30 Days of Biking - Day 12

It was pouring rain when I got up around 5:15 a.m. this morning to participate in the Annual Midwest Crane Count. We didn't see any Sandhill Cranes but we did see Canadian Geese, Common Goldeneyes, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Buffleheads, and a male Wood Duck. It rained hard until about 9:00 a.m.

In the afternoon, I got on my bike and went in search of Trumpeter Swans once again. I had no luck seeing any swans, but I did spot four Sandhill Cranes in the field in the above photo. They are way in the distance, and appear as tiny gray specks in the field between the grey house and the small bright building. Below, is an image of the cranes made with my Canon SX260HS at full telephoto.

 

The Namekagon River still has a very thin sliver of ice along the eastern bank by the bridge but some other ice that I saw yesterday has disappeared.

30 Days of Biking - Day 11

As I rode by the Namekagon River today I noticed it was nearly ice free and the small amount remaining will, I'm sure, be gone by tomorrow. Last year, according to my phenological notes, the river wasn't ice free until around April 22.

Namekagon River - only a sliver of ice remains along the eastern edge.

The route I took today was similar to my April 5 ride. Compare the image below to the one I made six days earlier, when my fat bike was propped up by the snow in almost exactly the same spot.

The snow on the Birkie Trail is slowly disappearing.

I was in search of Trumpeter Swans on my ride that a friend had spotted earlier in the day in a large pool of water left by melting snow in a field. But the swans had departed by the time I arrived. Tomorrow, early in the morning, I'm going to participate in the Annual Midwest Crane Count. I hope to be lucky enough to see both Sandhill and Whooping Cranes. The forecast for tomorrow has a 100% chance of rain, so my ride on Saturday will probably be short.

30 Days of Biking - Day 10

 

Rode the same route as yesterday but our friend, Iras, joined us.

   

It was windy yesterday, but the winds were even stronger today. At one point, we heard a loud cracking sound and a large branch fell from a tree set back a hundred feet or so from the side of the road.

Signs of spring - Yesterday, the pond next to our property was snow white in color but today it looks brownish, the snow nearly gone. Now that large patches of bare earth are appearing everywhere, the melting seems to have accelerated considerably.

30 Days of Biking - Day Nine

Our ride went past both a horse ranch and a cattle ranch today.

It doesn't take long to feel like you're out in the "country" on a ride when you live in a small town. Many of the roads we ride have very little traffic and the one we chose today was no exception.

 

Is there any doubt about which state we live in? (Notice the sign in the image below.)

 This mailbox caught my attention as I was riding by.

Signs of spring - The temperature reached nearly 60F today, I spotted more Robins, the piles of snow continue to diminish, and there are patches of earth visible under the trees in the front yard.

30 Days of Biking - Day Eight, Week Two

The second week of 30 Days of Biking has begun and, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm also going for 30 Days of Blogging. I want to write in my blog more consistently, so I figured 30 Days of Blogging, along with Biking, would be a good way to kick start myself into a routine of writing.

The sun was shining brightly again today for our ride and the bike shadow made for an interesting graphic.

The temperature was a bit cooler than yesterday, in the mid-40s, but the piles of snow on the sides of the roads are getting smaller.

Along the way, we encountered a couple of friends, also out for a ride. We were going in opposite directions but rode together for a short distance before parting ways.

Signs of spring - the ice on the lakes we passed is getting visibly thinner and I saw my first few Robins during the ride.

30 Days of Biking - Day Seven

Today's ride was a just short trip on the commuter bike to the community library for a meeting. This is also the bike I use for getting groceries (when I'm not using the car.) The rear bags are the perfect size for a bag of groceries, not to mention the sturdy front basket.

Signs of spring - I heard Robins for the first time this spring on my ride home in the early evening but I couldn't see them. Maybe tomorrow...

30 Days of Biking - Day Six

A wonderful day for a ride with my good friend, Iras, and my husband, Mike! We started our ride in mid-afternoon under sunny skies and temperature in the low 50s.

Still lots of snow everywhere but, with the forecast predicting temperatures in the 50s and low 60s in the coming week, the snow depth should decrease considerably.

 We rode by several lakes, all of them still snow-covered.

I wonder when we will see the first turtles and hear the first chorus of frogs?

The deep snow banks make for a good bike stand.