Another day in paradise.

I didn't know we grew cotton in Iowa.

This is one giant meth lab.

Seasons change.

Sunflowersssssssss

Last year we picked all the sunflower seeds, cleaned all leaves out, soaked in salt, baked in oven and ate em. This year I left them for the birds and squirrels.

Pepper Lady

You can buy some peppers from the pepper lady at the Farmer's market this morning.

Hmmm?!?!?!?

This is my son, Joshua, and my dog Pitty the Pit Bull. Should I be concerned?

On the road again.

Get off the phone and get riding.

Fall comes. Bicycling 4 seasons in Iowa, you learn. You learn to wear the just right clothing based on the weather. You make modifications based on what you wore and what the temps and wind was doing and how you felt the other times you were out riding. That's part of the fun. Riding, regardless of the weatherman says is happening.

Had a nice talk with Mr Pat Rea President of the Dubuque County Conservation Board. This is the sight of one of the destroyed bridges from the flood of 2008. He told me all the bridges are going to be repaired this year on Heritage Trail. WONDERFUL.

Lonely Girls

I heard what sounded like crying out in the garage today. So I checked it out. Found these lonely girls all sad. Well I see the doctor tomorrow. Will see if this non volunteered bicycling hiatus is over with.
Picked all the green peppers out of the garden today, and made a bucket of chili. Good stuff. Rebuilt a old Trek 1220 today. Put 33cc trail tires on, free wheel, brakes, seat, seat post, mirror, pedals, and chain on it. Want to try it on the hard packed dirt trails.

Going down the tubes

AHHHGGGGG!!!!!!

Monday, work, rode bicycle for an hour, lifted weights, and went to my dad's to check out a computer problem he was having. I was looking forward to pigging out, eating junk food, however my guts didn't feel right didn't feel like eating, one of my favorite pastimes.
Stomach pains got worse as the night went on, didn't sleep much. Hurt on the right side. Hmmm. I'm thinking I am having an appendicitis. So Tuesday morning phoned my doctor, and he wasn't in town for the day.
So went to acute care, and packed an overnight bag. Doc examined, had blood work done, that was OK, urine sample that was OK, however the symptoms did not look good. So he sent me to radiology I drank some syrup, and they put something in my veins and did a CT. Well, damn, my appendix was inflamed, swelled up, and infected. So they yanked it out and I spent the night in the hospital.
Doc told me no bicycling for 2 weeks, What is he thinking?

Metric Century #30 for 2009

I don't think my brake levers should be angled this way.

Here I am thanking my "Racing Ralph's" for not going flat and not dumping me.

That was until this!!!!. I got dumped. Trail was overgrown with about 12" of grass. I was hopping over small limbs. Didn't see one under the grass and my front tire slid sideways and me over the handle bars. Said a bad word on the way down. Jammed my wrist, banged my knee. Had 40 miles to go, so off I went.

This bridge has been down since the June flood of 08, but now there is a temporary crossing. Yahoo. And it looks like repairs are going to happen soon.

All in all, enjoyed the ride, metric Century #30 for the year. Fall is here, and I love the Iowa Seasonal changes.


This part of Heritage Trail is still waiting for repairs not much travel on it.

I've gone into the woods and I have gone crazy!!!