MUT for an Evening

 
I got to do something really fun this evening. The MUTS are having a weekend rally here in Ludington. What are the MUTS, you ask? Michigan United Tandem Society.



I'll be writing my next newspaper column about them, so I was invited to eat dinner with them today. Lots of funny stories and interesting information. Bicycles sure don't necessarily look like they used to. I got a chance to ride on this recumbent tandem for about four miles.



It was a lot of fun, although it was weird. The person in back does absolutely nothing except pedal.

In other news: I got new tires on my car, worked at Shagway in the afternoon, went for a hike between that and MUTS, and wrote a chapter in DMS Mistletoe. A good productive day!

	See More about the Old New Bike
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We Each Have Goals

 
This is a trail friend of mine, David. His goal for the day was to ride 40 miles on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail. I helped him spot his car this morning.



I assume he made it, but I think he would have been happier if I'd arrived on time. I overslept. It wasn't too hot when he left, but mid-afternoon was way too warm for an October day. I'm so sorry... mornings and I just don't do well. That's the second time in two weeks I've turned off the alarm without realizing it. That's an old, old trick of mine, but it seems to be resurfacing. Bummer.



My goals were more ordinary.

Turn in my volunteer hours to the trail association. Done, but on the very last day possible, of course.

Clean up the kitchen from all the canning and grape mess. Close but no cigar. I think one more sink full of soapy water will do it, and put a few more things away.

Write a chapter in Dead Mule Swamp Druggist. About halfway. I have time to finish it tomorrow afternoon, but I really wanted to get it done today. Not happening. My brain is fried.

Work on the trailer- fiberglass in particular. Made progress. I'll probably do a report tomorrow because I think I got one little thing done. Need to check it in the morning. I seem to be able to tolerate 2-3 batches of fiberglass resin a day before the fumes get to me.

Cut some grass. Didn't even think about it, sigh. One section has to be cut once more before winter, and I need to go over my trails so they'll be OK for skiing.

That's it...

I'm sore all over from climbing on and off the roof of the trailer, and my shoulders and wrist ache. Maybe I need a work day to recuperate!

	See Cycling with Sue and Sophie
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More from Yesterday's Ride

 
I have some more interesting pictures from yesterday, and since today was mostly a long day at work and a car repair, I choose fun pictures instead!

Sophie is always a riot on our outings. She's a dog with a ton of personality. And Sue says she particularly likes me, which tickles me pink. One really funny story from yesterday is what happened when Sue and I got to her house. I met her at work and we went there together. When she opened the door, Sophie saw Sue and started dancing around the way you'd expect any happy dog would greet her human. Then she saw me and it was the funniest thing! She pulled back her lips to show her teeth- not far enough for a snarl or growl, but just so part of her teeth showed. It looked for all the world like an extra-joyous smile. She did it over and over until all the initial greetings were made.

And as soon as her outside duties were done, she spent the rest of the time that we weren't biking parked in my lap!



Just to orient you again, we rode our bikes on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail which is the continuation of the live tracks in back of my house. They are only live as far as Baldwin, where they turn south to Grand Rapids. But the old mile markers along what's now trail show the distance to Saginaw, just like out back here.


You know I like to find beauty in the ordinary things. Here's a Queen Anne's Lace going to seed.



Sue made a really neat find, this bottle gentian. Probably the most common gentian, but not seen all that often.



I liked this old piling in the Baldwin River. It's busy turning itself into a small terrarium.


Sure we were there for the exercise, but the experience is always more than just riding the bike.



Not enough hours in the day. I'm sure you know that!

	See Marquette Rail for a mile marker in back of my house See Cycling with Sue and Sophie for the rest of yesterday's adventure
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Cycling with Sue and Sophie

 
Spent time with Sue and Sophie again this week after Sue got off work. Today we went for a bike ride.



We rode 10 miles on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail where I took a short walk last week. Sophie rode in the basket on the way out, but she kept whining and really wanted to be down. So she got to run about four of the miles on the way back. That seemed to be what she wanted.



We rode the five miles to Idlewild (Broadway St) without stopping, but I wanted to take pictures on the way back, so we stopped fairly often.

I liked the branches against the sky. The day had been pretty warm, but by then the temperature was really nice for a bike ride.



It's starting to look like fall. This is the view across Foreman Lake.



Sanborn Creek is a nice clear little stream.



Sophie says, "I'll watch for the fishes if you catch me one, Mom."



When we got back, we went to Sue's house and had butternut squash soup for dinner. A really nice end of the day. Wish we lived just a little closer together, but we're managing to squeeze a few adventures around our work schedules.



You'll probably see more from this outing tomorrow. There was some other neat stuff too.

