We are almost a week into the month and I haven’t posted a single ride yet. But I have been on the usual short rides, weather permitting, and if it’s just long enough to stretch my legs and breathe some fresh air – and freeze the tip of my fingers and toes. As for the … Continue reading "March I’d-Rides"

Couldn’t find any B’s or R’s for the featured image, but I liked the mossy logs a lot. Well maybe Brown, Branches and Bark. I’m getting kind of repetitive, though. Up until today we had been having some really nice weather. In spite of which I haven’t been taking a lot of pictures for the … Continue reading "Sometimes Brrr but not always"

I’ll start with the Branches on the old weeping Beech tree in the featured image. I pass it fairly often and recently I thought that some of the large branches were broken and lying on the ground. Today I took a closer look and saw that the branches, although resting on the ground, were healthy … Continue reading "Some B’s and R’s and many Branches"

Beautiful blue sky today, almost made me forget to dress warmly enough. It wasn’t all that warm, just relatively warm. The days are longer, though. I got home at 5:15 and it was still light!

The weather has been more favorable the past days, at last. Today it was 8C/46F and sunny with just a bit of wind. Here are some of my B’s from yesterday and today.

Tuesday February 7 A very encouraging sign are the Blooming snow drops and hellabores in the neighbor’s garden! The Blue sky was also a beautiful sight to see! I chose to ride my little loop through the forest as it was again around 3C/37F and the trails were clear – I thought. I had cycled … Continue reading "B is for Blooming"

That’s not a typo, I meant D. I was looking for words with D for another challenge and I guess I’m not good at multi-tasking because I completely forgot about poor B. That other challenge, by the way, is a photo challenge on Flickr. The group is called February Alphabet Fun and you do a … Continue reading "Putting the D in Feb uary"

I didn’t realize it until now, but I have recorded my days on my bike with photos five years consecutively. Here’s to another five. I say that a bit with tongue in cheek. I don’t expect to be as active at the age of 87 going on 88 as I am now. It’s a knock … Continue reading "Cycle Days Challenge: January 2023"

It wasn’t all that cold so I decided a short ride was in order. Well, it’s B for Brevity. I rode to the post office and the wind was so strong that I decided to go right back home. Don’t want any Broken Bones. On my way I spotted some Blooming Branches of witch hazel, … Continue reading "Putting the B in Feb uary"

I was already resigned to no more rides this month, I even finished my website monthly ride page and published it two days ahead of time. Today I revised it. The sky brightened and when the temperature went up to +3C/37F, I grabbed my camera and went for a last ride in January. My camera … Continue reading "January Challenge Day 18"

Another cold ride We have had snow and wind and ice and I hadn’t ridden my bike in nine days. However, I think it was mostly the dreary grey sky that kept me off my bike, not all days saw snow and ice on the roads. Today the sky was dreary grey, too, but there … Continue reading "January Challenge Day 17"

Lots and lots of snow today and it’s still going strong. So I guess yesterday was really the last day on my bike for a while. It was kind of a borderline day. The roads and paths were clear, at least the ones I chose, and it was around 2C/28F. With some snow from above … Continue reading "January Challenge Day 16"

When I looked at the weather forecast yesterday, I said to myself, well no riding my bike for the next ten days. The temperature wasn’t expected to rise above freezing and snow was predicted. So the snow and -6C/21F this morning didn’t surprise me. But it didn’t feel that bad when I was out on … Continue reading "January Challenge Day 15"

Two days of 2C/36F. Monday we had a touch of sun and with all my warming winter things on it felt okay. Today at 9:00 it was still below freezing and I again couldn’t face getting on my bike for the ride to tai chi. In the afternoon I made up for it and took … Continue reading "January Challenge Days 13, 14"

Just another loop for ride 10, and again mild weather. The woods are looking so drab these days. The paved path through the forest in the featured picture is what we call the autobahn. It’s a popular route leading out of Munich to the south and is teeming with cyclists in good weather. Ride 11 … Continue reading "January Challenge Days 10, 11, 12"

