Hello Old Friend

I recently completed a 6 day trip on the C&O Canal which I will post about soon. After that for various reasons, I did not ride for 5 days. That is easily the longest stretch without riding in the last year. But I rode my commute Monday and today. I was a little sluggish Monday morning but have been picking it up since then.

Looks like it might not be hot at all riding home today. Right now it is raining pretty steady. It will be a welcome change.

The Buck Stops Here

Actually this is about 2 bucks, male deer that is.

Near the end of this morning's commute on the Black Creek Greenway, I spotted 2 bucks on the trail ahead of me. I often spot wildlife (besides small birds and squirrels) on my ride including deer, but this is the first time I have seen bucks with antlers like these. They were stopped and looking at me. They did not seem to concerned. I stopped and took a picture. Even though one buck moved out of sight while I got out my iPhone, I had great hopes for this picture. But I forgot the iPhone does not do a great job in the early morning light. This blurry mess is what I got. You can at least tell it is a deer, if I tell you it is.

I should have steadied the camera better. Live and learn. Plus I might borrow the new waterproof camera, Fujifilm Z33WP,  I got my wife and try that on the bike. Really I did buy it for her even though I am the only to have used it so far. Hey it is even pink. It must be for her.

Back to the bucks, I could see them quite well and they moved down into the creek bed on the left and crossed up the bank and out of sight. I was hoping to count the points on the antlers in the photo, but it is too blurry. My future holds some better photographic technique.

Ride rating: 2 rabbit and 2 bucks

Cary Greenway Update

I exchanged email with Doug McRainey, Parks Planning Manager for the Town of Cary, about the greenway signs. He said the signs are part of our recently approved comprehensive sign plan for the Town's parks and greenways. Besides the signs I spotted on the Hinshaw Greenway, signs have been installed them at Pirate's Cove Greenway, Batchelor Branch Greenway, sections of the White oak Creek Greenway. So it looks like these will continue to roll out although it may be a year before they are all done.

Doug invited me to do two things I will take him up on as I have time. First he suggested visiting Bond Park where 3 to 5 different greenways will intersect. Bond Park will be the hub of the Cary greenway system.

The second thing Doug invited me to do is attend a Greenway Committee meeting. I will try and do that in the upcoming months and report back on what I learn.

A break in the weather

Here in NC we are finally getting a break from the heat. After about 3 weeks with above average temperatures, 10 to 15 degrees above, we are actually slightly below average. Riding in the mornings around 70 degrees and the afternoon in the mid 80s is a big improvement.

Wednesday I spotted 3 rabbits and this little guy.

That is about a 6 inch long copperhead. He was crossing the trail and froze as I passed. I stopped and turned around to get this picture which is not as clear as I would like, but you can see him. I moved on and he was unmolested by me. Live and let live. This little guy needs to eat quite a few insects, frogs and lizards before he is big enough to threaten even the baby rabbits along the trail.

New Greenway Signs

The Hinshaw Greenway in Cary has new signs. I am hoping this is the beginning of a project to improve the signs on all the Cary greenways. When I first started riding the greenways, the hardest things to figure out were how to stay on the greenway when it crossed roads and you needed to know which way to go to get on the next section and where to get off to get where you wanted to go. The only signs were the ones stating that the greenway closes at dusk. There were plenty of those.

Here is one of the new signs at a trail intersection. The first shot shows the yellow arrows indicating which way the Hinshaw Greenway goes. The second shot has a yellow arrow pointing down a spur which goes to Glenngarry Drive and another pointing up the Hinshaw Greenway towards the end that has Marla Dorrel Park.

I think these will be a grand improvement. Thank you to the Town of Cary.

Summer Clothes

The summer weather has gotten a head start here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Over on EcoVelo there is a discussion about clothes for commuting or just cycling clothes in general. Right now it is hard to imagine riding even in the morning here without having access to showers. I saw a guy walking in business attire (chinos and a long sleeve button down shirt) on the trail this morning. He has in the shade, moving slowly and carrying a water bottle. For me, it would not take much effort all to break a sweat in the weather - 75 degrees but a dew point of 73.

I wear loose style cycling shorts or cycling underwear and some nylon hiking shorts with a inexpensive high tech t-shirt. And of course a helmet and gloves.

By the way, Mr. P's new tires looked and worked great this morning.

Wednesday's wildlife count: 3 rabbits in the morning and 3 in the afternoon.

Pop Goes the Tire

A story about tire problems, but they weren't my tires.

I have recruited a friend who lives in my neighborhood and works at the same place to ride with me. I will call him Mr. P., since he is a few style points short of Mr. T in the hair department. Right now Mr. P is joining me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We had a nice ride in this morning with the temperature in the low 70s. We left our bikes in the bike rack in front of our building which is in the sun. When we came out just after 4:00 to head home in the 94 degree heat, Mr. P discovered he had a flat front tire. On further inspection, the tire itself had a hole in it. Then I noticed a large bulge on the back tire. The tube was still holding but the sidewall was giving out. The route we take, while paved, is twisty enough that it is more comfortable on a mountain bike than a road bike. Mr. P had put on some street tires he had on his mountain bike to better handle the pavement. But the tires were over 10 years old and as the day heated up they could not contain the expanding tubes.

Mr. P decided to call his wife to pick him up. He was planning a stop for tires and tubes on the way home, so he should be good to go on Thursday morning.

Ride Rating: Tuesday 3 rabbits, all in the afternoon