Visitations

Fall color seen on my walk Sunday.

 This wasn't to be a typical weekend here for me. Andy had taken vacation and I had to tend to the shop all week long. That meant I had to work another Saturday. The week itself went better than expected. I was busier than I had anticipated I would be, which is good for business, obviously, but better for me. I really do not like standing around 'baby-sitting' a shop with nothing to work on. That drives me bonkers. 

So, having a mostly busy week was good, that is, until Friday. That was brutal! I had very few people walk in the door and a LOT of dead time to fill. I had caught up on repairs and had little else to do but clean and organize. 

So, Saturday I feared for the worst. I had worked a Saturday recently and it was pretty much like the Friday I just described. I was thinking I was going to possibly lose my mind, but a couple of surprise visitations happened which saved the day. I guess mentioning here that I would be in the shop Saturday was a good thing, because both folks who came in to see me said it was because I had mentioned I would be working that they made the effort to see me. 

So, the first individual that surprised me with a visit was someone who I hadn't seen in well over a decade. I think the last time I saw this person was at a Frostbike in 2008. So, yeah.... A LONG time had passed since I had seen this guy. I used to make mention of him a lot when this blog first began, and since that was over 15 years ago, most of you folks probably don't know or remember that.

His name is Clay. I've known him since I first was in the bicycle business back in the 90's. I used to refer to him by his nick-name here, which was Dirtram, which was a play on his surname name. Anyway, he worked at the shop where I last worked, and I think our time there overlapped maybe a few months or so, but it wasn't very long before Clay moved on and out of my reckoning. The last time I think I saw him was about five years after I saw him previously, so when he came in and visited me Saturday it was a big surprise and we had a lot of catching up to do. 

Rick Chalfant, third from left here, was the other visitor Saturday.

After a few customers came in, Clay excused himself, and then it was awhile before another surprise visitor stopped by. It was Rick, who had been up last for a GTDRI in 2016. 

He read on the blog that I would be there, and since he was up for a family function, he made some time to swing by and chat for a bit. It was great to catch up with Rick and talk about our families and riding. 

Then some more time went by and I was about an hour out from shutting the door when my wife and son dropped by and so that made the end of my day a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be. The only bummer was that I didn't get to ride my bicycle home from work. 

So, yeah......no ride out in the country. No ride in the woods, like I traditionally try to do at 'peak Fall color time', and there was another reason for that. My family has been battling head colds, with the exception of myself- so far- and so I stuck around the house to lend a hand where I could with chores and taking care of people. 

I likely missed peak Fall colors, but sometimes more important things come along, like seeing old friends and acquaintances and being there for your family when they need you to be. It ain't always all about bicycles.

Visitations

Fall color seen on my walk Sunday.

 This wasn't to be a typical weekend here for me. Andy had taken vacation and I had to tend to the shop all week long. That meant I had to work another Saturday. The week itself went better than expected. I was busier than I had anticipated I would be, which is good for business, obviously, but better for me. I really do not like standing around 'baby-sitting' a shop with nothing to work on. That drives me bonkers. 

So, having a mostly busy week was good, that is, until Friday. That was brutal! I had very few people walk in the door and a LOT of dead time to fill. I had caught up on repairs and had little else to do but clean and organize. 

So, Saturday I feared for the worst. I had worked a Saturday recently and it was pretty much like the Friday I just described. I was thinking I was going to possibly lose my mind, but a couple of surprise visitations happened which saved the day. I guess mentioning here that I would be in the shop Saturday was a good thing, because both folks who came in to see me said it was because I had mentioned I would be working that they made the effort to see me. 

So, the first individual that surprised me with a visit was someone who I hadn't seen in well over a decade. I think the last time I saw this person was at a Frostbike in 2008. So, yeah.... A LONG time had passed since I had seen this guy. I used to make mention of him a lot when this blog first began, and since that was over 15 years ago, most of you folks probably don't know or remember that.

