount Lemmon yesterday was just one hazard after another: precipitous cliffs, falling rocks, goblins, ice, heart attack? Terrible. Awesome descent though. For additional photos of this climb, … Continue reading "A mountain of hazards"
From the looks of it, we are in for two weeks of below freezing daytime temperatures. So today might have been my last ride for a while. And it was cold enough for me at around 4 C / 39 F. We had some sun but I’m getting fussy now. We encountered some hazards on … Continue reading "Into the deep dark woods"
With all the rain during this first week of the month, I surprise myself of getting these rides ;’-). Little stories on my blog. https://adventureswithnancyg.blogspot.com
I am so, so sorry for my last Cycle365 post. It’s not my nature to be such a negative, woe-is-me, crybaby. Usually I can put a positive spin on ANYTHING — even hazards — but for some reason the impossibility of a bike ride sent me over the edge. Had I been able to CHOOSE … Continue reading "Back to the Good Times"
Mine fields, dinosaurs, ice picks and giant scorpions are all terrifying reminders of what a scary world we live in. This ghost bike on a straight stretch on an open road in Madera Canyon is a sobering reminder though of where the real threats lie. As if any of us needed reminding.
Suzanne prompted me to search for other hazards. I had almost forgotten this one. Now I’m sure to start having nightmares again. More here, if anyone wants to revisit 2019: http://bike365.org/bike/20190521a/
Not wanting to compete with Bill or anything, but this was a close call for Janos. Hazard is putting in mildly. But he was and is a strong pedaler and escaped the jaws of this dinosaur still roaming the earth back in 2009. I can’t believe that trip was 12 years ago! Or that I … Continue reading "By the skin of his teeth"
Today I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn’t ride. Roads are covered in snow after yesterday’s storm, and I no longer have my mountain bike to negotiate those conditions. To compensate for my cycling inactivity, I shoveled. I walked Diggity. I hosted a contractor to give us an estimate for repairing the many … Continue reading "Pedal Through The Pandemic"
In keeping with the theme for the month, on the trail today I encountered these dangerous guys armed with chainsaws and other implements of destruction. They looked hazardous, but kindly agreed to pose for a photo.
This is too funny. It seems like just yesterday (well actually, it was just yesterday) that I was bemoaning the lack of interesting hazards down here and speculated that we might be seeing rattlers or Gila monsters roaming the earth soon. Be careful what you wish for, as we found on our ride to Colossal … Continue reading "Desert hazards, continued"
My hazards seem quite tame compared to some of you here (Greg), but hazards none the less ;’-). Most of the sewer covers around here are not like this one, the “bars” are either at an angle or crosswise across the cover. This one can be a tire trap. Not for me as my tires … Continue reading "GOT ME SOME HAZARDS"
This confession might or might not be a shocker to you, but at least half the time I don’t actually have to go randomly searching for picture opportunities to meet the various Cycle365 Challenges. I’ve ridden the streets and nearby rural highways so often that I know exactly where to go to capture many of … Continue reading "I Know Where To Find Them"
I’m feeling guilty about being down here right now. Not only have we had terrific weather for the last two months, but it feels perfectly safe everywhere I look – as long as we don’t think about the ever present Covid hazard of course. Nothing like the conditions in the frigid north, for example. Maybe … Continue reading "In not so hazardous Tucson"
Yesterday I made the mistake of saying I wouldn’t post such obvious Minnesota hazards as ice, snow, and frigid temperatures for the February Challenge. Unfortunately that led to a whiney, yet vehement, objection from my cartoon alter-ego. G-2 demanded equal time. He insisted that winter is ten times more hazardous for a dude who is … Continue reading "A Different Look At Wintertime Cycling Hazards"
Well ever since Scott came up with the theme of ‘Hazards’ things have been going pear shaped around here. First the news came out that a security guard from a Quarantine Hotel had caught the virus and then moved about in the community for a couple of days which means that we’re having our first … Continue reading "Hazards everywhere."
Another Month, Another Challenge, and Another Ancient Story Way back when I was in the third grade, I became a Cub Scout. Pathetically, I only lasted about six months before washing out of the program. I never advanced beyond “Bobcat” which is the lowest rank in all of scouting. I never earned a “Wolf” badge … Continue reading "Like Life Itself, Cycling Involves One Potential Hazard After Another"
Help! This month is going to be full of perils, dangers, hazards, risks, threats, menaces, pitfalls and accidents. (Come on, Thesaurus, give me some more.) I couldn’t wait to dive in to this cauldron of unknowns lurking around every corner. So again on foot – much too dangerous on a bicycle – I ventured forth. … Continue reading "Frightening February"