Bike Commuting in East Tennessee

Vacation

2011-06-16T14:12:00.001-04:00

I went to Maine last week. My wife and I drove but unfortunately left the bikes home. I couldnt resist posting this sign. Imagine that! Not only are the restrooms clean but they also have inside seating.

Age Limit

2011-06-01T08:40:00.000-04:00

Is there an age limit to bike commuting? Just noticing that most writers of bicycle blogs are are on the youngish side. I turn 52 on Saturday. Maybe I am too old........ to blog.

Still sore

2011-05-31T10:42:00.000-04:00

It was a nice long weekend. My son had a party at our house Friday night and my daughter a party on Monday. It was enjoyable.

My knee is still sore along with several other joints (and a few muscle groups). I will be driving for a while. I need to decide : A). Replace the derailleur or B). look out for a new bike. I will probably stick to plan A but B has always been a temptation.

Ouch

2011-05-28T11:56:00.002-04:00

I was in an accident this morning. My wife and were going downtown to the Blackbird Bakery. I noticed my rear brake was very soft, but it didnt seem like a big deal. Along 126, she had a scraping noise coming from her front tire and so braked to stop. I was following too close behind. Just before she braked a car was about to pass me. I glanced back at the car and noticed she was braking just a little too late. I served and braked to avoid hitting her. I just missed her but my rear brake failed, the front took over and I lost control -not head over handle bars but the next best thing. I ended in a heap. Thankfully I avoided her and the car who was passing me. It was a close call.
I felt just a little scraped up. I had some small damage to my bike but could continue on. About four miles later we arrived at the bakery and enjoyed a coffee and scone. Then I started to leave. My knee hurt pretty bad. After riding a little I was in a lot of pain. I barely made it back. I am sitting here now, very sore with ice on my knee and a cup of coffee. It turns out the small damage to my bike was a bent derailleur.

Over did it

2011-05-23T11:16:00.005-04:00

Biked too many hills Friday on a "unable to get anyone to help me" jaunt. Actually I was impatient. I drove to a local motorcycle shop and left my car there because I bought a Suzuki 250. I rode the motorcycle home and then got on my bicycle and biked back to get the car. It was a good trip but I had to stop several times because of the ole ticker. Sigh. Hiked Saturday for the American Heart Association with my wife and a bunch of twenty-somethings- my wife's fellow nurses at the hospital. It was a hilly walk. I came home and worked on planting a row of sweet potatoes.... lots of digging and hauling compost. Sunday involved more yard work, more sweet potatoes, and the picking of several bowls of strawberries. Afterward we had the kids over for a Strawberry Daiquiri BackYard Barbecue. Nothing like a frozen Daiquiri with fresh strawberries on a hot Sunday afternoon.

I am so sore.

SSSHH....

2011-05-17T08:43:00.000-04:00

On Friday morning some woman well behind me blared on her horn from way back and held it until she got up to me (apparently to let me know she was a reckless driver), swerved around going 20 miles above speed limit, only to slam her breaks behind a car 100 hundred yards ahead. I did well. No reaction except to ride on. Later that day a van from a construction company (its name was on the side of van but I just missed being able to read it) drove by yelling the typical (not understandable) obsenities. Sigh. As much as I tired to push this out of my mind I couldn't. It doesn't surprise me anymore but it does consume mental energy I'd rather apply elsewhere. In other words, expletive thought but unsaid.

Cold and wet

2011-05-17T08:21:00.002-04:00

What happened to Spring?

A few thoughts on anti-Noobism

2011-05-12T08:36:00.000-04:00

A blog I followed in the past recently made some caustic remarks about bike commuter newbies. Most bike commuting blogs I've seen on the web are welcoming, encouraging and/or instructive to noobs. I applaud them. However there a clear and common strain of bike commuting writers who rant against the unintiated. It turns out there are serious sins against the arts of true commuting. Now I must confess to my shame that I am not completely innocent of this behavior. I apologize. The fact is it really bothers me. I still consider myself a noob. I started late, at age 47 back in 2008, partly in response of an increased environmental awareness and partly because of health reasons but mostly because I enjoy riding. Why is that bad I ask, oh blogger? It really does get under my skin. To say it plainly this snobby attitude toward bikers that differ from "true commters" just plain sucks. It reminds me of theological bickering in the middle ages. Some just have to burn heretics. Casual slow riders rail and criticize the speedy lycra wearing folks. There are the helmented and non-helmented. The inner city purists (no car) look down on car owners. Single speeders smugly smile at multi geared roadies (and vice versus) while pretty chic riders shake there head at hot and sweating long distance riders. And some snobs simply sneer at everyone. Its bike racism. There is anti-hybridism, anti-bike laners, anti-cheapbikes@walmartintarianism, anti-expensivehightechies, and most common of all, anti-sidewalk riders. I suspect bicycle racist ranting is common because it brings more readers to a blog. Apparently the smell of roasted uninitiated increases hits. A good burning at the stake will always draw a crowd. But not me. Over the last three years I stopped reading several blogs because of these rants. So please, if you do blog encourage noobs. If you must, be instructive. But realize that your way is not the one true faith. There is more than one way to get to work.

Tree update

2011-05-10T13:27:00.003-04:00

All but a sixteen foot high stump is cut up. In the end it was one large tree and about ten smaller ones. Almost all of the brush and logs went to the side of the road for city pick up and eventual compost (I kept a small log pile of the cherry, locust and poplar). Some of it went to heat, carbon ash, and gas. My boys (and Cody) enjoyed this part of the work.

To busy to pay attention

2011-05-10T13:16:00.001-04:00

On my ride in this morning I kept thinking about all the things I have to do. Its seems endless! Spring for me is so busy. Adding to the busyness was the work of cutting up a big pine tree on my property. On my plate is the planting the large garden (I got beans, more lettuce, squash, and tomatoes in), digging out the new garden, turning compost, cutting brush in the back, mowing lawn, basic housework, spending time with family, mothers day activities, etc. Anyway I keep thinking about another piece of property (as if I am not too busy already) as I rode out of GUMP and down Baxter. I crossed Unaka, continued down Baxter and then turned right on Watagua. The problem is that Watagua is a one way street and I turned into the traffic going the wrong way. I managed to correct myself quickly.... I still had one more intersection before my turn. It could have been bad. My fault..... daydreaming. Thankfully there were no oncoming cars and I learned a lesson. Pay attention!

Besides that it was a nice ride in this morning.

Storms

2011-04-28T09:01:00.001-04:00

I didn't bike this morning. There were storms all around us- two confirmed tornadoes in the region. A large tree is down in backyard but everything else seems fine. I need to check my roof- I am concerned about hail damage but I don't expect to find much. The roof has survived worse. Anyway I drove to work this morning and will leave early. My heart goes out to others less fortunate than us. Latest reports are 17 deaths in the region.

My five mile ride

2011-04-27T08:21:00.000-04:00

Leaving the parking lot at Target.

Crossing under the highway. Its a quieter word on the otherside.

Up to the Gump Neighborhood: manicured lawns, ornamentals, very large homes. About 2.5 miles of my ride is through this neighborhood.

Notice the yellow sign on the hill. It says Speed Bump: 15 mph. Gotta love the slow speed limit. There are six speed bumps along my route through the Gump neighborhood. I frequently meet another commuter here. He rides the opposite direction, eight miles every single day: rain, shine, snow whatever.

Out of Gump to the edge of old downtown.

Older part of downtown Johnson City. I am only here for a short distance.

On to the tree streets. A historic area on the edge of campus. It has become a high rental area because of its closeness to downtown and campus.

I don't like to cross University Parkway. Its crazy busy with cars going 50 mph.

Onto campus. I am following Michelle. She also works at the library.

Heard of a Bike Accident

2011-04-27T08:06:00.000-04:00

One of my daughters works the night shift in the ER. She saw a bicyclist come in at 4AM this morning with multiple injuries, some of them serious. He was very drunk. I have no idea who was at fault but its not a good idea to drink and ride anytime but especially not at 4AM.

Riding through a neighborhood

2011-04-21T09:32:00.001-04:00

I rode through the gump streets, a fairly well to do area. Lots of dogwoods, large oak trees, and other ornamentals. Saw a big elm down in the next neighborhood right before cruising downtown.

