Borders views

Heading uphill towards the top of Trahenna Law near Broughton in the Borders - the region along the border with England. The heather has now turned brown, and the bracken is also turning.

The view south from Trahenna Law.

Blast from the Past: It Was Meant to Be

I’ve made considerable headway with the photo scanning project I began in December .  Having started with 1982, I’m already through 1994; 1995 and 1996 are organized and waiting in the wings to be scanned next.  Photos after 2001 are already digital, so there’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

Looking through the photos we took on a 1995 trip to Turkey, I came across one that just begged to be posted here.  It was taken in May of that year when we visited Bursa, where the Ottoman Empire was founded back in the 1300s.  Today, the city that the Ottomans referred to as Hüdavendigar — God’s Gift — is a bustling metropolis best known for Uludağ (Great Mountain), a popular snow skiing destination.

But I digress.  The reason this photo deserves a place in this blog is in the sister-city post we came across by happenstance.  It’s not a great photo, but if you know the name of the maker of our Phaeton, you’ll understand why I just had to post it.

Of course, the Tiffin referred to in the post is the Ohio city by that name; it has nothing to do with our motorhome.  Still, what are the chances that 27 years ago we would be pointed towards Tiffin.  Call it fate; call it “kısmet” — I think it was meant to be that we would someday end up in a Tiffin-made ‘condo on wheels.’

We're in Howliwood!

Whew! We made it - all dressed up for the Oscars and let me tell you - everyone looks so shiny and gorrrrrrrrrrrrgeous!!! We can't hang here on the blog for long, but we wanted to tell you what that crazy thingy was that we showed you a picture of last post!
Remember this picture - below?
Some of you knew exactly what it was! Yup - it's a disc golf "hole!"
This guy's selling the very special discs/frisbees (heheh) they use to tee off, etc. Yeah... they have "driver" frisbees and even "putter" frisbees - isn't that fun? The holes are really far away from each other, so you can get a pawesome run around a frisbee golf course!
Here's a guy "putting" for the hole! We wants to thank everyone who guessed and commented on our hikey! Chester, Wyatt, NanaNor and Zim, over at the Army of Four all knew what that thing was! Zim went on to tell us, incredibly, that the guy who lives across the street from him even has one in his YARD!!! Cool! Well... since that was so fun, here's another picture of something weird! Can you guess what it is? Answers to come soon! Have fun watching the Oscars and be looking for us there!

Copper Fall State Park

Packed up the room yesterday morning. Took my time (still a bit sore). The first stop was Copper Falls State Park.
Spent about 2 hours at the park. Walked/hiked the Doughboys' Nature Trail. The trail makes a 1.7 mile loop in the park. The trail started off easy enough. A little over half way, there's a long stairway down to the river. Over course, on over the river, had to climb back up the stairs. That was the roughest part of the hike.
The scenery was great. Brownstone Falls (today's photo) is actually more impressive that Copper Falls. More photos will be posted on my web site (when I get into updating the site). I think I was at this park many years ago during a family vacation. Just the falls seem to be smaller that I remember (of course, I was much smaller then, too!)
the nature trail brings you to views of Copper Falls, Brownstone Falls, the Cascades, and Devil Gates. Copper Falls in on the main branch of Bad River. Brownstone Falls in on Tyler Forks Branch of the Bar River.
Copper Falls State Park was an effort by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The park is located near the town of Mellen, WI and a 23 mile drive from Ashland.
Today's plans include a ride along the lakefront on the bike path and playing tourist here in Ashland.

Missouri River At Lake Manawa

I have been watching the Missouri River slowly recede back into its banks. Though the flood waters were contained by the levee, this is the second time this year and the third time in the last 3 years the river has flooded.
Of particular interest to me and dirt riders has been the mountain bike trails at Lake Manawa SP.
The trails were rideable except for the ditch at the black pipe, when the June floods hit. This year was the highest I have seen since I have been riding there. It the photo above, note the stain on the blue trail marker - that was the high-water mark. In the distance you can see a utility pole across the trail. The flood waters floated the pole from the parking lot to its current location.
Most of the parking lot was under water. Those of you that are familiar with the parking lot - you will notice the utility poles are missing or have moved.