His name is Clay. I've known him since I first was in the bicycle business back in the 90's. I used to refer to him by his nick-name here, which was Dirtram, which was a play on his surname name. Anyway, he worked at the shop where I last worked, and I think our time there overlapped maybe a few months or so, but it wasn't very long before Clay moved on and out of my reckoning. The last time I think I saw him was about five years after I saw him previously, so when he came in and visited me Saturday it was a big surprise and we had a lot of catching up to do. 

Rick Chalfant, third from left here, was the other visitor Saturday.

After a few customers came in, Clay excused himself, and then it was awhile before another surprise visitor stopped by. It was Rick, who had been up last for a GTDRI in 2016. 

He read on the blog that I would be there, and since he was up for a family function, he made some time to swing by and chat for a bit. It was great to catch up with Rick and talk about our families and riding. 

Then some more time went by and I was about an hour out from shutting the door when my wife and son dropped by and so that made the end of my day a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be. The only bummer was that I didn't get to ride my bicycle home from work. 

So, yeah......no ride out in the country. No ride in the woods, like I traditionally try to do at 'peak Fall color time', and there was another reason for that. My family has been battling head colds, with the exception of myself- so far- and so I stuck around the house to lend a hand where I could with chores and taking care of people. 

I likely missed peak Fall colors, but sometimes more important things come along, like seeing old friends and acquaintances and being there for your family when they need you to be. It ain't always all about bicycles.

Looking Ahead At 2018

Heading toward my 14th complete year of blogging in 2018.

Well, another stellar year of posting ends today for this blog. I am amazed that anyone still cares enough to actually read this blog at all, but you do. To all of you, a hearty "thank you!" and may you all have a Happy and Joyous New Year!

As for me, I have plans! (Insert evil laugh) Many of you will be surprised by at least one of the plans I have in store. Some of you will be nodding in agreement and understanding. Some of you won't give a rip. Some will deride me and say derogatory things. Nothing new about any of that!

Things concerning the blog will stay stable as long as I am around to punch keyboards out here. So, don't expect any big changes there. The blog should live on. That's my intention for now, at any rate.

Personally I am taking a different approach to my events. In the past I had a mix of competitive and "fun" riding. This coming year I am going to cut back on the competitive bits. I will be doing the Renegade Gent's race, but for all intents and purposes that is a fun ride. So, I am not counting that event as competition. There may be an excursion in Minnesota I will be on. That isn't set in stone just yet. Trans Iowa will take up the rest of my Spring's efforts along with just riding around here for fun.

June will be left completely wide open. There was some talk about riding three days in Odin's territory, but that is not solid as of now. It could happen though. Then the GTDRI will happen again probably the last weekend in July. Somewhere in the Spring I may still do a Geezer Ride. That will happen as part of a local, "get folks out on gravel" thing.

Summer won't have any other scheduled riding other than the Gravel Worlds, which is one I won't miss. Then that's it. Nothing else competitive at all is on my radar. Everything else I am leaving wide open to interpretation. I may want to go ride in Jackson County, Iowa, as an example, or along the Mississippi River somewhere, or out in the Loess Hills. I probably will go to the Northfield area, Des Moines area, and maybe some other places where I have friends to ride next year.

So yeah, the Renegade Gent's Race, GTDRI, and Gravel Worlds. That's all I am planning on for sure. The rest will be filled in with riding for fun, with friends, hopefully, and in some different places. I hope to get my 100 mile rides in on my single speed, gravel bikes, and maybe even a fat bike century too.

I look forward to this coming year. Less stress, less "big deals", and more fun with friends. That's my outlook right now.

Goodbye 2017......

Looking Ahead At 2018

Heading toward my 14th complete year of blogging in 2018.

Well, another stellar year of posting ends today for this blog. I am amazed that anyone still cares enough to actually read this blog at all, but you do. To all of you, a hearty "thank you!" and may you all have a Happy and Joyous New Year!

