3.23.2011 Ride: Decatur, GA - Stone Mt & Back Ride

I think I found a new torture technique to use on terrorists: put them in a car and have them drive an unfathomable number of miles in a car day after day as it surely will drive them nuts having them confess whatever secret knowledge them may be hiding.  I am not sure how many miles we have driven since Spring Break began but it certainly may be deemed cruel and unusual punishment.  I guess the good news is that I haven't been able to touch a computer for over 36 hours.
Colene wished me a better day today and, yes, I did have a much better day today.  Much less driving and lots more biking.  While Rachel visited at Agnes Scott College in Decatur just outside Atlanta, I rode from there to Stone Mountain Park and back.  FYI: The college was founded in 1889 and was originally the Decatur Female Seminary.

On the way to Stone Mountain

There is actually a bike trail that runs for about 20 miles from Atlanta, through Decatur and to Stone Mountain.  When I used to live in Atlanta many years ago, Stone Mountain was a favorite haunt of mine as a place to get away.  I used to time myself as I ran to the top and then enjoyed collapsing, feeling my heart pounding away as I slowly regained my breath.  I also enjoyed just leisurely hiking up and sitting quietly.

In the very beginning of the ride today, I heard sirens and saw an ambulance pass.  A few blocks later I came across two ambulances and police cars and saw rescue workers standing over someone on the side of the road. I went over and saw that it was a bicyclist.  It turned out that he had rear ended a car.  I wasn't able to get any other details than that as one of the police officers yelled out to the crowd of people standing around (me), "All right, folks.  Let's clear out and give these people room to work."

The ride to Stone Mountain went well and I rode sometimes on the trail, sometimes on the road depending on whether I wanted to ride at a good clip and not get slowed down by all the driveways and little streets that the trail crossed.  Though, even on the road, there were a number of lights and I think the Atlanta area must have some of the longest red lights around.

In the city of Stone Mountain, just before the park, I came across David and his friendly crew.  I was impressed at how well they sat and waited patiently for me to take their picture though getting them to all look at the camera at the same time was another challenge.

Lots of bicyclists and walkers at the park and it's only Wednesday.  I wish I had time to ride around the entire mountain but I barely had enough time to ride down where I could get a good view to take a picture.  This is supposedly the largest piece of exposed granite int he world.  Back in the early 1900s, a man purchased the rock and attempted to dynamite it into chunks that he could sell for construction purposes.  Fortunately, his explosive efforts failed. 
Another man decided the rock was missing something and carved three Confederate Civil War figures.

On the ride back, I was surprised by the stiff wind I was encountering as I thought I had a head wind going out.  Either the wind changed or I remembered incorrectly; I think it was the latter. 

A view of the trail running alongside the road. 

A sci-fi plant that grows overnight and entangles the world.  Oh, wait.  That's kudzu.

I passed this eatery on my way out of Decatur and we ate here after I returned.  Inexpensive, very good and lots of character.










Today's Ride:  2hrs 20mins.  28 miles.  70 degrees. 19mph wind.Miles YTD:  1,499.45 (I should've ridden another 1/2 mile!)

3.22.2011 Ride: 5:40AM Ride

Super-Moon + 2 days as seen from a distant planet.

It has been an emotionally trying past14 hours.  That is when I had a phone call with the sales manager of a walk-in tub company.  I was trying to get back the deposit Francs made on a unit that she purchased in haste, on the spot when a salesman made a call; this is not the Frances Reeves we know.  Unfortunately, well-intentioned but misguided calls were made by those who are taking care of Frances.  To their credit, the care-giver noticed the contract on the table and took steps to help reverse the decision.  But, by the time I spoke with Joe, the sales manager, he had heard so many different versions of why she wanted to cancel that I don't blame him for not wanting to believe what I had to say.  I tried to explain the situation and untangle previous misunderstandings but it became apparent that he had no intentions to refund the deposit. 

A retake by flash of one of my favorite previous photos.

