Sunflowers: 2009

This year's crop of sunflowers were vibrant and colorful as ever. Once again the sunflower field was near the intersection of Hwy K and Hwy A, about 4 miles north of Bristol WI. This area is perfect for bicycle riding. The absence of traffic is amazing. Its as if you are pedaling on highway width bicycle trails. If you ever want to try this area out...contact me as my arm never has to be twisted to go for a bike ride.

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NORTHERN PIKES

My good friend Todd and His son traveled North to Canada this past summer and caught these impressive northern pikes.

Evening Ride

Mid to late summer is a great time of year to get a bike ride in. Typically, the evenings are very calm and if you hold-out long enough you are able to get a glimpse of some beautiful sunsets.

Photo taken last night, north of Sun Prairie WI, just east of Hwy N on Vinburn Rd.

Picture-less Bicycle Ride

The first Training Wheels Not Included Bike Ride was a success this past Saturday. Although the wind played havoc with the participants all finished the route with smiles and happy spirits.

The route was just shy of 26 miles. We had 10 bicyclists and 9 bicycles cruising the back roads of Dane and Columbia counties. It was nice to see a group of people who don't normally pedal long distances challenge themselves with this ride. Most of the participants said it was the longest distance they've ever pedaled in one day! Great Job!

Congratulations to Amanda, Brock, Deb, Jamie, Lee, Nicholas, Randy, Ryan, Sy, and Todd for taking off the training wheels and going for a long bicycle ride!

Unfortunately...no one took pictures of the ride! Very bad planning on the part of the head organizer :-(

BIG RED vs. John Deere

Although the opinion that this new John Deere tractor is more powerful than BIG RED is debatable...one thing is certain...BIG RED gets more miles per gallon.

Bicycles On Lock-Down

Hmmm...Seems like over-kill.

I've pedaled my bicycle thousands of miles and I've never used a lock of any kind. Maybe I'm too trusting?

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BIG RED

Earlier this Spring I purchased a new bicycle. After months of research and loss of sleep I decided on a Co-Motion Americano. I wanted to get a few miles under my belt before posting a blog entry regarding my new ride.

After nearly 2000 miles pedaled...it is safe to say that I love my new co-motion. The bike rides smooth and is very solid over rough roads and crushed lime-stone. My co-motion begs to be pedaled up hills. The crank is very strong and the gearing is very exact. Last Friday I completed my first century ride of the year. My route was northbound and I fought a strong head-wind coming out of the northwest. With the drop handlebars, an aspect that is new to me, I was able to cut through the wind somewhat easily. I look forward to experiencing many adventures with my Americano.

I've named the bike...BIG RED. The bicycle rides "big" and is dark red...Not to mention, I've always had a soft spot for red heads...BIG RED.

Co-Motion Bicycles are made in Eugene, OR.

THE MULE is officially retired. I estimate the THE MULE has between 45000 and 50000 miles on her. She was ridden hard and put away well worked. THE MULE...rest well my friend...rest well.

Ditch Full of Crocus

Each spring on my favorite bicycle route "The Sun Prairie / Columbus Loop", there is a farm that has a ditch full of crocus. It never fails...no matter how cold, no matter how much snow...in mid-March the crocus flourish.

These photos were taken in early April of this year.

Crocus Facts...

• crocus is placed botanically in the iris family.
• there are nearly 80 species of crocus
• predominate colors are lilac, mauve, yellow, and white.
• the name crocus is derived from the Greek "krokos" which means saffron or saffron yellow.

Kokanee

My brother-in-law, Aaron, caught this kokanee last September north of Mackay Idaho on the Big Lost River. The kokanee is the landlocked version of the sockeye salmon that runs in Alaska and in some places in British Columbia.


"Fly tackle has improved considerably since 1676, when Charles Cotton advised to 'fish fine and far off', but no one has ever improved on that statement." ~ John Gierach

Cold Weather Fly Fishing

Some of you may not think this looks fun...Wading in ice-cold water in freezing snowy conditions that could make Santa Claus wish he was back in the balmy confines of the North Pole.

These pictures are from my friend Ken (pictured). He, his father and brother made a trip to Montana early this Spring to try there luck with the local trout population. They had a great time...I'm jealous!

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles ~ Doug Larson

Saguaro Cactus

Saguaro, pronounced "sah-wah-rah", cactus are native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and some parts of Mexico. The Saguaro blossom is the state flower of Arizona. This species of cactus can have a life-span of over 150 years. It takes up to 75 years to grow a side-arm.

These photos were taken earlier this year by my boss.

Bandanna Bicycle

This photo was taken near the Altun Ha Mayan Ruins in Belize.

This single-gear classic is a great example of how one doesn't need much cash to give your ride a customized look. The owner took 4 classic blue bandannas and stretched one over each side of the spokes and then tucked them between the tire and rim. The owner of the bike was at the ruins selling coconuts, some of which can be seen on the left of the photo.

Personally, I found the bike and its owner much more interesting than the ruins.

Colorado~Snowboarding

A co-worker recently took these photos while snowboarding in Colorado....Bright blue sky, white snow...Colorado might be America's most beautiful state.

Mountain Goats

Mountain goats abound the rocky cliffs of Glacier National Park. These were spotted on Hidden Lake Trail which begins at the very top of Going-To-the-Sun-Road.

