A Lazy Tuesday

Calling around I could find no work that pays today. And, it's raining again, oh no... Two solid weeks of work would 'start' to make a dent in our debt. Two solid weeks of work on the house, requiring the expenditure of the hard gained dollar, would put me in good shape as far as being ready for the Winter. I got to some of that work yesterday and will be taking on a chunk today. I also have about a dozen pieces for my various blogs bouncing around in my head that I could spend a whole week on. Some of that I will get to today also.

And of course I have to keep riding. I had a nice ride this last Sunday and if not for the falling darkness and approaching rainfall may have kept going forever. At least that is how I felt.

Just being in the limited nature our metro area provides is an upper. Seeing these deer munching acorns under an old oak tree in the park reminded me of the hunting season. The north woods with clean air, clean water and good food drawn from the immediate environment. Our economic circumstance will keep me from participating in either the bow or gun season. I'll be lucky to get up once to shoot a few rabbits.

Continuing the ride down the trails of unofficialdom along the river, here is the passage under the Swan Blvd bridge. Just pick a proper line and trust in the roll, gliding right through. Don't let worry or fear frustrate what comes natural like to the bike.

I chased off some ducks loitering on the trail here, obviously up to no good. A steep drop with no room for error. What everyone in the know will tell you is, keep your eyes where you want to go and don't look where you don't want to go... or that is where you will go. The river being low it would be a hard landing. That white blob is my black tire.

Not only getting back to riding more but already looking to get ready for next year. Am going to focus more on the core training at the gym and with the extra work looking to have a trainer this Winter. People recommend the spinning classes at Bally, but the mornings are too early with our schedule and I hate the crowds in the evening. I think I have plenty of upper body strength and don't need any extra weight there.

Moss roses. A nice ground cover. Another part of my friends garden. Will be giving him more help after this rain passes. It is nice to work with old friends, doing manly man stuff and trading friendly insults. Working in the hot sun where the only sunscreen used is a baseball cap. After many a day of work we decided what I will be paid for this labor intensive project. Not that I haven't helped without compensation before, but he has money and I don't, and he's my friend. And you would just have to be a jackass not to pay someone for this kind of hard labor.

When building trail one of the first lessons is the circle of death. That is you don't work when anyone or their tool is within the reach of the tool you are using yourself. I had brought over my digging tool, a 5+ foot long iron bar (it's really heavy), to help with the task at my friends property. Slamming the rock hard clay soil with shovels has brought some hurt to my wrists and elbows. I was digging and he was swinging this iron bar at an angle, shattering and shaving off the hard packed earth at the same time, striking perilously close to my foot.

"If you slip you're really going to mess up my foot." I said.

To which he responded, "Then you can't chase me."

I paused and replied, "You're right!"

The truth is all around us.