2.18.2011 Ride: A Visit to the Outdoor Sculpture Museum

Today is a day of much needed "rest."  Rest, in this case, means a very light ride and minimal time spent on the blog.  A pleasant, yet at the same time functional, bike ride as I rode down to the Mission/Crossover intersection (about 6 miles as the bike indirectly flies) to meet someone and sign papers.  Along the way, I came across Yogi Bear on Oakland-Zion Rd.. 

Yogi reminded me of two other chainsaw stump sculptures that have been around for many years but I now take for granted.  In their heyday, the two eagles donned glistening dark-brown feathers.

Touring Bike I Came Across on Oakland-Zion Rd.

This is my favorite sculpted piece that I saw today.  Ironically, I pass it several times a week when I ride as it is in my neighborhood.  For some reason, it really caught my eye today.

Today's Ride: 77 mins.  Miles 13.45. 60 degrees.  Miles YTD: 844.86

2.17.2011 Ride: Wyman Valley Rd.

I am entering into dangerous territory.  This is reminiscent of when I was working on a novel when Rachel was 2 years old.  In the beginning, working on the novel consumed an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy to the point where I was not fulfilling my duties as a house dad.  I knew that it could not continue that way for my family's sake and for my own well-being.  I managed to strike a balance and continued working on the novel for another four years.
The biking alone is probably very manageable but working on the blog is an added stress and today I found myself getting easily irritated.  This will be interesting to see how it plays out.  An obvious solution is not to worry about doing the blog every day.  That may be what happens but I do enjoy the daily blog process.

From our house, we have a wonderful view of Wyman Valley (first photo).  That is where I headed today, driving to Barrington Park and then biking down Fox Hunter toward Wyman.  Fox Hunter never disappoints me, even though it may run by the sewage treatment plant.  It is quiet and there is an energy about the countryside that it passes through that is calming.  Crossing the White River, feels like officially entering Wyman Valley.

Up until very recently, the long stretch of road than ran through the valley was dirt.  As a bicyclist, I was excited to discover that it was paved but disappointed to find out they left about a half mile still dirt.  That prevented a wonderful paved loop.
Though the valley is only a few miles from town, the area feels so removed.  Today, with the wind gusting into the 20s, I felt as if I was on a prairie in Kansas. Even the road ribbons up and down like few we see in Arkansas around here.

I stopped quite a bit to take pictures on my way out, the ride feeling as if it was a totally new place even though I espy the valley every day from up high.  There was a desolate feel to the area like a ghost town at times.  But there was also a lot of energy.  The idea of being in a kind of Shangri-La began entering my conscience.

I was no rush to leave, drinking in the magic of  my ride today. 

Back out I went, looking back fondly on what became a piece of paradise for me for a few miles.  As I rode out, a jeep with a canoe on top passed me.  About a mile later it had pulled over to secure the canoe.  Turned out to be Matt & Larry who I ran into just the other day.  This time they had been out doing some surveying on the river.  The ride back Fox Hunter was again satisfying and when I got to the top of the hill I wanted to get in some more miles and rode through the subdivision which was a rather interesting contrast to where I had just been.  How striking that these two worlds were only 3 - 4 miles apart.   I did come across the fellow below who added a good smile to the end of my ride.

Just after I took this picture, I heard him say, "I can't get down."  There wasn't really any stress in his voice, so I rode on and passed him a couple of minutes later, still in the tree.  By the time I passed that way again about 20 minutes later, there was no sign of him.

Today's Ride:  2 hrs 2 mins.  Miles: 21.26.  70-67 degrees.  Wind: 17 - 23 mph.  Miles YTD: 831.41

Cary Jenkins

It was on my trip to Little Rock last Friday where I automatically wished I had my camera along to take a picture of my randomly seated dinner partner at our table of  10.  This is where I checked myself and said I wasn't on a bike ride, thus the current situation wasn't included.  But, the next day, I redefined the Daily Bike journey, feeling as if anything I encountered during my day was part of the ride.

