30 Days of Biking - Day 30, Loons

When Mike and I set out on our ride this afternoon, the winds were blowing again at 20 mph or more. We rode to the bike path by the golf course via Riverside and Hospital Roads and then followed the path across Hwy 63 until we got to the bridge over the Namakagon River on Hwy 27.

At that point, Mike decided he'd had enough of the wind and headed home. I wanted to get in a longer ride, so I continued on my own and did the Anderson/Rainbow/Williams Road loop in reverse of the way we usually ride it. I was hoping to be able to make a photograph of a Great Blue Heron but the two that I spotted flew away as soon as they saw me. One was on the water right in front of this bench.

But, I was lucky enough to see a pair of Common Loons and they didn't fly away.

It's been a somewhat challenging 30 Days of Biking, my third year in a row of making the commitment to ride every day in April. Once again, I'm glad I did it. It's a great motivator and a great way for me to start the riding season. Thanks for following along. #30daysofbiking

30 Days of Biking - Days 28 & 29, Ticks!

I did two short rides on Thursday, one to yoga in the morning and a shorter than planned ride in the afternoon to the fairgrounds and back. No pics, but my friend Joan can vouch for me re: the yoga ride.

Friday was beautiful with clear skies. Mike and I were about to set out on a ride in the afternoon when Mike discovered he'd been bitten by a tick. Ugh! We made an emergency visit to Marshfield Clinic for antibiotics and then rode to Spring Lake and back before heading to dinner with friends.

30 Days of Biking - Day 27, Great Blues

Winds were blowing at 20 mph with gusts to 24 when Mike and I rode this afternoon. I saw two Great Blue Herons for the first time this spring, one on Spring Lake and another on one of the four other lakes we rode by on our route. It's good to know they are back in the area. Great Blues spook very easily so it's difficult to make a good photograph of one as I ride by on my bike. They almost always immediately take off as soon as I stop.

30 Days of Biking - Day 26, Sun & Marsh Marigolds

Today's weather was a far cry from the past two days but I didn't go on my ride until early evening, a delightful time to ride with beautiful light.

I did the Spring Lake/Highline loop, passing five lakes along the way and saw a deer and an osprey.

Everything is starting to green up this week and I stopped to photograph the first marsh marigolds I've seen this spring.

30 Days of Biking - Day 25

It was another day of downpours from morning until late afternoon so I waited until early evening, when the rain had finally stopped, to get in my ride.

I rode to the end of the road we live on ( a dead end) and back, another wimpy ride. But, hey, it was freezing out there, damp and barely 40 degrees (F). And Wunderground says it feels like 34F.

30 Days of Biking - Day 24

This or worse is what the radar looked like all day. I kept waiting for a break in the rain but it didn't come so I finally donned my Bogs and rain gear and went for a spin late in the day. I took Riverside to the Namekagon River and had to dodge numerous night crawlers that were trying to keep from drowning in the over one inch of rain we've received in the last 24 hours. Robins are going to have a feast tomorrow.

I took shelter in the old Hayward Wood Products building so I could make a photograph without getting my camera wet.

 #30daysofbiking

30 Days of Biking - Days 22 & 23

Friday's ride was just a short one to the grocery store. Ho hum, but better to ride the bike than drive the car, especially on Earth Day (but every day should be Earth Day, IMO).

On Saturday, Mike and I rode Company Lake Road for the first time this year, to Hwy 77 and back. We stopped to say "hi" to the Shuman Red Angus cattle.

30 Days of Biking - Day 21, Downward facing bike

My only ride today was from home to yoga and back. My bike wanted to do some yoga, too, so here she is doing downward facing bike. #30daysofbiking

30 Days of Biking - Day 20

I did two rides today - one in the morning with the "Wednesday" group, a wonderful group of folks who get together every Wednesday throughout the year to either bike, hike or ski.

We rode out of Seeley on two roads I hadn't ridden before - Northern Lights and Seeley Fire Road. They were delightful and representative of the quiet backroads we enjoy in this area.

I rode with Mike in the afternoon and, for the first time this year, we rode up Highline Drive to Cty K and then took Cty K back to Cty E.  We stopped at the gazebo overlooking Lake Windigo.

