Autumn Heat

This Saturday is The Fall Color Festival here in Wisconsin. Located in our beautiful Kettle Moraine I had to put out a post to let you all know, even as I writhe in illness. Events designed for every age make it a fantastic family event. Then the uncharacteristic autumn heat will return, great for our garden.

Wausau Wisconsin is a lovely area to appreciate the fall colors. It is also a city with an increasingly growing number of mountain bike trails, an intriguing down hill recently opened.

Though Metro Mountain Bikers has been attempting to get a pump track built for years, it has yet to materialize. A memorial repair station for Rob, I forgot his last name, will be installed at the old Tosa train Station. It was too much of a hassle working with county parks, but I believe that is a better location. It will be right across from the farmer’s market.

Yes we can. The peach tree is showing its age. We will have to get a new fruit tree before the old guy gives it up all together. About the same viable lifespan as a good dog.

The $158 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

How Does Your Garden Grow

With rocks and ruts and switchback stunts? Yes this is primarily a mountain bike and biking blog and this weekend there will be a stupendous event in this, the greater Milwaukee Area.

It is the WORS Collectivo Coffee Bean Classic, at Waukesha’s Minooka Park; Sunday. If you don’t ride, spectating is free, except for the parking. And if for some strange reason spectating does not excite you and you don’t plan to race, there are plenty of other things to do in the park.

Unfortunately my schedule and limited resources, mainly having only one car for two people, do not allow me to participate. Nor will I partake of The Polish Moon Ride. It is tonight and it is raining, with warnings out. It sounds like a great time that both I and my wife could enjoy together. Includes food and dancing. Oh well. There is always next year.

Yes, we were in New York last weekend. Not a garden paradise, but our garden did not suffer our absence. Actually caught some of the Tour de Fraud, or France as some people like to say, coverage on the Hotel cable.

And if you would like to garden but do not feel knowledgeable enough, I must recommend Charles Dowding, on YouTube. Grows organic and does stuff like growing the same thing in the same place every year to see what happens.

My very first beet.

If you want to get down on all that, garden and health and vegan stuff, watch John Kohler. He has a few videos where he comments on all the malice and hate he receives from other vegans, because he doesn’t demand everyone in the world be vegan.

Now, if you want to go homestead, but just a little, and still remain bound to civilization, Becky’s Homestead is the place to be. “Farm living is the life for me.” Just a couple acres and lots of good neighbors. And she is a single mom who started with no money. “What did you say? I got no money.”

For you, “Money!” types there is always the Urban Farmer. The Urban Farmer. I know of no other (on YouTube).

If you are truly the eat your own food type, regenerative farming fanatic, permaculture junky, I must recommend two sites full of chickens, sheep, cows, rabbit, duck, orchards, organic beds, fruitful fields and the growing of hops so that you can make your own beer on the farm. They would be the sites of John Suscovich (looks like he did it all in six years) and Richard Perkins.

See! See how I brought everything back to mountain biking. Yes!!! The beer, making your own beer.

I just drink the NA varieties.

Cucumbers and the infamous bitter melons are producing. They say if you keep chewing something bitter it will turn sweet. Heard that from Reverend Moon and again later from Dr. Axe.

The $157 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

Summerfest!

Yes, more than a decade ago I had called Summerfest a collection of drunks but we had a great time there this past Sunday. And you will have a great time at the Wauwatosa Farmer’s Market this Saturday (read below). And if you are looking for a great time to compete, the Collectivo Coffee Bean Classic is Sunday July 23rd in Waukesha.

The weather was beautiful for our day at Summerfest, though rain has been a normal part of our summer this year. The mountain bike trails are mostly closed due to mud, but Alpine Valley has trails in wonderful condition and it only cost $2 to ride all day. There are not many deals like that left in the world. Word is that the Middleton/Fitchburg area has stupendous trails of recent construction.

Navigating the Summerfest grounds was akin to navigating a raging river. You just had to jump into the flow of people and hope you could work your way out at your desired destination. Our destination was the BMO Harris Pavilion. When we arrived an American Idol star was performing; cannot recall her name though my wife recognized her. Nice music, singing about sitting together on the front porch.

And if you enjoy real home and family kind of living make sure to make it to the Wauwatosa Farmer’s Market this Saturday. Yes, this Saturday is a fantastical magical bicycle day at the market. Near a dozen bicycle organizations, including Metro Mountain Bikers and Dream Bikes will have booths for this mid-Summer bonanza. It is going to be great and I will not be there, previous engagement, so even better.

Food, family and farm are all a big part of this nations revival. There is a revolution going on around here.

The reason we have gone to Summerfest again, after all these years, was to see The Band Perry. The greatest band no one will talk about. Didn’t here a word amongst all the Summerfest talk on the radio. My wife recorded several songs on her new phone, I simply enjoyed the moment.