Small plot of land

2011-04-20T10:37:00.000-04:00

I rode up this morning and took a look at a small plot of land in the city limits of Johnson City. It is a little less than an acre, on a slight hill, and obviously fertile. It has a solid layer of rich topsoil with thick hay growing on it. Its only about 4 miles from where I work. I ocassionaly debate buying something like that to cultivate for the next15-20 years. I bet it would beat a 401K as an investment and at the same time provide a yealy dividend of a significant amout of food. Its an interesting idea.

4.7

2011-04-19T14:53:00.002-04:00

I am now commuting about 5 miles. I will probably ride this distance for a while. I drive 20 miles, park at a convienent location along the way and ride the rest of the way into the University. I imagine the mpg of my car increases with a bike on the back. But perhaps I am saving a little on gas.

Table

2011-04-16T19:14:00.001-04:00

I built this table about three years ago. I turned the legs, planed the hardwood, finished each..... I enjoyed the process, still enjoy the finished project.

Happy Birthday

2011-04-16T17:43:00.001-04:00

I bought my daughter a new bike for her birthday. She wanted an entry level hybrid..... Here it is!

Creeper Trail

2011-04-11T09:40:00.000-04:00

Sharon and I drove up to Abingdon Sunday rode for about ten miles on the Creeper Trail. It was an enjoyable ride. Several trees were down from the storm that hit Sat night so we had to do a little portage. A small tornado rolled through Johnson City doing quite a bit of damage. It was a big thunderstorm in Bristol and without the wind. But it did some damage in Abingdon as well.

It was a beautiful morning. The Creeper Trail is a wonderful place for an easy recreational ride. It winds through the mountains and some farms for 30 plus miles. We realized we haven't been there for two years! At one time it was our regular haunt. Last time we were there I had significant problems that resulted in two summers of heart crap. Yesterday I did well for most of the ride but had to stop because of chest pain. I am doing better though and slowly extending my range.

More to go

2011-04-05T20:59:00.001-04:00

Rain stopped so after work I cleared more brush. I got to the fence line along one side but there is more to do!

Clearing brambles

2011-04-04T19:50:00.001-04:00

Spent much of the weekend clearing brush.... thorns everywhere. I came home from work and continued the process. I am so sore. I have a small lot, a third of an acre, much of which is brambles (except for a small area of grass and a large garden). Clearing it is a bear.

Rain

2011-03-26T20:59:00.001-04:00

Busy saturday but no biking. Spring has arrived.

Lunch break

2011-03-22T21:08:00.002-04:00

Riding through campus during a lunch. Ten miles today. 3.5 to work,3 for lunch, 3.5 back to Civitan Park. Pretty good chest pain on the way back this afternoon and I had to stop along the way. Sucked but I am fine.... just need to be careful.

Morning view from my handlebars

2011-03-22T07:55:00.001-04:00

Tune up

2011-03-21T18:19:00.001-04:00

My tune-up of Sharon's bike didn't work so well. Apparently she had problems with the lower gears. I guess the hills were a problem.

Civitan Park

2011-03-21T09:08:00.000-04:00

I didn't ride the five mile commute. I was running late so I parked two miles away and rode in.

A friend told me about Civitan Park, just a little out of my way that is 3.5 miles from work. I didn't know it was there- they open at 7:00AM so I can park there easily. Starting from there will allow me to extend my ride slowly rather than jumping from 2 to 5 miles. Five miles may not seem like much but the ride involves going up a long hill and then down to campus. The five mile commute is a perfect ride through a nice neighborhood, very little traffic. But my doc says to go slow- so I will try Civitan for a week or so.

No chest pain this morning. Good progress. Its getting warm so I will soon have to bring a change of clothes to work.

Bikes Ready

2011-03-20T20:20:00.001-04:00

I just finished tuning up Sharon's bike so she can ride tomorrow. She has a short commute.... just three miles. I may extend my ride to five miles tomorrow. We will see. In my mind I think I should. But I am a little nervous about it. This is the same ride two springs in a row that landed me in the cath lab.

Bread

2011-03-19T16:14:00.001-04:00

I wondered why the bread I bought almost a month ago never got moldy. Then I looked at the ingredients. Can stuff thats basically flour, water,a little sugar & salt be the same as the junk in the grocery store thats infused with about twenty ingredients? I decided to make my own... three loafs freshly baked. It won't keep for a month but it tastes great!

Two miles

2011-03-19T14:17:00.001-04:00

I am riding a two mile commute now. Small step but a beginning. Extending it further by a mile or so is a problem. No clear parking until I am four miles away.

Dinner

2011-03-14T20:26:00.001-04:00

Grilled chicken using spices in the rack, sweet potatoes from lasts years garden, green beans.... All the kids home except Em (and Drew). Nice.

Rainy Day

2011-03-14T10:24:00.002-04:00

Rode in from the JC public Library to Sherrod Library using the Fuji. It is just short of a two mile ride. I just beat the rain and it is pouring at the moment. I haven't replaced the pedal on the Fuji.... it is broken but still functional. I need to stop at the bicycle shop on the way home.... but I keep forgetting. Maybe tonight.

Late

2011-03-08T14:02:00.002-05:00

I was late this morning. I had to take my son to school and along the way stopped to buy some things at a grocery store. While driving through Piney Flats I nearly drove into a large cement block sitting in the middle of the highway. I stopped and pulled it off the road. It would do serious damage to anyone who hit it. In anycase I arrived late and so parked at the edge of campus and rode my bike just a short distance.

March snow

2011-03-06T12:57:00.001-05:00

I rototilled my garden saturday morning, and then it rained all afternoon and night- downpour! This
Morning it started snowing. My plans to plant lettuce, spinach, and beets this weekend are shot.

Library to library

2011-03-04T22:10:00.001-05:00

Increased the ride another mile from JC public to Sherrod.

Old Cannondale

2011-03-02T08:15:00.000-05:00

I rode my Cannondale in this morning. It is an older mountain bike (pre- shocks days) and a bit slugglish on the road because of the knobby tires. Not that I mind the slowness but the ride is not as smooth as my Fuji. But the Cannondale does have good pedals! It was a cool but pleasant morning. Everything had a thin layer of frost on it, birds were singing, and college students were shivering having dressed in anticipation of a warm day.

On a Simple One Mile Ride

2011-03-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

I packed my bike on my car and parked a mile from campus. On the way in I saw a truck that was hauling dry ice lose its load. The side wall broke and four 300 pound containers fell off. Thankfully no cars were behind him. I helped the guy get the containers out of the road and let him use my cell phone. Sorry no pictures.

And I discovered one of my pedals is broken.

Besides that the ride was uneventful. Interesting start to another year of bike commuting.

Simple ride

2011-02-27T14:18:00.001-05:00

I went for a very short ride this morning. It felt good to be pedaling again, but I did have chest pain- not unexpected but a bit of a bummer.

On another note I found some garlic spouting up in my strawberry patch. I planted a few bulbs last fall and presto..... Plants are jumping out of the dirt.

Starting

2011-02-25T08:37:00.000-05:00

Well I didn't start today. A big storm moved through yesterday and the remants kept me off the roads. Lots of rain.... flooding in some places. So I am planning on a Monday start.

Need to get back

2011-02-23T08:12:00.004-05:00

Because of health reasons I have not been biking much. The last two years my bike commuting has been interrupted by cardiac problems. Once again I think I am in a place to give it a go. So I plan to tune up my bike tomorrow (after a doctor appointment) to get back to a commuting routine. I suspect it won't be as intense as years past. I'd like to get to the point where I can ride 7 miles from a nearby park (and a good car drop off site). We shall see. At the moment I will start with a one miler commute... not much but a beginning.

Been a While

2010-05-25T08:34:00.002-04:00

Brought my second-hand bike to work today. I didn't commute. Instead I parked just off campus, maybe a half mile from my office, and rode my bike in so that i can use it during my lunch break. On Sunday I blew the rear tire sidewall after about eight miles of riding on the Creeper Trail. I had a four mile walk out. My Panracer Pasela TourGuards only lasted about 1200 miles. So I ordered some Continental Travel Contacts- they had no 700 x 32's in stock in any of the three shops in my region.

My second-hand bike is too small for me. For an el-cheapo-converted-mountain-bike it does well, except for the smaillish frame and 26" wheels. Being six foot two has disadvantages. I keep thinking about my next bike so I can keep the Fuji for back up.

