Birthday Trip

We decided to take a driveup to our favorite place yesterday, the Jemez Mountains. It was to be part of my birthday present. We stopped at several places we frequently stop at. It had rained the day before and everything seemed fresh and clean with the smell of pine, juniper, and wet dirt.







We stopped at the Forest Service Office where this huge cottonwood tree is, and bought our yearly permit to cut firewood.









We were interested in seeing the area where the fire had gone through in June on Thompson Ridge where we had heard it had jumped the paved road that goes between Jemez Springs and Los Alamos, New Mexico. We saw these gates and signs at most of the places where you can get off the road. One sign said Closed to Public Use with a sign beside of it that read Please Close the Gate. I know the yellow sign had been there before but it looked funny.











We could see where the fire had burned most of the trees on the hilltops but left a lot of the small grassy areas. This pretty little ranch was lucky, as it came almost to their door.











You can see the burnt trees on this ridge.
















But we did see lots more wildflowers than we expected.

Freeze / Thaw

This winter I get the distinct feeling that nature is playing games with me. Constantly changing rhythm, it refuses to let me get comfortable, to allow me to settle down into a season-specific "mode" of cycling. With temperatures below 20°F one day and above 45°F the next, I feel as if I am trying to dance while the DJ alternates between the oldies and thrash metal. My movements are awkward and a migraine is just around the corner.






But if that's how nature wants to play it, so be it, and there is always a silver lining to be found. For instance, my familiarity with mud has certainly grown. There are so many different kinds: liquid mud, viscous mud, mud that looks like packed dirt but behaves like quicksand, mud with a thin crust of ice over it, mud of a slushy-like frozen consistency throughout, and mud that has frozen in big solid ripples. I've been trying to ride on mud in all of these different conditions as part of a radical campaign to improve my balance, and thanks to the freeze/thaw weather I can experience a complete mud menu over the course of a single week.




Much less endearing is the unpredictable appearance of ice patches that the changes in weather are causing. The last time I went out on my roadbike, I saw black ice on the country roads that pretty much convinced me it was trainer time despite the lack of snow. Going downhill and hitting a patch like that, I am pretty sure there is nothing I could do to prevent a fall.






With February under way, at least the winter season is more than half over. My ideal conditions for the rest of it would be a couple of beautiful snowfalls (my birthday is later this month and I love snow on my birthday), followed by a swift and complete thaw in the first week of March. Well, I can dream. In the meantime, nature continues the freeze / thaw game and I do my best to keep up. Every winter is different, and I am glad to have a record of this one as I do of the previous two.

Romantic Bike Basket Contents

Riding home from the grocery store today, I enjoyed a fine view of someleeksand potatoesin my basket. Looking down on them as I pedaled, I had one of those experiences where shopping by bike felt like an exciting and novel outing, even though I've been doing it on a regular basis for years now. The idea of carrying leeks and potatoes home on my bike, then cooking them, suddenly struck me as both romantic and funny. My mood lifted, I flashed a silly grin at cars and pedestrians as I passed them.




Later this got me thinking about how often basket and pannier contents are used to illustrate the appealing nature of cycling. The bouquet of flowers. The Frenchbaguette. The fluffy bunch of leafy vegetables. Isuppose these things make people think about picnics and outdoor farmer markets. But even beyond that, there is something about the sight of fresh food or flowers sticking out of a bike bag that makes errands seem like fun. I've even had comments about that from strangers on my way home from buying groceries "Oooh, vegetables in your basket - That looks like fun!" Loading said vegetables into the trunk of a car wouldn't have the same effect.




One thing I'd like to carry in a bicycle basket some day is mushrooms. My romantic fantasy is to ride to the forest, then walk my bike down a path strewn with pine needles, picking mushrooms (chanterelles and morels, with which the forest will of course be filled) and placing them directly in the basket. Cycling back, I'll be able to smell their earthy fragrance all the way home, before washing and tossing them on the frying pan with some sautéedonions...




Which reminds me that those potatoes and leeks won't cook themselves, so I better get to it. What's your idea of romantic bike basket contents?

Chrome Vanya Knickers Give-Away

Chromehas sent me a sample of their ladies'Vanya knickers, which unfortunately do not fit me. But my loss could be your gain: If you are a lady with a figure that is less... bottom-heavy than mine, these knickers could be yours. Retail price is $120 and they are made in the USA. Keep reading for my impressions, including sizing and fit.

The ChromeVanya knickers look like classic capri style 3/4 length pants, with subtle cargo elements.The "blue steel" colour is a pleasant slate gray (that happens to match my curtains), and they are also available in black. The construction is tailored to facilitate movement (lots of darts and curves), with a gusset at the crotch.



The fabric is nylon and spandex. While I can't wear polyester at all, I am fine with nylon/spandex blends against my skin - though I still prefer wool. For comparison, the Rivendell MUSA knickers reviewed earlier are also made of nylon. The Chrome knickers are considerably less shiny and more tailored than those, with heavier fabric.