In my previous post I also wrote Day 9, but I was getting ahead of myself, in other words confused. Anyway, today’s ride was Day 9 for sure. Kind of grey, but on and off we had some pale sun, so it wasn’t a bleak grey, and it was warm enough that I didn’t need … Continue reading "January Challenge Day 9"

It hasn’t been sunny every day, but we have had a couple of very bright days. If January would just continue in this vein. January 6 is Three Kings Day. I have no pictures of the three kings making their rounds, but there were a lot of cyclists out in the mild weather. Janos’s bike … Continue reading "January Challenge Days 6, 7, 8"

No waterfalls yet, but we didn’t get rained on either. And if you don’t know what to take a picture of, a selfie is always good in a pinch. Again I didn’t need my heated gloves. Today we had 9C/48F which didn’t feel that warm with the cold wind blowing. I was glad to get … Continue reading "January Challenge day 4"

Well, as you can see, it was a rainy day. I wasn’t willing to face a ride to tai chi at 8 a.m. Janos drove me. I’m getting soft, or softer. But in my defense, I did get on my bike for an afternoon ride, 6C/44C, and threatening rain. Janos declined the invitation to join … Continue reading "January Challenge day 3"

We are still having exceptionally warm weather, around 16C/60F, and although I have removed a couple of layers from my cycling outfit I am still over dressed because I never quite believe it could be that warm. But I would rather be too warm than too cold any day. I was expecting the forest paths … Continue reading "January Challenge 1 and 2"

May 2023 bring many happy biking days, smiles and blue skies! My recap for December is HERE.

Wishing you all, dear Friends, a jolly and festive Christmas, and for the New Year everything that a cyclist loves, above all time, health and good weather for many miles on the bicycle.

To start the new season we had 8C/46F, a warm föhn wind was blowing and there were just a few patches of snow here and there in the fields. When we have föhn, the Alps are very clear on the horizon, but too far away for a decent picture. In the picture on top they … Continue reading "Warm Winter Weather"

After two weeks of sub-freezing temperatures and lots of snow, we had 4C today and the roads looked safe enough for me to get back on my bicycle. In the morning I wasn’t sure that all the paths on my way to tai chi would be cleared, so I didn’t ride there, but in the … Continue reading "Snow free"

It’s been snowing on and off for two days, but I wasn’t planning to ride my bike anyway. It’s probably a good thing that I am being forced to walk for a change. I got some pictures for Christmas, too.

HERE is my choice of pictures for the month. I’ll do anything to avoid cars in my photos so one got a major transformation in Photoshop. Guess which one.

First of all I want to thank everyone for the interest and positive reaction to my post about the heated gloves. I was thinking this was perhaps just another “wimpy Suzanne has just bought another gadget” thing. But I’m glad I overcame my self-doubts and took a constructive approach. There were some questions that I’ll … Continue reading "The gloves, the hands and the wrist"

I bought heated gloves! They have little wires (I think that’s how it works) that go to the fingertips and tip of the thumb, too, and they are powered by a rechargeable battery that is in a zip pocket in the cuff. They are quite thick, perhaps a problem when working my camera with them … Continue reading "Warm hands – kinda"

Santa Claus is coming to town … I got an ear worm after taking that picture. It was pretty cold for my standards, around freezing. Still have to find a better solution for my hands. Nevertheless, I did a little asphalt loop, no muddy paths in the forest these days, and got two pictures. Wasn’t … Continue reading "Santa is coming"

Just saying hello. No Thanksgiving decorations here since it’s not a holiday. But since I have lived in Germany (I came in 1962) I have kept the tradition alive. We are celebrating a big family Thanksgiving on Sunday. Turkey with all the trimmings for 15 people. Yikes, I hope the preparations don’t keep me off … Continue reading "Happy Thanksgiving!"