I was visibly shaking and Carol stroked my arm trying to calm me down.  That helped me try to re-focus and take a couple of deep breaths to regain my composure.  But, the conversation still quickly degenerated with voices being raised.
Once off the phone, I was still shaking and the burning sensation in my stomach was intense.  As the hours passed and we found out additional information about the sales call, it really seemed that, as good a product the company may have, they were out to bilk a client out of as much money as they could get.  I realized, too, that I was a very small David against a very experienced Goliath.  Sales is definitely not my forte and here I was trying to negotiate in good faith with a well-seasoned sales manager.  Looking back at the conversation, I recognized sales tactics that are meant to disarm any challenges, such as of the "you don't trust me?" nature. 

Catalpa Trees from which catalpa worms are harvested.

If I would try to restate what he was saying, he would say I was putting words in his mouth.  But he had no qualms to tell me what I was thinking.
If it weren't for Ambien, I would not have gotten to bed last night and when I awoke at 4:30, the conversation immediately populated my head.  I got out of bed and prepared for my ride and glad that I had the foresight to bring my lamp. A beautiful morning with light traffic.  But, the conversation from the day before again filled my thoughts, making the ride move very quickly.
There is the feeling of a wounded warrior, feeling very humbled and a sense of humiliation for not being able to wage a better argument. I know time will heal the wounds I feel and I know that we still have options available to us to get the deposit back.  But. still...

Two bright spots on my ride.  I enjoyed revisiting and taking a flash picture of the rocking chair on the porch.  I also revisited a tree grove that I came across when I biked here from Arkansas back in 2009.  In 2009, the trees were in full bloom and long string bean-like pods were hanging down.  The owner of the grove was working among the trees and I stopped to ask him about the plants.  It turned out that they were catalpa trees and he harvested the caterpillars that live only on that tree and which make good fishing bait.  I believe he said he had the largest catalpa farm in the country and shipped nationwide. 
Just past this dark spot in the road where the trees grew high and blocked out any moon light or any other source of lighting, I heard this loud rustling/scraping sound.  At first I thought it was a deer making its way through the woods next to me.  But, the scraping noise intensified and sounded more as if some large animal (dog? human?) was trying to crash through or climb a wooden fence.  I was not eager to find out and pedaled as quickly as possible with some slipping of the chain and gears thrown in for added drama.

Thank you for allowing me to vent.

Today's Ride:  63miins.  11.4 miles.  55 degrees.  Miles YTD: 1,471.45

3.21.2011 Ride: The Soul of a Bike

A few shots from my early morning walk in downtown Fayetteville, GA.

At the bottom of this picture, in a small bank, are a set of three old concrete steps. I like how the steps and the magnificent magnolia suggests a house that's no longer there.

The pit from Melear's BBQ that recently closed. It was founded in 1957.  Part of what made Fayetteville, GA unique.

A bike from Gus: Take Two

We may be away for Spring Break, but that doesn't mean we are necessarily on vacation. It was a busy morning of trying to get Frances' affairs in order.  Unfortunately, this 92 year-old woman, who is used to being fiercely independent, is having a very difficult time keeping up with things.  The good news is that physically she is doing a bit better than when I was here about 3 weeks ago.  But, the bad news is that mentally she is not.
The good news is that it was a beautiful day in Fayetteville and Frances was up for going out to lunch.  This seemed like a good opportunity to work in my bike ride.
After I took Walter home last night, we traded the bike he brought down for another one which was a bit larger and in better shape.  Still, it had it's quirks, such as a chain that liked to slip.  There does come a point where one can find the "soul" of a machine and work with it so that there is some synchronicity between human and machine.  That was the case with this bike.  After some repeated frustrating moments of slip after slip, I seemed to find a rhythm that was to the bike's liking and where the chain didn't slip as often.  So, is the machine training the human to do as it pleases?

