Rain, Rain.

 Haven't posted in awhile, although we did get out for a ride on May 21st, the day after we did our 50 miler.  We rode 12 miles and were surprised to find our legs actually felt stronger than they did on the 50 mile ride.  We thought the opposite would be true.  It seemed like a very short ride.  Tony's problems wit the mountain drive seem to be random.  I am going to take a picture of what it is doing, send the Hostel Shoppe an email,  and see if what is happening is a normal thing.  Once it is out of line, Tony can't see to  t realign it,  so we have to stop the trike so I can get and do it manually.  So many hills that it gets tiresome to stop after each one and adjust it.  On the 50 mile ride, I only had to do that once, yet on Saturday's  ride I had to do on every hill, but one.  Maybe just some easy adjustment will resolve it.   Hope so, for both of us.


We had hoped to get out for a 30 mile ride today, but  the weather man said the rain was supposed to come in sooner than had been predicted yesterday.  We really debated on whether to ride or not.  Rain and cold combined, do not make riding very much fun.  In the end, we decided not too.  By 1PM it was raining.  we would have been out on the trail with many miles to go before home, so we were glad we had decided to not ride, even though we really do need the miles.  We are heading to Canton  South Dakota for a wedding, so there will be no more riding for us this week.

Canton  SD, was settled, in the 1800's,  and homesteading  was a risky adventure.  Many of the settlers arrived by wagon with very little money or resources.  It was necessary to camp near other settlers, as Indians were a concern.  Houses were built out of sod ,cut from the top layer of dirt on the prairie., they were called "soddies" or sod houses.  Some had openings for windows, but no actual glass for them, pioneers improvised and hung fabric, or feed sacks over the openings.  One pioneer woman wrote of putting her baby under the table to keep it dry.  Supplies had to be obtained from Sioux City, over the border in Iowa, 65 miles away.  This is a picture of a Nebraska soddie, I couldn't find any of a South Dakota soddie.

A wooden house was costly and the settler usually had to save for years in order to build one.  Since trees were scarce, most wood was bought at nearby mills. J.T Whitow wrote a letter to his sons telling them he planned to build a 25 square foot house.  The one story house would take 7,000 square feet of lumber and cost $200.00 - if they paid extra for the windows and doors.  A far cry from our nieces house where we will be staying.  See the picture above.


An 1880 census showed that Lincoln county had a population of 6000 people, which was amazing.  Winters were harsh, and summers hot, with a prairie wind, that new no off season. The railroad had just established service to the area, and in the 1870's grasshoppers ruined the crops, five years in a row.  Settlers continued to arrive, many from Norway.  Canton was named by a Norwegian settler.

Canton's population in 2009 was 4271. It is nestled in the rolling hills of the Sioux Valley, and  is located near Newton Hills, a very picturesque area.  Sioux Falls SD is 20 miles away. One unique thing about SD is that some of  roads are lined  on each side with pink, crushed rock.   The pavement also has a bit of a pinkish hue to it, due to the rock that is mixed in to make the asphalt mix.  Not sure what type of rock it is .....Thanks For Visiting Our Com

 Took the utility trailer in last week and had the bearings greased, so all is well there.  Loaded the trike up in the rain today, just a light drizzle to start with, got the tarp on, and it really started to rain.  I did some tying down of the tarp, but finally decided to wait until the rain let up some.

Our friend Dave came over and gave me a lesson in setting up the tent.  We did it in the garage. I should have moved both cars, but didn't, so each time we wanted to get around the tent, we had to walk between the tent and the Buick.  Dave's little grand-daughter McKenzie, was our helper, holding the poles and other things for us.   Setting up a dome tent really isn't hard, I just needed someone to show me how to do it.  Sorry no pics, the camera was already packed.  I packed all the bike gear in one bag,  including the camera, so it will be easy to get at, and we won't be digging through our suitcases looking for biking clothes.  Probably won't ride again  until we get to North Dakota.   I promise some pics when we ride there.

Went into town and got some rope from the hardware store to tie over the tarp in addition to the bungee cords I used.   It looks secure, but hasn't been road tested yet. Sure  hope I don't have a tarp adventure to write about in my next update, especially since it looks like we will be riding in rain for most of the trip to South Dakota.

First 50 miler.

A perfect day for riding.  Partly cloudy and in the 60's when we started at noon, light wind, highs in the upper 70's today, with fewer clouds in the afternoon.  Button was not elected to go on this ride, he was sad.  Maybe next time we will take him.  I need to  find a way to get the Condo on the rear bike rack better, keep hoping he won't cry as much next time we take him.


