Thing Are Not Always What They Appear

What is a ‘Fondo’ anyway? It has yet to be discovered but USA Cycling has a list of events still to come here. Cyclo Cross and Fat Bike dominance are quickly approaching but until the snow flies there is plenty of good riding left in the year. Just be sure to dress for the weather; keep your head covered and legs warm.

Just look how beautiful autumn is. How can you not get out?

We were in our car late at night and I was about to make a right turn. Fortunately I took a second look (in my mirror) as one of those recumbent bikes came rolling by into my turn. He passed without incident but I had to think, “What an idiot! This late at night?” Especially considering he was so low to the ground I could only see him (without my mirrors) after he passed.

Okay he had lights but bicycle lights are pretty useless. They’re too small. Even if you see them the scale may suggest a larger vehicle much farther away. Yes, if you truly want bicycle safety at night those red tail lights need to be as large as you see on a motorcycle or car. Then these riders, with their high tech bikes have removed most of their reflectors (fancy pantsy peddles) and often wear dark clothing. Reflective clothing, and your good old fashioned typical reflectors are what tell drivers there is a bicycle in front of them. It’s just how I see it.

I was driving at dawn in the north woods way back when. I came over a rise and saw a light I took as a headlight in front of me. The light moved from the oncoming lane and into my lane. A drunk in a car with only one headlight? I slowed as quickly as I could and was planning to go onto the soft shoulder anticipating that the driver may swerve back into his own lane, which could have been hazardous for me and my vehicle as the land beyond sloped steeply away. Then I realized that this was a tractor with a light shining backwards for safety. It had pulled out of a field from the far side of the road and was slowly heading where it was heading. At dawn, the farmer most likely didn’t notice my headlights beyond the rise, and I could not make out the tractor clearly in the not dark but not light, with the light shining at me. When I realized it was a tractor I could pass it safely in the opposing lane.

The Wisconsin Bike Summit is coming November 6 to the beautiful Appleton Wisconsin. There will be a heavy emphasis on Mountain Bike issues. Appleton has lots of fine dining. The Bike Fed is also campaigning for a vulnerable users bill which covers bicyclists, pedestrians and farm vehicles. Bicyclists should have their own paths as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think they belong on any high traffic roadways roads, especially at night.

Safety is important. You don’t want to have to enjoy football like these poor saps.

Yes, we took a mini vacation at my wife’s suggestion, and went to Holy Hill. We came across the unholy scene above along the way.

We hiked, reflected, enjoyed the scenery, stopped to pray and most importantly shopped. Honey. fresh apples (now Misao knows what a ‘peck’ is), apple cider, and a few gifts.

Here is a good place for metal art. Antiques and knick knacks makes for an interesting stop.

This is also the time of the year to contemplate how one will train this Winter. Emerys and all the bicycle shops have organized indoor training sessions. I will depend on my trainer in the basement.

Milk! Some call it liquid food. Some the elixir of life; if you’re under two years old or have access to fresh unpasteurized cows milk. My wife found this product. It is the next evolution in milk production. They start with what they claim to be the finest milk (but not organic). Then they have altered their pasteurization process to remove that burnt taste that flash pasteurization produces. It’s a burnt taste that you don’t recognize until you’ve had fresh milk or batch pasteurized milk. Then they divide the milk into its various parts. They put it all back together with higher concentrations of protein and calcium, less sugar (it’s lactose free), and as much fat as you like. We buy whole milk. Since there is no chemical reactions or additives involved I see this as a good development; the best alternative to fresh unpasteurized milk. It’s like making lemonade out of the lemons of pasteurization.

This new milk comes from that dairy with the big tourist shop and tours. It is like the only tourist attraction in all of Indiana when you’re traveling from Indianapolis to Chicago, or in our case Milwaukee.

Misao celebrated a birthday. I got here this delicious caramel apple cake. I had no time to bake one myself as I have been focused on home repairs. When you bake a cake, you are trying to balance the proteins in the flour, egg whites and milk, with sugars and fats; found in sugar, butter, egg yolks and milk. So, I wouldn’t use Fairlife Milk in your typical baking recipes. The protein balance has been shifted considerably, and who knows how the higher calcium will alter a batter.

Have you seen the “100 pound of potatoes in four square foot” technique. Potato towers; not what they appear to be. We saw one guy on YouTube who got four potatoes out of his potato tower. He used the wrong type of soil but... You need a lighter composted type of soil. One family used a soil that was mostly sand and sawdust. From my research, already planning next years garden, buckets, bags and even barrels appear to get better results than a potato tower when you consider the investment involved.

Potatoes are cheap, but you can grow hundreds of varieties that you’ll never find in the grocery store. For proven high volume/density potato growing techniques and the greatest variety of potatoes you will ever find go to The Kenosha Potato Project website.

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