Catching up in more ways than one

A few photos from various places and events recently.

We visited our son and his family in Colorado Springs early December. One afternoon, Jan and I took a hike on a trail next to Mt. Blodgett. We did not make it as far at the peak!

Military vehicles being taken west. I am reminded that freedom is not free.

Here we are at the ol’ Catalpa crossing. This train stopped on the way into town and then started up after a 15-20 minute wait.

Our daughter visited the weekend and brought one of her dogs. Our cat found solace amongst the potato chips.

New growth on the rose bush! I am aware that the pic is out of focus, but the red leaves show up anyway.

Jonquils in February!

Stay happy,

The View North

I rode toward the north side of town yesterday. Traffic was low on the route and the sun was out in force.

After a while I came to a park that has both soccer and baseball fields.

A large section of last year’s cattails. These usually grow in low, wet areas.

Once around this building is 1/2 mile. I guess 200 laps would give me a Century!

The older Downtown Airport on the east side of town. I read an old newspaper article once that related the landing of a B-17 here during World War II. The pilot had come to visit his brother who was a local doctor.

All these trees will soon be replaced by non-expensive housing.

Stay happy,

Wind Going South, Tailwind Home

I remember drafting with other cyclists in the wind out east of town. I was always glad to take my turn at the front.

Heading south [into the wind] toward Sunshine Street. It took me a bit to remember where I took this picture!

Now on the opposite side of Sunshine looking back north. Traffic, always.

Looking mostly east. Heading to pass under one of our six-lane highways. More traffic.

A view to the south. I started heading north and home after this.

Down this road is the BNSF siding that was put in a few years back. I will take you down there on a future ride.

I found this Elevation Benchmark [#409] close to the road in the above picture. Elevation is 1262.79 feet [384.899 m].

Almost two miles to home. Soon the leaves will be budding.

Stay happy,

Friends + Another Train

Another spin through the east side of town.

Snow and ice almost all gone.

The road heading out east of town.

Turkey vultures

Turkeys

Another train! A manifest coming in from Memphis.

Vehicle transport cars.

I happened to see my two friends, E. and M.!! They were heading out with their parents for the skating rink. Such fun!

Stay happy,

Clear streets – Blue skies

Streets melted off for the most part yesterday. Public schools were back in session after four Snow Days.

Jan and I had walked along this way a few days ago and slipped on the ice, but did not fall.

These pretty flags, all in a row, indicate days of digging and piles of mud. Future reports coming.

Some parking lots had been cleared. The snow may last until Easter.

The nearby parking lot of the Catholic Church all clear now.

I made it in time to the Catalpa crossing to see this V train coming in on the Thayer Sub from Memphis.

Just about all my rides are in town these days. I have made three or four new friends just by riding by their homes day after day.

Stay happy,

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No riding these days

Just some pictures of scenes from the Ozarks.

The robins have shown up in numbers.

Our home street is covered in snow/sleet. No freezing rain, thank God.

Melting of the streets will start tomorrow and then maybe a few miles on the cycle will result.

Stay happy,

Trains and curb swag

I rode a bit this afternoon. At the Catalpa crossing I arrived in time to get two pics of manifest train heading out toward Memphis on the Thayer Sub.

Some of the cars were gondolas with scrap metal. That would be a dangerous ride.

On the way home, Jan tracked me down in the truck as she had seen a small shelf that someone had placed in front of their home. It was free for anyone to take.

We took it and I repainted it once I got it into the garage.

Stay happy

Fail

Stay Happy

Tracy Wilkins Rest In Peace

Photo taken December 22, 2012.

Stay happy.

Morning ride

I got out this morning and decided to replicate a ride I did a little over seven years ago.  I got on the Steed and headed south and east out to Temple Israel.

The Temple has some fine raised beds where they are growing onions.

On the way out I went through Millwood, a golfing community.  On the way back I tackled FR 186 and its infamous valley.

I barely made half the speed limit going downhill!

Coming back into town I went by the community garden that was built by Schweitzer Methodist Church.

Arrived home with 20+ miles, and that not on the road bike!

Finally, I put up a new clothes line for us to use this summer.  Already, my goal is to not drop a second [!] clothes pin.  The past has come to haunt me!

Stay happy,

 

Here and there, this and that

Just a few photos of recent events.

In my last post I mentioned I had one more bike lock/cable to get open.  I found the one pictured below on the streets of Springfield, locked.  It is reprogrammable with any one of 10,000 possible combinations.  So I set to work trying to open it by starting with the first possible combination of 0-0-0-0 and going to 9-9-9-9.  No luck.  So I tried it again.  The same failure.  I went online and watched videos about how to lock pick.  I didn’t have the right tools….  I put it out in the garage and told Jan I would cut the lock off some day and at least get a good cable out of the deal.