The plan today was to do a mix of hills and flat, with more flat than hills.  34 miles of flat riding, and 16 miles of hills, the worst being the last 12 miles. We wanted to get a 50 mile ride in.  This will give us some idea about how long and average day might be for us in PALM.   The 4 miles into LeRoy were hills, and then we got on the trail.  Rode past the "Three Billy Goats, Gruff."  That's what we call them.  They live on a small  farm that we ride by on our way into LeRoy, and are often hanging out by the barn.  One in particular, he's kind of reddish, likes to hang out by the barn door.  The 3 of them are always together.

So nice to see leaves on the trees as we ride, it will be another week or so before the trees are fully leafed.  Even more Trillium blooming along the trail than last time, and saw quite a few apple trees in full bloom.  The bees were busy, we saw a lot of them flying around, hopefully the apples will be plentiful in the fall.  Last year wasn't a very good year for them, because we had a hard frost in the area when the trees were in blossom.

Saw a few bikers and walkers on the trail on the way into Cadillac, but saw more on the way home because it was later in the day,  some people were done working for the day and kids were out of school, the trail is busier then.  It is such a nice trail.  I think sometime this season they are going to pave the section from LeRoy to Reed City, and since Reed City to Big Rapids is already paved, that will give us a total of 45-50 miles of paved trail to ride.  So glad to see people out using it.  It is already evident that  the snowmobiles use it in the winter, of course they are allowed too,  but  some cyclist, including us, are concerned that the paving on the trail won't hold up to very many years of use by snowmobiles.  It's taken so many years to get the White Pine Trail paved, it would be sad to see it ruined in such a short period of time .


Many plowed fields along the roads and trail now, planting will likely start anytime.  It's such a contrast to see a plowed field next to a meadow or pastureland.  Saw a few farmers out in the fields working.  Didn't see any Amish today.

We made sure we had plenty of food and water today, along with the great electrolyte/glucosamine powder we have been using in our water.  We both seem to do better on a ride when we use it and the little packets are easier to carry around than bottles of gatorade or something similar.  I encouraged Tony to eat something about every hour, and to drink plenty, and I did the same.  It made a difference for both of us.  I also had some chia gel that I made up and brought along, we drank it when we had about 12 miles to go. I saved it for the end, because we knew we had some tough hill riding ahead, once we got off the trail.


Saw a turtle sunning on a rock in a pond, but by the time I got the camera out, he was in the water, so no turtle pictures today.


Got into Cadillac in about  2 1/2  hours.  Stopped for  a bathroom break across from the old train depot, and a train went by while we were there.  I was too late to get the engine, but I did get a shot of the train.  No idea what it was carrying, all the cars on it were the same.

We went to Mancino's for lunch.  Didn't have a lock along for the trike, so got our sandwich to go, and ate them in the parking lot.  One nice thing about a recumbent trike, is we always have a place to sit when we take a break.


After lunch, we followed the blue footprints on the sidewalk to the Clam River Greenway.  It wasn't as clearly marked as I thought it would be, we took a wrong turn once and had to back track to get back on it.  Lots of cars along parts of the route, due to the detour around the road work they are doing on Mitchell. The trail went past a school and behind some residential area, part of the time we were riding next to the Clam River, which is more like a creek in that area.   Finally the trail crossed a bridge and ended.  Kind of an odd way to end a trail, but I suppose it has to end somewhere, a soccer filed is as good of a place as anywhere else.  


Since our trike is 10 feet long, sometimes tight turns can necessitate Tony getting off, and swinging the back of the trike around so we can go where we need to go.  Turning around requires nearly as much space as turning around a car, although our turning radius is probably a bit tighter.  Twice on the Clam River Greenway, Tony had to swing the back around.  I was glad there was a parking lot to turn around in by the end of the trail.  We get a few odd looks sometimes when we have to stop and have Tony maneuver the back of the trike around so we can make a corner.


Stopped and bought some water at a grocery store, then  decided to take a little detour  down Chestnut St. and ride past Lake Cadillac.  The lake is fed by 2 inlets, a small river flowing from Lake Mitchell and a small canal that connects Lake Cadillac to Lake Mitchell.  Lake Cadillac used to be referred to as Little Clam Lake, and Lake Mitchell was big Clam Lake.   In 1873 a  canal was dug to connect the 2 lakes so the west side of Lake Mitchell could be logged, and the logs floated through the canal to Lake Cadillac.  On the east shore of Lake Cadillac, stood lumber Mills, the railroad, and the village of Clam Lake.  When the city officially changed it's name to the City of Cadillac in 1882, the lake also became known as Lake Cadillac.  At one time the lake was very polluted from all the tannins in the trees, but somewhere along the way it was cleaned up.  It is now a shining gem in the community, enjoyed by many.  It has a very nice walking trail around part of it, as well as a play ground.  There is a parking area at the head of the trail, with a pretty view of the lake.  When I  worked for World Wide Travel, I used to go there to eat my lunch.  Such a pleasant place to pass some time.