As for me, I have plans! (Insert evil laugh) Many of you will be surprised by at least one of the plans I have in store. Some of you will be nodding in agreement and understanding. Some of you won't give a rip. Some will deride me and say derogatory things. Nothing new about any of that!

Things concerning the blog will stay stable as long as I am around to punch keyboards out here. So, don't expect any big changes there. The blog should live on. That's my intention for now, at any rate.

Personally I am taking a different approach to my events. In the past I had a mix of competitive and "fun" riding. This coming year I am going to cut back on the competitive bits. I will be doing the Renegade Gent's race, but for all intents and purposes that is a fun ride. So, I am not counting that event as competition. There may be an excursion in Minnesota I will be on. That isn't set in stone just yet. Trans Iowa will take up the rest of my Spring's efforts along with just riding around here for fun.

June will be left completely wide open. There was some talk about riding three days in Odin's territory, but that is not solid as of now. It could happen though. Then the GTDRI will happen again probably the last weekend in July. Somewhere in the Spring I may still do a Geezer Ride. That will happen as part of a local, "get folks out on gravel" thing.

Summer won't have any other scheduled riding other than the Gravel Worlds, which is one I won't miss. Then that's it. Nothing else competitive at all is on my radar. Everything else I am leaving wide open to interpretation. I may want to go ride in Jackson County, Iowa, as an example, or along the Mississippi River somewhere, or out in the Loess Hills. I probably will go to the Northfield area, Des Moines area, and maybe some other places where I have friends to ride next year.

So yeah, the Renegade Gent's Race, GTDRI, and Gravel Worlds. That's all I am planning on for sure. The rest will be filled in with riding for fun, with friends, hopefully, and in some different places. I hope to get my 100 mile rides in on my single speed, gravel bikes, and maybe even a fat bike century too.

I look forward to this coming year. Less stress, less "big deals", and more fun with friends. That's my outlook right now.

Goodbye 2017......

Life Is Too Short For.......

Yep. Same view as yesterday's pic, a few minutes earlier.

Now that we have been in the "Information Age" for a bit, we have the wonderful benefit of "memes". Those trite little images with sayings that sometimes seem so wise. We see them on social media, nod in confirmation or wonderment, hit "like", and move on. We seem wiser, somehow we are deeper people, and we feel more confident in our "knowing".

Now, I know this really doesn't seem like it is about bicycles. And you are right. It isn't about bicycles today. If you think about it, bicycles are pretty worthless without people to ride them. So, it would be quite obvious then that people are more important. So, please forgive me for taking out a post today that has to do with people.

Back to the memes.....

There is one I've laughed at which says "Life is too short to ride shit bicycles". (<===See! I worked bicycles in to this after all.) Anyway, there are variations on that bit of wisdom. "Life is too short to deal with people with bad attitudes", and the like. Life is too short.......

Sometimes we don't take the time to say how we really feel about someone special to us. A friend. Someone you admire. A co-worker. I have a challenge for you today. Say that "something" that you feel about them. Express your admiration. Tell them you love them.

I challenge you to do that once today. Life is too short not to. 

This post is dedicated to Francis Odbert, my wife's father, who died on Easter Day, April 16th, 2017.

Life Is Too Short For.......

Yep. Same view as yesterday's pic, a few minutes earlier.

Now that we have been in the "Information Age" for a bit, we have the wonderful benefit of "memes". Those trite little images with sayings that sometimes seem so wise. We see them on social media, nod in confirmation or wonderment, hit "like", and move on. We seem wiser, somehow we are deeper people, and we feel more confident in our "knowing".

Now, I know this really doesn't seem like it is about bicycles. And you are right. It isn't about bicycles today. If you think about it, bicycles are pretty worthless without people to ride them. So, it would be quite obvious then that people are more important. So, please forgive me for taking out a post today that has to do with people.

Back to the memes.....

