Friday, June 3, 2011

Biking 72 miles







I've
got to
get
ready!





In
just
three
weeks...



I bike
the
Natchez
Trace...


with
friends
from the
bike ride
across
America.








Leo...







and
Mark...









Jeff








and
Joe...





And
of course,
daughter
Alex.





It
will be
462
miles






from
Mississippi
to
Tennessee








and
I
need
to train
for it!





Set
the
mileage
computer
to
zero...







...and
take
off!





OMG!



I have
never
biked
116th Street
at
Rush Hour
before!






It's
the
sidewalk
for me
today!






Until....







there's
no
sidewalk!









This
is
crazy!




I
hate
cars!!!


And
they
seem
to 
hate
me!






Luckily
I find
a fellow
singing
cyclist.





Hmmm.

Backpack...





Knobbly
tires...




- Are
you
biking
to work,
Kevin?





- Well,
yes.

How
could
you
tell?





It
isn't
until
we get
on the
Monon
Trail...




that
he
admits...





it's
his
first
time...

ever!







What
a
thrill!







To be
there
for
his
first!







Kevin
bikes
away...






and
I'm
left...






with
55
miles
left
to go.







I
bike
to
Zionsville...






...with
its
brick-street
downtown.




I
laugh
at
the gas
prices...





No
gas
for
me!






Here's
my
fuel!






Getting
warm
now!





Time
to
strip
down!





The
church
is
quiet
today...





Construction
too
loud...






Over
65...





...and
I'm out
in
the
country.





Peace
and
Quiet.









But
what's
this?






Cutting
down
trees?!





and
car
wrecks?




I
need
more
quiet
than this!




Gotta
hurry
though.





Gotta
get
back
by
2:00...





to
get Mom
to the
eye
doctor!




Beautiful
houses
out
here...



Too
much
lawn...

That
mass
of
grass...





Could
be a
garden...





or a
woodlands
full
of
life!




Fellow
bikers
hurry
by...





I stop
to
smell
the
flowers.





I want
to buy
this
land...





and
turn
it into
a
prairie!





I love
farmhouses...





full
of
flowers.





Which
way
do
I turn?






I'm looking
for
last year's
route...





I
forget
the
way...








I think
I remember
that
barn...




Is
this
the 
picturesque
one...


..from
last
year?






Look!












Medusa's
Garden!






I know
I'm on
the 
right path
now!





Over
the 
railroad
tracks...







past
suburban
sprawl...






Building
more
houses?





Don't we
have 
too many
already?








Finally,
Brownsburg!




Just
in the nick
of time!









Lunchtime!





And 
it's time
to
turn
around!





Back
past
faceless
houses...






friendly
old
barns...













stony
figures.





I've
got
a
tailwind
now!




Don't
wanna
stop!




There're 
the 
tree
guys...




the
wrecked
cars...





Turn
to
Zionsville...









Over
the
interstate...





Back
into
traffic...





But they have
lovely
gardens
in
Zionsville.


And
the
roadside
crews
are so nice.

- Let
the biker
through!






Thanks!











Getting
hot!








Feet
swelling.













Need
a
cold
drink!







Stop
for
a
rest.





Look
at all
that
trash!





Can't
you
recycle
some?



Back
on
the road...


Going
fast...



Hit
the
brakes!

What's
that!?





He
needs
help...





Aren't
you
happier
now?




Wave
as I pass
the
Monon...





Whoa!

Cool
bike!




This is what
sister-in-law
Gabi
needs!







She's
moving...









to
UC Davis,
bikingest
town
in America!






Can't
stop
now!




But
look
at those
flowers!





And
the evil
garlic
mustard
choking them!





Gotta
yank
it
out!





Where
the
woods
were...





116th
Street
again...



Traffic...











...and
bikers.







Turning
in...







Home...

just
in
time!



I'm
exhausted!




3 comments:

  1. you want peace and quiet stay home with kitty! he lives a somewhat calm life =PPP nice snapping turtle! sam jess and i stopped for one in NC but he was dead =( I told them about how you used to stop in the middle of 3 to save turtles! lol! and BK!

    - KC

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like you started this one two weeks ago. Yup - excited about Davis. And what's wrong with knobby tires (I have them on my bike)?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, Ed. I am behind. Nothing wrong with knobby tires. If you like lots of traction!

    ReplyDelete