 Had forgotten about the Sound Garden, until we rode past it.  The garden consists of a big wooden sculpture that is the "centerpiece of the garden.  All the instruments in the garden are made from local, native woods.  These native materials, primarily, beech, silver maple, and ironwood were used to fashion  instruments, which emit pure and natural sound when played by someone who has mastered the art of playing them.  There are also steel brake drums and other scrap metal that create a range of sounds.  It is all a unique combination of nature.  sound, and sculpture. . We didn't take the time to stop and play today, since we were doing a trail run of how long it would take us to ride 50 miles, but I promise an in depth report of a visit later on, complete with more pictures.  It really is a unique place to go.

Rode through Tustin on the way home.  There is an old abandoned grain elevator along the trail, which used to be a railroad track.  It is painted, but i have no idea if it is owned by the village of Tustin or by and individual.

Got back home around 6:30 PM, our ride took about 5 1/2 hours.  We stopped for several breaks,  and to have lunch.  So we are thinking the length of our average riding day will be under 7 hours, as there will no doubt be things along the way that we want to stop and see or do.


 Tony only had problems with the mountain drive, once.  Of course that was in what we call, "Mosquito Alley."  When we stopped so I could adjust it and put it in by hand, the mosquito's thought supper had been delivered, and a double portion, no less.  I made short work of getting the mountain gear corrected, and we were on our way.  We were tired when we got home, but not exhausted.  It was a good and pleasant ride. I wonder if we will be able to walk tomorrow?

An exercise in attitude

Yesterday was our day for a long ride.  Got a bit of a later start than we intended,  I decided that it was better to start the ride nourished, so I made lunch before we left.  Our route  was another mixed ride with a bit of new territory.   It was more road riding than trail riding, and of course that means plenty of hills.  There was also winds of 20 MPH, some of which ended up being headwinds,  one good thing about a roundtrip ride is that eventually the headwind gets to be a tail wind. So we got equal time to enjoy that, and it happened after we had expended our energy to fight it in the other direction, so that was a blessing.

We started out heading into Leroy, then took the trail 2 miles to 18 Mile Rd, which we then took to Diamond Lake, rode past Diamond Lake, crossed 20 Mile  Rd. and rode 4 miles before turning around.  The 4 miles was all hills,  with the head wind, tail wind thing going on.  From there we went back to the trail and rode, then headed back to LeRoy, and the hilly 4 mile ride back home, giving us a ride of 41 miles.  I would like to say it was an uneventful ride, but alas it was not.  Tony and I have been praying, asking God to help us have good attitudes, and honor him by our actions and words as we train, and especially on the PALM tour.  Well, those of you who are praying folks, know by now that God does answer prayer.    Like  the way a trike ride exercises the muscles in our legs, our attitudes were exercised, and challenged to meet the course we had picked to ride.

Remember how well I said Tony was doing on getting the mountain drive kicked in and out?  Well, forget I ever wrote that, at least for this blog entry.  It seemed like for  much of the ride it was a challenge for him to get the mountain drive in and out.  It started on our first big hill.  He kicked it in, but couldn't get it out, so there we were trying to get up some speed on the downhill, for the next up hill.  Our legs were spinning as fast as they could, but we were only going 4 MPH, because the mountain drive was in and we were not going up a hill.  Tony tried 3 or 4 times to kick it in, but nothing happened.  The more he tried, the more frustrated he got.  Honest, I really was working, at not adding to his frustration.  We finally found a safe place to stop and I got off the trike to look at it, which of course meant that Tony had to unclip.  (have I mentioned that sometimes..OK, often times, he has problems getting clipped in?  He cant see if the clip side of the pedal is towards him or away from him, and since he is behind me, neither can I.  I try to sit quietly and wait, if I offer help, he seems to get more flustered. Once he gets the pedal turned around,  it is still a challenge for him to get clipped.)

After he unclipped , I could see what the problem was.  The parts of the mountain drive that kick it on and off,  are fastened to the cranks of the pedals, and Tony had brought the edge of his sandal up hard under the "Out" side, and knocked it off the crank.  I put it back on, clicked it in with my hands, waited for him to get clipped in, and off we went.  All this time, Button who was so eager to go with us, that he was dancing around his trike condo, was on the back of the trike,  crying.  Button's cry is not like a whine, but more like a combination of a whine and a squirrel chatter.  Trust me, it can be very irritating.