There are front and rear pockets, including a zipped up cargo pocket



and what looks like a mobile phone compartment.



The stitching is nicely done throughout in a matching thread colour.



Strong button and zip fly closure, again with really nice stitching. Wide belt loops.



The gusset is heart shaped. Don't worry - it's not nearly this noticeable in person; I intentionally unfolded the knickers to show it off.



I was surprised to discovered that on the inside, the gusset is made of a soft, thick, fleecy fabric that gives it a slightly padded feel. There is no information as to what this fabric is, but it feels like synthetic fleece and makes me wonder what these knickers are like to wear in the summer: Won't having a layer of fleece between crotch and saddle cause overheating?



Otherwise, the ChromeVanya knickers look great, and my only other caveat is the fit. I can't tell you how they look or feel when worn, because I haven't been able to try them on. I asked for a size Small and thought I'd be safe, as my waist measures several inches smaller than what is on their sizing chart for a size Small (I just re-measured to make sure - yup, way smaller). And yet I can't pull the knickers up past my hips. I would say that these knickers will fit you if you are a US size 4 with narrow hips, but not if you have wide hips or a generous behind. I am a size 4 according toGap and J. Crew with some room to spare, but the Vanyas in size Small don't fit.



So... please use your judgment, and if you think these will fit you, you are welcome to take part in the give-away. To participate, simply leave a comment on this post with "I want them!" and your contact info, and I will select the recipient at random. I also ask that, after receiving the knickers, the recipient follows up with some feedback about them - be it positive or negative (I am especially curious about the fit and the fleecy gusset). I will be accepting entries until Sunday night 11:59pm Eastern Standard time and will announce the recipient on Monday.



Oh and don't worry about me: I'll just cry myself to sleep chanting "I'm not fat, I'm just differently proportioned. Not fat. Different..."Thanks for readingLovely Bicycleand enjoy your weekend!

Blooms on Redbud

Simpsonized and Cubed

You can blame this on Janice. . .







This is a postcard I sent to my sister from Wisconsin Dells Fifty Years Ago

Funny Genealogy at Cow Hampshire

Rubik's Cube Generator

You too can be Simpsonized at http://simpsonizeme.com/

Roe-Dee-Oh :: Mutton Busting and Barrell Racing

Sunday, August 21st - - One of the events for kids (ages 4-7) was called Mutton Busting, which was basically setting a kid on the back of sheep and letting them run. It was quite funny. Some of them barely got out of the gate before falling off but the one below managed to hold on for quite a while and was a real crowd-pleaser.







The Barrel Racing event allowed the women to show off their riding ability as well as the speed and agility of their beautiful horses.

Like a Track Suit Top with Rear Pockets

So, be honest please: Do you ever wear a cycling jersey off the bike? My first time was unintentional. I was returning from a ride later than expected and had no time to change before meeting someone. So I threw on a skirt, changed my shoes and went - wiping my forehead with a napkin on the way there. I know, classy. My jersey's rear pockets still contained my keys, credit card and ID, so I didn't even need a bag. And that's when I noticed how darn convenient it is to wear these things. The person I was meeting did not seem aware of anything odd about my outfit, so why not? I began to experiment. The key is for the fit to be on the looser side, and for the colourscheme to be acceptable for "business casual." No team names or sponsor logos obviously. Muted colours. Long sleeves. A drapey fit. I own a couple of jerseys that fit the bill nicely, and so I started to sneak them into my wardrobe.




I had no idea whether anyone even noticed, until a woman in a cafe approached me last week. "Excuse me, but I really like your top. Where did you get it?" She was English, so I eagerly explained that it was a cycling jersey from England.




"You couldn't tell it was a cycling jersey?" I asked, "I feel silly wearing it, but it's so convenient."




"Oh no," she replied, "it's lovely! Like anhaute couture track suit top with rear pockets..."




Fashion designers, take note!

Happy Memorial Day

It is still hard for us to not be with all of our children and our grandchildren on holidays. We did have the joy of having friends around this holiday though, and that offset our sadness some.



Jack and Diane hosted a Memorial Day party for all of us. We had food, fun and friends. All good things!

It was Karen's birthday, so we celebrated her day with her. Josh had picked out all of her cake ingredients. Good job, Josh!

Bob brought a game that he made. We split into teams, with guys against girls, and played against each other.

Faye was the first one to land on a hook. Then Ken showed her up by landing TWO rings on the same hook. I managed to hook one of the top ones. Karen hooked a 10,000 point hook and then accidentally knocked it back off. So not fair with it being her birthday and all, but she was a good sport.

So, who won? The women! We had a lot of fun and I'm now thinking I'd Nathan to try and build one for us.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday filled with good things!