There is one I've laughed at which says "Life is too short to ride shit bicycles". (<===See! I worked bicycles in to this after all.) Anyway, there are variations on that bit of wisdom. "Life is too short to deal with people with bad attitudes", and the like. Life is too short.......

Sometimes we don't take the time to say how we really feel about someone special to us. A friend. Someone you admire. A co-worker. I have a challenge for you today. Say that "something" that you feel about them. Express your admiration. Tell them you love them.

I challenge you to do that once today. Life is too short not to. 

This post is dedicated to Francis Odbert, my wife's father, who died on Easter Day, April 16th, 2017.

Rear View 2016: Part 4

A dreary day, but we had fun despite the threatening skies.

October started out with a big ride that I wasn't sure I could pull off, but we did it. A Fat Bike Century! I even did it with flat pedals and my street shoes! I used my new 1X 11 set up with a 28T drive ring, which was a bit too low, really. If I had to do something like that all over again I would opt for a double at minimum and have a pretty good sized big ring for hauling the mail down hills and for cruising the flats. As it was, I was coasting a lot more than I would have.

But then again, maybe that was a good thing!

Trans Iowa v13 was introduced in August and registration was ongoing during October. There was lottery implications possible in the Vets class, but that turned out not to be necessary and the whole registration process was almost dull. A far cry from a few years ago when chaos was the order of the day. That was all fun, but honestly, I could do without the drama that came with it.

Then there was a bit of a diversion from all the bicycle stuff, and a bit of a throwback to earlier times in my life when a friend from the shop and a daughter of an old friend got married in Des Moines at a big, fancy mansion. That was a really great weekend. I saw folks I haven't seen in many, many years and had some great conversations.

A tandem was added to the bike stable.

I also got ahold of a tandem with which I have been able to get my daughter out on a few times with good results. She's 16 years old now and not a cyclist, but hopefully this tandem will help to change her mind about that. Thanks Bruce, once again, as this has been a very positive experience so far.

Then another great weekend happened at the end of the month as the Fargo Reunion Ride happened and I got to ride with Jason, Ben, Marty, and MG, plus various other folks from as far away as Kentucky. It was a great way to close out the month of October. In between I got in Trans Iowa recon and a Four County Tour. October was a stellar month of friends, cycling, and good times. Maybe the best month of the year.

Driving some dirt roads looking for the T.I.v13 route.

A great day on the bike for the "Four County Tour".

Jason Boucher's portrait of me from the Fargo Reunion Ride

Then November came and things slowed waaaaaay down! Trans Iowa registration ended, there were no more big events or rides planned, and the weather went to the cooler, browner side for the month. I did get a couple of components that were kind of a big deal for me. A GPS based Lezyne computer and a Carbon Jones Loop H-Bar.

Then the weather got really cold, and Winter came a bit early to Iowa shortly after Thanksgiving. Fat biking was the order of the day, and December was pretty frigid to start out with. Now we've swung back to the warmer side and all of our snow is glazed over with ice and rock hard.

And that brings us up to the present. 2016 was considered by a lot of folks as a sucky, bad year. I won't agree with that at all. It's been a great year. I saw some old friends, connected with new folks, and had successes and failures in my riding that I'll cherish for a lifetime. I have had my share of heartache, to be sure. My Dad, my Grandma, and an Uncle all died this year. My mom got a bad diagnosis, and my inlaws are struggling with their health too. There is always good and bad with every year. But I have been blessed through it all.

Rear View 2016: Part 4

A dreary day, but we had fun despite the threatening skies.

October started out with a big ride that I wasn't sure I could pull off, but we did it. A Fat Bike Century! I even did it with flat pedals and my street shoes! I used my new 1X 11 set up with a 28T drive ring, which was a bit too low, really. If I had to do something like that all over again I would opt for a double at minimum and have a pretty good sized big ring for hauling the mail down hills and for cruising the flats. As it was, I was coasting a lot more than I would have.

But then again, maybe that was a good thing!