So off we went.  We hadn't gone far when there was another big hill.  I told Tony to "kick it in" and he tried, but couldn't get it in, tried again, still couldn't.  We were going up a hill, not the safest place to stop, so we just grunted up the hill without Mountain Drive.  It was awhile before we found a good place to stop, did the whole off the trike, unclip, dog crying thing again.  One of our neighbors stopped to make sure all was well, and since nothing was broken, except maybe a smidge of our pride, we thanked him and sent him on his way.  Had Tony sit and practice putting the mountain drive in and out.  Were ready to go, but nothing happen.  Another neighbor stopped to see if he could help.  Pride was completely out the window when I discovered the trike wasn't moving because the back wheel was  stuck in the sand.   Smile and thanks and send the neighbor on his way.  Although it was sunny, the wind made it quite chilly so we had our tights and jackets on.  We must have looked pathetic, Before we could get started, a stranger stopped and offered us an ice cream bar.  We told him no thanks, but thanks for stopping and offering and went on our way.  All was well, until we had to get into Mountain Drive again, and when we had to get out of Mountain Drive.  Much starting and stopping, so much that it took an hour to do a course that normally takes about 30 minutes.  Button continued to serenade us.


When we got to the trail, I let him out of his crate, and let him first walk next to the trike and then trot.  He seemed to like that, but had a hard time going more than 4 MPH.  Tony, who is sometimes time driven, on our training rides, wasn't very happy because we were "losing time."  I on the other hand was thinking back to Ceasar MIlan and his advice to drain the dogs energy.  So Button continued for about 3/4 of a mile.  The we stopped to offer him water.  (Tony stayed clipped in)  Button still had plenty of crying energy left  when I put him back in his condo.  At least we were on the trail, and wouldn't need the Mountain Drive for awhile.

Once we got off the trail, we had to deal with hills, and yes, the Mountain Drive again.  Tony was also a bit out of sorts because he hadn't been drinking enough water, which only made him more easily frustrated.  I really felt bad for him, especially since things had been going so well on our last ride.  So on we went, Tony struggling , Button crying, the hills looming ahead of us, and the wind blowing.  Me?  Oh my tongue was about bitten off, from holding it in check and I wasn't sure how much longer I would be able to continue doing that, and yes eventually my attitude soured as well.  It was one of those things we could have sold tickets too, but I would not have been proud to have others see the performance.

We got to Diamond Lake which is such a pretty ride, and the lake didn't disappoint that day either. The sun was indeed making the water look like it was filled with diamonds, the flowers in peoples yards were blooming.  We took our time riding past, enjoying an apple as we went.  We were also eager to see the new territory we hadn't yet ridden, that was ahead.  It was a mix of woods and open fields, with farm houses and country homes in between.  An enjoyable ride, in spite of the issues we were having.  Finally it was time to turn around and head for Tustin  and the trail again.

Those who know Tony, know he is the most even natured guy you could ever know....unless he is thirsty, hungry, tired or cold.  Well the next thing to kick in was his tired, exacerbated by not drinking enough water, and that was followed by hunger.  Yes, the poor skinny guy, with his high metabolism actually gets stomach pains when he is hungry.  Which of course made the Mountain Drive situation, worse.

He was a brave soul though as we rode down the trail into a strong headwind.  On the way back, with a nice tailwind, we saw a turtle crossing the path.  I stopped and got out my camera, figuring I would have plenty of time.  But the turtle was a speedy one, by the time I got the camera out and turned on, he was  off the trail, and by the time I could take another picture, he was headed to the water, and then in he went.  Fastest turtle I ever saw.  Pretty sure it was a Blanding's Turtle because of it's  long yellow neck.  Mating season for them is April and May, which is when they are most commonly seen.  They are noted to be a quick moving turtle.  The immature turtles has a distinct pattern on their shell.  This one did not, so it must have been a mature one.

When we got to Tustin, I went into the little store to find some sustenance for Tony, the best I could do was Chex Mix with peanuts, which at least would give him some protein.  He gobbled most of it up in no time and eagerly accepted the water I bought.  Onward, towards home, which was 8 miles away.


Passed a little pond.  I was surprised there were no ducks or geese in it, but took a picture anyway.  The dandelions were a nice contrast against the green grass, a description which served to remind Tony that he needed to get our lawn mower going for the season, not that he would have anytime to mow anyway, since these bike rides were taking so long.

 Yes, God was working on exercising our attitude on this ride.  I'm thinking it was a test, one that we failed, but we had a little talk with the Lord when we got home, apologized to him and each other,  and are determined to be studied up and prepared for the next test.  I sure hope it doesn't involve the Mountain Drive.

First high mileage week

While I was busy enjoying spring, summer came, early. I have the windows open as I am writing this.   Temps today were in the high 70's, and it was actually humid.  We wore shorts for our biking excursion , and I wore a summer top.  Tony broke out his biking sandals.  We put electrolyte powder in our water, slathered on sunscreen, and off we went, ready for summer riding.


We did a mixed ride. Our ride today consisted of road riding on hills , and part of it on the bike trail.  We headed into LeRoy, which is about 4 miles from us,  and stopped by the bank, saving us a trip into town with the car,  then headed for the bike trail.  Rode past the usual dogs barking, of course Button had to growl at them, when he wasn't whining.  He still carried  with the whining  for quite awhile before he settled down, in spite of the fact that he was so happy to see me get out his trike condo, and eager to go in it.  Go figure.  I will need to do some readjusting or tinkering with a way to keep the holder for his condo on tighter.  I think the rope is stretching, as sometimes,  the condo is really leaning to one side.


