Day 19 of 365

I did something really dumb today. I decided to try out a new bike trail that starts on the other side of town. No, that's not the dumb part. This is: I wanted to stop at the tea shop to get an iced tea and sugar cookie for the ride, so put a five dollar bill in a plastic bag and stuck it back in my basket, just like that. Nothing weighting it down or anything, just lying there on its own. I assumed my camera and bottle of cranberry juice would hold it in place.

I forgot how much my camera and bottles bounce and roll around back there. Needless to say, by the time I got downtown my five dollars was long gone. At that point I was so annoyed that I wanted to turn around and go home.


I'm glad I didn't, though, because I found the most amazing new flowers on this bike path! This is bur cucumber (yes, only one 'r' in bur) in both these pictures. And that's also bur cucumber below on the right. **Those prickly fruits are actually common burdock, not bur cucumber as I originally thought**

I don't think I'd want to eat these cucumbers...

I have lots of photos to go through and flowers to identify. I took 67 pictures today alone.

Tomorrow I'll be riding down for breakfast and depending on how I'm feeling I might go back down this bike trail.


Miles today: 7 Total miles: 118

Day 18 of 365

I'm really squeaking in under the wire with this post!

I just got in a short bit ago; my aunt is visiting from Bucks County so I rode down to my mom's to see her. (And to see my mom, of course)

My mom's house is six miles from mine if you travel the back roads, which is the only way I go right now. I don't feel confident enough to ride through the middle of town yet. Too many hills and not enough shoulder for my taste. Soon, though.

I felt great today. I thought for sure I would be hurting and miserable after my 12 mile debacle yesterday, but I actually felt fantastic-- strong, even. I didn't need to stop until around the four mile mark, and that was because there was a STEEP hill that I just couldn't ride all the way up.

I had decided not to stop to take any pictures until I had reached that point where I had to stop, and I was very pleased with how far I was able to go. I'm improving, no doubt about it!

I pass a quarry on the way to my mom's, and I have to say that the picture above doesn't do it justice. It's huge. Really big. Almost directly across the street is an Amish farm, and here you can see the tobacco that they're growing. Three Amish-- two women and a man-- were there picking the leaves, but of course I didn't photograph them.

I have to say that I'm so glad I'm not an Amishwoman. Not only do they do all the "women's work" like cleaning, cooking, gardening and childcare, they're always out in the fields working, too. I often see them driving mule teams or doing other fieldwork.

I'm definitely too lazy for that life.

Miles today: 6 Total miles: 111

Day 17 of 365

So I got lost today. And I ended up going just over 12 miles before I got home-- I don't know when my knees are going to forgive me...

And the reason I got lost? I'm lazy. Yes. Deep down inside (well, not all that deep down) I'm pretty much a slacker. I'm all over short cuts, easy-ways-out, wasting my days on the computer, laying around... you know what I mean.

Riding a bike around here means you have to constantly go up and down hills. You can't go half a mile without some kind of grade change. They're not necessarily big hills, but they can be long. And a long, gentle rise can sometimes be as tiring as a shorter, steeper one.

Last night I'd ridden 9 miles, and here it was about 12 hours later and I was out riding again. I just wanted to do a short little jaunt. I was taking a new route, but was pretty sure I knew where I was going.

Except every time I came to a crossroads and saw a hill in the direction I meant to travel, I turned a different way instead. Eventually I had no idea where I was... but I kept going to avoid those hills. I finally recognized this barn and was able to get my bearings and head home.

And in the end I made more work for myself because not only did I travel farther than I probably should have today, I STILL had to go uphill to get home and the hills were steeper than if I'd just stuck to my original plan! My lazy streak made my logic go awry-- generally if you go downhill when heading out you're going to have to go uphill to get back. I don't know why I thought I could get away with only going downhill. All I know is I kept thinking about how I just didn't feel like working that hard...

In honor of a morning ride, here's a Morning Glory that was wrapped around some corn today.