It was a great show, certainly not lacking in fashion statement. A few songs had the bass a bit too strong but I think I know why. Just their way of telling the stage next door, “We belong on the main stage.”

I know no other band, group, singer or otherwise that puts out terrific songs of significance. Real life substance stuff. Their time is surely coming.

We planted sunflower seeds last year. Nothing came up. This year we have this sunflower tree shading one of our raised planter beds.

The $156 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.https://www.thebandperry.com/

What's Up!

What’s down? What is right and what is wrong? The whole world has turned upside over easy.

And if you participate in the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s Ride Across Wisconsin (RAW) that may be just how you will feel when you finish. Or it may be their Bike Week that has you confused, running June 1-11. …And here I thought a week was seven days.

Or you may simply be dismayed by all those bicyclists running through stop signs and then making obscene gestures when you call them on it. Yes, they like to take up an entire drive lane, flaunting their rights as bikers in your face, slowing down traffic, but hey, the law is on their side. Then they just piss on the law as they will not stop for anything.

But not all cyclists are liberals. I actually stop at stop signs. Just my my way of making a simple contribution to the peace and order of society.

This vehicle crashed into several obstacles racing through our neighborhood Memorial Day weekend. Finally it snagged the support cable of the power pole and ripped the middle out of it. Note the top of the pole hanging in mid air. Power was out for sometime.

The four occupants, three shirtless, pants around the crotch underwear showing, males and one female exited the vehicle. The dislodged piece of the pole, broken in two came to rest under the truck, which kept them from fleeing. The owner of the truck who claims he was not initially driving hopped back in and tried to set the truck free one more time. He failed, left, but returned, as being the owner there was little he could do to escape justice. A wise decision considering.

His three buddies ran back to Miller Park and claimed the truck had been carjacked. They were arrested for obstruction. These were all white people by the way. I would not be surprised if they told the authorities that black people stole their truck though a dozen of us neighbors watched them as they stumbled away in flight.

Errant bicyclists aside the city streets have become increasingly dangerous. I would say that two out of every three times I drive in the city these days I see cars driving at extreme excessive speeds, running stop lights and signs, and acting in an outright reckless fashion. Someone attempted to steal our neighbors car this morning. As of this moment, four hours after calling the police, there had been no police response. They have security video of the incident. It is impossible to get in or out of our neighborhood without being on somebody’s security video.

Yes, the problem is growing exponentially worse, and it is spreading beyond Milwaukee. And the first hot spell of the Summer has just arrived.

I am glad I got me a new bicycle helmet this spring at the Bike Expo.

WORS is having a fantastic season by the way. It is where the mountain bike action is for good clean living people of all types.

The $155 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

Chicago Flower and Garden Show

I know you all have been waiting to hear of our adventures in that Urban Jungle known as Chicago, and how they could possible be host to a flower and garden show.

Well, they actually have soil, ground, good old fashioned earth in Chicago. It just takes some looking for. There were 20 different garden displays, full gardens, at the show. Lots of creative ideas for growing were on display.

“Let food be thy medicine” is a saying as old as medicine itself. Also the slogan to a campaign to rid the world of GMO’s, that Dr. Axe is on. I recommend his broadcasts to anyone.

And speaking of good healthy, the best food you can find anywhere, kind of food, did you hear about the WORS opening event? Yes, I am talking about a Mountain Bike Race. A Mountain Bike race held on  Englewood Grass Farm in Fall River, Wisconsin. Pure delicious grass fed beef. It is what’s for dinner, yum, cause your store bought beef is full of hormones and antibiotics, yuk. The family farm, it is what life is all about.

The Iola Bump and Jump, one of my favorites, is over. I am actually down to race weight. I will have to get in some Metro Mountain Bikers Wednesday Night Races. They have begun.

So Chicago has a show in which things actually grow. Our interest was in growing edibles. Not the main focus of the event but some good information all the same. The meat of the show, not grass fed, comes in the presentations. Two open public stages, one for growing things and another for cooking things. There were a few interactive/training displays that were inactive when we passed by, an area for paid classes and a large room for major speakers to comment on deep and profound aspects of growing stuff.

That was the meat. Plenty of booths. Support a convent by buying their bakery, buy some overpriced tea (Maybe not overpriced for Chicago) and plenty of garden ornaments were your options along with the other half of the booths which had nothing to do with gardening. If you wanted to change your Internet service or were interested in new siding, you were in luck.

Dr. Earth had a display, nothing for sale. We each received free samples of fertilizer. They are great products carried by Home Depot as well as others. The busiest booth sold seed, plants and other goodies, but I did not venture in to weather the crowd. I was looking for an insect house otherwise. My wife finally found one at Aldi for less than $10.

