Noblesville and Apple Ride...

Distracted today.

First by the sunrise

over the fenceline.

I want to

catch

the sun's reflection

in the red feeder.

Two hummers divebomb me
as I shoot this photo.

Then Tom shows me

this really cool spider web

in the window.

And it's so much fun

 watching Kitty

 on his morning hunt.

He has caught two mice now.

He's very proud of himself.

But Phoenix is waiting.

We need a century today.

I've gained weight since the end of The Ride.

We are trusting Google maps to get us to Kokomo.

And we're leaving late.

I like the Google biking maps.

They get me to new places.

A nice quiet neighborhood

smooth roads...

but more distractions...

Marigolds sparkling with dew

Another spiderweb

(must be Halloween soon.)

The first Red of fall.

Reminds me...

Almost time for the Hilly Hundred.

I'd better get biking!

Take Allisonville
to Noblesville.

I haven't explored this town before.

I bike a lot

in the rich suburbs

north of Indianapolis.

- Zionsville

- Carmel

- Fishers

They sit on the head of Indy like the points of a crown.

Where does Noblesville fit?

Maybe it's the peak of the crown.

Nice downtown area...

But Google sends me out

to look for

the White River Boulevard.

My road ends...

...just in time to watch Johnny

hit a home run.

Still trying to find White River Blvd.

My next road ends

at the cemetery.


Nice quiet place

until...

...I hear Bob

hitting drives

into the tombstones.

That's rude, Bob.

White River Blvd?

Nope.

Next road ends

at the sewage plant.

Note to self -

don't use Google maps

if you don't want to get lost.

Getting lost - it's got its merits.

You see more.

You have more to blog about.

But it doesn't get you the distance.

Look at that!

My hours are passing faster than my miles!

No more hope of Kokomo today.

I need to book it back home...

Toss on my backpack

And head down to the Apple store....

Lock up my bike.

I have a One on One class

to learn about Aperture.

With the number of photos I take,

they said I had to have Aperture!

The mall is pretty quiet.

Empty shops.

Must be the economy...

But look at

the Apple store!

You can hardly get in!

Luckily Brock teaches my lesson

out in the quiet

of the hallway

Wow!

Aperture is way more

than I-Photo!

Look at how

my golf shot started....

Bleah!

Aperture gave it some zing.

But it's overwhelming.

Too much to learn.

Too little time.

I shake my head as I bike home.

Luckily I'm not on Google maps now.

This is my own secret way

from

Keystone at the Crossing

to home.

The very road where Al and I

finished our first century

so many years ago.

Hard to believe we actually

biked across the entire country

just this summer.

It feels like it happened

to someone else.

But I remember so clearly some of the details...

Teton Pass...

The bridge into Canada...

The bakery.

But now I'm home.

Only 53 miles

under my wheels

for this weekend.

But I realize after two months away...

that more important

than the number

of miles on your bike...

...are the little pleasures of home

like the sunrise...

my own backyard...

....and, of course, Kitty.