Rode past an amish farmer plowing .  It looked cool to see him out in the field.  He had 3 horses hooked up, instead of 2.  Something, I haven't seen before.  He was stopped by the fence, adjusting a harness or something.  Wish I had a picture to post, it was a nice peaceful scene, especially for those that don't see many amish.  We have quite a few families in this area, and are accustomed to seeing them out and about.   The bank and the hardware store, both have hitching posts for the horses, and it's not uncommon to drive by and see a horse and buggy sitting there, empty, while the occupants are inside doing their business.  The amish people are friendly, they usually have a wave when we ride past.  They are pleasant people to have in a community.  A reminder to all of a simpler way of life.

Since it was a weekday, not as many people were out on the trail, but we did pass a few walking, and one guy on a bike, of course Button had to bark at them  Rode through Tustin, and on to where the bike trail goes under the expressway.  That is where we turned around, since about a mile or  so past there is where the bears have been known to hang out lately.  I'm always hopeful that I'll spot a beaver by the beaver pond, today was a disappointment  there.  Oh well, it's still a pretty are to ride past.  stopped there and had a snack, then headed back.


Saw 2 turtles sunning on a log, but they were to far from the trail to get a good picture.  The trillium is still in bloom, so I took a picture of that.  Michigan has what is known as Large Leafed Trillium. Picking the flowers of Trillium can seriously injure the plant.  The three leaves below the flower, are the plants only food source and a picked trillium may die or take years to recover.  For this reason , many places, including, British Columbia, Michigan, Oregon and Washington, have made it illegal to pick Trilliums.  We used to have some that grew across the road from our house, but one year a large tree blew down on it, and it never came back.

On our way back through Tustin, we took a break, got some more water and a Mackinaw Island Fudge, ice cream cone.  Had a nice visit with another triker we see when we are out riding sometimes.  He is a paraplegic, and rides a hand powered trike, called a Wonder Trike.  I looked for a link to post, but couldn't find one.  When this fellow rides he is practically laying down, and he goes fast.  It is quite a sight to see coming down the trail.


We got off the trail at 18 Mile Rd, and headed for home.  Time for hills to enter the picture once again.  no problem, we have our trusty "mountain drive" to get us over them.  Tony is getting better and better at "kicking it in."  To engage the mountain drive, he kicks a little peg on the right side of the trike, to disengage it, he kicks one on the left.  We used to have to stop every time for him to "kick it.", and many times his foot would come unclipped from the pedal, when he did it.  Today he kicked it several times when we were moving, and only came unclipped once.  We still marveling at the difference it makes on the big hills.  We had some courses that we used to avoid because the hills were so daunting.  No more, now we fear no hill. Here's a link for anyone who wants to know what it looks like.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbwbikes.com/images/MD.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.pbwbikes.com/p


 Had to stop and take a picture of an old barn that is still in use.  I wanted to take a picture of the house near it too, as it is an idyllic country scene, but someone was in the front yard, sunning, so I decided not to.  Maybe, next time.

After the thunderstorms we had Wednesday, everything is so green and lush.

  More and more trees are leafing, and the apple trees are in bloom as well.  I think they are a couple on our route home, that have died,  They stand like gnarled centuries, along the road, but their years of producing apples are gone, they are done.  Most likely they will be cut down and used for fragrant firewood.   It's another one of those things that makes me sad, like seeing an old house.  But across the road, a young apple tree was growing, perhaps it was planted there by a seed from the other tree.  I felt better after seeing it, knowing that in the years to come it would have apples to offer to those who pass.

Tried to take a few pictures with the camera pointed behind me, or down towards the road.  Mt attempts did not lead to very good results, but I'll post them anyway, so that perhaps later, you can see some that are an improvement over these.

Saw a snapping turtle crossing the road.  He looked do prehistoric with his ridged tail and rough shell, that I couldn't resist a picture.

We were in our final mile to home, when I saw a worker doing something to a telephone pole, thought it might make an interesting pic, but wanted to get closer.  Just then our mail carrier came by, stooped and told us she had something for us to sign for. I snapped a picture of the telephone guy, then unclipped and went over to the mail carriers car.  Told her it was an unusual way to end a ride, and got permission to put her pic in the blog.  Meet, Pam, our friendly mail carrier.  Nice name too.

Our mileage this week is 84 miles, the best week we've had so far.  Weather permitting, we hope to try a 40 mile ride sometime next week.  We rode 30 miles today, and weren't nearly as tired as we were on our last ride.