I have not been out on the trails here to check them out. Because of what I had seen, I have been spending time riding paved trails or the Wabash Trace. I expect that West Sidewinder it high and dry. One of these days I will wander out and check them out. As long as if it stays in its banks, eventually we should be able to get back on the trails. For now, just consider the mountain bike trails at Lake Manawa are CLOSED.
The high waters are not just a problem here in Iowa/Nebraska. Word is that the Corps of Engineers will be continuing releasing waste from the reservoirs. The third photo is of the Missouri River at the river board ramps - Lake Manawa SP. The docking is still sitting in the parking lot. As you can see, the river is very high.
It looks like the river will be high for most of the year. And the dirt trails have not been the only trails effected.

I had heard that the Iowa Rivrfront Trails was flooding under the Harrahs parking garage. Last report, the trail is passable with a detour. You just will not be riding right next to the river.
That is not the case for the section of the Iowa Riverfront Trail near the Western Historic Trails Center. There is a low spot in the trail that is still underwater. The final photo in this posting is of that trail. You can see the high-water mark on the pavement. There is a signed detour that takes riders on the gravel levee access road. The detour meets up back after the flooded area. I have not ridden this detour because I have been riding my road bike on the paved trails.
For a comparison - checkout the blog posting from Tuesday, July 6th. The water IS receding - slowly. Since my road bike is in the shops for adjustments, I may have to take the hybrid for a ride to checkout the rest of the Iowa Riverfront Trail.

For those of you interested in my personal riding - yesterday I hit the 700 mile mark for the year - 200 miles on the new road bike. While not good compared with the 1500+ miles last year by this time, I am please, with the weather and what Ihave been though this year.
Keep on Pedaling!

More than I could chew?

Sometimes time constriants prevent me from updating this as quickly as I might. Last Sunday came, and with it two more beautiful rides. The first being an early-morning trek to Austinville -- totally unplanned, but I had a big feed of spaghetti bolognese to burn off from the previous night. It was here that I was able to observe another dying breath from the winter wildflower wonderland that takes place annually in these parts, even if the temperatures could hardly be called winter.



And yet, they can add just that little bit of polish to another landscape.



And then came the evening ride (the day in between had been surprisingly uneventful) -- this one was planned, but it's just that nobody else had spoken to the one doing the planning (see my previous post on this issue below). It all started innocently enough with a twilight cruise down the coast.



Even over the climbs of Bilambil and Hogan's Rainforest (with the glow worms) it all seemed OK. The trouble was I ran out of juice viciously on The Pilgrim's Road in North Tumbulgum. I was even "out of the saddle" on the Urliup climb, which is sacrilege. By this stage, there were a few lightning strikes around, and these provided some inspiration. However, I know I should have packed a muesli bar to chomp on at Urliup in the rainforest.

The ride through the dirt road of Urliup at night is one of the most peaceful things imaginable. The tyres on the gravel and the occasional owl are the only things that can be heard. It's easy to think pleasant thoughts here, and just as well, as it's very easy to keep track of your thoughts here. The Bilambil climb on the return was a flashback to 1997, and the days when I used to really struggle with it, and the last 30km of suburbia just wouldn't pass -- save for the occasional blast of energy that came out of nowhere and would last for about a minute or so.

The arrival home coincided with a moderate case of diahorrea, which, thankfully, went away fairly quickly. I suspect it was just all that water I drank, and not enough solid foods. As I said, I should have brought that muesli bar along.

It was on this morning's commute that I got to renew and old acquaintence, well, we've been renewed a couple of times lately. I think she has a calming influence on me, as I seem to be able to relax when she's there, in a way I can't most of the time, and not worry about my riding speed(her pace is a little slower than mine in that respect). Of course, it might have been different if I'd actually been running late for work, but that just didn't seem to matter this morning.

I still don't think there's anything doing on the romance front there -- I don't think we've even introduced ourselves properly. And I'm not so sure that's what I want at the moment. I value having my weekends to myself right now. However, I know I'll be happy if our paths cross again tomorrow morning.