Trans Iowa v13 was introduced in August and registration was ongoing during October. There was lottery implications possible in the Vets class, but that turned out not to be necessary and the whole registration process was almost dull. A far cry from a few years ago when chaos was the order of the day. That was all fun, but honestly, I could do without the drama that came with it.

Then there was a bit of a diversion from all the bicycle stuff, and a bit of a throwback to earlier times in my life when a friend from the shop and a daughter of an old friend got married in Des Moines at a big, fancy mansion. That was a really great weekend. I saw folks I haven't seen in many, many years and had some great conversations.

A tandem was added to the bike stable.

I also got ahold of a tandem with which I have been able to get my daughter out on a few times with good results. She's 16 years old now and not a cyclist, but hopefully this tandem will help to change her mind about that. Thanks Bruce, once again, as this has been a very positive experience so far.

Then another great weekend happened at the end of the month as the Fargo Reunion Ride happened and I got to ride with Jason, Ben, Marty, and MG, plus various other folks from as far away as Kentucky. It was a great way to close out the month of October. In between I got in Trans Iowa recon and a Four County Tour. October was a stellar month of friends, cycling, and good times. Maybe the best month of the year.

Driving some dirt roads looking for the T.I.v13 route.

A great day on the bike for the "Four County Tour".

Jason Boucher's portrait of me from the Fargo Reunion Ride

Then November came and things slowed waaaaaay down! Trans Iowa registration ended, there were no more big events or rides planned, and the weather went to the cooler, browner side for the month. I did get a couple of components that were kind of a big deal for me. A GPS based Lezyne computer and a Carbon Jones Loop H-Bar.

Then the weather got really cold, and Winter came a bit early to Iowa shortly after Thanksgiving. Fat biking was the order of the day, and December was pretty frigid to start out with. Now we've swung back to the warmer side and all of our snow is glazed over with ice and rock hard.

And that brings us up to the present. 2016 was considered by a lot of folks as a sucky, bad year. I won't agree with that at all. It's been a great year. I saw some old friends, connected with new folks, and had successes and failures in my riding that I'll cherish for a lifetime. I have had my share of heartache, to be sure. My Dad, my Grandma, and an Uncle all died this year. My mom got a bad diagnosis, and my inlaws are struggling with their health too. There is always good and bad with every year. But I have been blessed through it all.

Rear View 2016: Part 2

D-Corn, Sam, and Fuller (L-R) from my Renegade Gent's team in April

The period from April through June of 2016 was punctuated by three fantastic rides, putting on a twelfth Trans Iowa,  and supporting one of the most iconic gravel races ever, the Almanzo 100.

My favorite event to participate in is the Renegade Gent's Race. My four teammates and I gather every year for this ritual of laughter, fun, and sometimes pain. Every iteration of this event has featured our team, and no other team can say that. At least we can always hang our hat on that! We certainly are not the fastest team, or anything else, for that matter. Someday this streak will come to an end, but I am glad it continued for at least one more version of the "Gent's Race". This year the team experienced a unique day to say the least.

This past April the wind was absolutely ridiculous on the day of the event. We all were in pretty decent physical condition, for once, but the weather did not cooperate and when we reached the half way checkpoint we cashed in our chips. The course is pretty flat and the gravel was decent this year, but that wind! It wasn't the ride we all we desiring, but it was fun while it lasted and I got to hang out with Sam, Steve, D-Corn, and Bob which doesn't happen often enough. I've said it many a time and I'll say it again- I am so thankful Steve asked me to be on that first Renegade Gent's Race roster.

The event photographer captured us as we rounded a turn at the Gent's Race this past April. (Image courtesy of Sherman)

 The next deal on the docket was getting ready for Trans Iowa's twelfth running towards the end of the month of April. The time between the Gent's Race and Trans Iowa is always consumed with last minute preparations for Trans Iowa. The major things being cue card production, bagging cues, and the recon just before that to confirm the route. The thing was that this all went so smoothly this past Spring, it was almost a breeze!