I test rode the Fuji Team Pro that Mike recently built up with parts he took off his Wilier. The Fuji rode beautifully and felt very light and responsive. I wore my recently acquired (a gift from Mike) Wisconsin jersey made by Free Spirit Wear.

30 Days of Biking - Days 18 & 19, Tax Day & Rainy Day

Monday's ride was into town to run some errands and to mail my tax return. After all, when you owe the government money, why not wait until the last possible day to send payment?

Tuesday was a rainy day so I donned rain pants, rain jacket and helmet cover for my ride into town. And then, of course, it stopped raining.

30 Days of Biking - Days 16 & 17, Painted Turtles & Ospreys

Twenty six turtles
On a log, all in a row
Soaking up warm sun

On Saturday Mike and I added some mileage to our Spring Lake/Williams Road route. We saw Painted Turtles sunning themselves on two of the lakes on Williams Road: four were on one log and 26 were on another, the largest number I've seen all together at one time.

 We stopped to say hello to Jo and Noah, our horse friends further up the road.

This is Noah.

We pass an Osprey nest on this ride and I stopped to see if I could photograph the Osprey pair occupying the nest.

 

On Sunday we did a breakfast ride to Mooselips in Seeley with Iras and Charlie.

It's been in the 70s the last three days, plus today, quite a contrast to our weather earlier in April. 

30 Days of Biking - Day 15, NW Wisconsin = Superb road riding

My ride today started in Seeley, from the Sawmill Saloon. I rode to Redbery Books in Cable via quiet back roads to deliver tickets for the Supper Club film to be shown at the Park Center on May 7. While in Cable I stopped by the Chequamegon Fat Tire office to say hi to Gary Crandall.

Then I rode two miles south to Art Market 63, the co-op artist gallery where I'm a member. The gallery is getting a fresh look to be ready for the summer season and Girl's Night Out on April 27.

After a meeting at the gallery, as the sun was close to setting, I rode back to Seeley the way I had come, with only a single car passing by on my chosen route. I saw three deer along the way. Northwest Wisconsin has some superb road riding.

30 Days of Biking - Day 14

Our paths cross once again - Joan and me after yoga class

After riding to yoga this morning, I picked up Park Center tickets from Advance Printing and delivered them to the WRLS radio station and Art Beat. To get to WRLS, I had to ride up a very steep hill.

I almost wimped out on riding up Radio Hill (with its 12-18% grade) but decided I had to do it.

This hill is much steeper than it looks.

The  magenta fenders on my Bob Jackson go perfectly with Art Beat purple.

My afternoon ride was, once again, to Spring Lake and beyond. So pleasant to be out in 70 degrees.

30 Days of Biking - Day 13

The temperature finally rose into the 50s today for only the second time in April. Three rides today. One into town to Miller's Market to join Iras for lunch. A ride with Mike, our go-to favorite, to Spring Lake and beyond. This rides goes

past five lakes and today, in addition to seeing a pair of Common Goldeneyes and Hooded Mergansers, we saw our first Painted Turtles this spring, three of them! I love Painted Turtles. Please watch out for them on the roads and help them get safely across if you have the chance.

My last ride of the day was to The Park Center where I volunteer. Tonight's program was the second in a six-part Arctic lecture series on Inuit culture.

30 Days of Biking - Day 12

Mike and I started out to ride late in the afternoon and were planning to head to Spring Lake and beyond. But it was colder than we anticipated so we decided, instead, to ride up Chippewa Trail to County B and then to Ojibwe Java to get a hot cuppa. There was still some snow along the side of the road at the top of Chippewa.

We were disappointed to find that Ojibwe Java was closed. So, we turned around and rode back home the way we had come.

30 Days of Biking - Day 11

Joan and I have both been doing 30 Days of Biking and we've been seeing a lot of each other this week. Two rides for today, one in the morning to Backroads for May 4 Bike to School Day planning and one in the evening to the library for a Park Center board meeting.

The morning ride had snow as an added attraction and both were into bloody head winds!

On the way home this morning, I couldn't help but notice this gathering of Grackles. They were "talking" up a storm, their communication having a very musical sound to it.

At first I thought they might be Red-Wing Blackbirds but when I zoomed in I could see they were Grackles. I believe Red-Wings and Grackles often hang out together. #30daysofbiking