That’s a half a year! I have been remiss. I was still collecting the pictures and putting them on my website, sort of, but I never got around to posting the link to the months here on Cycle365. I guess I am getting lazy, or else have better things to do. Anyway, the last two … Continue reading "Cycle Days Challenge: May, June, July, August, September, October 2022"

Two days ago we got back from our little four-day bike trip in the border land of Germany and Czechia (and I still haven’t gotten past day one in my journal on CycleBlaze). Here are some pictures that I took for our challenge. I discovered that the Google Translator app will translate text that you … Continue reading "Achtung! Pozor! Danger!"

Not to be outdone by Rich, Greg and Old Grumbleface, I got a picture of Nancy and Suzanne out for a little pre-Halloween ride. They aren’t racing though, just having a nice chat at they pedal along. p.s. Picture found on the web

Halloween isn’t a big thing here. I thought I’d be lucky if I found a few Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins yes, but not carved ones. Lo and behold on my way to Munich on a road that I seldom ride, I came across a house with Halloween decorations out front. To make up for the lack of … Continue reading "Ghosts and Toadstools"

I guess art is per se handmade – but not all handmade things are art. I leave it up to you to say whether these paintings are art. They are hand made, anyway.

I found some objects in the forest that I thought would qualify nicely for our new challenge – but then I wasn’t so sure. I found these two definitions of handmade: 1. crafted by hand rather than by machine; 2. made by hand or by a hand process The first definition would disqualify them, but … Continue reading "Handmade?"

I have been walking again which is good for seeing little things like fasteners. Here is my collection from yesterday’s walk. I was back on my bike today but didn’t get any fastener photos. I guess I was too fast.

I’m surprised no one beat me to it with these puns! I nailed it! No wait, nails don’t count as fasteners, screws do. Screwed it. I was on my bike today for the first time since my operation. I took it easy, rode slow and avoided any climbs on this little ten kilometer trial run. … Continue reading "Fasten-ating and Rivet-ing"

It’s not October yet, two days to go, so here is a quick post to acknowledge our September challenges. The train obviously rolls. But then I got to thinking about it and wondered how come the train doesn’t just glide on the smooth tracks. Checked with Google and the friction created by the weight of … Continue reading "Almost rolled past"

I guess this is the first month that I have not made a single contribution to the Challenges. I was on tour and as many of you know, and I thank you for your kind wishes, I was in the hospital. I can only can say, my BIGGEST PEEVE is that I have been in … Continue reading "Rolling with the flow"

Just a few miscellaneous shots for the challenge. We have been having great weather, even the rainy days are only half rainy and I can get out for a whiff of fresh air in the morning or afternoon.

In the picture above I kind of liked the patterns the shadows made, then remembered the challenge is patterns made with stone. I have some of those, too.

We are on another trip, two weeks in France’s Alsace region. I’ve started my journal, can’t promise fast progress on it, though. I sort of peter out in the evening and don’t get much writing done. I do have a picture or two or three for the July challenge.

This is my collection from the last three days. I found some dents right here at home in our driveway. Our house has two driveways, one to the garages in front and the other to the garages behind the house. Ours is behind the house and I was always glad. Herr Schilling’s garage was on … Continue reading "Mostly bends and a few dents"

We rode to Lake Starnberg this morning before the temperature rose and I had my eyes open for all things wrinkled, crinkled, folded, creased, dented or bent. Finally I am getting around to our new challenge. I have been so very busy! Last week-end I had a tai chi workshop learning the sword form which … Continue reading "Looking for Wrinkles and Crinkles"

A few lamps from the past days of sun, sun and more sun. And now for the unusual animals

I have had a couple of busy days and just short rides, although the weather has been fine. Hate to miss out on a summer day, but sometimes priorities clash.