Then the event day came and.......well, there were complications. There was a LOT of behind the scenes drama and headaches that took many days to sort through after the event. The actual event itself seemed seamless to the riders. That was important and I am very thankful for that part. In fact, it was a record setting year and one many will never forget.

I couldn't have made it through Trans Iowa v12 without my Brother. Thanks MG! 

With Trans Iowa in the rear view mirror I was not expecting anything "big" to be going down until the next Geezer Ride. But that was merely right after Trans Iowa. No big deal! Ha! Well, fortunately for me all the details were taken care of by my friend Martin, who did all the recon and what not for us. I merely showed up to ride. It was a beautiful day on the bike in the somewhat otherworldly area of the Amish near Iowa City.

Being overtaken by a horse cart on a gravel ride is not something one would expect, unless you are in Amish Country.

 Well, with that successful, fun, and very scenic ride over, I was not expecting the next event. It was not ever on my radar even a few days before it happened. However; my RidingGravel.com partner , Ben, got a hold of me on Thursday and by the following Saturday I was in a car with NY Roll, his dog, Ella, and my son to support that day's running of the Almanzo 100. We were supporting the event by manning "Checkpoint 3" in Cherry Grove.

It was a great day, as we were joined by Chris and his wife who were then with Challenge Tires and a ton of great riders who stopped by to eat and drink all we had on offer. It was good to support this iconic gravel road event and to meet a lot of great folks.

The scene at the checkpoint we manned for the Almanzo 100 back in May.

 After that great experience things settled into a groove for a couple of weeks where I got to ride around my area and enjoy the wild flowers, which were in abundance this year. I was truly blessed to see a lot of colorful flowers in the ditches. This is one of my favorite things about riding in the country.

I stopped often and got "up close and personal" with the flowers this year.

I was also surprised one day by a call from a car as I sped home from work. It was an old friend, room mate, and cycling companion from days gone by who happened to be in town. I don't often get to see him, but I was super stoked to have not missed him while he was here this time. I spent about an hour on the side of the road yakking with him. Ears, thanks for flagging me down, man! It was an awesome day that day because you took the time to find me.

One of the best surprises of 2016 was running into Ears alongside the road on my way home from work last Spring.

The final big deal for this three month span was heading down to Kansas to visit the gravel community during the Dirty Kanza "festival". I guess that "festival" really best describes this event. It is far more than a gravel road race these days. I went in support of my friend Tony. Seeing that he had his needs all tied up in a nice little package for the race proper, I went on my own expedition that day and had an awesome time on the bike.

So many roads, so little time!

My friend Tony signing at the finish. I was super stoked that he bagged a DK200 finish.

Missing this guy. #biggrin

Well, after the DK200 June went on and I found out that I had to cancel my plans to go do Odin's Revenge due to plans for a surprise birthday party for my Mom's 75th birthday. Bittersweet, for sure, but now I am so glad I went to that instead of Odin's. Things that you don't foresee make your time spent with family very important. I suggest to anyone reading here that you make time for your family first. You never know when that time will run out.

Next: Part 3

Rear View 2016: Part 2

D-Corn, Sam, and Fuller (L-R) from my Renegade Gent's team in April

The period from April through June of 2016 was punctuated by three fantastic rides, putting on a twelfth Trans Iowa,  and supporting one of the most iconic gravel races ever, the Almanzo 100.

My favorite event to participate in is the Renegade Gent's Race. My four teammates and I gather every year for this ritual of laughter, fun, and sometimes pain. Every iteration of this event has featured our team, and no other team can say that. At least we can always hang our hat on that! We certainly are not the fastest team, or anything else, for that matter. Someday this streak will come to an end, but I am glad it continued for at least one more version of the "Gent's Race". This year the team experienced a unique day to say the least.

