Outdoors Archives - Page 18 of 46

Up and Down

Up and Down 📉 Up and down goes the temperature. It’s still acting like Spring rather than Winter; but come Sunday night, the low temperature is predicted to be 48 degrees. Maybe it’s this unseasonal warmth that prompted me to watch a YouTube about Hurricane Camille. One of my memories of the storm is, we went outside for a few minutes, after dark. My father pointed out the way the treetops were tossing around in an almost circular motion. The next morning, there was a piece of a sycamore treetop on our front lawn. Maybe these up and down temperature swings explain all the fog we’re getting lately. And could it be why my nose is runny? I hope I can ride tomorrow. Today I had to skip it because of the oral surgery; it’s not sensible to ride a bicycle when a wave of sedative-hangover might suddenly overtake you! Sedative Hangover 😴 A sedative hangover can be a major nuisance. Mine didn’t seem to be a big deal; maybe because the sedation used didn’t put me completely to sleep. I’m surprised that taking a dose of the pain medication prescribed for me, didn’t make me drowsy! What bothered me most was the post-surgical numbness at the left corner of my mouth. It didn’t start to wear off until a good eight hours after the procedure! For today, I needed to avoid chewing; and it showed me how much I take for granted being able to chew! I couldn’t absentmindedly grab a handful of nuts and start munching; and raw carrots were out of the question. Tomorrow morning, maybe I’ll mix rolled oats with yogurt and frozen blueberries — or maybe I’ll fix a hard-boiled egg. I want some protein for a ride; and I hope the fog won’t be too bad! And I’m glad I won’t have an up and down route. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Where’s Rudolph?

1 Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Where’s Rudolph? 🦌 Where’s Rudolph? It looks like Santa will need him in these parts. Our forecast predicts fog! Right now it’s overcast; but I don’t know whether it will rain or not. It doesn’t look like “mostly sunny” to me. So shall I go for a ride, or not? If I do, maybe I can be on the lookout for that reindeer. Then, when it gets foggy, we won’t be asking, Where’s Rudolph? I’m still in physical therapy; and I don’t know how much longer it will continue. It’s something of a drag; I get rather tired of hiking a mile to each session. But it’s helped a lot! After today’s session, I had errands to run; and when I got home, it was lunchtime. I haven’t been out on the bike yet; and for a fact I’m rather tired. Shall I skip it today? Skip It? 😩 I can’t quite decide whether to ride; or to skip it. Yes, I’m a little tired; and I won’t be able to ride tomorrow; but do I ever need the exercise! Another reason for me to stay home is, I already got too much sun exposure today. I forgot to take my sunblock with me when I went to physical therapy; and running errands had me outdoors quite a long time. So maybe I’ll skip it. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Oh Really?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Oh Really? ❄️ Oh, really? Winter begins today? As often happens, it doesn’t feel at all like Winter. Today the temperature climbed to 80 degrees! It’s nice to not be freezing; 🥶 but this simply does not feel like Christmas coming! Another thing that makes me say, “Oh, really? It’s Winter?” is the fog we’ve had for the last day or two. It was still foggy when I went out this morning; and more fog is predicted overnight. Fog seems like a Spring/Fall occurrence to me. Maybe I can conjure up a bit of the present season somehow. Today I did a shorter ride. My legs are feeling the effort; and pushing too hard, too soon isn’t wise. I need to ride tomorrow, because I have oral surgery scheduled for the next day; and I won’t want to ride after that! Conjure Up 🪄 Maybe Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony will conjure up the mood of Winter, if nothing else. I don’t know how long this warm weather might persist; but when it does turn cold again, it’s likely to happen suddenly. I’m sure a lot of kids would love to conjure up snow ⛄️ like last January’s; a White Christmas is exceedingly rare for us. But I wouldn’t dare try to ride in it; I don’t have the right kind of bicycle tires! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Deep Freeze?