Here you have my brilliant, enlightened and illuminated post from a dedicated lamp-and-reflector ride. I didn’t do many kilometers but I sure came home with a lot of pictures. These are my highlights. The first group of photos is a sampling of street lamps. Just when I was thinking that most lamps on buildings are … Continue reading "Let there be light"

In the header are lamps on the bridge over the Regen to Cham that I inadvertently captured. I guess I’m not much of a multi-tasker. While we were on our little four-day tour in the Bavarian Forest, I didn’t manage to look for a single reflecting surface, and if I had some lamps in my … Continue reading "Catching Up"

Thank you for a year of inspiring, motivating and fun challenges! Of course, you will still be around and posting. You have also found us a worthy successor, so no need to shed tears. This will probably be my final entry under your reign. Not too original, I am again resorting to celebrating the Great … Continue reading "Farewell, dear Czar"

What a good month. You can’t really get enough of the Great Out Doors so I’ll honor the G.O.D. with another post. I have been distracted from the cycle.365 challenge by other things, a health challenge. After days of heart palpitations (atrial flutter), I got an appointment for an electrocardioversion on Friday. It was just … Continue reading "More Great Outdoors"

Yesterday was a legal holiday in the parts of Germany where the population is predominantly Catholic. Thus yesterday in Bavaria Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) was celebrated. I remembered from previous years that traditionally mass is read outdoors and there are processions. Sure to stumble on some such activities, I got on my bike and rode to … Continue reading "What’s to Celebrate?"

Today was the first chance I had to ride my bicycle this month! When we got home from our tour in France, I brought my bike to have some minor repairs done while I was away for my tai chi seminar and got my bike back yesterday evening. Haven’t been off my bike so many … Continue reading "National Making Life Beautiful Day"

I chose the easy one – Great Outdoors. And I am back. I never found time while we were touring in France to keep up here, not even to keep up on MY JOURNAL over at CycleBlaze. Which is now finally finished. Good thing because tomorrow I am again off, this time without my bike, … Continue reading "Great Outdoors Month"

First, a big thanks to Scott and Rachael for getting Cycle365 to work again, although they had more attractive things on their agenda, like cycling beautiful paths in sunny France. Now to catch up for the days that we couldn’t post anything here. On the first post-operative day at the hospital (April 28) I was … Continue reading "Transition: Graffiti to Bird"

Today I got an early start for my ride to tai chi class so I would have time to stop for some pictures. Rain was predicted for later on. Cool and cloudy, it was fine for a few snaps, and on the way home it poured. Good planning. This will also be my last post … Continue reading "Graffiti finale"

I had never payed much attention to the graffiti around here. But thanks to the challenge I now look forward to each underpass to see what kind of art it might have in store. Both yesterday and today I set out with no intention of looking for pictures for the challenge, I would just take … Continue reading "Morality and more"

My ride to Starnberg to visit my son and his family follows the train line for the most part, and where there are train tracks, there are underpasses – breeding places for graffiti.

Gauting doesn’t abound in graffiti although there is some, usually not very artistic, or perhaps not at all artistic. Our ride today was in the country and I didn’t really expect to find anything for the challenge, but even miles from nowhere, tunnels seem to attract sprayers. On our way home, I also spotted some … Continue reading "Graffiti"

And an airplane is in the air, too. Technically, I am not showing pictures of air, just illustrating the title of this post. It is finally feeling like spring. No snow here. Yesterday I was on my bike for the first time this month! Way too long. Some medical issues (breast biopsy, but everything is … Continue reading "Spring is in the Air"

Today I am featuring just one elemet – water. I just read that 70% of the earth’s surface is water and that our bodies also happen to consist of 70% water. No water, no life. But this isn’t an essay on the importance of water. However, one aspect of water became obvious yesterday as we … Continue reading "Water is life"

Today I have pictures from our hike in the Parco della Rocca e del Sasso, a piece of land jutting out into Lake Garda, with ancient olive tree groves in the valley and a stoney trail to the cliffs overlooking the lake. At home I walk very reluctantly, maybe because the same paths are boring. … Continue reading "Lots of air, water and earth, a little bit of fire"