Lunch at the City Cafe and Bakery

Fayetteville, GA  Old Court House

I took advantage of the gorgeous day and rode for a full hour after lunch, managing to keep the skipping and slipping to a minimum.  But it will sure be nice to get back to Southern Comfort.

Today's Ride: 1hr 45mins.  19.6 miles.  75 degrees. 12mph wind.  Miles YTD: 1,460.05

Today's litter pick-up.  One piece-at-a-time campaign.

3.20.2011 Ride: Back in Fayetteville, GA

Whew!  Talk about a long day. Started this morning in Dallas.  I met Leola at TGI Friday's who was hawking at the door for breakfast business.  After we ate, I talked with her a few minutes and discovered she has a 1 & 3 year old, and is studying to be a nurse.  I think she may have another job as well.  Good luck in your pursuits, Leola!. 

Carol's brother, Walter, met us at the airport and I was unexpectedly happy to see a bike crammed into the rear compartment.  Since he has been sick, this was really appreciated.  And, since he was sick, he was also a bit out of it, so we missed a couple of turns along the way to grandma's house making the day just a tad longer.







And, thank you Teresa and Jim, Frances' neighbor, for having Jim's bike waiting for me at the house when we got there.  Yes, I have become a bit neurotic about wanting (needing?) to make sure that a bike is waiting for me at a new destination.







Not having much time, I kept the ride to the minimum.  On my loop back to Frances', I came across this old house.

I liked it so much that I decided to take several shots and feature it today.

Trident Lightning Rod

Detail of Roof Ornament

When I got back to the house, I asked if anyone knew about it.  As it turned out, the house belonged to Mabel (pronounced May Bell) and Rufus and Mabel helped take care of Frances' five children for about 10 years as Frank and Frances struggled themselves to make a living.  Carol described her as tall, thin and standing proud, even though they had little money.  Walter added that she was a woman not to be messed with. Mable and Rufus had no children of their own.   There are a couple of stories Walter told me as I drove him home about Mabel that I would like to pass on, but given how late it is, they will have to wait.

Today's Ride:  65mins.  11 miles.  65 degrees.  Miles YTD: 1,440.45

It's a funny thing but Georgia's litter looks a lot like Arkansas'

3.19.2011 Ride: Spring Equinox

A quick ride today that seemed to drag out as I was anxious to get back to finish packing for our trip. Again, time is a funny commodity. At times I would quicken my pace, forgetting that riding faster would not make an iota of difference. With 15 minutes left in my ride, I felt that when I would get back to the house I would discover that 2 hours had elapsed. I was glad to see that that was not the case.

For a while now, there has been one lone calf among all the horses in the pasture.  Generally, the calf stays to itself.  I've been wanting to get a picture of the calf  juxtaposed among the horses but they have always been too far apart.  This morning I had my best opportunity.  In the picture, it seems as if the horses have adopted the calf into the family.  But they really haven't.

It seems as if the first day of Spring should be sunny.  Certainly not the case today.  Heavy overcast and, even though it was 51, it felt much colder because of the northerly wind.  One section of the neighborhood I rode through was lined with Bradford pears that were in full blossom.  The air in the area did feel brighter from all the white petals.  It's an odd sensation: an area being lit up from the reflection of flowers.  Unfortunately, the picture doesn't capture that ethereal light.  Happy Spring!

Today's Ride: 63mins.  11.14 miles.  51 degrees.  12-17mph wind.  Miles YTD:  1,429.45

3.18.2011 Ride

Very tired today and definitely an "off" day.  Even stopping for the one piece of trash seemed like quite the effort.
Yesterday, there was one picture in particular I wish I had a way of capturing.  On the bike trail around Lake Fayetteville, I passed a woman walking towards me who was tightly clutching a quart size water bottle to her chest.  She was in her 40s and she had a rather severe look on her face.  About 100 feet past that woman, I passed another woman, in her young 20s, who had a worried look on her face.  She looked behind her as I passed, as if she was observing someone further back.  Another 100 feet or so later, I passed a man, in his 40s, who seemed to have a concerned look on his face and he was staring intently toward the section of the trail where the first woman was walking.  Suddenly, these three people who, at first glance, seemed to have nothing to do with one another because of the distance between them, formed a picture and I wished I had a way of capturing it with one shot.

