Last Tuesday

Another gravel grinder in the Thumb. I had a bit of a lot of trouble with wind noise in the audio and will either try to attach some sort of wind filter to the camera body, or just put an audio track over it in the future. Or maybe do both.

Experimental Video

I'm weary of posting the same old bike in a landscape photo so here are a few videos.




They're just snippets and eventually I'll to learn how to tweak the audio as I fiddle with the video software.

My Favorite Time of Year

Despite the many signs of spring - birds and waterfowl returning to nest in the north, trees greening and blossoming, farmers preparing their fields - temperatures were still in the thirties when I left home Saturday morning for a 30-mile gravel ride in the Thumb. Had the winter riding gear on starting off and should have planned for the warmer afternoon temps, but that's okay, the extra layer helped sweat off a few of those added winter pounds.



It's still hard to believe that everything growing is about a month ahead of schedule, and I haven't heard anyone complaining about the early warmth. Shoot, I even enjoyed getting chased by a yapping little ankle-biter that tried to take a hunk outta me - must be the weather.

So it's all good for the next five months as we break into my favorite time of year. That said, Old Man Winter can kiss my lycra-clad butt good-bye!

Vernal Equinox and Vernal Pools

Ah, spring! Renewal, a fresh start! Leaving dirty ol' winter behind - I love it!

Not that we had much of a winter, but signs of spring are about a month ahead of schedule. This past week temperatures reached into the seventies each day and the forecast for today and tomorrow are in the eighties - no way this could be global warming.

So I decided to take advantage of these summer-like temps with a ride to Tobico Marsh. Pedaling along the 3.5-mile trail that crosses and skirts numerous vernal pools, I'd occasionally catch an earful of croaks and peeps - the mating call of Wood Frogs and Northern Spring Peepers.


Who knew frogs could make such a racket?

In the video you can see ripples made from the frogs croaking and searching for a mate. I wasn't able to get close for video so I used a long lens to capture a solitary Wood Frog.

South End Rail Trail

A friendly reminder and not too subtle warning to hooligans using the rail trail.

The Winter that Wasn't

Just had to get out today and take advantage of the 50˚ temperature in January. That's right, January, as in winter. We've had a few flurries here and there, and I've even shoveled snow once after one or two inches fell in December.

Don't get me wrong, I ain't complaining.

Trash Talk

I see quite a bit of trash during my rides I'm sorry to say.

Discarded lottery tickets, furniture, cigarette butts, plastic water bottles, refundable beer and pop cans - you name it.

So much junk in fact, it makes me wonder what people are thinking.

But yesterday, while heading to the store to turn in a few cans and pick up some groceries, I spot an empty beer can in the ditch. What the hey, another ten cents in my pocket, so I set the bike down and add the can to my collection. As I hop back on my ride a motorist slows to a stop. Usually when this happens it's someone asking for directions.

A smiling woman asks if I'm picking up trash. And she wants to give me a candy bar for being a good citizen.

Somewhat embarrassed, I thank her and decline the candy bar explaining I'm just heading to the store. She smiles and waves while pulling away.

Sometimes you meet the nicest people out on the road.