Rough Ride

2009-07-01T09:53:00.000-04:00

I burned more than my share of gasoline today. I drove all the way in. Yesterday my bicycle commute was pretty rough on me. Four weeks after the cardiac cath and I barely was able to get into work. I took off in the morning feeling fine. The route I rode yesterday involves a slight incline after the first half mile and there I noticed the ride seemed to be taking a little more energy than usual. I carried a laptop with me so I thought it was merely the additional weight, admittedly not much weight, but more than usual. Anyway I came to the first hill, not real steep, and started to struggle. This was unusual. It wasn't a hard or long hill. I got to the top, turned onto another street and started the second hill. It was a little steeper but really not bad and not very long. Despite the mildness of the hills I was out of breathe and had to use first gear. I huffed and puffed my way up to the top and had no reserve energy. Besides that i also had minor chest pain.... Bummer.

I had about a mile downhill after that and just coasted.... I just let gravity keep me rolling. The chest pain subsided and I arrived downtown. I pedaled to the first intersection which was nearly flat- but not quite. I felt awful, sweating profusely and significantly fatigued despite the easyness of the ride. I coasted down North Roan- too tired to pedal. Then the slight incline the last mile nearly killed me. Slight chest pain again. I arrived at worked exhausted and took some nitro for chest pain. You cannot imagine how good it felt as the nitro opened me up.... Even so it took about forty five minutes to cool down. I didn't feel normal until around noon.

So apparently I have some limitations. I rode over the weekend and maybe that with two days of commuting was too much. I didn't take a day of rest. I talked to Don earlier (a doctor but not my physician) because I was discouraged because I wasn't progressing physically after my cath. Despite my desire to try to ride a little farther, i was stuck on this "easy" ride. Don reminded me that my heart took a hit last month and like any strained muscle it takes time to recover. So I didn't push myself which was all the more reason yesteday's problems bummed me out.

Anyway I didn't ride today. And I may not ride the rest of the week. If I feel well enough I might get out but will certainly try to avoid hills. Unfortunately hills are plentiful between most here(s) and there(s).

Sigh.

On the other hand....... I am thankful for two legs, two arms, good vision and a sharp mind. I am basically healthy (except for the minor issue of my heart), and have a wife who cares about me, four children who are in their young adulthood, a job, access to health care, and a home. I am neither wealthy or poor.... content (well a little extra cash and fewer bills would be okay!). I am proud of my kids. I look ten years younger than my age and have enjoyed many good adventures and taken advantage of unique opportunities. I have lots to thank God for.... so I won't get too down. Onward and hopefully....though not yet... up some hills as well.

A Summary

2009-06-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

Its been a while since I've written here. So here is a summary of events lately and some photos.

1. Stan the cat is healing well. He is getting back to his independent old self.

2. I am riding regularly since my cardiac cath and two stents. Unfortunately progress is slow. I planned to be riding more by now but still just managing a nine mile round trip. But I can ride and for that I am thankful! On Saturday I rode on the Creeper Trail (a total of 9 miles) and rode to church Sunday (7 miles roundtrip). So I am getting some biking in. Still I tire easily and I occassionally have that familar ache in my chest- no real pain though.

3. My garden is booming: We continue to pick and eat lettuce, I occassionally sneak potatoes out from under my plants, we had zucchini and onions for dinner last night, and we are canning and freezing green beans.... lots of them. Everything is going along well. The corn is tall, the tomato plants taller, sweet potaoes are spreading, onions developing, squash growing, and peppers flowering. I lost a peach tree due to dog. It was a free tree from a neighbor that wasn't doing too well so it was no real loss. My apple trees, cherry trees and other peach tree are doing well. I tried to bud-graft an apple tree but it doesn't look too good at the moment, but the rootstock for the fall is growing well.

4. I do not have the energy to clear more of my property for the apple trees. Maybe after a few more weeks I will up to it. If I was thrity again.....

5. My cider fermentation experiments have gone well (after the first batch). Hopefully I will have a "receipe" down for fall cider making.

6. Blackberries are coming in. I picked about a quart this weekend. I try to get a few more quarts this week so that Sharon and I can start jamin'.

So thats about it. Here are a couple of shots from the past week: I packed too much so had to resort to panniers and a backback when I first started riding again.

Red lights slow down the average mph.... this is downtown Johnson City. There is little traffic downtown in the morning and its tempting to run these long waits. I don't... but its tempting.

I saw these one morning on the ride in. These mushrooms seemed to pop up overnight. Cab anyone id them?

Here is another storm damaged tree. Storms two weeks ago did some significant damage in the area.

There is a bike rack about twenty yards away from this sign. I wonder if bicyclists have an aversion to walking.

Normal gear load for the daily ride easily fits in my panniers: pump, extra tube, small tool kit, lunch and a change of clothes (if necessary). Usually i store my clothes at work on a driving day.

Stan

2009-06-19T08:31:00.000-04:00

Stan got in a fight with something about three days ago. He was beat up pretty bad. I took him to the Vet who wanted over $400 to fix him up. I said no. He did drain the wound and gave him a shot of penicillin but I am trying to tend to him myself the best I can. The poor guy is pretty managled, but he seems to be getting back to normal. He is anxious to get outside and I think I will let him out tomorrow. Stan is an indoor/outdoor cat- in the summer he usually is outside all the time. He is a "work cat" and keeps the place free of mice and chases off rabbits and birds. You can't see from the photo but there is another wound just inside his ear. That one goes pretty deep. I could not get him to sit still for the photo op.... so the blurriness is his fault.

Morning Ride

2009-06-18T08:04:00.000-04:00

Geez...... I rode into work this morning and when I arrived I suddenly realized I forgot my pants..... and it wasn't a dream! I somehow did not plan my ride very well. So here i am at work in a pair of shorts. This is just one more instance that demonstrates the impracticality of spandex. Thankfully i don't wearing biking shorts, just your regular run of the mill shorts. Even so they are not work attire. So I have to go and explain to my boss.... sigh. The one good thing is that I can get away with it in a college environment. People will just think I am an older student (except for my staff who will riducule me mercilessly).

On the ride in I saw this beautiful oak. It was massive, beautiful on the outside, but had a fatal flaw. The last two days we were struck by severe thunderstorms and a small tornado was confirmed about ten miles north of my house. This is not an frequent area for tornadoes so it was an unusual event.

Last night my son asked for hamburgers and french fries for dinner. I had no potatoes in the bin, so I dug under one of my potato plants and found these big boys. There were large and crisp. I cut them up, added a dash of olive oil and baked them at 425. The hamburger was from a cow we had butchered this spring (we split the cow among four families). I topped the burgers with lettuce, onion from the garden and a few of last years jalepenos that we canned. Except for the ketchup, buns, and salt it was a nice home grown meal.

Morning Ride

2009-06-15T13:04:00.000-04:00

I extended my ride from the simple 1.5 mile cruise to 4.5 miles. I started near the mall and rode away from the busy streets, up a long but never steep hill, through a quiet neighborhood, down a mild hill, under Interstate 26 into downtown. It is never crowded downtown so I crsied through several intersections, crossed a busy street to a mile long flat just before campus. I could smell fresh mown grass, the aroma of a soft shower, and fresh air (except when I passed a garbage truck). A light shower grew to a steady rain as I went along and I needed to take off my glasses. The rain kept me cool. I was a bit drenched when I arrived on campus but felt good. It was a nice ride in. I cleaned up and changed and was energized for work.

A Letter from a Farmer

2009-06-12T08:38:00.000-04:00

It was 7 am this Saturday morning and I took one look around me and was impressed. I arrived at the Bristol Farmer's Market and set up my booth with my fellow woman farmer, Jennifer Cooper who sells pasture raised lamb. Earlier at 5:30 am, it hadn't seemed worth it, but now as I took one look around, I felt refreshed. Here were some of Bristol's most dedicated small farmers setting up their wares ready to welcome each person that arrived. They were smiling and joking, working together as if they had known each other and me for years. Farmers were helping farmers. Two great big guys helped my friend Jennifer get her small freezer of lamb out of her truck and over to our table. My neighbor Rick smiled and welcomed us newbies back. Farmer greeted farmer as they milled around setting up their tables and waited for the first customers to roll in.

For the next four and one half hours I spent one of the most relaxing and yet invigorating mornings of my week. Customers that had....... [more]

Look what I saw

2009-06-12T08:21:00.000-04:00

I planted a couple plants of broccoli for the first time this year. And look.......