Riding to the Root: Backpacking without a backpack

When you spend seven years in Boy Scouts like I did, you learn a thing or two about backpacking.
There's the little nuances to it, like air-compressing your gear to maximize space. And there's the major points of it, like packing light, remembering a toothbrush and knowing what you'll need for the trip.
Over the years, I've been on a lot of cool backpacking trips (Grand Canyon, Isle Royale and the Boundary Waters, to name a few), all of which required their own degree of preparation. The preparation stage of backpacking is something I always took a major interest in. I like feeling prepared for all scenarios and I've often compared the process of loading gear into your pack to solving a puzzle: It's not just about having the right piece, but also about knowing where that piece is supposed to fit in the puzzle.
The three-day bike trip to Lanesboro that I'm about to leave for requires a lot of same backpacking principles, only with one key difference: There's no "backpack" involved. I don't know if it's the same for other cyclists, but I try to avoid loading gear on my back for long-distance bike rides. My reasons for this include:

• It eases the strain on your back and shoulders, which are already being used to support your upper body while riding. Ultimately, your gear's weight (and yourself, for that matter) is being carried by the wheels of your bike. It makes no sense for your back to have to carry that weight as well.
• The added items on your back make it more likely that you'll overheat. Wearing a heavy backpack on your back would be like throwing a thick wool blanket over a furnace: Bad times all around.
• The weight isn't evenly distributed on your bike. If you're packing gear for a bike trip, you generally want to have it spread out on your bike so the front and rear wheels can share the workload.
• Not as important as the other points, but if you're biking shirtless with a backpack, odd tan lines happen.

Lightweight packing also takes on premium importance when it comes to bike trips. The more weight you're carrying, the harder the pedaling. You're also more likely to have bike malfunctions, as the extra weight can put strain on the tires and spokes.
I'm actually having a little trouble with the lightweight concept for this trip. For starters, I'm packing a laptop. I'm also trying to keep costs along the way to a minimum. So instead of staying in hotels and eating at restaurants constantly, I'm packing a tent, a camp stove and four meals worth of food.
However, I'm shaving valuable ounces off in other ways. Instead of bringing my entire wallet, I'm only packing my ID, my insurance cards (worst-case scenario), a check card and some money. Instead of bring full bottles of items (camp soap, toothpaste, ect.) and a full roll of duct tape (a camping essential), I compressed them down into smaller containers. Other luxuries like an air mattress and a pillow are also being left behind.
After taking all of that into account, here is what the items packed onto my bike look like (sans the food, which is in a fanny pack that will be around my waist): For the sake of keeping the blog entry relatively short, I won't list EVERY item I'm packing. But I will say that I feel decently prepared for the ride.
Electronics, toiletries, maps and my first aid kit are in the handlebar bag. The bike repair kit is on the center bar between the seat and the handlebars. My tent, sleeping bag and a change of clothes are attached to my bike seat via clips and bungee cords.
You'll notice the absence of bike racks in my packing methods. This is for two reasons: I didn't want the extra weight, I didn't want to spend the money on a decent rack unless I needed to. Besides, I used a rack last fall for my trip to Red Wing (a $25 one from Wal Mart, bad choice) and it wound up being more of a headache than it was helpful. I'm not opposed to using racks, but if you can get by without them, more power to you.
Well, that's all I've got for now. Time to hit the road. Hope to check back in later today.
***In case anybody is curious, here is what my gear looked liked before being packed:

Weightlifting and distance running in one event? Yep, it exists.

Road races and weightlifting usually aren't compatible as one activity. You typically choose to do one or the other.

As an athlete in high school, weightlifting was a pretty significant part of my routine. We lifted after practice on most days and had a summer incentive program dedicated to improving our basic weightlifting numbers (bench press, squats, cleans, ect.). While my lifting numbers never reached the lofty heights of some of my classmates, I was thrilled nonetheless when they showed progress and validated the work I put in. It was also gratifying to see my previously doughy physique fill out with some muscle.

Road races have become more of a focus for me in adulthood. It's not that I don't like weightlifting or don't see the value in it. In fact, I still put in a fair amount of time in the weight room. I just feel that a cardio focus is better for my overall health than obsessing about pumping iron, something most medical journals agree with as well. I think it's better to strike a balance between strength and endurance than emphasize one or the other.

That mindset doesn't always translate to success in a competition setting. There aren't a lot of body builders who train for weightlifting contests by running 30+ miles a week. Likewise, you won't see too many elite marathon runners maxing out on bench press and packing on muscle before a race.

However, that well-balanced approach might come in handy for me this weekend as I will be competing in the Pump & Run 5K on Saturday in Osakis, Minn. Unlike regular road races, this event adds in a weightlifting element. Participants will get a 30-second reduction off their race time based on the number of times they can bench press a percentage of their body weight before the race.