	See Little Hikes, Big Fun
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First Bike Ride 2017

 
Subtitle: How to Sew a Vest on a Button.

This story all started when we were inserting Shopko ads into an advertising flyer at work. They had a really good price on comforters, and the picture looked like I might even like them. Well, I've been looking for one, since mine is 25 years old and not in good shape at all. The problem begins when I tell you that Shopko is 30 miles away from me. And I HATE shopping.

Anyway... if I were going to drive that far, I'd hate to be doing so for only one reason. Thus I began looking for more justification for said trip. Item number two: the Hart-Montague Rail Trail. They resurfaced it in 2015, and I hadn't been on it at all since then. It had gotten in pretty bad shape, so a nice smooth ride was appealing. And the weather was supposed to be nice this weekend.



And... I found out some additional information about something interesting (which I'll show you tomorrow). To get a new picture also required a trip to that same general area.

I woke up feeling really good- not Saturday-awful at all.

Now that we've constructed a decent sized vest for that button, let me tell you that the button disintigrated. I didn't like any of the comforters, but I did buy some other stuff. The thing is, when you hate to shop, and you actually find yourself in a store you don't go to often, it pays to look around to see what they have that is on your "really must buy sometime soon" list.

The rail trail sure is a nice ride now. Not only was it resurfaced, but they reconstructed the picnic turnouts and benches and mile markers.



My usual first ride of the year is about six miles. (And I hate to tell you this, but I did not take one single bike ride all last year. How horrible is that!) But since I had lugged the bike all the way down there, and the trail was so nice, I wanted to take advantage of all that. My plan was to ride for an hour. And I did it! According to the mileposts, I rode out 5 miles and, obviously, 5 miles back, for a total of 10. I'm not even sore. Not even my seat!

This is just an unnamed wetland seen from the turnout shown above, but water views are always welcome.



And I even found a flower in bloom. It's not very impressive, but it was blooming. I think it's Cuckoo Flower, Cardamine pratensis, but not even a good example of that. As you can see, it's growing in rocks. It's on the shoulder of the trail, which has to be a terrible location.


The leaves aren't fully open, and it's struggling for every breath, so the features one would look for to ID the plant aren't good exemplars. But, hey, it's a flower!

	See Ellen and Joan Take an Excellent Bike Ride
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Trail Closed! = Good

 
Sorry about no post yesterday. I slept all morning after work Friday night. Then had to go out and do a couple of cases for the other job in the afternoon. Fell asleep at my computer after that and decided to go to bed at 8 pm. Slept right through till 6:30 this morning!

Today, I went searching for information and progress on the improvements that are being done this year to the Hart-Montague Rail Trail.



The section between Montague and Rothbury is indeed re-paved, and that seems to be on schedule.

I rode about ten miles on a different piece, which was plenty, plenty in the heat wave we are suddenly having.

Had the privilege of helping someone who needed an assist. Quality day!

	See Joan and Ellen Take an Excellent Bike Ride
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White Pine Trail- Big Rapids to Stanwood

 
Om and I managed to get it together enough to continue our section rides down the White Pine Trail. Today we rode 9.1 miles that count toward the goal, but of course 18.2 to get back to the car!

We started in Big Rapids where we left off last year, and rode south. Om had borrowed a mountain bike because this section is not paved. It was well-packed pea gravel, and wasn't difficult with the mountain bikes.



Not all of it was this appealing. This section is pretty much straight with a lot of road crossings. But it was mostly in the shade, so that helped make it more attractive and comfortable.

We did go past a lovely small wetland, and my favorite pictures of the day come from there.






The summer is winding down and goldenrod (pretty sure this is Canada goldenrod, but it could be tall goldenrod) is in full glory.



And the gray dogwood puts on one of its best looks when the berries show off.



We reached Stanwood in just over an hour. There isn't much there. Of course a rail trail is going to go past some of the ugliest buildings a town may have, but I liked the light and shadows. Try to imagine it as Cezanne would have painted it!



But there were those reminders that it's September already. An occasional red leaf intrudes messages of summer's end.

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Evening Bike Ride

 
Today was the kind of day, weather-wise, that we dream about having all summer long. Sunny, blue sky, blue water, light breeze, not too hot, not too chilly. I'll take another one, please.

After dinner I went for a bike ride. Just a little 6-mile loop near the house. Was looking for some nice pictures to bring home to you. Here's my favorite. Sun through the red pines.



But willows with Queen Anne's Lace isn't bad.



Probably would have found a few more if I'd been on foot, but stopping to take pictures when on a bicycle can be hard to talk myself into.

	See An Evening Bike Ride
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The Wrong Season?

 
Do you think maybe it's time to put the bike away?

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