This past April the wind was absolutely ridiculous on the day of the event. We all were in pretty decent physical condition, for once, but the weather did not cooperate and when we reached the half way checkpoint we cashed in our chips. The course is pretty flat and the gravel was decent this year, but that wind! It wasn't the ride we all we desiring, but it was fun while it lasted and I got to hang out with Sam, Steve, D-Corn, and Bob which doesn't happen often enough. I've said it many a time and I'll say it again- I am so thankful Steve asked me to be on that first Renegade Gent's Race roster.

The event photographer captured us as we rounded a turn at the Gent's Race this past April. (Image courtesy of Sherman)

 The next deal on the docket was getting ready for Trans Iowa's twelfth running towards the end of the month of April. The time between the Gent's Race and Trans Iowa is always consumed with last minute preparations for Trans Iowa. The major things being cue card production, bagging cues, and the recon just before that to confirm the route. The thing was that this all went so smoothly this past Spring, it was almost a breeze!

Then the event day came and.......well, there were complications. There was a LOT of behind the scenes drama and headaches that took many days to sort through after the event. The actual event itself seemed seamless to the riders. That was important and I am very thankful for that part. In fact, it was a record setting year and one many will never forget.

I couldn't have made it through Trans Iowa v12 without my Brother. Thanks MG! 

With Trans Iowa in the rear view mirror I was not expecting anything "big" to be going down until the next Geezer Ride. But that was merely right after Trans Iowa. No big deal! Ha! Well, fortunately for me all the details were taken care of by my friend Martin, who did all the recon and what not for us. I merely showed up to ride. It was a beautiful day on the bike in the somewhat otherworldly area of the Amish near Iowa City.

Being overtaken by a horse cart on a gravel ride is not something one would expect, unless you are in Amish Country.

 Well, with that successful, fun, and very scenic ride over, I was not expecting the next event. It was not ever on my radar even a few days before it happened. However; my RidingGravel.com partner , Ben, got a hold of me on Thursday and by the following Saturday I was in a car with NY Roll, his dog, Ella, and my son to support that day's running of the Almanzo 100. We were supporting the event by manning "Checkpoint 3" in Cherry Grove.

It was a great day, as we were joined by Chris and his wife who were then with Challenge Tires and a ton of great riders who stopped by to eat and drink all we had on offer. It was good to support this iconic gravel road event and to meet a lot of great folks.

The scene at the checkpoint we manned for the Almanzo 100 back in May.

 After that great experience things settled into a groove for a couple of weeks where I got to ride around my area and enjoy the wild flowers, which were in abundance this year. I was truly blessed to see a lot of colorful flowers in the ditches. This is one of my favorite things about riding in the country.

I stopped often and got "up close and personal" with the flowers this year.

I was also surprised one day by a call from a car as I sped home from work. It was an old friend, room mate, and cycling companion from days gone by who happened to be in town. I don't often get to see him, but I was super stoked to have not missed him while he was here this time. I spent about an hour on the side of the road yakking with him. Ears, thanks for flagging me down, man! It was an awesome day that day because you took the time to find me.

One of the best surprises of 2016 was running into Ears alongside the road on my way home from work last Spring.

The final big deal for this three month span was heading down to Kansas to visit the gravel community during the Dirty Kanza "festival". I guess that "festival" really best describes this event. It is far more than a gravel road race these days. I went in support of my friend Tony. Seeing that he had his needs all tied up in a nice little package for the race proper, I went on my own expedition that day and had an awesome time on the bike.

So many roads, so little time!

My friend Tony signing at the finish. I was super stoked that he bagged a DK200 finish.

Missing this guy. #biggrin

Well, after the DK200 June went on and I found out that I had to cancel my plans to go do Odin's Revenge due to plans for a surprise birthday party for my Mom's 75th birthday. Bittersweet, for sure, but now I am so glad I went to that instead of Odin's. Things that you don't foresee make your time spent with family very important. I suggest to anyone reading here that you make time for your family first. You never know when that time will run out.