My friend Jessica first informed me about the race a few weeks back and I was almost immediately intrigued by it. As mentioned with the Warrior Dash and Ragnar previously, I tend to gravitate toward events that are unique and different from the norm. The Pump & Run certainly fits that billing, plus it appears to be a rare competition that rewards my balanced approach to lifting and running. On top of that, I'll get to hang out with a friend I don't see very often and the race takes place in a town that's 30 minutes away from my parent's cabin and also pretty close to my hometown, meaning I'll get to visit family as well.

I'm not really sure how the race will pan out. I don't bench press nearly as much as I once did and my running routine has been off-and-on since Ragnar last month. Still, I like my chances in the race and I'm looking forward to what should be a fun weekend.

And since writing this made me think of a classic SNL skit about "pumping up,"here it is for my readers to enjoy.

Boyle Park, Little Rock

Turned out to be a really nice day - mid 60s and sunny. Decided on a singletrack ride.
Headed to the easier section of the Boyle Park singletrack. After making a first short loop, noticed another trail branching off the loop. Found a much longer loop. This section has some real climbs.
Rode most of the paved trails as a cool-down. It was really nice to ride singletrack in shorts!
Weather forecast is rain tonight and windy tomorrow.

Amazing things

This woman has the most amazingly beautiful voice in the world.
Last night I was lucky enough to go and see Sarah Blasko in Brisbane. Every time I go to one of her shows I come away more impressed. It's often said that the true test of a live performer is to sound as good on stage as they do on CD. Sarah actually sounds better on stage, and that is no small feat, considering the quality of music she captures on CD. The combination of her voice, her stage presence and the song arrangements marks her as a truly amazing performer.
I've had the pleasure of meeting her a couple of times in the past, and on both occasions she came across as a much more genuine, down to earth person than I had expected. While listening to her last night, it dawned on me that somewhere deep inside, she surely must realise how good she is. In the meantime, I'll be keeping a close eye on her website to make sure I have tickets next time she visits this part of the world.

Five Years and Counting

Five years ago today I was taken to the hospital with what I thought (and later confirmed) a stroke. The next day my doctors found that I had a failed heart valve which was the cause of the stroke.
During the week I was in the hospital, I received a mechanical heart valve, started on recovery from open heart surgery, and began the effort to recover my speech. Thanks to the excellent care I received at Nebraska Medical Center, home care from Visiting Nursing Association of Pottawatammie County, and Rehab at Jennie Edmundson Hospital.
When I was released from the hospital I could hardly speak and walked with a walker. Today, most people do not realize I have a speech problems. After cardiac rehab I started my new life - of an avid cyclist. As readers of this blog know, I ended up riding over 3300 miles on my bicycles last year.
Now, I am in another struggle with my health - a cancer. I will beat or at least tame this beast. I expect to come out of this stronger, yet.
GET OUT AND RIDE!

A Perfect Love

More from Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle: "Despite the fear and unfaithfulness of his followers, Jesus' love never faltered, for it was not dependent on the merit and virtue and the qualifications of those he loved."
I want to love like Jesus. I want to look at the heart of a person not on the outside. I want to be loved for who I am inside. No, I want to be loved DESPITE who I am inside. That's how Jesus loves.

In the woods

Blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium sp.

Ragwort (Butterweed), (Packera sp., aka Senecio).

Carolina Larkspur, Delphinium carolinianum.

Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens.

Oxeye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare.

Pink Phlox, Phlox carolina.

Cynthia, Krigia biflora.

Fragrant Sumac, Rhus aromatica.

Wild Petunia, Ruellia strepens.
Why does Susan's Coral honeysuckle bloom so much earlier than mine? (By a good two months).

Momma Fox

This is a photo of the latest "friendly fox" that has been hanging around near where I live. A litter of fox were born this year underneath the Catholic Church in Grand Portage, MN and lately the young ones (and mom) have been very active on the grounds surrounding the church. The evening I captured this shot we had spent a total of about an hour and a half watching the foxes. Mom was around most of the time, with the young ones making an appearance every ten minutes or so. When I took this photo Mom was just sitting in the grass about 25 feet away from us, watching us as much as we were watching her. I love the eyes of a fox, they can convey so much emotion. In this photo she just seems to be more curious than anything, and her behavior also led us to believe that at this moment, the only thing on her mind was curiousity. She was probably wondering what these guys were doing pointing these big white camera lenses at her!
Below: One of Momma Fox's babies