A destination ride of sorts today.  Rode down to Harp's to get a few bananas.  Feeling the way I did today, having a destination made the ride go easier.  I passed these Adirondack chairs in front of a home that was set back from the road.  I had to ride up a long gravel driveway to get in a position to take the shot.  A small dog barking from the other side of the neighbor's fence on one side and then the barking of a small dog coming from the small modest home of the driveway I was in.  I took the shot and then I was on my way.

Since I've been doing the Daily Rides this year, I keep waiting to include Angie who works at Harp's.  It seemed the times I have biked there, I missed her for one reason or another.  Today was a good day to catch her as it certainly lifted my spirits seeing her there today. It turns out that we have known each other for 7 years in a cashier/customer relation.  I enjoy chatting with her as I check out and when I did my AR-GA trip, I would send her the occasional post card as I crossed state lines. I especially thought of her as I passed within 30 miles of the Talladega Speedway in Alabama as she is a big NASCAR fan.

I'll have an early and possibly wet ride tomorrow as we will be getting ready to head out of town.

Today's Ride: 1hr 34mins. 16.05 miles.  72 degrees. 12mph wind.  Miles YTD: 1.418.31

Today's Litter Haul         

3.17.2011 Ride: Southern Comfort

It was tempting to squeeze in a ride earlier in the day just around the neighborhood so that I could get today's post completed.  But, I love destination rides and Rachel had another soccer game this evening.  So, here I am at almost 10:00 PM working on today's post.
I ended up taking my pannier bags today, wind and all, as Carol forgot to bring a jacket for tonight's game.  That was just as well as I need to start getting ride-time in with the bags as I have a 7 day road trip scheduled for mid-April (more on that another day). The wind was blowing harder than yesterday and the majority of today's ride would be against the wind.  Though the bags were lightly packed, I could definitely feel them acting as sails and I got a good workout.
I don't plan to highlight all the litter I pick up on the front end of the post, but I like this Southern Comfort bottle and thought that that would make a good name for my bike. 

Bluffs looking over an arm of Beaver Lake off Habberton Rd.

  

I've taken a picture of these bluffs before, but it's been awhile, different time of day, different lighting.  I certainly don't tire seeing them every time I ride by them, so I don't think you'll mind another look.

Ulis with his son John and grandson, Harvie. 

Shortly past the bluffs, I passed two vehicles, one with it's hood up.  The white and blue VW caught my eye and I stopped to chat.  Turned out the other VW, the more late model one, was having clutch problems.  I forgot to ask Ulis about the meaning and origin of his name and a Google search was of no help.  So, Ulis, if you happen to read this and would like to write a comment, I would be interested in knowing.  The VW bug belongs to Ulis.  Hope you were able to get the clutch problem fixed.

This picture was taken on Guy Terry Rd, just before coming to Butterfield Coach Rd.  I thought this was an interesting perspective of the area, with the development in the background encroaching on the pastureland in the foreground.

On George Anderson Rd, which borders the development and the pastures, is a farm/ranch where this Brahman bull resides.  If you look carefully, you will see several extra pairs of thinner legs underneath: two calves.  Seeing the calves threw me off and I started thinking that I didn't know it was possible for a cow to have two offspring at one time.  It took me another moment to remember that this was a bull I was looking at and not a cow and I found it surprising how protective the bull was being.

My ride was coming to an end as I wound through downtown Fayetteville on the way to the high school.  I was glad to come across this group which made a fitting picture for St. Patrick's Day.  Thanks, guys!

Today's Ride:  2hrs. 34mins.  27.28 miles.  73 degrees.  15-20mph wind.  Miles YTD:  1,402.26