BACK ISSUES, Food, Outdoors / CAL

Deep Freeze? 🥶 The deep freeze wasn’t quite what I expected. It did get cold enough to freeze; but it didn’t stay that cold for more than a few hours. The wind was strong, though; and the covers I put on the outdoor plants got blown off. I found ways to keep busy indoors: I finished the Tardy Turtle; and I did some cleaning. My left arm is still rather ornery, though; and I have to be careful not to over-strain it. My activities need to be done in start-stop mode. It’s a good thing I don’t have a deep freeze indoors; because I might not be able to keep active enough to stay warm. Stay Warm 🌤️ To be honest, it’s really quite easy for me to stay warm. I’m not living in a claim shanty on the frontier in the Dakotas; and the climate I’ve always known doesn’t even get down to freezing very often. It’s rare for it to stay so cold for more than a day or two. Snow is an even greater rarity; and I’d expect a visit from a UFO before I’d expect a blizzard. But YouTubes about the 1880/1881 Winter in DeSmet, Dakota Territory, are food for thought. How would I fare if we had a power outage that lasted seven months? And I couldn’t go out to get more food? How would I find a way to cook rice, and dried beans? Do I have enough canned food to last more than two weeks? And even with all that, likely I can stay warm, barring a freak change in climate. Come to think of it, one thing is sure: I don’t really know what a deep freeze is! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Coming along in Stages

BACK ISSUES, Food, Outdoors / CAL

Coming along in Stages 🧩 My current cooking project is coming along in stages. That’s how I usually manage any Hoppin’ John variation; and currently I’m working on Tardy Turtle. Last night I sorted and rinsed the dry black beans; then put them to soak overnight. This morning I drained the beans; and put them in the freezer until tomorrow. This afternoon I cooked the brown rice; and put it the fridge until assembly time tomorrow. I still have to chop the celery; but I think I’ll do that tomorrow. I don’t plan to go anywhere! It’s going to be cold; and I won’t want to go out. I won’t like to stay indoors all day; but if I don’t have to go anywhere, I might as well stay where I can keep warm. It makes me think, what if I lived in a claim shanty and had to keep a fire going? What If? 🔥 And what if I had to burn hay (~19:23)? Not merely to to keep warm, but to keep from freezing to death? Would I have survived that long Winter? I don’t think I want to find out! I’m sure spoiled by modern indoor heating and hand warmers. So tomorrow I’ll stay close to the heater; and keep the Tardy Turtle coming along in stages. As I said, I need to chop the celery; and I have to get the red bell pepper out of the freezer. It will need to thaw out; just as I would if I went out into the big chill. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Last Run

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors / CAL

Last Run ⏩ I guess today was my last run to the salvage store before Christmas. If only I could ride, I’d probably go again next Saturday; but when I have to beg for transportation, it’s different. I don’t want to ask for too much; so today is the last run for a while. Today I finally found medium cheddar cheese; and amazingly, ice cream was still on sale for 99¢ per carton. So I got two pints of Halo Top®. One is a half-chocolate, half-vanilla mix; and it’s wonderful with maple syrup on it! Cold Weather Plans ❄️ I must come up with my cold weather plans; and they begin tonight. The list includes cooking and cleaning. Tonight won’t be bad: low of 52, and calm wind. But from midday tomorrow, the temperature is going to drop; and tomorrow night, we can see freezing conditions. Windy, too! Ergo I want to get to an exercise bike tomorrow, because Monday I might not be able to tolerate the weather for a one-mile walk. I need some exercise, because today I didn’t get much. Then on Monday, I want to make a batch of Tardy Turtle; and I need to sort, rinse, and soak the black beans tonight. Come Monday, when I’ll probably be indoors most of the day, I really must vacuum. Cold weather plans can get weird; I usually just use a broom! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Get Braced