My dinner partner, Cary, turned out to be a bridal photographer for the Gazette, but as you can see from the photos here, her scope is much broader.  I enjoyed talking with her and learning that her daughter is trying to learn the banjo since I gave the banjo a try many years ago.

I hope you enjoy the photos here and you can see more of her work at her blog: http://caryjenkins.squarespace.com/blog/

2.16.2011 Ride: Getting off Easy

A good morning cooking at Community Meals.  Marilyn, (whose picture I meant to get) was the provider of today’s great sautéed pork tenderloin meal.   For her  50^th anniversary party she had guest contribute money toward Community Meals.  By the time I Ieft , ran a couple of errands and made it home, I was fairly tired and just kicking back was very attractive.  Given the time constraint, I knew today would only be a one hour ride in the neighborhood.  As I took off, I contemplated just keeping to the level areas but I really wanted more of a challenge.  So, I headed for what I refer to in my log as The Big Hill which would also let Biking for Food Pledgers off easy as the miles do not add up very quickly on The Big Hill.   

The Big Hill isn’t so much long as it is steep.  It drops for about 2/10ths of a mile and comes to a T.  To the left, the road runs fairly level for another ¼ mile. To the right, the road drops steeply for another 2/10ths of a mile.  I go there for training as the upper part of the hill has got to be one of the steepest grades I have ever encountered.  So steep, that its grade is not fit for print and if it were any steeper, one would probably fall over backwards on his/her bike.  As a matter of fact, when I have trained with by bike fully loaded-down with gear for a road trip, I do have to be careful not to lean back or else the front wheel comes up.  So, yes, one could fall over backwards.

Because of the T at the bottom of the first part of the hill, I can’t just let fly.  It’s a balancing act of squeezing just enough to slow down,  releasing so that I don’t burn out the brakes and squeezing again for a couple of seconds before I pick up too much speed to no longer be able to stop.  Sometimes, I feel as if the brake handles are going to crumble in my hands and I will hurl down the hill into the field of thorns at the bottom.  Usually, I like to think of escape routes for situations.  But in this case, there really isn’t one so I try not to think of brake failure. 

My record for going up and down is 9 times.  4/10ths down, 4/10ths up, 4/10ths down, 4/10ths back up.  And so it goes.  I’m never quite sure how long I will last.  I have had grand plans several times to break my 9 times record but I have come close only once.  It’s odd because I know I’m capable of doing more than 3.6 worth of miles.  In fact, my biggest uphill challenge was 22 straight miles uphill on Mt. Lemmon in Tucson.  But, the grade there never came close to the grade of my little Big Hill.  And, this isn’t quite the same thing, taking a very different kind of discipline.  The glory of accomplishing going up and down and up and down doesn’t quite have the same glory as riding to the top of a mountain or traveling a certain distance.

The first lap always seems to be the hardest as my legs scream out, “what the hell are you doing!”  Today was a good day with the 2^nd and 3^rd laps going much easier than the first.  At one point, my paranoia of brake failure turned to wondering if I would get assaulted by a police dog.  As I go uphill, off to the right, is a farm that trains K-9 dogs.  I’ve passed dogs being trained on several occasions and never really gave them much thought as the dogs always seemed very focused on obeying their commands.  Today, the training was a bit more intense with blanks being fired and a “bad guy” doing his best to provoke the dog.  I had visions as I came into sight, that the canine would find the “fleeing” figure (me) someone who needed taking down.  Fortunately, the training ended peacefully and I was able to go back to worrying about brake failure. 

Pictures of hills rarely do them justice, unable to really capture the grade.  Interestingly, with some of the pictures, it's hard to tell which are looking up or down!  One picture would probably have sufficed.  Somehow, multiple pictures seem to emphasis the task of taking on The Big Hill.