Seedy Compost

2009-06-11T08:01:00.000-04:00

The corn is doing great. I planted four rows this year. I expanded the garden last spring so that I could increase my corn and potato crops. But I needed to add lots of compost to the hard packed clay that makes up my property. So I bought about two tons of compost added it and realized it would not be enough. Grudgingly I used about a ton of my own compost. The problem was that I started this batch in the late fall. I collected leaves, family kitchen-vegetable matter, and various and sundry items such as garden debris.... frozen tomatoes that I never got to pick, the insides of winter squash, etc. During the winter the the compost never really got cooking. The weather cooled quickly and the piles froze and thawed all winter making a nice anaerobic pile. I had about a ton of the stuff and spread it in my expanded areas. An aerobic pile will heat up from the bacterial activity and the heat kills off the seeds. This did not happen. The bad part is I have lots of crab grasses sprouting up in various parts of the garden. It requires the intensive labor of tilling (which I do with a hoe hand- i need a rototiller bad!). The interesting part is that I have tomato plants and winter squash growing everywhere- hundreds of plants! In the photo above those are "volunteer" tomatoes growing next to the corn. I suspect they are all roma tomatoes. I transplanted a couple and they have nearly caught up with my greenhouse grown plants. So why the greenhouse? I am not sure.

Its gonna rain

2009-06-10T16:23:00.000-04:00

Even though I only have a 1.75 mile bike ride back to my car, I am going to get very wet! The clouds are very dark on the horizon and the weather radar map displays them are green, yellow and orange..... cheers for the farm! sigh for the ride.

Back on the Road....for my birthday

2009-06-10T08:29:00.000-04:00

I rode for the first time since my cardiac catherization and stents. Its been a week since the procedure and I am supposed to be able to resume normal activities which for me includes bicycle commuting. Some would argue that bike commuting is not normal but I would say they they need to stop thinking so twentieth-century like. I am, as I mentioned before, a partial commuter. Since my commute to work is 25 miles I drive part way and bike part way. Last year I bike commuted over 2000 miles. I haven't counted miles this year but it is certainly less than fifty. Today is my birthday and though I haven't biked fifty miles as of today I have lived fifty years. So I can offically whine about my aches and pains.

The cath site is still purple with bruising so I took it very easy- I didn't want to rupture my femoral artery somewhere in Johnson City. I decided to err on the side of caution. So I loaded up the bike, packed an extra set of clothes and drove twenty something miles into downtown Johnson City. I unloaded the bike and took off. I chose a route with minimal hills (this is East Tennessee so hills are unavoidable), traffic was light, and the total bicycle ride was a meager 1.75 miles. I didn't have any chest pain and my femoral artery remained intact. Though the ride was short it felt right and good and downright calming to be back at it. I am limping a little, but all in all okay.

Apple Trees

2009-06-09T14:32:00.000-04:00

Anthony tied up his dog a little too close to one of my apple trees (Granny Smith). The result was mutilation of some of the branches. You can see the branches at the bottom of the tree. The tree will survive but it will not quite have the shape I 'd like.

On another note I noticed alot of crab apple trees on campus. The fruit just goes to waste. So as soon as it is ripe I am going to pick some and try out my fruit press.

On still another note I plan to try my hand at June T budding. A neighbor has a Stayman Winesap on the weekend I will run up to his house and cut off a young branch and then apply a bud to some rootstock I have growing in the back.

Recovering

2009-06-08T15:10:00.000-04:00

I am not so good at recovering.

Its not that I don't heal properly -its just that I find it very hard to follow doctors orders. I am not supposed to lift more than ten pounds for a week. Last Friday I decided to go to work because at home I am tempted to garden and do other things that require lifting. Ten pounds is not much weight, the equilvalent (so I was told) of a gallon of milk.

Unfortunately I could not go to work on Saturday or Sunday and to top everything thing off my wife was working on her weekend shift at the hospital. So Saturday arrived..... and I read a little , cleaned up the kitchen..... and decided I could do some cooking. I made this chicken dish that was awesome (see below). But I had to go to the grocery store, which meant that I would carry the groceries into the house. No big deal though, I didn't buy any milk. Just chicken, mushrooms, white wine, apple juice, corn meal, and other odds and ends. I prepared the meal and stowed it in the refrigerator for later baking, watched the weather channel, took out the garbage and since it was warm and sunny, sat outside for a minute in the sun (okay thirty seconds). I saw my garden and realized I better get some tomato stakes in the ground. Of course I had to cut tomato stakes which didn't seem like it would involve much weight lifting...... though I had to move the table saw, lift old six foot long 2x 8's, push them through the saw, carry stacks of stakes to the garden and pound them into place. It didn't seem like that much work. And I did it slowly, rested at times, weeded a little, weeded a little more and then hoed some weeds, dug out the peas, turned a row to plant more squash and sweet potatoes. And of course I have several trees I need to cut down..... but I was good and held back. I didn't even touch the chain saw. Okay, I touched it and after lifting it realized it was too heavy.

My job is not too physical at the library so needless to say i am glad to be back at work where I can stay out of trouble.

Pedaling Revolution

2009-06-05T13:10:00.000-04:00

I just requested Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities, by Jeff Mapes (Oregon State University Press) for our library collection. I can't wait to get it!

This book is getting attention in many places. David Byrne, founder and songwriter of the band Talking Heads reviews the book in the May 31, 2009 New York Times Book Review. You can also read a review at BikePortland.org and the Library Journal.

Cardiac Catherization

2009-06-03T20:26:00.000-04:00

Well I finally had the cath and am recovering at home. They put two stents in the left anterior descending artery. It was 90% blocked in one spot and had constrictions in several other areas. I was fully alert during the cath. Its an amazing process and I am thankful to God that it is an available option.

My problems slowly increased over the last couple of weeks. I tried to take it easy, but was wiped out the end of most days. It got to the point that on simple jobs around the house I was exhausted. So I finally but reluctantly had the cath (I think it was my eighth one). I am sore, tired and recovering. It will take a little bit, but hopefully I will able to ride my bike on short easy trips in a couple of weeks. One good thing is that I did manage to get my garden in. The corn is up, sweet potato slips are established and more. I'll have plenty of good things to eat.

Cider

2009-05-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

I finished bottling my cider this past weekend. It tastes awful. It could be a problem with the fact I am using organic apple juice instead of real cider or fresh presed apples. It could be a problem with using a plastic carboy. It could also be a problem with the acid level. I haven't tested the ph but I suspect it is too high. A good cider should have a ph below 4.0 Too be honest it might be all these reasons and more. Making cider is easy, but a good cider is complex.

I will try again of course, though I think i will experiement with one gallon batches. I will try again and this time will monitor the ph carefully.

Hard Cider

2009-05-22T13:17:00.000-04:00

Hopefully this weekend, if all goes well, I will be able to bottle four gallons of hard cider. Back in mid to late March I bought five gallons of organic cider/apple juice, poured it into a five gallon carboy, pitched some champaigne yeast into it, added an air lock and waited. I added to the batch 1/2 cup of sugar per gallon of cider. It started fermenting in the next few days and didn't stop until early May. I then siphoned it out into another carboy (racking it to get rid of debris on the bottom) and the fermentation started again and ran for a week or so.

I will hope to finish the process and bottle four gallons tomorrow. I want to experiment a little so I will try the following:

1. Do nothing. Bottle and cork into a 1.5 liter wine bottle (for an uncarbonated dry cider).
2. Into a gal jug add apple juice. Wait until it starts fermenting again, then add camden tablet (sulfur) and bottle (for an uncarbonated sweet cider).
3. Bottle into 750 ml bottles with 2 oz. of sugar per gallon (for a semi-sweet naturally sparkling cider).

Of course I am hoping I didn't make four gallons of vinegar. We shall see! I'd like to distill a gallon into a light brandy, but that is illegal. You can make hard cider/apple wine but you cannot legally distill it.

Growing Along

2009-05-20T15:48:00.000-04:00

Here is my new sweet potato patch dug out by my daughters boyfriend. Yeah Anthony!! It was the hardest clay on my property and that is saying something. He added about 1/2 ton of homemade compost... the compost was not quite finished but full of earthworms. Hopefully they will enjoy there new home.

I started sweet potatoes inside under a heat lamp. They really like it warm. I usually put them outside on days that promise to be sunny.

Here's my garden as of this morning. The potaoes and beans are doing real well. Onions are growing well. In the background you can see my new sweet potato patch

Sweet Potatoes

2009-05-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

How I grew sweet potato slips:
I took last years sweet potatoes which I saved for seed and put them in a plastic thingy that is about four inches deep and three feet by four feet. The thingy is a plastic top to an old tupperware-like storage container. Anyway i poked holes in the bottom. Laid a one sheet layer of newspaper on the bottom, added the sweet potatoes and covered them with compost. I have a 100 watt light bulb shinning on it at night and put it out on warm days. It took nearly three weeks but the slips are popping up and some are about two to three inches high. I plan to plant them next week.

