Having found the cord to load pictures, let’s begin again:

Mother’s Day 2013

This time of year, I’m spending 4 days a week in Wv and 3 in Virginia. There is so much to do on the house before we can retire there that I go up and try to accomplish some of the work as well as having a local man come to do work or have some of his friends work with him. So this week, I planted herbs and annuals and a new hydrangea, stained/sealed the gazebo and stained/sealed a portion of one of the outbuildings. I also got a great deal on 2 beautiful angel’s-wing begonia hanging planters! I love begonias My hanging planters are currently huddled in the shower because the temps in WV tonight are supposed to be in the twenties. Spring is unpredictable in WV. One lady told me that it snowed in June, the year she moved there. It’s good to know.

The handyman got my studio wired for power and the remainder of the insulation put in and hopefully, this week will get the paneling up so I can paint it.

I rode a few miles (less than 10) on Friday, 10 on Saturday and 25 on Sunday. The 2 early days, it was sunny and warm. I forgot my camera on those days though.

On Sunday, I set out for a glorious Mother’s Day ride. Let’s just begin by saying it was chilly. Before I hit the trail, I climbed the hill behind our house. Though we own up to the first crest, I had not tried to climb up it alone. It’s pretty steep. This is about halfway down the slope, looking over at the house and yard. Then, a better shot of the lower property, from where I hope to put the orchard in.

The trail from Buckeye to Marlinton is paved, so it was a quick, easy ride. Upon reaching Marlinton, I checked out the Dirty Bean bike and coffee shop. They have the best coffee in Marlinton. The shop had been on Craigslist and I was wondering if it had changed hands. That would be the first impression anyone would have upon entering the shop, because it has been remodeled and looks great! Similarly, there were two guys behind the counter, instead of one frowning woman. Unfortunately, the guys were no more cheerful than the owner. Very sad. I left without even buying the coffee I had wanted.

From Marlinton, I headed to the tunnel and bridge. Since this was a clear day, following quite a few of rain, every seep in the rocks was living up to it’s name. Every creek and stream was rushing water and it was fabulous! The ground was so saturated that 30’ trees and 20-30 year old trees were simply losing their purchase in the ground and lying down. This doesn’t happen gently. Here is one that wasn’t here last week, and oh my, this one wasn’t here when we cycled by an hour ago!

The flowers were lovely. Trillium (wake-robin), Jack-in-the-pulpits, wild geranium, autumn olive (russian olive), apple blossoms, wild columbine and so much more. It was a great celebration of Mother’s day. Though I would love it if my children came to be with me on this day to honor our mothers, I make myself content with the fact that they are happy and healthy either working or having fun elsewhere.

Every time I ride this trail, I’m thankful to live so close that I can go do this as often as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I shot over 100 photos, but will have to use some another time. It was an exceptional trip. Great day. Go make your own breeze and remember: if you’re not having fun; you’re in the wrong gear. Cycle joyfully.

Mother’s Day

Great weekend. I cycled 3 days. Today, 25+ miles. The rains had been heavy for 3 days, so water was cascading down every possible seep in the mountainsides. I shot lots of pictures, but can’t find the cord to download them Will post pics another time) Hope you all had as awesome a weekend as I did!

Finally, a 30 miler

Saturday, I got in a quick 30 miler. Though that’s low mileage for me, over the long run, it’s a long one for me since I bought the houses. The weather was nearly perfect and the trail was nearly abandoned. OUt 15 and back 15. I had to rush because guys were coming to work on the house and yard. I got there 5 minutes before the guys did. My knees were weak and my muscles tightened as we talked about what needed to be done. I though I would be awfully sore on Sunday, but John and I cycled the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway trail together Sunday at a crawl and it was a nice follow-up to Saturday’s ride.
In WV, the trillium was beautiful, with colors ranging from a pink so light as to be nearly white through to an intense, fairly vibrant fuschia. I’ll hope to post pictures this coming week, but the forecast changed drastically in the last 36 hours. It was supposed to be sunny, clear and in the 70′s on Thursday and Friday. Now, it just looks like the next 7 days will be rain, wherever I am
Looks like it’s time to come up with some very good indoor projects on the house….. stripping wallpaper, ripping paneling off the sheetrock in the bathroom, moving the medicine cabinet and re-sheetrocking that wall. So many choices. I’ll probably read a book, or make a quilt.