The street art above is from a walk in Moniga on Lake Garda, Italy, where we are visiting for a week. I see the elements water (in the gutter) and earth (the stones and under ground) here. I decided to look into Greg’s suggestion that we could also use the properties of the four elements … Continue reading "Fire – Earth – Air – Water"

Snow on the roof, snow under the hoof

Last but not least – Janos’s videos from our two days on the road While we are riding, Janos is busy making videos. Back home, he starts editing his material and adds background music. Some of the commentary is live, some dubbed in later – unfortunately for the English speaking community in German. A new … Continue reading "Post Script"

Another gorgeous day to be in the saddle. We left before lunch for a ride to Schloss Seefeld where we could sit outdoors for a noon day meal. It was so good to be warmed by the sunshine and enjoy a longer ride on roads that we hadn’t been on for a while. Our destination … Continue reading "Fences and Gates"

No longer in quarantine and still coughing, but otherwise feeling fine and ready to get on my bike. We are having amazing weather – sun, no wind and temps in the 60’s. That meant no long johns, no winter gloves, fewer layers – it felt absolutely liberating and energizing. We went for a short ride … Continue reading "Riding Again"

Today I tested negative – yippee! I expected I’d hop on my bike for a nice ride in the sunshine as soon as I was out of quarantine. But when I went out for a short walk to the mail box this morning, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was so dizzy that … Continue reading "A Slow Walk"

About four years ago I endeavored to photograph Munich’s hochbunkers, above-ground bunkers, remaining from WW2. Our Outbuildings Challenge reminded me of the project, although I’m not sure I could call these sturdy structures outbuildings. Since Greg showed interest in these vestiges from the war, I returned to the unfinished project to see what I could … Continue reading "Inspired by a challenge"

Well, I didn’t ride my bike to Starnberger See for coffee and piece of pie in the sun. I have Covid and am not going anywhere for a while. It feels like the flu with fever. I’m not seriously ill and I am hoping the symptoms will be gone soon. So not to worry. But … Continue reading "Happy Pi Day!"

Technically these are not all outbuildings, but not main buildings either, and as I recall Greg gave us quite a bit of leeway on what qualifies. So here’s my catch from the past couple of days. On Wednesday I pedaled to Munich for a birthday celebration in the apartment where we used to live. I … Continue reading "Other Outbuildings"

February has come to a close, the last winter month, at least according to the meteorological calendar. The calendrical beginning of spring is March 21 this year. Let’s hope it feels like spring by then. However, this hasn’t been a cold winter compared to other years. I learned that the GTS reached 200 in north … Continue reading "Cycle Days Challenge: The February 2022 Edition"

The picture below is in honor of our Czar. Remember the story about the three little pigs and the big bad wolf? Is it a box car? While riding through the Mühlthal I spied this interesting structure – a recycled submarine? Time for another picture of the chapel in the woods that I have photographed … Continue reading "Sheds, Shacks etc."

As they say, the way is the goal. Likewise, the challenge is the challenge. Yes, I believe it isn’t easy to think up new challenges for our entertainment every month. Here I would like to I offer my humble thoughts on the subject to our ever inspired, inspiring and untiring Czar Gregory. Encouraged by the … Continue reading "Have a Heart for Garceau"

An auspicious date is coming up, whether you write it 2.22.22 or 22.2.22. Perhaps in honor of this day, we could all post some pictures illustrating the number two in some way. That is if the Czar agrees to this proposal. Went for a little ride today. It’s been very windy here the past days, … Continue reading "22222"

And just one picture for the elemenopedia, a Pile of Logs. This is so easy, there are piles of logs everywhere. But I stopped for these for my bicycle picture of the day. It seems the market for lumber is very good now and many more trees are being felled than usual.

Brace yourselves for a Picture Overload. I didn’t just get N’s and O’s, but other letters as well, but my focus was on getting those letters that had been eluding me so far. There was kind of an inflation of P’s, I found them most easily. The pictures are from two different days, pretty sun … Continue reading "Getting My N’s and O’s"