Even as I write:
I hired my daughters boyfriend, Anthony, to take the sod off part of my lawn, frame it with 4 x 4's, dig two drainage holes four feet deep (throw a pine log in them and refill them), turn the rest of the soil, and fill it with compost. Thanks Anthony!! This will be a twelve by twelve bed for my sweet potatoes. I really should add some sand with my clay soil - but i need to wait till next year for that.

What I will do if all goes well:
When the slips get four to five inches tall I will snip them from the seed potatoes and plant them in the raised bed. Hopefully more slips will sprout up behind them so that i can keep planting until the bed is full.
Then I will will wait until the plants start to die out, dig the potatoes, cure them in the sun, save a few for next years seed and eat the rest. Last year I didn't use a raised bed but grew about forty pounds of potatoes. They were great!

Injury

2009-05-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

As an update.... my older son saw the neurologist who said that his problem is consistent with nerve damage from an injury. While not good news it is alot better news than a CMT or MS diagnosis.

Frost!

2009-05-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

Wow. We had a frost this morning. The airport reported a record low of 34 degrees. But at my house there was frost on my roof and patches on the lawn. It was a bit of a surprise. I heard there might be a possiblity of frost on Tues morning- but it came a night early. I don't think it hit my garden though. I checked this morning and everything seemed okay. I will have to cover plants tonight.

When the sun shines, there's drought

2009-05-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

On another note i haven't been blogging much and I apologize to those who have followed my blogs. My blogging started to die back in January when i started two graduate classes. I debated taking one or two classes and decided to push (read kill) myself. Anyway they are over and I have a little more time to write.

But I am dry. I haven't been biking the last couple of weeks because of health. The last month I haven't been feeling that great... mostly weary. I thought it was just my schedule. But about two weeks ago I was riding to work and I had a pretty good bout of chest pain. Chest pain is not unusual for me but this seemed a bit different. So I am in dialogue with my cardiologist and probably won't bike until I get an all clear. It might just be stress... it might be a fluke.... but i am not anxious to have another heart attack.

And when the sun shine there is drought.

I am really worried about my two sons. Both are having health problems. The younger has stomach problems that might be Celiac... a wheat/gluten allergy. My oldest daughter has it, its genetic, and requires a huge life adjustment. So we are struggling with that. And my older son is at the neurolgist even as i write. He started having problems with his foot and after a couple of visits to the family doctor, we were told it might be a life-long/ no cure neurological disorder. Being the info junky that I am I read as much as I could on potential candiates causing this. I hope its not them. I really hope its not them.

When it Rains it Pours

2009-05-15T09:41:00.000-04:00

On the way in I was thinking about this phrase mostly because of stuff going on around me. The saying assumes rain is a bad thing... for bicycling rain isn't great. And despite floods and stuff, overall rain is good. Perhaps we should say something like When the sun shines, its drought.

My garden survived ten days of rain in a row. The peas are hurting and i think i drowned one edge of my onions, but besides that it is thriving. I planted everything but corn, sweet potatoes, and squash. I will likely do that this weekend.

Morning Ride

2009-04-24T08:55:00.000-04:00

I meandered through some neighborhoods i hadn't been in a while. It was a short ride, three miles one-way, but very pleasant. Dogwoods are blooming everywhere and some are strikingly white. I am not real fond of ornamentals..... but i like dogwoods partly because they grow naturally along forest and field edges. I took several photos going through what is locally called "Gump Streets." I am not sure why it is called that. It is an older, upper crust neighborhood.

I have been riding in my work clothes lately. After a while you get used to riding in shoes.

It was cool but not cold this morning. I brought shorts and sneakers for the way home. It is supposed to be in the low eighties today!

Biking in Florida

2009-04-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

A little FRUSTRATED!!!

2009-04-15T21:29:00.000-04:00

I guess i need to rethink my little temporay greenhouse experiment. it is true that my bell peppers have done well. I started an apple tree from a seed and wow is it ever a vigorous little grower. Unfortunately the story ends there. Jalepenos, broccoli, lettuce, thai peppers, tomatoes (five varities), basil, thyme, and onions all look...... well pretty bad. I suspect i will throw away three hundred plants. Some kind of fungus, a mushroom, is growing inside some of the pots. Bummer. The plants are but an inch high.... if that... and do not grow. The leaves look like an inspid green. I know its only April... but its already April!!! i need some greenhouse advice (besides give it up dude!!!!). this year it is too late. can i pull this off next?

on another note, outside in my garden my peas have zoomed upward. i have onions and brocolli growing. potatoes are planted, and though my lettuce is just started... i have visions of a healthy salad coming in several weeks. My apples and cheryy trees have popped out leaves. My blackbery and blueberry bushes are growing. Rhubarb has sprouted up. So it isn't that bad. i suspect farmers need more faith in God than everyone else. Its a wild... no.... a WILD processs.

Greenhouse

2009-04-09T11:57:00.000-04:00

I shot this photo about two weeks ago. My tomato plants have not grown much. My little greehouse experiement isn't working out too well. The problem seems to stem from a). too little light, b). too cool temperatures, or c). all of the above. I am going to try and pick up some flourescent lights but unless they they are inexpensive, i will let the darn things remain small. I have about two hundred one inch tomato plants. My son Josh hoped to sell them as one way to raise money for a school trip to france. But i couldn't sell these. I will likely give them away.

On another note my peas are up and thriving. They survived the recent mid april snow and freezing temperatures and appear to doing well. Last weekend I planted onions, spinach, and two types of lettuce.

Compost

2009-04-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

Compost is a big topic, certainly more than can be handled in a short post. There are several ways to compost and much depends on how fast you want to go, the materials available to compost, and how much you want to do. There are several barrel turning compost systems out there and they are somewhat pricey. They compsot small volumes, but do so quickly.

I compost large amounts and and it is a little slower since I do it by hand. I have an open space, partly shaded in the summer whree put grass clippings, leaves, and household debris. I only use vegetable matter, egg shells, coffee grounds, some paper towels, and an occassional newspaper. I also like to throw small amounts of horse or cow manure when i can get it. I don't usually get it though. Meat, fish bones/heads can be used as well (contrary to popular opinion) but it stinks and draws in animals so I don't use it. The basic ground rule is to use equal amounts of brown matter (leaves, sticks, bark, paper) as green matter. The green matter provides nitrogen. Grass clippings stink as well, the smell can be lessened with the use of other material and frequent turnings.

I pile the stuff up in a pile about eight feet long and up to about four and a half feet high. In the summer I let it sit for a couple weeks and then turn it. Turning it adds oxegen to the mix. If you don't turn it enough you will notice a sulfur like swampy smell. this is anaerobic (non-oxegen) bacteria. They work slower and colder than the oxegen requiring bacteria. So I turn as often as I can. I turn it using a pitchfork and/or shovel and its more work than you would think. It takes me two to three hours to turn a big pile. Ideally it should get hot so that weed seeds are destroyed. Bacteria and fungi grow in it and decompose the compost into a wonderful rich mix of organic dirt. During the winter my fall leaf compost usually gets too wet and cold to truly cook like it should. Next year i will try covering it. It isn't a big problem, it slows the process down, so that spring compost (which i want) is hard to get. Despite this I do lots and lots of worms in this fall mixture. I collect these during spring turnings and throw them in my garden.

Anyway thats what i do. There are good resoursces on the web. A good overall summary is here.

Got a funny caption?

2009-03-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Morning

2009-03-18T08:18:00.000-04:00

It was a cool morning, but around 6:30 i opened up my mini greehouse and watered plants. I put a small space heater in it so that it doesn't too too cold. I turned it on in the wee hours of the morning..... around 3AM. I woke uup, tossed and turned and could sleep. So I got up drank some milk and flipped through channels for a few minutes. I stopped at the weather channel because i was surprised it was around 40F. I am usually a little cooler than the airport reading the weather channel gives so I turned on the space heater and went back to bed.

So far I am disappointed with the greenhouse. Things keep warm, but i think i need more light. I have a nice southern exposure but my neighbors on two sides have tall pine trees. Anyway i have lettuce and brocholi and some tomatoes, but very few (i planted about 250 plants). Only one or two peppers. Its been four weeks for some of my plantings.... and nothing is popping.

any thoughts out there?