18 miles today

I’m sore. Today, I got back on my touring bike and cycled 18 miles of the Greenbrier River trail. Oddly, it was the day of the Great Greenbrier River Race as well. People paddle several miles down the river from Marlinton to Buckeye, then get on their bikes and cycle 10 miles. Fortunately, I came onto the scene as the last 5 cyclists were whipping by. Here are the canoes and kayaks that were resting after their leg of the race. As I cycled into Marlinton to go to the ATM, I was applauded by the volunteers, who thought I was the “tail” of the event. These two gentlemen are Americorp volunteers. Since I’m in WV, the bike choices were the 3-speed Townie, or the touring bike. Itzhak (the touring bike) won. It was a great ride. The trillium were blooming.  Which I greatly appreciated. Most of the bloodroot had already bloomed, but there were a couple of colonies of bloodroot still in bloom. As you can see, the trail is absolutely beautiful this time of year.   It was a wonderful ride. As I stopped in Marlinton to use the ATM, there was much partying going on, with a band at the riverside park and an abundance of good cheer. That’s frequently the case when body fluids have been depleted on a ride and replaced with a boozy brew Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior, but I don’t think I’ll get back on the road today/tonight, just in case some of those folks are driving home after the party. As I came off the trail at Buckeye, there were cars and trucks lined up 20 deep, waiting to go down the little one lane road and one lane bridge, to pick up their kayaks. Not a single person seemed in ill-temper, which is admirable. Since arriving back at the house, I’ve been exhausted and my muscles are very sore after such a short ride, but I hadn’t been on Itzhak for months, so it’s to be expected. Tomorrow will bring rain and it will continue for 3 days. No cycling again until mid-week, if then. Go make your own breeze and remember: if you’re not having fun; you’re in the wrong gear Cycle Joyfully!

My quilt (off topic for bicycling)

I did get my quilt back from the long arm quilter. In the states, quilters make quilt tops and call it quilting. It’s really patchworking. I patched a quilt top. Then, I sent it to the longarm quilter to be quilted. It’s back and I have only to bind the edges now. Here it is, being modeled on one of the beds: 

On the trail more and more

As the weather improves, I’m on the trail and in the garden, more and more. That does mean less blogging, so it’s a happy thing, when my posts are less frequent.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a quick 14 mile trail ride. Along the way, I met a sweet menonite couple. He pushes her wheelchair along the trail and they get some fresh air. We spoke for about 20 minutes and I feel that we are now friends. John and I will visit his woodworking studio and hopefully, she will show me a quilt or two. Very sweet. She says she is so old that she won’t quilt any more, but I think that her hands will miss the needle and thread and seek out their old friends. My guess is that you’ll hear more about this couple as we get to know them.

Because I never use it, I’m selling the Bianchi. My road cycling days are behind me and I’m a trail rider now. Someone else should enjoy that bike, and I can think of things I could use the $ for.

In the garden, the garbage grows. Here are a few pictures of the spinace coming up from seed, the celery from garbage in the fridge, the pak choy was garbage, the garlic was almost dried to the point of collapse and the onions are just spring onion roots that were chopped off and I poked them into the ground. Isn’t this a wonderful means of re-cycling?  The chickens continue to lay, and now we have bobwhite quail. Oh, we did. As I was feeding today, the male flew out, despite our flight barrier. She has laid 7 eggs, and can continue to lay fertile eggs without him, for a couple of weeks. Then, we hope she will sit. right now, she just calls for him.   I’m heading up to WV for the remainder of the good weather, in hopes of spending some extended mileage on the trail ( for me, at this time of year, that could just be 20 miles/day).

Go make your own breeze and remember: if you’re not having fun; you’re in the wrong gear. Cycle joyfully.

Downsizing

I haven’t ridding in several days because work has pre-occupied me. Now, it’s rain and in the wee hours of the morning, we will fly to Memphis to see our youngest perform. She is a vocalist and in her junior year at college.

In an effort to prepare myself for the potential tour in Sept of the Kettle Valley Trail, I’m selling some of my bikes. I don’t ride the little cyclo-cross bike anymore, so it’s best to get something out of it, before it’s outdated. Similarly, I’ve got 2, nearly identical recumbents, my touring bike (nfs) and several other options. As a result, some must go. Our friend, Ed Jones is a masterful bike builder and I like the look of his bikes and his ethics, so I’m going to talk to him about trying out one of his bikes in hopes of buying one.

The spring has progressed enough that I am now getting 3 eggs/day from the most mature hens and the quail are sitting on 4 eggs. We are excited at the prospect of having a covey, as opposed to a “pair” of quail. The garbage garden is doing well, with celery, bok choy, spring onions as well as items from purchased seed: spinach, sugar snap peas and more spring onions.

I planted nasturtium and foxglove today. We just planted 3 redbud trees and a dogwood also. This is at the Schuyler house. All landscaping for West Virginia will have to take place once we move in.

I must go,as 5 am comes early. Go make your own breeze and remember: if you’re not having fun; you’re in the wrong gear.