The most outstanding booth at The Chicago Flower and Garden Show had ties to UW Madison. They have produced a cutting edge LED light grow system for indoors. Research and the best LED’s on the market that will not lose intensity over time make their system far worth the money. It is not just the lights but also the growing system; seed tapes, watering wicks etc.. Check it out; LED Habitats. My seed starts indoors were dismal. I need a better refined indoor lighting system.

If we had been free to pick the optimal day, as far as presentation availability, to go to the show I would have enjoyed the show more. Check out the show guide before making your plans. Having never been to Navy Pier before we had a good time, with plenty of exercise walking the pier between shows. Found a great burger joint, grass fed.

Our garden, where I do all the work, is starting to take shape. Had to get the bitter melon and some cucumbers out of their pots; they were not doing well. I hope those domes protect them. It has been cold still, at times. My writing (I have published) and gardening, everyone just puts it up to me having fun. I guess all my hard work is not truly work. Lucky me.

The $154 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

The Velodrome, The Velodrome, The Velodrome

With the bicycling season upon us I neglected to mention a valuable and historic element of the local bicycle culture; the velodrome in Kenosha’s Washington Park.

Home to some 90 years of racing it is a local treasure and is reopening after some rebuilding snafus. One story has that they failed to budget the painting/resurfacing of the track, and we know that must be a precision job.

Do not deny yourself the reality of bicycling is a spectators sport. Particularly at the velodrome. Feel free to engage in some spectation or even speculation over victors, perhaps adjusting your spectacles in awe of spectacular lycra attire flaunting a wide spectrum of color. Spectaculous!

Great timing for the velodrome as the Kenosha economy is doing well. Thanks Illinois.

I put my hours in for The Bike Expo and met plenty a wondrous crowd of folk. The electric bike seems not the craze it was. Some pint sized seating options failed to create a crowd.

If you are interested in volunteering Check out Metro Mountain Bikers for upcoming trail work days.

Not only will racing begin at the velodrome in May, but so to shall racing begin Wednesday nights. Under the umbrella of Wheel and Sprocket Metro Mountain Bikers shall begin holding Wednesday Night Races soon at Minooka. The location shall change month by month. Odd Tuesday Rides begin May 16th at Minooka, for those who want to learn the trails or simply meet the ones who make it happen.

But I hear you all. What you really want to know is, “Phillip, did you get your wife on April Fools Day?”

The trick is to keep it simple. If you create too complicated a ruse the woman will see right through it. Simple, and they will never see it coming. On the eve of April Fools Day my wife retired early. There were three donuts in a box she had bought for breakfast. Simple. I hide two of the donuts and the next day…

“You can make breakfast.” my wife pouts after our morning prayer and study, “Pancakes, eggs.”

We go downstairs. My wife looks annoy. Then she sneers, “You ate the donuts last night!”

“What! What donuts.” I feign innocents as I retreat to where the donuts have been hidden.

Shock, awe, embarrassment, a direct hit as I retrieve the items of contention and proclaim “April Fool!”

So sweet. …the donuts.

Then we are reviewing some of our security camera footage. My wife notices our dog darting with incredible speed around the yard.

“Wow!” she observes, “He’s so fast.

“I have it on 4X’s the speed.” I explain.

Then she laughs out loud, observing me on camera working in the garden, “It looks like you’re moving at normal speed.”

The $153 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

It Is Time

It is time for The Bike Expo this coming weekend. That shining star in the sky that says Spring is here; salvation has come.

I’ll be there, volunteering and looking for a few essentials and deals. No new bike for me quite yet this year.

And if you are truly a fanatic you just cannot wait for the Bike Fed’s Lobby Day, on April 13th. Then there is the Spring Clean Up organized by the Milwaukee River Keepers on April 22nd. A great opportunity to volunteer in the upkeep of your community.

The Milwaukee Trails Council will have a public meeting at the Domes on April 27th. Let your opinion matter. It runs from 5:30-7:30pm. And the Bike Fed will be holding their Summit in Milwaukee at UWM on May 4th.

It is a time for activism but even more importantly, it is a time for RACING. Some may call this a time for drinking, namely beer, or Miller Time. This case was given to us by Miller Brewery when they hosted a small neighborhood meeting. It went to my dad. I only drink the non-alcoholic varieties.

WEMS, those endurance buffs of questionable judgments (how many laps can you ride in 12 hours?) begins early, on April 29th.

WORS has a ten race season. Fewer races, better attendance has been the trend. Let us see if that changes under a Trump administration. Did I mention I am almost down to my racing weight. More on that in the future.

And never forget the La Crosse Omnium. It is one of the most beautiful locations in our nation. It is a three day event, May 5-7, conflicting with the WORS opening race, but the Omnium is for road racers.

And do not forget Emery's is having a competing sale during the Bike Expo. It is time to prepare.

It was time to plant the potatoes, though the weather outside may still have been a bit too cold. But I did plant them. And the addition of the photo keeps your interest to the end.

Now it is time to do some seed starting. I am running a bit behind.

The $152 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.