Nassington circular via Glenn Miller monument

A recce for the same walk tomorrow. Details then.




Surprising patches of mud on some paths. Warm, sunny - and back home to catch the Cavendish-Wiggins finale to the Tour de France!





We heard and saw a couple of green woodpeckers on our way. The route is the same as the walk for 23 July .

Positive thinking

This is not turning into one of my better weeks. As of yesterday I am simultaneously nursing a head cold and a swollen ankle after rolling it while running on the headland at North Burleigh. Effectively it means I won't be bothering with the weekend at Minyon Falls I was planning this weekend -- although I do plan to rack up some serious kilometres as soon as my ankle decides to co-operate (I can ride off the head cold).
Since I'm effectively forced to "rest" (which basically means limiting my riding to commuting only) I've decided to put a positive spin on this situation and consider it "multi-tasking". If I'm going to be off the bike with the ankle, I might as well deal with the illness at the same time. Perhaps clearing both of them up now might prevent a repeat of the miserable run I had last year when I was trying to ride a super series (Audax riders will know what that means).
Now if I can just find a way to legitimately take credit for it.

Evening Wood Lily, Ham Lake Burn Area

If you're thinking of taking a drive up the Gunflint Trail, be sure and check out the Magnetic Rock Hiking Trail. About a half-mile in along the trail, the Wood Lilies are blooming and there are quite a few of them! In my opinion they are one of the most beautiful flowers of the Northwoods. I loved the contrast between the colorful flowers, green grass and charred black ground that remained from the fire, which occurred in May 2007.

Annie's

The Blount county bloggers met at Annie's over the weekend! Her job may be a pain, but it has made Annie Linda-Hamilton-buff.
I'm so jealous. I'd do anything to look like Annie. (Except eat well and get a lot of exercise.) If I'm found dead next week, it'll be due to Annie killing me for showing this. But the light was so nice, I couldn't resist.
Also present were CPP and TCE. We should have taken a pic of all our feet together or something, but of course I had that idea on the way home. Maybe next time, when I hope that MM can join us too.
These photos were all taken on our "weed walk" at Annie's place.

Pink phlox. I can't provide scientific names for most plants blooming after April, since they all seem to have 50 look-alikes that vary only in the slightest details.

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) on Blanket Flower.

Whorled loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia).

Collection of colored glass from Arkansas.

Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis).

Mexican Hat. This and the Blanket flower aren't natives here, but are good plants for butterflies and quail. Update: I think I was wrong about them not being natives.

One of the skullcaps, possibly Hairy skullcap (Scutellaria elliptica).

A daylily I can't remember the name of.

Possibly a summer bluet? I'm not familiar with this plant and can't find a picture that matches well.

A fern I couldn't identify.

The lovely Lika.

The lovely Grendel.
Thanks for having us over, Annie! It was great to meet you, TCE and CPP!

City Lights

It's not often I keep my evening rides urban -- normally I'm one who likes to escape into the cooler, cleaner country air. However, the current bushfire situation in the Hinterland means that country air isn't so cool and clean at the moment, hence I headed south along the coastal strip to Point Danger. What can I say but what a night!

It was a roaring tailwind that greeted me initially, I was literally blown south toward Greenmount. Here, the views were/are stunning, and this photo really doesn't do it justice.



Of course, that meant a battle with a headwind on the way back, but this was the really enjoyable part. Once you warm to the task and start throwing yourself into the headwind, it has that extremely liberating "letting go" feeling that only comes in very special circumstances (riding in heavy rain can also create it). In the grim struggle with the wind, I just completely forget about my destination. The wind itself becomes the goal, measuring myself, testing myself, feeling my thighs tire, but not wanting to show any weakness.

Then toward the end, the grimness is replaced by arrogance, as I realise I've owned the wind totally. Now I'm sprinting just for the sheer hell of it -- and at the end, that combination of exhaustion and exilaration, the reason I do this on a Thursday evening when it would be just as easy to go to bed early instead.

Sunrise, and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker

They say that country life is quiet - not so in the early mornings!



I could hear a neighbour's cockerel crowing, wild geese were squabbling on the fish pond across the road, plus there was a wonderful dawn chorus. It was unbelievably noisy as the birds seemed to hurl insults at one another.

So much scribble in the sky!

Gradually the light increased and the noise diminished a little as the birds got down to the serious business of feeding.

One bed down, eight or nine to go!

We spent today doing lots of digging, tidying up the winter debris and generally finding plenty of outdoor work. It was a beautiful day, mild and sunny and it felt good to be outside. I found some spare time to play with the camera - during my tea-breaks, of course.

Image borrowed from bbc.co.uk

While I was working outdoors I was delighted to hear the drumming of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker,he often comes into the garden for food during winter, although I haven't seen him much in the last few weeks.

I found time to sit and have a chat with the hens, and while I was with them I spotted this ladybird tucked deeply and snugly into a tree trunk, so I photogaphed it using the macro lens. I wonder whether woodpeckers eat them?

Lets go for a walk.

Harry offered to take the old girls for a walk around the wood - they never walk this neatly for me!

The end of a busy day - mustn't let Harry sleep for too long,

he has to go home.

We came indoors for some tea and cake, all became very quiet, and this is how I found my three boys a short time ago!

I hope you have all enjoyed your Sunday as much as we enjoyed ours.

Return of the greenery

Leaving Bilambil, on the way to Urliup.



I ended up heading for a "Tweed Mystery Ride" today, regardless of the fact that nobody else seemed interested. Just lately I seem to be riding Urliup Road every week, although today there were a surprising number of wildflowers out. Surprising, because this isn't really the time of year for them.



After coming out near Murwillumbah, I climbed Tomewin, then followed the dirt road across the ridge back toward Bilambil. This section of the ride has some really great views. One day I'll get a picture of Mt Warning when it's not shrouded in mist.





There's something about a ridgetop dirt road through a rainforest. It has a character all of it's own, especially the solitude, where one can be alone with their thoughts, and with nature in it's most pristine form. This is good for the soul. Eventually I descended to Bilambil, then found another climb through the John Hogan Rainforest, over the ridge, and down onto the Pilgrims' Road. This was actually the first time I've done this section during the day for quite a while, and it felt almost unusual. The last few times I've ridden Hogan's Road, it's been in the darkness.

The rest of the ride was basically a cruise along the Tweed River for a bit, before climbing Terranora, and heading home with my cranks making some noises that will need to be looked at in greater detail. I think I'll just replace them only two weeks out from a tour. This seems the logical thing to do.



For those still reading, yes, that means I did not end up going to O'Reillys as planned. I'm currently at a bit of a strange, almost fearful, place with that ride. The issue seems to be that last time I did it, I basically blew it apart. I got up there a full ten minutes faster than I ever have before. I know that I'm buckley's chance of repeating that performance (at least while the weather's warm), and that seems to be deterring me from riding up there again. With Mt Jerusalem next weekend, and Victoria after that, it will be at least a month before I can put that to bed. I'm just not sure how to go about it. I guess I'll work it out. Right now, I'll just have to enjoy the rides I have!