Reel Rock Tour

Don't miss this.The Aussie opening was in Brisbane last night, so many climbers, so much fun.Climbers, I'll make it simple for you, here's what to do:A: click on the poster below for dates in your neighbourhood.B: Get a ticket and get inside.



Or maybe get a ticket at the door.Catch up with the cream of Brizzies climbing crew.



Get yourself some Pizza.



Keep eating Damien, almost show time.

Thanks Brad and TimGet your look happening.

Get in line.

Get inside.

And be amazed. Easy.

jj

More Changes in

We just found out yesterday that Tyler, child #3, will be going to Russia this fall.  It's always been a dream of his, and now it looks like it's coming true.
He applied to some Christian agency (I can never remember the name of it) to do short term mission work.  He'll be there for at least six months. I know it'll be a great learning experience for him, but I sure will miss him. 
That's three big changes for our family this year that we know about.  Laurel's new baby boy in August, Garrett getting married in August, and Tyler leaving in October.  Oh, and Garrett thinks he may be deployed with the Army in October.  Right now I feel overwhelmed by all these things. 
One thing I know is that when the time comes, God will give us all the grace we need to get through each thing.  I have to remember to focus on Him and His plans and not mourn the fact that our family will never be as it once was.  I wouldn't want for them to be little again.  I just liked the fact that I always knew where they were and was the one teaching them everything.
Now they're out there in the cold, cruel world, and all I can do is pray for them to have wisdom and for God to protect them from harm. It's much harder now.

Mite Damage on Camellias

Southern Red Mites love the southern garden evergreen staples: Japanese Camellia, Japanese Holly, Magnolia and Azlaea. It seems to be attracted to the Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) more than the others, causing the leaves to become dull and silvery.
When I get called into a garden that is infested with the Southern Red Mites, it is most commonly confused with Sunscald.
This tiny pest (you need a hand lens to see them) is dormant right now, but once the temperatures cool down a bit, it will be back. All of the damage you see now actually occurred last winter and spring- it's frustrating.
If you had this pest in your garden or nursery last year, they will be back. The best product to use is Horticultural-Grade Oil (sometimes sold as "Ultrafine Oil"). Spray the leaves and stems with oil a few times in the fall and winter to essentially smother them.
*Southern Red Mites do not affect Sasanqua Camellias, only the Japanese Camellias

Hambleton peninsula - Rutland Water

We drove out to Hambleton and parked by the road out of the village - ok on a quiet rainy Thursday in April - probably impossible on a sunny Sunday in July or August! Just over six and a half miles, with Maureen, Barry and Gordon. Fine, with one brief shower.

As well as the scenery we were treated to some great birdsong - I think the most tuneful was a great tit, but the chaffinch was a close second.

A fine specimen - stone cockerel - in welly boots?

We walked back through the village and turned right along a muddy footpath downhill between fences, and then across a field (wet on this occasion) joining the main cycle track at a corner.

Waterside woodland carvings

Then we followed the path through some woodland until we met the road. We decided to go down to the spot where it disappears under water, and there is now a convenient bench.

After this we returned to the main route, which took us through more bluebell woods, not yet quite at their peak and round to the road to Hambledon Old Hall.

Not a bad spot to live?

At this point the first real rain of the morning started, so we donned waterproofs, and continued on the track across the road. The wind was strong enough to blow the shower away rapidly.

Be prepared!

A stone figure in need of some waterproofs?

When we reached the main road we decided against a walk to Egleton - too much walking at the side of the road. So back to the car, following the cycle track until we met the path we'd come down earlier.

Back to the car . . . and a slice of birthday cake - thank you, Maureen, and I agree, birthdays should be extended over at least three weeks. Happy Birthday to Maureen as well!

The rain held off, and the drive home was dry and clear.

Now, as I write this I can hear the rain hammering on nearby conservatory roofs.

map and details

For more fanciful accounts see this postand the preceding one on my alithoughts blog.

Aspirations

While the big people are out working with the real thing, the small people dream of the day when their turn will come.
I've got used to taking photos in the city and in the country, but here, in my home village, I felt extremely self-conscious. I didn't dare position myself right in front of the house where I might be seen from the window - or even worse if the door opened suddenly.

Cross-country encounter on a small-town ride

For cycling-obsessed people like myself, the only thing better than a good bike ride is a good bike ride with company.

