Tracing the Little Blue; Tour de Lakes...

Been a good weekend on the bike. I can't recall the last time I put in +100mi in a weekend even though it used to come natural. 70 on the road Saturday finished with legs still snappy. "Recovery" 36 miler Sunday with a nice smooth cool roll up the Little Blue Trace and back. Good gravel. Temps like late April. Ride yer bikes!

Days are getting shorter, I can feel it.

New Bike Day!

Ride yer bike (with the ones you love)!!! (old bike):

Pleasant Hills

Shoulda went back out for some rare dry dirt again with the rains coming, but decided to roll straight from the house and get some gravel in. Need these long days before I head to Colorado. No turtles.

Super Moon Madness

About to leave the house for Hannah's recital this afternoon, and the neighbor boy comes running over from his yard goin' on about a huge turtle in their backyard. Seems gravity has strange effects on the critters and this guy was headed for a good patio bbq. Nearest pond was 1/2mi and he was headed away from that.

Year of the Turtle

Haven't seen this many of these fellers since my days down at H Roe Bartle Scout camp.

Sight... sore eyes... etc...

Seeing this old guy out on the road this morning gave me pause again. He was in the road on our loop out toward lake Lotawana, and I didn't feel like fumbling for the phone (regular camera was dead and I can't take flyin 1-handers with these stinkin smart phones), so we finished the loop and topped the hill 5 miles later there he still was. I pulled around to get my requisite turtle pic this time, but noticed he didn't even see me when I got in front of him - kept trucking right at me parallel to the road instead of across. Closer look, he appeared to have ranavirus or perhaps a battle scar from a fox/coyote/bird of prey... I always think if I lost a limb I could still find a prosthetic to allow me to continue to ride. Sight however, not so much. At least on your own. Seeing the beauty of the landscape (even in KC), the cloud formations, the ever changing lighting, the turtles — they all keep my eyebelly full. I thought about helping him across the road or even popping him in my jersey pocket to take to the nature reserve, but I'm glad I didn't intervene. He still had his freedom, though others might only see his burden. He didn't appear to be feeling sorry for himself - just chugging along toward the sunrise probably because it felt good. Here's to you, turtle, may you dodge many many tires and keep on keepin' on toward what you're looking for. Don't need eyes to see. Ride yer bike!

Joon

Been some beautiful mornings this month. The wind may be our mountain to climb around here, but great cloud formations will always be my anywhere mountains to gaze upon.

cleanout

Flipside rides

I rarely ride on the flipside of noon, but last night's spin was nice. Again, it's like riding a favorite singletrack loop backwards - same scenery but everything looks a little different. High pressure systems ROCK. When life's winds give you pause, it's time for good reflection.

SSDD

No turtles.

First ride in a while that I didn't see a turlte. But there was this.

Smoke on the water and fire in the sky

Two at a time

Once upon a time, For the Lord the skies they parted; So a few must die To bring us back to where we started.

So, when the great floods came and there was no request for fish on the ark, perhaps the sinner fish were punished when the water receded.