A couple of weeks later I was working on the Christmas Luminaries that we put out Christmas Eve.  I took a glance at the lock and it was as you see below.  Open.  I thought for a second, “Did I get that open and not remember?”  No.  I failed.  Twice.  But there it was.  I removed the open lock from the cable.  I now had a usable cable!  The lock combination was at 0-0-0-0.  I said, “Hoover, you have nothing to loose” and locked it.  I pulled on it and it opened up!  I have no explanation.  Weeks before I had twice tried that combination to no avail.  Now, just hanging in the garage, set to 0-0-0-0, it fell open.  If the combination had been different, it would still be locked.  I reprogrammed it and it is now usable once more.

Please don’t ask as I have no idea what to say.

I mentioned the luminaries.  This is a project I look forward to each year.  I remelt wax and cast new votive candles.

Pieces of wax and melting pot on the left. Candle forms on the right

Jan and whoever of the family is present helps me set them out after sundown.  This year we were on our own.  Sarah and her boyfriend were in Ecuador for a few months.  Sam and Family stayed in Colorado Springs.  In fact, we left to visit them the morning of 26 December.

Representative of the Star of Bethlehem that gave guidance to the three wise men.

We arrived in the Springs the evening of the 26th.  Cora’s second birthday was the next day!  They now live in a house and I do not miss the 39 steps up [and down] to their old third floor condo anymore!!!

Jan with Cora, Max, and Evie.

Sam and Katie got a cat for the family while we were there.  I noticed this cat food while we were out getting supplies.

Feed your cat’s soul?? Really now, people! What happened to plain common sense? Really!

Stay happy,

Road Swag

Major success

This was the third bikelock/cable combination I have found this year.  Two of them have been solved.  One more to go.

Stay Happy,

Columbia Trails

Our daughter has moved to Columbia, Mo., and we went there last weekend to visit her and her man, Patrick, who owns Renew Missouri.  This company advocates for more clean energy in our state.

Saturday afternoon Jan attended a yoga workshop put on by Sarah while Patrick and I headed out to do some of Columbia’s famous trails.  I had brought the Steed along for this very purpose.

We got on the MKT Fitness Trail from a center city trailhead. This trail connects Columbia with the Missouri State Park KATY Trail.

This Fitness Trail is a rails to trails project.  I fell in love with it.  I don’t want to gush too much, but I applaud Columbia and their Parks Department for the work put into the trail system in the city.  It reminded me of Colorado Springs.

I guess one can find these all over.

We turned off a few times to explore a secondary spur, trail head, or city park.  One spur had a 100 foot climb that included a switchback.  I thought of Gerry!

Once outside the urban center of Columbia, the trail turns to packed limestone. We saw no evidence of rain washed damage, but then it has not rained here for quite a while.

Twin Lakes Recreation Area was our farthest point west.  It has a fenced in dog park that we walked through.  Before going in I asked Patrick if it was wise for cyclists to go through this area!  We thought about it and elected to walk.  No incident.

On the way back in we stopped at the Martin Luther King Memorial Garden. The granite pillars are inscribed with various quotes from the Reverend.

We stopped at the yoga studio and brought chocolate covered strawberries for everyone at the workshop.  They were happy.

Following that we went north to Patrick’s parent’s farm where we stayed for the night. They live about thirty minutes north of Columbia and west of Clark before one gets to Moberly.

Sunday morning breakfast included a quail egg omelet and homemade banana bread.

The neighbors across the road raise quail and supply Patrick’s parents with eggs. Tasted like regular chicken eggs.

On the return trip to Columbia that afternoon we stopped to enjoy Pinnacle Camp.  My phone camera would not cooperate so you will have to just trust me on this one.  The trees with their fall leaves were a beauty.

Possibly on our next visit Jan can bring her bike also and the four of us can do the trails.  I certainly plan to.

Stay happy,

Later

Moved into a new home.  That is what we found [and expected] when we visited Sam and Fam in Colorado Springs a while back.

It was interesting for me to note that the 6500′ elevation line went right through their back yard.

Perfect weather

We spent a day up at Rampart Reservoir

That was summer.  Now it is October.

Yes, you know what this is.

The last

Stay happy,

A few things

I know a lot of us have had nails or some type of spike through our tires.  I even save mine as some sort of trophy, “Look at what I survived!”  But this last week I had a close call and was not aware of it until one of the fellows I work with called it to my attention.

A nail through the inside edge of my right walking shoe.

As I said, I did not know it had happened.  The culprit now shares space with my other close calls.

This morning, Jan and I rode the Frisco Highline Trail, a well known rails to trails path in our neck of the woods.  We shared the path of other cyclists who participated in the Iron Horse Gravel Grinder.  Riding on gravel seems to have taken hold of a good size portion of the cycling population, but it will not get hold of me.

The section between Springfield and Willard is paved.

We found a few mulberry trees with ripening fruit, also too much poison ivy.

With a tip ‘o the chapeau to TP, this was the best photo I could get of a scissor-tailed flycatcher.

The state bird of Oklahoma.

We rode a bit over 25 kilometers and know that we have to improve as the year goes on.

Stay happy,