Back to the country again

It was mostly cloudy today, temps in the mid 60's, and quite windy, I got Buttons doggie "condo" set up on the back of the trike yesterday, ended up using rope to attach the holder to the rack.  It came with  2, 12 inch zip ties, the first of which broke, when I was trying to put it on.  I didn't bother to try the second one. Using a rope worked better.  Button still doesn't like being in the back away from me, he still cries, even though I gave him a bit of chamomile to calm him, before we left.  About half way through the ride, he did settle down, but still had brief periods of expressing his displeasure at the situation.  I think he'll adjust, as he goes on more rides.

We rode one of our hilliest courses, today, eager to try out our mountain drive in our own territory.  It was also very windy.  When we took the picture of Button in his condo, we were parked. What a difference the mountain drive makes.   We spin  (pedaling fast and easy) right up the hills, no faster than we did before, but with less pushing hard with our feet, also known as "mashing." Makes the hills so much easier.  Even the "gnarly" hills around Ashton, which is the route we took today.  Mile after mile of hills, very good training for PALM.  That's what we kept telling each other.  Tony also told me to show him a little grace, which means, "please choose a kinder gear."

Rode past the amish school house.  I had my camera at the ready, hoping to get a shot of all the bicycles parked around the school, but I think they are already done for the year, or on a break of some type, so the kids can help in the fields.  There was an amish guy cleaning out the horse barn at the school, but no one else around.

A grouse crossed the road in front of us, but I didn't have my camera out, so missed taking a picture.  It is so nice to see the grass green, and the trees are just starting to leaf, the leaves are still young and partly folded.  From a distance the trees look light green and kind of fuzzy at the edges, against the sky.  Like a picture that is just a little blurred.  Daffodils are still blooming.  along with the bright yellow flowers that grow along the marshy areas , where little streams flow, in the ditches.

 Rode past several amish on bicycles, and a horse and buggy, stopped at a gravel road waiting to pull out onto the pavement.  I was glad we didn't meet them on the road, for some reason, our trike really freaks out the amish horses when they meet us on the road.  The driver has all he or she can do to keep them under control.  We usually stop and let them go by, figuring the horses may see us as less of a threat, if we aren't coming toward them. Would like to take a picture of them amish, but they don't like their picture taken, so I don't.  Here is the amish school house, the horse barn is in the left corner of the pic.

Rode past Hog Back and McCoy lakes, and the little lake that we don't know the name of.  Quite a few people already have their docks in.  Rode by the statue of the little bow in the row boat.  It seemed odd to see him sitting there by himself,  normally the boat is filled with flowers in bloom, but it's still too early in the season.

Saw an old dilapidated house near the road. I feel sad when I see one, it looks so sad and lonely sitting there, all alone, falling apart, and windows broken.  I can't help but remember that this was once someone's home, a home they dreamed of building, and lived in, raising a family there, perhaps several generations of families lived there.  People were likely born there and some died there. Now,  summer, winter, spring and fall, there it sits, becoming more and weather beaten. Animals make their home there, but not people.  I think of it as a home of discarded dreams.  I want to say to it, " Hello, house, don't be sad, I know you were once beautiful, with people living in you that cared about you and cared about each other.  You held their  laughter and their tears within your walls,  and their  children on your porches. You framed the stars at night, and the moon illuminated your windows on cloudless nights.  In the winter you provided a warm shelter, a place for kids to do homework around the kitchen table and to make popcorn.    The summer sun greeted the people who lived there, the ones you gave your shelter and love too. Now you are sad and forgotten, yet still, you hold within you the memories of days gone by.  Sad days, and happy ones. Take heart house, I still admire you."    So when we rode past today, I stopped and took a picture.

I sometimes wonder what we look like, going down the road, so I decided to take a picture of the trike from behind.  I'm sure it's more interesting with people on it.  We rode 27 miles today, it was very windy, that combined with all the hills, gave us a good workout.  I had a pot of chili in the crock pot, so  when we got home we had supper waiting, which is good, because I am usually STARVED after a ride.  Riding on the bike trails is nice, and much easier than all the hills,  but we enjoy road riding more, when we ride there,  we get a slice of life along with our ride.  So grateful to the Lord for the beauty that is all around us.  So grateful for his hand of protection on us when we ride.

West Michigan ride

We were in Grand Rapids MI, (about 90 miles south of us,)  for the weekend, for a college graduation and Mothers Day.  Got up early on Sunday, and went for a ride.  It was sunny and about 50, nice weather for riding.  Rode 2 miles to the Kent trail, then 8 miles to Byron Center.  Beautiful trillium on both sides of the trail in several places.  Saw people walking dogs, babies in strollers, families walking,  people running and roller blading.  Nice to see them out on such a pretty morning.