Next: Part 3

Weekend Report: A Short Vacation

I know that the following may come as a surprise to some folks out there, but not everything I do revolves around cycling. Yeah......shocking, right? I know that I have contributed to that perception by keeping a pretty straight party line here on the blog, but it just ain't so, in reality. So, here is a bit of a diversion for your Monday reading and pixel peeping pleasure.

The family enjoying roaming the Rollins Mansion grounds

I worked with a fellow named Brian at the shop for a time. Sharper readers of this blog might remember that it was he that passed down the 1X1 frame to me. Anyway, he got married to a long time friend of mine's daughter, whom I've known since she was born. The wedding gig was at a place called the Rollins Mansion in Des Moines and it was a pretty cool venue. Only one issue with attending that service was that we missed it.

Yep. I completely blew the time of the service. It happened at 4:00pm and we didn't get there until just past 5:00pm. Oh well........ If you knew anything about my history concerning weddings, funerals, graduations and the like, you wouldn't be surprised. I have had a knack for getting times, places, and other things wrong. Well, this time it wasn't a total miscue. There was to be a dinner and after party held there, so we had that to look forward to. When we arrived, we snuck in the back way, (yes, the entire family), and mingled about the various folk there as if we had been there the entire time. Somewhat saving face and all, I guess.......

Anyway, the wedding party was getting photographed and someone wandering about informed us that we were encouraged to explore the mansion and grounds in the meantime. so, we did just that. Here are some random shots from the place.

Wedding party photo time

My daughter was enamored of the place.

I always feel like someone is watching me.....

Railing detail.

The two shall become as one.....

So, another thing y'all know about me is that I like flowers. Well, of course, there were flowers at this wedding. But since it was outside, I saw a couple of live flowers that also caught my attention.

Then there are people at weddings. Since I was real familiar with both sides of this deal, I knew a lot of people there. In fact, I saw some folks there I have not seen in a long, long time. This made for a lot of conversations and a very, very late night. Good thing I do Trans Iowa sleep deprivations every year, because I was up until 4:00am in the morning! All totally worth it though.

Former co-worker Jonathan (L) and Mike, a customer of the shop.

Wedding dance revelry.

Probably my favorite image of the weekend- Mrs. Guitar Ted lulling a young reveler to sleep.

There was one thing that was directly related to bicycling that came out of this trip. That was an offer to me by a reader of this blog who was willing to part ways with a tandem to help me fulfill my dream of having a tandem to get the family out together on bicycle rides. "BB" lived just 20 minutes away from the motel where we were staying so I made Saturday the rendezvous time to meet him and pick the rig up.

My son with the new to us tandem

 So, we picked up this Raleigh "Coupe" tandem and took it home. (Thanks BB!) It's already been test ridden by my son and I. so I am sure it will work out just fine for what I wanted it for. Hopefully it will work out that my daughter will finally be able to join the rest of us on family cycling outings. With a few tweaks, I hope to try that out soon.

The entire weekend was something of a vacation for us all. Especially for me. I "unplugged" from just about everything. I resisted checking e-mails and Facebook. (I did a few times) I focused on the people I was with, as much as I could. As I said, many of the people I chatted with I haven't seen in ten years or more. It was good to reconnect. Really good. It was also good to take a break from all the cycling-centric stuff I do. No testing, reviewing, writing, or training. The only time I was on a bicycle all weekend was for the two lap test ride of the tandem around the motel we stayed at with my son.

I even took a vacation from everything Trans Iowa. Maybe that concerned a few of you that sent in post cards and didn't see your name come up on the pages on the site. Well, I have done one update last evening and will do another today to get myself caught back up. If you haven't seen your name, now you know why.

So, that was a great weekend and I am tired and relaxed and ready to go back to the routine with a fresher outlook. It was a good time for the family, and we got a new tool that will hopefully become a thing that will allow us to do an activity I love together. That would be great if it works out that way. We will see. My son thinks he wants to be "Captain" with my daughter on the back. I'm not sure that would work out so well, but you never know.