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors, Uncategorized / CAL

Get Braced 😬 We’ve got to get braced: we have freezing weather on the way. Sunday night it’s expected to drop to 33 degrees! As far as I’m concerned, that is cold. I must double-check the wrappings on the pipes under the kitchen sink and the bathroom basin. Maybe I’ll drag in my old 30-gallon rubber trash can; and put some water in it, just in case. I can have some hot chocolate; and I think I’ll sleep in Monday morning! Meanwhile, is this Indian Summer? It doesn’t feel like December. Indian Summer? 🏕️ If this is Indian Summer, I’m not too sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it’s nice to not be shivering; on the other, it doesn’t feel seasonable. When it does turn cold, though, I’ll be glad that I don’t have to live in a tent! Monday night will be cold, too; and I have to hike a mile to physical therapy the next morning! At least there won’t be much wind. Sunday night/Monday they’re predicting gusts up to 30 mph. That will make it miserably chilly outdoors. But I hear it’s supposed to be warm again for Christmas. How can we really get braced for the weather when we never know what’s coming, when? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Tightened Up

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Tightened Up 😒 Am I ever tightened up! Last night I began doing flexibility exercises again. It was easy to see that I’ve tightened up a good deal. I don’t use any equipment for these exercises; I prefer not to get any more stuff. Bodyweight training had better wait a while; although I did try a few right-sided crank planks. I don’t dare try them left-sided yet. I’m still in physical therapy; and now my left arm can get almost straight. It needs strengthening, though; and we’re starting to do some work on that. I’m glad I don’t have to go anyplace Monday morning, though. There’s a big chill coming Sunday night. Big Chill Coming! 🥶 I call it a big chill coming when the forecast predicts a low temperature barely above freezing; and wind gusts will be as high as 30 mph. That means a chill factor well below freezing! Going for a bicycle ride in such conditions is a real drag; especially when there’s a headwind on the way home. But it probably won’t snow; the skies will be mostly clear. People who must drive will be glad; after last January’s snowfall, the streets had slippery, packed-hard snow-ice all over them for several days. Cold weather means tightened-up muscles; and I, for one, don’t like that. It’s the season for cold weather; but when the mercury dips to the freezing point, it’s getting oo cold for me! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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What Happened to Nippy?

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors / CAL

Where Did Nippy Go? 🤔 What happened to nippy? Yes, it was in the low 40s this morning; but before noon, the temperature had risen some 30 degrees! It looks like this trend will continue through the rest of the week. I was surprised at how fast it warmed up; but I don’t think I should put away the leg warmers yet. It probably will get cold again. Then I’ll stop wondering what happened to nippy. Wrapping It Up 🎁 I’m wrapping it up now as far as holiday preparations go; although I’ve done it without bicycle-themed gift wrap. What I get now for Christmas is last-minute add-ons: another can of cranberry sauce, for example. I already put it in the fridge to chill, to be sure I don’t forget. I’m not gift-shopping for kids; but for those of you who are, there’s quite a lot of stuff out there! We still have two weeks, so it’s not too late. As for me, I prefer to avoid the last-minute hyperdrive of crowded stores. When I was a kid, that was an exciting part of Christmas; but as I grew older, I preferred to do holiday shopping away from the frantic mobs. I also like to spread out the outflow of cash a little. When I get everything early, wrapping it up is just the finishing touch! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Nippy

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Nippy 🥶 It’s going to turn nippy tonight. The predicted low temperature is 45 degrees; and as far as I’m concerned, that’s nippy! It’s the kind of weather that drives me crazy when I’m riding, because my nose runs non-stop. My feet get cold, too. Now that I don’t have to ride at 5:15 am, I can wait until later in the morning, when it’s a bit warmer. When I may ride again; I’m still waiting for clearance from the orthopedic surgeon. It will be great when I can ride very early to see the full moon shining on the river! Keeping Warm 🧣 Of course I’m focusing on keeping warm. I don’t have to be outdoors for that to be a concern; it can get chilly indoors as well. Not, of course, like Winter 1880/1881 in DeSmet, South Dakota (still Dakota Territory at the time). But takes an annoyingly long time for the window unit in the living room to really get the place warm — probably because I don’t leave it running overnight. Keeping warm means several layers when I have to go out and walk somewhere; and it would mean several layers on the bike, too! I like it best when it’s just cool enough for a light jacket; but legs without leg warmers are still tolerable. But I’d better get used to nippy weather. We have several months of Winter ahead. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional. FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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