Weekend

2009-03-08T20:21:00.000-04:00

Wow... it was a beautiful weekend. Highs in the seventies, partly sunny. Saturday i woke at 7:00 made coffee and then worked for about two hours turning two compast piles and then consoldating them into one. The compost is cold.... not cooking yet. Here is a view of the neighborhood from my leafy, grassy, pile. The stakes on the edge of the garden are for climbers for the peas.

Afterward i went with my wife to Sam's. I picked up two Montgomery cherry trees, came back and planted them. I also prepared a row in the graden and planted two types of peas: Amish snap, a heirloom for three quarters of the row and Sugar Snap. I then filled peat planters and planted about 150 tomato plants, some onion, some thyme and some basil for the greenhouse. It was a busy Saturday and I was very sore after all that shovelling.

On Sunday i rested. Sort of. I fixed the burners on my propane grill in the afternoon and tried ... unsucessfully, to get my chain saw going. I think it died.

Greenhouse

2009-03-06T10:22:00.000-05:00

Lettuce came up this week in the greenhouse. I built the greenhouse back early February. It is meant to be a temporary structure that I can take down in May and put back up next February. I started a little lettuce about Feb 15, about 75 jalepeno plants, and about fifty tomato plants the last weekend (Feb 28). This weekend I hope to plant spinach and lots more tomatoes, and if I can find the room, bell peppers.

We had some cold temperatures the last week in Feb and first week in March.... down into the teens at night. I put a small space heater inside though in spite of it i suspect the low light and cold temperatures slow germination.

On another note, two weeks ago I rototilled another section of hard packed clay. It took me all weekend. I was so sore I could barely walk on Monday. Last week I bought i pickup load of compost and added it to the "soil." The ground has been so abused. Thankfully I only found an occassional aluminum can underneath. I didn't get nearly enough compost. I have about a ton of my own debris that I gathered last summer and fall. But it hasn't cooked yet. Its in two piles and I hope to consolodate it and turn it this weekend. It is a hard job with just a shovel. The only way it will be ready by April 15 is if we have some very warm weather.

Morning Ride

2009-02-09T08:22:00.003-05:00

It is really hard to take a picture with gloves on. I brought my daughter's old digital along with me (I still haven't bought one) thinking I might snap a few photos along the way. No way. I had to stop to take a photo. I used a backpack this morning so i got off the bike, took off my gloves and pack, dug out the camera, snapped the photo and put my gear back on. I kept the camera in my top pocket hoping to try a quick shot along the way. It was too dangerous attemtping to manage gloves and the old camera.

My morning ride was uneventful. It was cool but not cold, a balmy 35 degrees when I left. The days are getting longer and I did not need to use my light this morning. I will have to on the way back because I have class tonight and won't leave until about 8:30pm.

Busy Weekend

2009-02-09T08:05:00.004-05:00

I spent a lot of time outside this weekend. I built a temporary greenhouse. It is the worlds simplest design. Two ten foot lengths of 1/2 inch pvc tubing are attached and spaced every two feet on a square eight by seven foot frame. The frame is made from 2x6's I had in the garage and braced with plywood gussetts. Cover with plastic and there it is. Not quite that simple but almost.

Its purpose is to provide warmth and light for starter plant this spring. I assured my wife it is temporary. It will come down the end of April and stored away until next February. I will have lots of room, much more than enough to supply plants for my garden (or micro-farm) ....and so my fourteen year old son and I discussed the possible of growing about five hundred plants and to sell them at the farmers market (and give some away to friends). I think it may be a good way for him to make some cash, so i told him that he can have either $1 for every 3$ we make, or if it works out better for him, the proceeds after costs. Since the green house only cost about thirty-five dollars to build and since seeds and soil are dirt cheap, I think he would make out if we sold plants for $1 a piece.

Frogger

2009-01-30T20:45:00.002-05:00

So i waited at a busy intersection this morning.... no light, trying to cross four lanes (and a turning lane median) with traffic thundering down the lane and snow flurries blowing in my face. Unknown to me another bicyclist pulled up slightly behind and to my right. I waited. Almost had an opportunity to go... but no...i waited longer...and longer. Finally i saw an opening...nope, a car pulled out into the parkway further up. So i waited longer. It really was the longest i ever waited at an intersection. Finally I was able to cross to the median and then realized that the other bicyclist was crossing with me. Traffic the other way wasn't as heavy, still it was a wait.

"Wow traffic is heavy today," I said. I could see an opening and readied myself.

"Yeah," he said. Its worse than playing frogger isn't it?"

The opening came we went through and then he cut off to the right through a parking lot.

'What is frogger?' I wondered. I arrived at the office, made coffee and got settled. Work started, students arrived and i quickly became busy. At some point I asked two student workers about my coversation with the fellow bicyclist.

Apparently I am way out of the loop.

Class

2009-01-28T19:52:00.003-05:00

I am taking two classes this semester and will only need one more to finish my masters. My Monday night class is on Colonial Literature and my Tuesday night class is on Henry James. I am enjoying both, but am already tired from late nights and lots of studying after work.

In the Colonial Lit class I met a young woman who along with her husband is venturing out to be an urban homesteader. They have several window green boxes up and are growing vegetables. We talked briefly about food, problems with neighbors, and winter planting. It will be good to talk a bit more.

How's the weather where you are?

2009-01-28T19:25:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning and it was a balmy 58 degrees F! Then the wind started to blow, the rains came and the temperature dropped down to 38. Its supposed to get to 25 tonight. Major storms are all around.

How is the weather where you are?

Counterfeit Specialized Frames

2009-01-22T10:09:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have a Specialized you might want to read this. I thought this Ebay scam might be of some interest. Is your Specialized the real thing?

From Jan 2009 Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, 18(1), 6.

MORGAN HILL, CA- Specialized Bicycles points to evidence of an outside factory in the ongoing case of counterfeit versions of the supplier's high-end road framesets circulating the Internet.
Mark Schroeder, director of engineering for Specialized, said the fake frames are near duplicates of the Outside 3D frame shape, but the composite construction is different, which indicates an outside factory.
"These frames are not being sold/diverted out the back door of our factory, but are instead being made somewhere else. Where, we do not know nor have our investigators been able to find this counterfeit factory," he said.
They do know that the factory is in Taiwan or China as many of the customers who have purchased the fakes said the frames were shipped from China. Specialized also has reports of people buying counterfeit framesets while in China.
Specialized issued a press release recently detailing the fake S Works Tarmac framesets that its investigators started discovering on eBay and Craigslist earlier this year.
They are blue and red 2007 and 2008 frames and forks in sizes 52 and 54 centimeters with no serial numbers on the frame and/or fork or a fork serial number starting with K85L, or a headset carbon cone with FSA logo.
This isn't the first time Specialized has dealt with sales of fake products, but it is the brashest case the supplier has seen.
"Specialized is one of the more popular brands to copy in China," Schroeder said. "We have long been the target of counterfeits in China, but this was on low-end bikes that stayed in China. This is the first time we have had a high-end product so blatantiy ripped off?
Specialized could not estimate the number of fake frame sales, and said it's nearly impossible to stay ahead of the issue.
"The problem with tracking down the factories and sellers in China is that the Chinese government is unwilling to cooperate at the level we need to solve the problem," Schroeder said. "We proactively try to shut down sales on eBay and other sites through our team that monitors fake Internet sales. We monitor diese sites every day, but the problem is we can't stop every auction."

Inspirational?

2009-01-21T20:06:00.001-05:00

I needed a break from work and wandered through the library. I saw a fellow grad student i hadn't seen in a long time. She recently married and and i was shocked at how much she lived since i saw her last. Anyway i moved on and talked to a guy who used to work at starbucks. i said hello and he immediately told me he saw me biking and began to ask a million questions. Several times he said i was insipriational. i was surprised that he saw me, knew me, and watched me. Of course he is not biking himself... but thinks i am doing a good thing. i guess thats good. though i have been majorily lax.

just before Christmas my riding slowed to a stop. Near zero temperatures, snow, rain, and the desire for comfort have bested me. It seemed to start while changing a flat in the dark at twenty egrees F. i must admit that seemed to suck a lot of energy from me. Additionally schedule changes, which includes driving my son to school and taking two grad classes, limits my two wheelin'. yes i am making excuses. yes if i really pushed it i could do it. yes i am gaining weight as i type.....

how do i get beyond the comfort factor and get away from the rode and onto the road?