Today's Ride:  79 mins.  Miles:10.14   60 degrees.  Miles YTD:  810.15

Yes!!! Pledges are still being taken! at www.stpaulsfay.org/bikingforfood

2.15.2011 Ride: The Four Elements

Weary, is how I would say the day and ride began. After the high of the weekend, the dust settles and there is a natural low. Weary from glut muscles that are still sore from the bike spill on ice. Tempered by the crashing of the computer yesterday while we still wait to hear just how many files are lost. Discouraged by the news that funding for the NW Arkansas Regional Greenway, a wonderful 36 mile multi-use trail, may now get cut. Maybe the weariness is widespread. As I ride on Hwy 45 during what is usually a low-key time of day, drivers are giving me little extra space. There is yet another semi barreling down, not slowing at all as we approach a blind spot in the road. The car coming from the other direction is forced to move way off into the shoulder. From behind, a car passes another car in a double-yellow line area as they approach me. Always a nervous situation. Added to all that, the wind is blowing from 17 to 24 mph.  So, I'm glad to get off 45 to more sane roads. I'm headed into town for a haircut, a spur of the moment idea to help lift my spirits. A little pampering never hurts. In one neighborhood, I take a slight detour to add some extra mileage and my spirits get an unexpected lift.

Larry & Matt

I see two guys working in Sweetbriar Park and one of them turns out to be my neighbors' son, Matt, who I know since he was in 5th grade.  He and his co-worker, Larry, are doing creek restoration work.  I ride off, remembering an earlier posting of mine that talked about seeking beauty and, suddenly, I don't feel quite as weary.
Shortly after seeing Matt & Larry, I pick up the bike trail and my spirits rise a bit more. 
The haircut and stopping at the bakery for a loaf of bread turn out to be a good destination and I marvel anew at the recuperative properties of getting on the bike.

Riding back,  I'm struck by the shadows of the rail on one of the bridges.  But what is really striking is the result of the image accidentally getting rotated and the shadow looks as if it is being cast on a wall rather than the trail surface of the bridge.

Despite the wind and a more uphill ride, the return trip goes easily.  About 4 miles from home on Bridgewater Road, a bit of excitement.

A Sheriff's Deputy was on the scene when I arrived and shortly after the fire trucks arrived.  It seems that the woman at the house burned something in the yard but it quickly got out of control.  The picture of the fire to the left is probably a good 300-400 yards from the source of the original fire. During the first minute I was there, the wind spread the fire across the road for another 100 yards. 

The man in the cart is the owner of the home.  I talked with him for a few moments to see how he was doing. As might be expected, he was shaken up, as I would too, thinking that I might be responsible for burning down the entire neighborhood. Fortunately, the fire was contained to just blackening the grass.  One of these days, I will have to relate the story when I woke up with my bed on fire. 

Today's Ride:  2 hrs. 20 mins.  Miles: 25.5  60 degrees.  Wind: 17-24mph. Miles YTD: 800.01

2.14.2011 Ride: The Challenge of the Write

The challenge of riding every day has turned more into the challenge of writing everyday.  It is easy for the Daily Ride challenge to overtake my life, which it, admittedly, has.  The challenge is in the balance.  I am not so sure that my wife may believe that there is any longer a balance, especially since I've been just as committed to updating the blog daily.

Carol on the phone yesterday evening with her mother on what I am up to: "Yes, he tries to figure out when he is going to ride everyday and then he updates his blog," as if that is all I do during the day.  Well, almost.

Doing the ride, I do not have to be concerned with the quality of the ride, at least not for any reader or viewership.  The blog is different. The quality of the writing is important.  Just today my editor was getting on my case about yesterday's entry.
"A bit long, wasn't it?"
"I was tired. The deadline was approaching, the kitchen still needed to be cleaned up and my wife was giving me the evil eye."
"I was not giving you the evil eye," Carol interjected.
"It looked like the evil eye."
"It was my TMJ."
"Oh, sorry."
"And then there was the using of the same word three times within two sentences," my editor continued.
"I was tired," I said again.

"That's a basic journalism no-no 101."
"I changed it."
"What?" he asked.
"I went back today and changed it.  That's the beauty of electronic media."
"Still..." he said, trying to remain irritated.

It's not so much trying to come up with what to write everyday but rather having the time and the energy to do the re-writing so that the same word doesn't appear three times in two sentences.  It is a very fine balance and, I'm afraid, at times the entries will suffer as the riding comes first.

