Working on climbing

So I got off to a good start last week, working on NB trails and Olde Stage, but maybe taking off for Logan Mill, via Sunshine and Poorman mid-day on an actual, non-rainy, hot day wasn't such a great plan. Fun and nice to see something new, but I kept shooting off onto what I thought were road continuations and finding that they were really just long driveways. Still, I did get moving for a few consecutive hours. I can't believe I'm actually longing for a few cloudy, overcast days (and I will get some).

The household score is currently: Cats 2, Local Birds -2, plus one near miss. We're on lockdown when I can't be around to supervise and the furniture is paying for it.

Carnage in the bathroom, or, Cats 1, Local Birds -1

When you arrive home to find that lone, tiny feather drifting across the kitchen floor, you hope for a second that it just blew in the open door. Creeping slowly through the house, you scan for matching feathers in other odd places. I was almost relieved till I got to the bathroom.

Might have been a bluebird, maybe one of the flycatchers. Hard to say, since this is all that was left. I'd like to believe that the brilliant captive pulled off an amazing escape, fleeing two hyper-excited indoor cats and flying directly out the open door it was pulled through. Yeah, that's a nice thought. In reality, I know I'll probably be meeting this bird again shortly, in one form or another. Ick.

Turtle pile

It's basking season around the pond. I hit Olde Stage tonight after a brief passout on the couch and a chocolate croissant. Nice to be on that road when it's just you, a fox and the ever-present deer. The lilacs are in full bloom at the base of the canyon and the scent is almost intoxicating right now. Good motivation to get out after a long, lame day at work.

Race #1/Ride #4

Before the race, before the endo

OK, maybe that combination wasn't such a hot idea, but Battle of the Bear was still a fun race and I look forward to it in future years. Usually, at this time of the year, I'm still trying to remember that I have a mountain bike, so not a whole lot of riding going on. As always, I learned a lot, like actually try to understand the directions that the guy at the start line is giving out, so you don't end up racing towards the finish after 20 yards (I swear he said stay left) and, given the opportunity, put yourself as far up in the starting group as possible, especially when starting with a climb with a whole lot of people you don't know.

The swelling in my hand went down enough to get my glove on and didn't really bother me too much. Now it's a fun combination of zombie skin tones (green, black, purple, nearing yellow) and I've taken a few shots in case I need inspiration on some future Halloween. I did manage to suck down something around mile two or so that sent me convulsing off the course for a minute or so, but a full gu packet and some mental persuasion got me going again. It was already too late by then, but I still tried to keep up with with whomever I found in front of me. I finished 7 out of 10 for my age group, 20 minutes later than I'd hoped, but it is still May and that was my fourth mtb ride of the year. Congrats to the rest of the WW crew who all found their way to the podium, except for Ian whose tire was attacked, not by a goathead, by a non-native nail.

My goal now is to squeeze in as much time on the bike as my job, the garden and the weather will allow before the WP hillclimb so I don't completely blow up like last year. Tonight it was just a quick turn around the northern trails where I failed once again to make it up the last foot of that stupid little hill, but there's always the next time. I did get to hear a fairly talented starling in the cottonwood; he had me stopping by the tree looking up for a cat when he quickly switched to a redtailed hawk screech. Kind of cool. Tomorrow: Olde Stage.

Endo practice

There's something almost graceful about the slow-motion face plant. Not content to enjoy the fun, social ride with the women's bma group tonight, I had to add a fancy (stupid) move while trying to avoid a pinch flat rock on the way back to the trail head. Next time I'll risk the flat. The facial damage is almost purely superficial, but will probably win me some sympathy at the office. The bottom part of my right hand being almost twice the size of my left is slightly more worrying, but everything seems functional. I also lost all spring in my brakes, but I'm hoping Walt will be able to wave his magic wand at them Friday and make them release again. Tonight, I've gotten myself out of doing dishes and hand-washing the bike clothes, but I also damaged my chopping hand and feel incapable of putting together a decent dinner, so a trip to Snarf's is imminent. Did I mention I'm supposed to be in a 20 mile race Saturday morning? My timing is impeccable, as always...

Extra special thanks to the SKIP driver who got out to help me get my bike off the rack at my stop. Yay for nice people!

Benefits of walking to the market at night

1. faint scent of lilac, chokecherry and plum blossoms
2. relative quiet along Broadway
3. saying hello to unknown neighbors
4. watching a fox gamboling in a field
5. hearing the cry of the lone peacock
6. moon shadows

No photos, because of the dark, but pleasant memories

Rain, rain, go away (please?)

Yes, moisture is good. Yes, the plants will be happy. Yes, we will miss it when it's blazing hot and we're sucking in dust at short track. But every weekend? I'm seriously considering asking if I can swap work days and take Tuesday and Wednesday off, but I doubt reverse psychology works with weather systems. No riding, no planting, no house painting - sounds like a few days of baking and soup-making to me.