Bike Messengers in Seattle

2009-01-18T21:30:00.004-05:00

Mike Kane from the Seattle Post-Intellegencer says this about his award winning phot series on bike messengers in Seattle:

This was the lead image for a series I did with reporter Vanessa Ho on bike messengers in Seattle. It was a satisfying story, though I found the community a bit hard to penetrate. A lot of media coverage has tended to highlight less-than-savory aspects of the culture, including abrasive personalities and heavy drinking, and as such there is inherent distrust of the media. It took some time but I did eventually work my way into some interesting scenes and I feel the resulting presentation was meaningful.

The series with audio can be seen here.

Excrement, Insulation, Bike Paths Trim CO2 Emissions in Cities

2009-01-07T09:58:00.001-05:00

An interesting article in Bloomberg News:

From Berlin to Vancouver cities are creating bike paths, making windows air-tight and building cleaner power plants to counter the threat of global warming more quickly than national governments....
In Minneapolis, 100 miles (160 kilometers) of bike trails were installed in the past few years, bringing out cyclists even on snow-covered roads, according to the city’s Web site. The city is encouraging real estate developers to build more housing downtown to end the need for long commutes to suburbs, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said....
“We need to reframe the city and make it more compact,” Rybak, the son of a pharmacist, said in an interview. Still, Rybak said he doubts the combined reductions of cities will make enough headway in slowing global warming. The big changes needed, from insulating buildings to installing emissions-free wind turbines for power generation, must come ultimately from national governments because they have much greater resources, he said....
Bicycle commuting in New York is increasing by an annual 35 percent, the city’s Department of Transportation said in an Oct. 30 statement. More bike paths and a spike in the price of regular gasoline to a record $4.11 a gallon in the U.S. in July helped.

Spammers

2009-01-03T19:49:00.002-05:00

Well the spammers found me. I usually moderate comments and figured I didn't need that crazy letter scramble thingy. But alas they found me. The spammers have increased to a point of clogging my email. Today I had fifteen spam comments from places like Jordan shoes, runscape and costume jewelry.... please never ...ever... buy from these "businesses."

Anyway I need to turn on that letter thingy. To be honest I hate having to use it simply because it is a pain. My apologies to my real readers.

I'm back

2009-01-02T10:31:00.005-05:00

My trip to Florida went well. It was just my daughter and I. We hit a five hour traffic jam along highway 95. That made our 12 hour trip much much longer. But we arrived in Hobe Sound safely. We rode to the beach everyday. Parking lots were full of cars but we had no problem finding a spot for our bikes.

I filled my panniers full of towels, and food, Laura wore a backpack. I wish I had my camera. I could only take photos with my cell phone.

This is a looking down Bridge Road. It crosses from Hobe Sound onto Jupiter Island. I am unsure of the type of trees along the road, but they line both sides of the road. They looked pretty cool. Anyway one day I rode down Jupiter Island just for a short jaunt while Laura stayed on the beach. It is a small road with lots of foot and bike traffic. Drivers are cautious. Its a great drive observing the stately houses on each side of the road. there are some very wealthy people there.

We stayed only three days. AS much as I enjoyed the beach and biking the reason for my visit was to see my mom. Her mind is sharp but her body is ageing very quickly. It was a good visit. We left Jan 1, early in the morning. Laura was a New Years baby and she spent her 21st birthday on the road. We stopped for some mexican food and she ordered a beer. She was so disappointed they didn't card her!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

Hey. I spent the day with the family. My wife and I talked about getting on our bikes today but it never happened. too many things are going on. It is supposed to warm here, so I think Sharon and I will go for a recreational ride midday tomorrow.

The University is closed for the next ten days. I have off but my wife is working. Part of the time I will drive down to Florida to visit my mom. I will bring my bike and discover what it is like to ride on flat land. She lives about five miles from the beach. I am thinking early mornings, a ride to the beach, maybe a little fishing and then ride home. We shall see.

Hope everyone has has enjoyed Hanukkah (may miracles of oil continue) and/or Christmas (may the poor be blessed).

God bless.

Warm Week

2008-12-18T12:20:00.002-05:00

This past week has been quite warm, nearly sixty one day, but mostly in the fifties. Unfortunately the warmth is accompanied by lots of rain.

I didn't ride today. So instead i will catch up on some errands and pick up a few needed items for the holidays. I haven't done much shopping for Christmas except for a few online purchases. I did make a large purchase of computer components and a tower. One of the student workers helped me put together a new computer. Mine was ancient, more than six years old- which in computer time means it is still functioning but getting ready for retirement. Its retirement party will be on Christmas morning when we offically fire up the new family gift.

Rain

2008-12-16T22:54:00.003-05:00

I didn't ride this morning. It was pouring when I left for work and so I felt no strong pull for the roadway.

Work was slow. Students are gone and its time for projects. i have student workers fixing up things in the stacks, a staff person catching up on government documents check in procedures, and another staff person preparing old periodicals to go into the the rare book room. I helped this latter person as she worked on some old Scientific American magazines from 1854-1855. Pretty stuff. Drawings of patents, agriculcultural tools, news of advances in industry, odd news bits and some very crazy inventions.

I also dug out a Harpers Weekly full of advertisements from bicycle companies during the 1890's. I would say the bike ads are the most common ads during that era. I'll try to scan a few and post them.

Anyway i met my daughters after work at a new health food store. It was full of variety and very expensive. Its too bad. i suspect in the long run, expensive organics won't cut it. I prefer the local farmers market. We had fun shopping together. My oldest wouldn't let me buy. She has celiac disease and requires gluten free foods. This store had a better selection than most. But I hate to see her having to pay twice the normal cost of food. It kills me.

I really enjoyed getting on my bike yesterday. It rained on the way home. It was no big deal. Just a shower. I did alot of meandering. I was (and am) in a meandering mood. Yesterday I did a lot of mindless weaving through quiet back streets and took my time getting back to my car. It was a stress buster.

I have been struggling with an issue, years in the making, that recently became a celebration. I was able to help a group of people give over twenty five thousand dollars and physical equipment to a local non-profit that supports low income families and the poor in our region. It was an unusual thing and the timing during a lousy economic period is interesting. Avoiding details -I will say it was complicated and personally stressful. But they decided a couple of weeks ago and they sent their first set of checks yesterday. Their generosity will help single parents and the elderly with some significant needs. Yeah! It was the coolest thing when it happened. There is a bit more work to be done. But Yeah!!! May the donors be blest!

Warm And Balmy

2008-12-15T08:13:00.003-05:00

Thanks everyone for your encouragement... I appreciated the get well emails, comments and a card!

I went for a recreational ride last night to test out the bike. I wanted to make sure everything was a go for the morning. I like the quiet of night riding. It is certainly more relaxing than the hustle and bustle of traffic- especially during this high shopping time of year. The ride was went smooth. I didn't go far. Just enough to sweat a little.

Yes, despite it being mid December it is warm. When I left to ride this morning it was 54 F. Wow! No gloves and no hat- and even then I was over dressed. I think I should have worn shorts. I had a few muscles complaining- they were a bit forgetful of how great it is to ride a bike as the sun chases the dark away. I am still ever so slightly dizzy. No big deal.

Out of sync

2008-12-12T21:22:00.003-05:00

I have not been feeling well. Last week I have been under the weather. I had a strange virus that infected my inner ear. The dizziness was awful..... anyway I am getting back on my feet. Today was the first day in a while I felt somewhat normal. I haven't rode in a while. I thinka about getting back on the bike but the more I think, I give in to the warmth and comfort of the car.

Got to bike more.

University Parkway

2008-12-05T08:18:00.004-05:00

More often than not I cross University Parkway through a large intersection where crossing is aided by a light. Sometimes I decide instead to cruise through a residential neighborhood. Then I have to cross with out the benfit of a light. Cars drive by here going forty to fifty mph just so they can slam there brakes on about a quarter mile down the road. It quite a bit of traffic in the morning. Crossing takes a little daring and good timing.

Notice the snow? Got dusted. I found this older camera which was put in a household drawer a few years ago. I was looking for something else and came across it. I believe it belongs to my oldest daughter. It has problems but takes a half decent pic. I suppose I am going to have to give it back to her. But maybe I'll take a few shots first.

Thanksgiving Flat

2008-11-27T23:11:00.006-05:00

This morning I decided to ride through a nearby park. I got down to the park and realized my tire was going soft.

Flat. Sigh.

It was such a nice morning. Cool but not cold. I saw another guy with the same idea as mine riding through the park. I was jealous. He had air in this tire. I have battled flats lately; it seems that is all I write about. So I got home and doubled check the rim and inside of the tire. There was no proturding areas, lose debris or sharp objects. I just had a little bad luck.