The social context of a group ride is one that almost always lends itself to good conversation. Even if it's a group of complete strangers, the common ground of biking and the shared appreciation for exercise helps immensely in breaking down the social walls that may have existed otherwise.

I've always enjoyed the conversations I have with other cyclists on the road. Some were casual riders just looking to get out of the house for awhile; others were serious racers working on a specific training ride. Whatever the case, all of them were interesting in their own way.

Or, in the case of Delicia Jernigan, they were just plain interesting.

Delicia Jernigan biked all the way from
Portland, Or. to ride in the Tour de Nick
Saturday in Northfield.

I came across Jernigan yesterday at the Tour de Nick ride in Northfield.The Hawthorne, Nev. native was passing through Southern Minnesota in the midst of cross-country bike trip from Portland, Or. to Portland, MA to raise money for Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis that the Tour de Nick raises money for as well.

Both Jernigan and the Tour de Nick's philanthropic efforts come as a result of personal tragedy. The annual Northfield ride started in 2003 to honor Nick Sansome, a local cyclist who took his own life earlier that year. Jernigan likewise lost her younger brother Anthony to a similar fate in .

Ride organizer Bill Metz pointed Jernigan out to me early on, but I didn't really get a chance to talk with her before the ride, mostly due to the photos and video I attempted to take of the event for the Northfield News. However, I caught up with her on the road and spent thelast several miles of the ride conversing with"D" -- as she likes to be called --about her trip.

Admittedly, it was a pretty cool experience for me. Given the troubles I've had with simple day trips on a bike, the people who are brave enough to try cross-country travel have my respect and admiration. It takes a lot of ambition to do something like that. With Jernigan, the loss of her brother helped spark that ambition.

"I always wanted to bike across the U.S., but I never really thought I could do it," Jernigan said. "After my brother died though, everything changed for me. I started asking myself, 'Why am I not doing this?'"

Eventually, Jernigan resolved to make the bike trip a ride of remembrance, both for her brother and the lives of others that have been lost to suicide. In addition to taking donations and writing about her trip, Jernigan's ridewebsite includes a memorial wall where people can submit the name of a loved one who has taken their own life.

"I'm not just doing this for me," Jernigan said. "I'm doing this for everyone who's ever had their life affected by suicide. It's about raising awareness of the problem and understanding what we can do to help."

Jernigan heard about the Tour de Nick through the SAVE organization and though the rest of her trip has followed a relatively relaxed schedule, the Northfield group ride was always at the top of her list of priorities.

"I had this date circled on my calendar from the very beginning," Jernigan said of Tour de Nick. "It's going toward a great cause and it seemed like it'd be a cool event to be a part of."

The trip for Jernigan hasn't been without the occasional struggles. She estimates having encountered roughly 20 flat tires on the road and since this is her first time doing multi-day bike traveling of any kind, the contents of her gear has been a work in progress.

"I started off with way too much stuff on my bike," Jernigan said. "It's a constant process to figure out what you need and what you can do without. I've gotten rid of a lot of stuff since the start of the trip."

Still, Jernigan is more than happy with how her trip has gone thus far, particularly with the interactions she's had with others.

"I've yet to have a bad encounter with anyone," Jernigan said. "Everyone has been so supportive and helpful on the road. Some of the people have been absolutely amazing to talk to."

After spending spent Saturday night with the Metz family following the Tour de Nick, Jernigan departed from Northfield earlier today and is hoping to get to Portland, Ma. by mid-to-late September. Although she is looking forward to reaching her destination, Jernigan is equally excited for the journey it will take to get there.

"It's been awesome so far, so we'll just see where it goes from here," Jernigan said.

And though I won't be joining Jernigan for the rest of her trip -- pretty sure I don't have enough vacation time built up for that -- it was fun getting to know her for that brief stretch of road and I look forward to reading more about her journey in the future.

Godspeed D, and ride safe.

New Mileage Record

While I may have not blogged recently, I have been riding my bikes. Last night was the Xtreme Wheels Full Moon Ride.
Andrew, Blaine, Brandon, and I took off from the shop, heading to Lake Manawa. We had a little head wind on the way (the wind was biting with the temperature being near freezing). Great ride in the woods. Made a full lap at Manawa and headed back to the shop.
The 16.8 mile ride took me over the top on my record annual mileage. My log now shows 2167.85 miles. Still a couple weeks for riding. Will I end up with over 2200 miles?