 Headed back and made a loop into Grandville, from there we got off the trail and decided to ride through the neighborhood we lived in for 20 years.  Stopped by to see if our former neighbor Freddi was home, thinking she would most likely be in church,.  When she answered the door, she was surprised and happy to see us, she had been to the early service, and was expecting her family for dinner. She had just been thinking of us and wanted to give us a call, but figured we would be in church.  Turns out she was kind of down, and needed a bit of cheering up.  We had a nice visit and a lovely glass of cucumber water.  She had a glass pitcher, with ice water in it and some slices of cucumber.  Not only did it look pretty, but was very refreshing as well.

Freddi isn't just an ordinary person, no, she is a 5ft bundle of energy, who is still going strong at the age of 72.   Next Saturday, she will be running a 15.2  mile, (25K) race in called the River Bank Run.  She and Tony used to train together for it every year.  Freddi  works part time at Curves, has beautiful flower gardens, and once a year, she rents a lawn edger for  a day, and  she and the neighbors edge their lawns.  Freddi does the lawns of the seniors.  She really is the life of the neighborhood, with her "Freddi smile"and contagious  attitude of cheerfulness, she is like  a  cheery cardinal sitting in a tree singing, making life brighter for all who see her or hear her song.  It was a bright spot in our day to stop and have a little chat with her.  She is a blessing to so many, us included.

Rode back to Tony's Mom's, put the trike back on the trailer, and got ready to go out to dinner.   Our daughter  Tracey, went along with us.  We didn't even have to wait for a table, and had a tasty meal, including a wonderful salad with strawberries and pecans.  After dropping Tracey off at her house, we went back to Ton's Mom's and played Yahtzee.  Loaded up and headed for home around 5.  It was a really nice weekend.  Best part of Mother's day to me was our trike ride, it was exactly what  I wanted to do.

An Unwanted Chapter

We could have lived without this chapter in our trike story...but that would be way to boring, or something like that.  So for your entertainment, here goes.


We should have known better than to try and reassemble the trike after a 10 hour drive, not to mention the drama of me backing the camping trailer into it's parking spot at the bottom of our back driveway.  Did I mention we hadn't eaten any supper yet?  We could sell tickets to  the backing up event.   I've been known  to draw quite a crowd at a campground, especially if I am blocking the road. I'm not a very good "backer upper" with a car, much less, one with a trailer behind it.  The task is made even more interesting by the fact that  here at home, I have no spotter.  Actually, I have a spotter, but he happens to be blind, so if I start to turn the wrong way, which I do a lot, there is no one to tell me to go the other way.  Instead I get out walk to the back, get in the car, pull forward, and more often than not, repeat the same move I just did, and end up in the same position I was just in.  This can be repeated up to 10 times or more.  After much pulling forward and backing up many times, and many more times,  I finally get it where it needs to go. I owe much thanks to a dear friend and brother-in-law,  who spent hours coaching me on how to do correctly, back up a trailer.   Their voices are recorded in my head.   I replay them when I am backing up the trailer, but sometimes they are in the wrong order.


That should have been enough excitement for one day, but not for us.  No we just knew we could get the trike put back together.  As mentioned in an earlier blog, it has 4 couplers, I suppose some would say 2, but I call them 4,(airplane couplers) that need to be perfectly aligned, held together  with a metal band that screws around both couplers.

  It's a challenge to figure out which one should be joined first, the couplers for the top bar of the frame, or the  ones for the bottom .  We tried the top, got it fastened in OK, but then couldn't get the bottom, so we undid the top to try again, only to have the back of the trike tip over on it's side,  yes, the side where the chain, the new chain was, and  of course it landed in the sand.  Sand and bike chains do not mix well. They don't like each other. Sand wants to destroy gear cogs, de-railuers and anything else it can grind against with it's shape edges.  We  finally gave up and put the trike, sandy chain and all,  in the garage in 2 pieces.   Loaded it up on the trailer the next morning, went to work, parked the car , trailer and bike in the parking lot there, and when I had some time free, I took it into the local bike shop to get the chain cleaned and to get some help in getting it together.  Got it back together, and got the chain cleaned,  Loaded the trike back up and went back to work, so happy that we could soon try it out on our very own hills.  Got home, and decided it would be easier to lube the trike while it was still on the trailer.  That's when I discovered the chain was on wrong, very wrong.

 I was determined to correct it, so got out my master link tool, took the link off the freshly lubed chain,  and attempted to reroute it. That was a mistake.    Had no pictures or diagrams to go by,  even if I had, they may not have helped.  I'm not very good at things like that.  They never covered that in the bike maintenance class I took , probably because they don't know how to do it either.  One thing I did learn in the class, is it doesn't hurt to try.

Tony solved the problem for me.  My hero, once again.  He went in the house, called Terra Trike, about 90 miles south of us, and asked if they would help us with the chain if we stopped by on Saturday.  We have to be in Grand Rapids for the weekend anyway, so the trike is going with us.  Who knows we might even get a ride in this weekend.