I went for a short spin tonight just to check the repaired tube out. It was very short... less than a mile. Just a test ride. I reamin inflated. Perhaps I will revist the park tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Celebrate goodness. Ride safe.

Deflation Revisted

2008-11-19T10:44:00.002-05:00

Back in early October I wrote about the wierdness of lower gas prices and expressed a concern about deflation. Prices keep decreasing --a first it seems good- its like the tide going further out and further out and further out, exposing lots of beach front. And then the tsunami hits- depresssion.

Here is what Bloomberg writes:

Today's report signals deflation, or a prolonged slide in prices, may become another hazard facing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and President-elect Barack Obama. Deflation could worsen what some economists already call the deepest recession in decades, by making debts harder to pay off and countering the impact of Fed interest-rate cuts.
``We are moving into an environment where prices are falling across the board,'' David Resler, chief economist at Nomura Securities International Inc. in New York, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. ``That is going to continue. Deflation is spreading across the economy.''

I noticed the other day that a Canon camera I looked at back in October has decreased in price from $299 to $209. It seems like a good time to buy. But I am reluctant. So is everyone else for that matter.

Lately I have heard experts and company leaders people change their statements on the economy from "this is the worst economy since the early eighties" to "this is the worst economy since the 1930's."

So in response I say.... ride your bike to work, learn to grow/produce/process food, buy local, pay off debt, do not borrow anymore, spend wisely, live simply, and become indespensible at work.

Even the crisis blows over and the economy booms, these things will only help you.

Trial Run: Thanksgiving

2008-11-17T15:17:00.002-05:00

My trial run had nothing to with biking.

Yesterday we had a trial Thanksgiving Dinner. You really can't get enough practice cooking a and enjoying a good thanksgiving dinner. Since we are still knee deep in homegrown sweet potatoes they were on the menu. Turkeys were on sale and it was very enjoyable: The warm aroma of baked turkey, fixings, family, and leftovers.

So.....

Today I had a trial leftover turkey and cranberry sandwich with a side of sweet potatoes for lunch. Yes I am gloating (or is that bloating).

On the Road Again

2008-11-17T11:50:00.008-05:00

I've been lazy. It took almost a week to get around to changing my tube. So I haven't been riding- I've been burning that cheap fuel instead.

But my bike is up and going and I''m on the road again.

I finished watching the John Adams series put out by HBO. There was one scene that reminded me how riding in all kinds of weather is not wierd or unusual- its a part of history. We celebrate the solitary rider, facing wind and rain and snow, as they ride into town.

Ahhh, those were the days.... So I say, be the lone rider journeying into town. Celebrate riding through wind, rain, traffic and cold temperatures! Connect with your past. And make sure your keep a close eye on the air pressure in your tires.

Inflation and the lack thereof

2008-11-11T21:05:00.002-05:00

I rode just a short way this morning, admiring the colorful clouds as I rode, when realized my tire was a little low. I thought that odd, because I did my usually pre-ride check and everything was okay. I stopped about a mile from my starting point. Took off my gloves (it was about 30 degrees F), sorted through my panniers to find the presta valve, dug out my pump, and pumped the tire up.

Btw it is quite hard to get 90 pounds of pressure in the tire with my cheapo hand pump. Actually its hard to get seventy pounds in. I pumped and pumped and pumped and pumped and occassionaly paused to rub my cold hands together. Finally I finished and so I put back the pump, put back all the other debris that I removed from bags to get to the presta adapter, put on my gloves and rode off. My tire lasted about a half mile. Sigh.

I had a spare tube. I had a pump. I had a presta valve adapter. I had tire levers. But I really didn't want to change my tire. Instead I hoofed it back to my car and drove to work. I know, I know. It would been faster to change the tube. The walk was nice, though. I got a little exercise. And....(there must be another bright side to this).....

Groucho Tom

2008-11-04T08:56:00.005-05:00

I am grouchy this morning. My youngest son didn't have school because of the elections, so he was up late last night. He let Stan (my cat) inside while he played a computer game. Stan usually sleeps in the garage. Around 2:00 AM Stan barged into my room, meowing really loud. So I got up and kicked him out and never really fell back asleep until 4:30. Then my alarm went off at 5:15. I debated going back to sleep.... forget voting and riding. I lost the debate and got up.

I left early to go to the county office. There was a news report that county offices opened at six. Not mine, they didn't open until 8:00. Growl.....that doesn't work for me, so I grumpily rode to work. I did have a nice ride, weaving one handed through sleepy neighborhoods while sipping a grande bold coffee. I stayed away from busy roads, even though it is longer. There was no traffic at all, so I took it slow, enjoying the easy pace, the lack of cars and bright colors of fall. I almost worked off my grouch. Almost. Perhaps if I pushed it and sweated I might have worked it off.

I offended one of my staff already (before 8:00am). She started talking about "new" revelations about Obama that she saw on the news. I snapped I don't really care whether Obama's aunt came to the US illegally. "Who gives cares what his aunt did?" I'm glad I am not responsible for my aunts.

I think I will go over to acquisitions and visit the rest of my staff and start an argument with them. Or perhaps I should just go out for an early morning breakfast beer and take a nap.

Growl.

A Thought on Starbuck's Breakfast Blend

2008-11-03T09:58:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh........

Sun Rise

2008-11-03T09:52:00.003-05:00

It is nice to ride in the cool of the morning with clear skies as the sun pops up over the horizon. The sun brightens the grey sky with reds into orange and then bright yellow. As it does so, I smell the fresh fall air, hear the regular cadence of my pedalling, and feel the chill of 40 degree downhill breezes.

I like biking to work.

Panaracer Pasela TourGuard

2008-11-03T09:43:00.001-05:00

I bought a new tire Sunday. I liked the Panracer's Pasela TourGuard that was on it and so bought another one. This time I bought a 700x 32. The previous was 700x35. The tire seemed to hold up well in a variety of conditions and so I think it is worth the extra cost.

Drew and Emily came over Sunday Night. Drew started a fire in the backyard fireplace while I grilled chicken and changed my tire. Who knew I could multi-task?

Hole in Tire

2008-10-31T14:24:00.004-04:00

Bummer. I discovered a hole in my rear tire. It was a Panaracer Pasela Tourguard. I have a patch/boot on it but its a pretty large hole. Its will retire as soon as I can get another.

October Mileage- 341.5

I rode much less this month. It wasn't an intentional thing. It just kind of didn't happen. Still at 28 mpg and ~~4.00, 3.86, 3.69, 3.47, 3.20, 2.98~~, 2.66 a gallon, thats about $32.50 in gas savings- about the cost of a new tire.

Skiing and Biking

2008-10-30T10:45:00.003-04:00

I grew up skiing in snowy New England. Then, when I was nineteen, I worked at Big Sky in Montana driving a laundry truck so I could ski for free. I did time as a ski bum. But it was not a life long career. In fact I lost interest in skiing somewhere in my mid twenties. It was too cold, took too much time, and cost too much (and my girlfriend -future wife was into cross country). So I haven't skied in over twenty years.

This morning I was thinking about that as I cruised down a hill in the dark. It was about 28 degrees F. I thought how much better this is than skiing. I don't fall nearly as much. No long drive to the slopes. I don't need to pay big bucks to use the slopes (okay my taxes pay... but I'd pay them anyway). And it is a year round activity. I probably go faster than skiing.

That last thought made me wonder about the slow bicycle movement. I wonder if they speed up in the winter to generate a little heat. I like the slow food movement and the slow bicycle thing seemed like a good idea at first. But it separates bicyclists. Puts them in categories. I don't think thats a good thing. In the cold weather, one way to warm up is go faster. Get those legs working and sweat a little!

On another note: I had a flat this morning and the cheapo walmart hand pump had trouble communicating with the presta valve. It took me nearly a half to change the tire! Needless to say I was late to work. I am glad everyone here at work is so supportive.

As Gas goes down, Driving goes up

2008-10-30T10:38:00.003-04:00

NY Times: As Gas Goes Down, Driving Goes Up
At first this looks like a no-brainer. As gas goes down in price, Visa. Mastercard and Discover are showing the near 10% decline in gas purchase has risen. The headline makes it seems like we are back to normal.... but we aren't. Despite the rise in credit card gas purchases, it hasn't risen to previous years levels. Price is lower now than it was at the end of Oct 2007. But gas purchases are still down 6% from last year.