"So, what do we have today? UFOs?" my editor asked me.
"Linticular clouds over Mt. Ranier."
"You saw these while on your bike ride?"
"I wish I had.  They were sent to me by loyal blog fan, Joe Ziegler.  He said they reminded him of the blog of riding in the snow and my description of it being of another world."
"They are amazing."
"Yes.  And too beautiful not to share."
"All right.  Run with it."

Today's Ride:  1 hr 46 mins. 20.55 miles. 57 degrees.  Miles YTD: 774.51

2.13.2011 Ride: A Wonderful Day's Journey

Though I wasn't able to get on the bike until close to 3:00 PM, the biking journey for the day felt as if it began when I left for my morning walk and a fiery red sky was at the end of the road.

Many pictures today, many stories.

Sunday is the day that I stop and pick up donated produce for Community Meals.  At the store, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a long time.  I got to know her when I coached her daughters in softball when they were in third grade, nine years ago.  That has always been a memorable season for me because of one of her daughters.  The daughter had a slight build and was not the strongest athletically.  She had approached me during one of the practices and let me know that she didn't want to just play in the outfield.  This was a sad fact of life for even young kids playing rec sports; coaches would stick the less athletic players in the outfield where there was less action, which is where she had been put the year before.  I told her not worry, that I had no intention of sticking anyone in the outfield all the time.  My plan was to rotate players every game so that they had a chance to play both the infield and outfield.  She wanted to play third base and that's where I put her.  She struggled with the position but she was intent on improving, her throws to first always falling short of the mark.  The highlight of the season was when a hard hit ball came to her which she cleanly fielded and then threw to first, the ball reaching the first baseman in the air.  I was so proud of her and I could see the joy in her face for making such a great play.  It's all about believing.

The donation was quite the bounty today and I thrilled at all the fruit.  It takes me about an hour to organize the food and find room for it in the walk-in.  Perhaps because of the gorgeous weather outside, the church seemed extra quiet while I was working away.  Going outside to dump old produce into the compost pile, my itch to get on the bike would intensify as I got a new taste for the wonderful day. Having all my bike clothes on probably didn't help either.  Finally, the task was done and I headed for the bike trails. 

I opted for the bike trails as opposed to the open road as I was in a social mood.  Today felt like a spring day with the tree sap running strong and people's spirits running high.  Within the first mile, I passed a couple who I also knew from many years back  from when our kids were in pre-school and we hadn't seen each other in years.  It is one of those ride-bys where recognition doesn't come until just after the fact.  I turned around and we talked for several minutes.  I pushed on until I passed an interesting threesome.  I turned around and asked if I could take their picture.

From left to right:
Jordan, Dalton and Emily.
It turned out that they were on quite a trek of their own today, walking about 10 miles.

The trails had been plowed, which I thought was great, leaving them free of any ice or snow.  But there was still lots of water in places.  Being on the mountain bike I plunged happily through them, enjoying getting sprayed. 

I took several pictures of the spray coming off the front tire but was never completely satisfied with the result.  I like this one the best because of the yellow speck on the upper right of the tire.  I'm not sure if it is reflecting the yellow line on the trail, my yellow shirt or is merely some light aberration.

A bit later, I came up on another friend, Larry Long.  We rode together for several miles and then I turned back. 
That's Larry on the right, me on the left, in case you were wondering.

The ride back, with evening coming on, was much quieter.  I felt as if I had traveled to a destination (the ride out with all its encounters) and now I was on the long journey back.  There was one more encounter with friends as I was coming out of the tunnel.  Though my entire outing was just a bit over 2 1/2 hours, I felt as if I had been riding all day, which I mean in a very good way.
I did have one more picture to take within a half mile of the end.  I came across Matt with his unicycle and I had to include him.

Today's Ride:  2 hrs 15 mins.  26.4 miles.  58 deg.  Miles YTD:  753.96

A BIG Thanks to Ann Marie & Joe Ziegler for their very generous one time donation to Biking for Food.