Pike's Peak State Park...Iowa

Pike's Peak Sate Park is located a few miles south of McGregor, Iowa. The park is ideal for hiking and viewing the mighty Mississippi River.

The park is named after Zebulon Pike. In 1805, just after the Louisiana Purchase, government officials sent Pike to explore the Mississippi Valley in search of suitable sights for military posts. Pike recognized the park as an important strategic sight for such a post. Government officials agreed on the vicinity, but in the end choose flatter land on the other side of the Mississippi River which is now Prairie du Chien. Several years later, Pike was sent westward and named the more famous Pike's Peak in Colorado.

My wife and I camped in the park last Fall. The park has nice camping facilities and has easy access to the many hiking trails. The above photos were taken in late February. While over-looking the river, the sound of breaking ice boomed and echoed across the valley. The racket didn't seem to bother the deer.

College Fjord

A fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.

College Fjord is located in the Northern section of Prince William Sound in Alaska. The fjord contains 5 glaciers that end in water. These glaciers are known as tidewater glaciers. Dozens of smaller glaciers are in the fjord, but do not end in water. College Fjord was in discovered in 1899 by the Harriman Expedition. The expedition named the glaciers after renowned East Coast colleges, hence the name College Fjord. Some of the named glaciers include Amherst, Harvard, Smith, Wellesley, and Yale.

College Fjord is one of the most impressive sights I've seen in my life. These photos were taken on an Alaskan cruise my wife and i took a few years back. The weather was sunny, the air was crisp, and the views were breath-taking.

Cozumel

Cozumel is a mecca for tourists seeking sun, watered down drinks, and cheap trinkets. The west side of the island is crowded with bars, hotels, and t-shirt shops. The east side of the island however is surprisingly beautiful. The beach has soft white sand and the huge volcanic rock deposits make the area very unique. This portion of the island has very few people and is densely populated with vegetation.

Cozumel facts:

• Cozumel is Mayan for "Island of the Swallows"
• The third largest island in Mexico
• Cozumel relies solely on tourism for income
• The highest natural point on the island is less than 15 meters above sea-level

These photos were taken earlier this year.

Daytona Beach

To be honest...I'm not a beach person. However, on days like today when there is an all day winter snow warning and my drive-way is waiting for me to clear it of the almost 6 inches of snow...Not to mention the knee high drifts that need attention...It's easy to let one's mind wonder to warmer days past and future.

These photos were taken a few years ago on Daytona Beach. The boardwalk shown has a great seafood diner. It's simple fish sandwich and fries is comfort food at its best and unhealthiest. Daytona isn't nearly my favorite place to visit, but when I do, the diner provides one of the tourist town's highlights.

Tarantula

Tarantula are a group of hairy and often very large spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified.

The tarantula pictured above scared the heck out of my Aunt Jean, my wife, and myself while walking down a dirt path while in Belize last month. My Aunt saw it first and then screamed. My wife and I were not far behind.

Later, after retelling our near death experience to a local tour guide. He assured us that very few people die from tarantula bites. He explained the best thing to do after getting bit is to calm down and take a nap. I don't know about you, but I would find it very difficult not to over react after getting bit by a monster of a spider.

"Motor"-bike

Near the end of last summer I was in Kenosha WI for work. While driving around with a co-worker I saw a bicyclist weaving in and out of traffic. Two things struck me. The first being the bicyclist was an older gentleman. The second was that this older gentleman may be the fastest bicyclist I've ever seen. In and out of traffic he went passing cars with ease.

Later in the day when my co-worker and I came back to the hotel I was staying I noticed a bicycle chained to the front porch of the inn. I noticed the bike immediately as the bicycle I witnessed breaking speed records in downtown Kenosha earlier in the afternoon.

As I approached the bicycle to check it out I immediately noticed its secret...it was a "motor"-bike...Literally, a motor-bike. As I was admiring the sweet machine the owner of the bicycle came out of the hotel. He said he built the motor-bike himself. He explained that old age had not been kind to his knees and he couldn't stand not riding his bicycle. Although he doesn't peddle as much as he once did...He still is able to spend lots of time as his bicycle. Very cool.

Mount Rushmore

Over the past decade Mount Rushmore has made several "Top 10 Most Over-Rated Tourist Attractions of America" lists. I first visited this national monument as a small child. At that time I thought it was pretty cool.

On a recent trip out west I decided to take a side trip to see the carved mountain side as an adult. I literally spent an entire 10 minutes looking at the monument and visiting the gift shop....and I took this picture. Mount Rushmore deserves to be considered as one of the 10 most over-rated tourist attractions in the United States.

Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs is located 50 miles south of Tampa, FL. The small Greek village is known for harvesting natural sponges from the ocean, Greek restaurants, and suburb bakeries.

The town is very nice. One can easily spend a day walking through the city. Note the top picture, a salty old sailor is washing newly harvested sponges.

Is there a better way to go?

I can hope this is the way I leave this Earth...several years from now.

Photo taken in a trinket shop, Bourbon St, New Orleans.

Effigy Mounds

Effigy Mounds National Monument is located near Harper's Ferry IA. The park is located on the Mississippi River. Views of the great river and its valley are abundant. The trails are well marked and gives its trekkers a good workout while winding them up and down the bluffs of the mighty Mississippi.