30 DOB - Day 27

Rain and snow this week

Temperatures still too cold

When is Spring coming?

Iras deserves credit for sharing the wet ride with me today.

Why is it that the weather forecast for the last four days of 30 Days of Biking is looking very un-Spring-like, with temperatures in the 30s and 40s and a high percentage of rain and snow? Ugh! This is when the determination to keep riding really gets tested.

Snow - still working as a bike stand

30 DOB - Day 26

Today's ride (actually, two rides): To Spring Lake and
one of my favorite "S-curve" roads...

 ...and then into town to Art Beat...

 ...and the Park Theater. 

30 DOB - Day 25

 

Brown fields soft, muddy

Will corn seeds soon be sown here?

One lone patch of snow

Tree stands stark and gray

Skies threaten rain, sleet or snow

Bike in the landscape

Borscht for dinner in memory and in honor of a friend's departed mother.

Delicious!

30 DOB - Day 24

This is what the local weather radar looked like at about noon today. Rain. Temperature 37F.

And this is what the regional radar looked like at the same time. More rain on the way.

This is one of the those days where, if it wasn't for my commitment to 30 Days of Biking, I would have been tempted to skip a ride. This quote from the official 30 DOB blog seemed appropriate:

Every so often, especially on days with rough weather, we get asked “Why April? Wouldn’t this be easier in May? Why are you subjecting us to this misery, 30 Days of Biking?!??!”

The short answer is that we thought of 30 Days of Biking in March 2010, and the next month was April. ;-)

If we’re being less glib, we’ll tell you that we like the way April is a confluence of all the different seasons, especially in our home state of Minnesota. Within a week, you could get a thunderstorm, a snowstorm, or a beautiful, soul-pleasing sunny day. If you can get through April, you can get through any month of the year.

For beginners, the idea is to encourage them to bike in weather they normally wouldn’t and realize it’s not quite as bad as they’d think. If you can bike on a sunny day, you can bike on a snowy day or a rainy day. The reward is that day where bicycling is easy, and the roads are clear, and you’re biking in a T-shirt without a care in the world. Keep on pedaling!

Well said! Today's weather reminded me of Juneau, with overcast skies, mist and rain, rain, rain, sometimes changing to sleet.  The local Backroads Coffee shop seemed like a good destination for my ride, along with a book to read.

Backroads Coffee & Tea

I donned my rain jacket, rain pants, and waterproof boots and used the waterproof finger protectors on my gloves.

I was drawn to this novel, "Still Life With Bread Crumbs,"
because it is about a woman photographer.

30 DOB - Day 23

Today's ride began with a trip on the utility bike to pick up our vegetarian share from North Star Homestead Farms' Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

Bringing home the greens.

Later, in the afternoon, as I rode over the Namekagon River, I noticed a Common Loon close to the bridge. What a striking bird he is.

I also noticed what I think is a fish trap, recently put there by, I assume, the State Dept. of Natural Resources, as there was a DNR flag on the float attached to the trap.

At one point, the Loon was swimming and diving close to the trap, perhaps checking out fish that were caught there.

30 Days of Biking - Day 22, Week Four

Crossed the Namekagon River three times on my ride today. The first time was near Seeley. The second was a bit farther south.

Along the way, I passed some farm machinery that I've seen before on other rides and had thought about photographing.

I passed another Osprey nest on my ride today.

The Osprey left the nest and then came back with a stick to add to it.

This Osprey flew away before I got even close to the nest,
but I was able to get this shot of her as she came back to the nest with the stick.

My ride was late in the day, as the sun was getting low in the sky, casting elongated shadows.

30 DOB - Day 21

Spring Lake is still frozen but more open water is appearing along the edges of the lake and the little dock is almost snow-free.

One of my favorite "S-curve" roads.

Spring Peepers could be heard in many more bogs, ponds, and swamps today. This road-side pond is where I first heard Peepers last Spring. This Wisconsin DNR web link has a photo and description of the Peeper and its habitat as well as a recording of its call.

I often see an Osprey sitting on this nest on one of my favorite rides, but she usually won't let cyclists get very close before she flies off. Cars don't seem to disturb her.

The first green grasses are appearing in the bogs.

At the end of my ride, upon arriving home, I spotted a male Pileated Woodpecker at the base of one of our trees. I've heard the Pileated in our woods off and on all winter but haven't seen any. This is the first time I've seen a male. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a very good photo of him.

The male Pileated has a red mustache.

Last winter, a female Pileated Woodpecker visited our suet feeder quite often but I never saw her this winter.