30 Days of Biking - Day 7

Forgot to mention yesterday that Spring Lake is now entirely ice free. Mike and I did our standard favorite ride again today, up Chippewa Trail to Cty E to Spring Lake to Williams Road and beyond.

We saw some more Hooded Mergansers and heard peepers in the same place. No Painted Turtles as of yet.

30 Days of Biking - Day 6, Wind, birds and peepers

Windy, sunny day
Cold and blustery headwind
Waves crash at Spring Lake

Spring peepers were heard in this marsh as I rode by.

On today's ride to Spring Lake and beyond I heard my first peepers, saw my first green shoots sprouting on the shoreline, a dozen Buffleheads and one pair of Hooded Mergansers on lakes along Williams Road, and a pair of Ospreys who have returned to the nest along Olker Road.

Iris (?) shoots along the shoreline of Spring Lake

30 Days of Biking - Day 5, Groceries & coffee

I intended to go on a longer ride today but it didn't work out that way. So, my ride was simply to the grocery store to pick up a few items. Mike accompanied me on his 3-speed Macklam and we had a cup of coffee at Caribou.

30 Days of Biking - Day 4, Voting & errand day

After riding to the town hall to vote, the most important task of the day, I rode into town to run some errands--

to the video store,

the bank,

the post office, and Art Beat.
Did you vote today?

30 Days of Biking - Day 3, To the library

One of the things I like about 30 Days of Biking is that it makes me commit to riding my bike even when it would be easier and more comfortable to just jump in the car. Like tonight, when it was raining. I rode my trusty Marin, the perfect commuting bike decked out with fenders, to the library for a Park Center Board meeting tonight. #30daysofbiking

30 Days of Biking - Day 2, Stone Lake & The Whistle Punk

Today's ride was to Stone Lake with Ethel. Our destination was the recently opened Whistle Punk Craft Beer & Coffee Bar. We started out from Ethel's house and intended to ride round trip to Stone Lake and back, about 20 miles. But rain made a change to our plans. As we got close to Stone Lake, rain drops began to fall.

 

We were glad to arrive at The Whistle Punk before getting too wet. We enjoyed a hot cuppa and a dry warm place while we waited to be rescued by Monte, who took pity on us and came to pick us up.

The creative "register" at The Whistle Punk

 Without Monte's rescue, we would have had a wet, cold ride back home. Thanks, Monte!

30 Days of Biking - Day One, No snow & little ice

For the fourth year in a row I've signed up for 30 Days of Biking (30DOB) in April. An event begun in 2010 by a group of enthusiasts in Minneapolis, 30 Days of Biking is a pledge to ride your bike every day in April — any distance, any destination — and share your adventures online. People from all over the world have signed up and, as of 10:45 p.m. Central time this evening, 6,731 people have pledged to ride. That's over 1,000 less people than at this time last year which is a bit surprising to me as I've expected the number would grow each year. 

My first day of April began with two rides, one in the morning with a friend and one in the afternoon with Mike.

For the first time since moving to Wisconsin, the Namekagon River is ice free (and has been for at least a couple of weeks), Spring Lake, which I pass on one of my favorite rides is 90% ice free, and there is absolutely no snow to be seen in the woods or along the sides of the road.

Spring Lake - nearly ice free on the first day of April

 My haiku for today:

Lakes are nearly ice free
So, so strange to not see snow

Climate change is here