By the way, no tickets needed to read the adventures or mishaps on this blog.  However, if you see a ticket booth at a campground, with a blind guy selling tickets, (please have correct change.)  and some lady trying to back up a little red and white trailer in to an camping space surrounded by big trees,... it might just be us.

A good P.S.  ending.

Got to Terra Trike today and found out that I DID route the chain correctly.  Just needed to crank the pedal forward to take the slack up.  Well, like my instructor in the bike maintenance class said, "It never hurts to try."

Home Sweet Home

Got back from Wisconsin last night, so glad to be home.  Happy to have the mountain drive on the trike.  Since the trike is 10  feet long, it is designed to break down into 2 pieces by unscrewing some couplers.  We normally transport it on our 10 ft flat bed trailer, but had to break it down to take to WI and to come back home.  After we unloaded it here, we couldn't get it back together, ended up getting sand in the new chain, and the chain is twisted sideways on an idler, so i'll take it to our local bike shop today to have the chain cleaned, and have them put it back together.  Fortunately I have time between clients today to take it in.

I have my pics uploaded, so will put some in this post, along with the link for the Gyros and Kabob house we went to in WI.  Unfortunately the sword dancer wasn't there when we ate, that would have been fun.  Regardless, the food was excellent.  I had the Spanokopita, which is  a spinach pie, in phyllo, served with a mint cucumber sauce.  Tony had Mediterranean Shrimp, with grilled pineapple and bell pepper, with a yummy sauce.  Here is a link to some pics.

http://www.gyrosandkabob.com/pictures.html

Woke up Tuesday morning to snow flurries, yes snow.  Not enough to stay on the ground, but none the less, it was snow.  The bearings for the trike came in about 11, and it was ready to go at noon.  By then the snow had turned to rain, so we had lunch before we bundles up and headed over to the Hostel Shoppe to take it for a test ride.   Man, it was like having a new trike.  No hills in the area to try the mountain drive out on, but there was a big overpass that went over a rail road track, that made a good substitute for a hill.  Nothing to exciting to our ride, we could tell we aren't used to riding in the city. We rode about 12 miles.  We did ride past a cool looking building.  I think it was a tavern.  I took a picture of it.

 When doing recumbent riding, the riders have more power in their legs because of the position they ride in, so it is really important to "spin" up hills rather than mashing down on the pedals with all the leg strength one can muster.  Serious damage can be done to ones knees if  "mashing" up a hill, instead of "spinning."  Spinning is when the riders pedal fast and easy. Since we live in the hilliest area of the lower peninsula of MI, and didn't have adequate gearing on our trike for the hills that are all around us, we often found ourselves mashing instead of spinning.   Not good.  Our knees didn't like it. The  Schlumpf mountain drive we had put on gives us the power we need to get up hills by spinning.  It works like 2 chain rings with a large difference in size.  It turns our low gear ring into a 15.  To engage it Tony simply taps it with his heel, it can be done while stopped.  To disengage, he taps with the opposite heel.  That's about as technical as I will get.  I know it works great.  Can't wait to try it out on the hills around here.  On the last 8 miles to our house, Tony was listening to the car motor, when he could hear we were going up some of the hills that are a challenge for us, he said, "Yep, I'll be kicking the mountain drive in here for sure."

Took the route across the upper peninsula home.   Such a pretty drive in the sections that go beside Lake Michigan.  Stopped for lunch, by the lake and walked down to take a few pics.  Had someone want to come and take a peek in our "cute little trailer."   We call them "looky-lews." We don't mind, it happens often. we get compliments at the gas pumps about our t@da, and people smile at us when they drive past.  We're used to it.  It makes traveling, fun and interesting .

 I could see the iron deposits from the lake on the shore.  It was a little windy crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, but I've driven across in worse winds.  It's a long 5 miles across for me, when i can feel the bridge moving due to the wind..  Made that drive lots of times when Tony and I were in Massage School in St. Ignace.  A couple of times we had to delay our crossing because the bridge was closed due to high winds.  The bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere.   During the month of March 2011, 203, 417 vehicles crossed the bridge.  Traffic in creases in the summer. Construction on the Mighty Mac started in 1954 and was completed in 1957.



 It spans the straits of Mackinac and connects the lower and upper peninsulas of our state. It is built to sustain winds of 365 MPH.  When rinds reach a sustained speed of 65 MPH, the bridge is closed.  It is usually for only short periods of time.  for those not brave enough to drive across, there is a number to call to arrange driver service for $2.00.  I've driven across white knuckled before, but haven't needed to have a driver...yet.  Each labor day the bridge is closed for a period of time for the bridge walk, which is usually led by the current Governor of Michigan.  You won't find me among those waking across.  I know my limits.  I wanted to put some pics in here, but didn't want to buy any, so here is a link instead.  It's worth checking out.

http://www.mackinacbridge.org/bridge-cam-20/