Also, you can see signs like the one above all over Lancaster County. This one happens to be at the Mennonite church (and where the road splits), but many times they're seen at private homes. I'm going to start photographing them and putting them here on the blog. Sometimes they can really be "fire and brimstone" and sometimes they're a little more gentle.

And I had to laugh at the irony of having taken a picture of that particular sign on this particular day.

Miles today: 12 Total miles: 105

Day 16 of 365: It's so embarrassing!

You know, I get passed by other bicyclists all the time when I'm out riding. Well not all the time-- there aren't all that many people out and about usually. But when they are, they pass me.

But today was the worst! As I was getting close to home, I turned a corner and heard voices behind me. Before I knew it I was completely surrounded by about ten other bicyclists-- all of whom were at least as old as my mother and looked to be even more out of shape than I am.

And then they passed me! I started pedaling harder and kept up with them for about the length of a city block but they began to pull away. Then two elderly men breezed by and they were all out of sight in about a minute and a half. Some day I'll be able to hang with the speed demons. But for now I'm the tortoise...

That's a Bull Thistle up on the right. Soon I'll be getting some photos of the puffball stage of these guys.

Miles today: 9 Total miles: 93

Day 15 of 365: Isn't that a moving violation?

As I was stopped on the side of the road having a drink of water I saw an Amish buggy heading towards me. That's nothing unusual; this is Lancaster County after all.

I've never taken a picture of Amish as I try to respect their wishes-- they don't want to to be photographed. But I kind of wished I had taken one tonight...

As the buggy went by I looked inside and saw the driver, an Amish teenager, texting someone on his cell phone! Like every other person texting while driving he wasn't even looking at the road. Lucky for him he had a co-pilot-- his horse!

And speaking of horses, here are two I saw tonight. I couldn't get them to lift their heads for me for anything. I didn't go right up to them, though. I certainly don't have any fear of horses, but I don't like to approach them if I haven't asked or been invited to first.

I'm so tired tonight I don't even know if I can stay up for women's gymnastics. Tomorrow I have one client and then I'm getting a massage, so I'm going to try and ride early. I challenged myself today, going 8 miles on some pretty hilly terrain so I'll probably just head downtown for my ride tomorrow.

Miles today: 8 Total miles: 84

Day 14 of 365

Have you ever gone to one of those huge mazes cut into a field of corn? You wander and wander and wander and every time you think you've found the way out you come to a dead end? It's as if the corn is moving around and keeping the true path hidden...

Well, guess what? It probably is doing just that! Check it out:



Corn stalks have feet! Who knew?! But is it creepy or wondrous? I'm thinking it depends on whether it's day light or darkness.

The days are so beautiful right now-- it really is like September. I did my seven mile ride, but in the opposite direction.


I took these pictures at different times, but they are both White Campion. I love the seed pod; if it wasn't so tiny it would be great in a dried flower arrangement.



Don't forget to watch for the Perseid meteor shower tonight!

Miles today: 7 Total miles: 76

Day 13 of 365: Sunday breakfast with mom

My mom called me yesterday and asked me what I was going to be doing today. Just riding downtown for breakfast, I said. Oh, she said, maybe I'll join you. And she did. It was kind of shocking, really.

She didn't let me take a picture of her, but snapping one of her breakfast was acceptable. So here you have it: western omelette, wheat toast and potatoes with a little bit of mother in the background.

Now here's how I get my iced tea home in my basket. I have to stick it in the corner, put my purse up against it snugly, then thread my purse strap through the holes in the basket and tie it down. If I don't do this, I'll have no tea by the time I get home! It seems like there must be some kind of bungee cord that's small enough to handle this job, but I haven't found it yet.

And it's hard to get a good picture of this system...

After breakfast I rode down by the stream again and took some photos. I'll put them up when I get them identified. We're supposed to get strong thunderstorms this afternoon but if it stays nice I might go out for another ride today. I'm also going to try and put some links to other blogs and websites I visit-- if I can figure out how to do it!


I'm back! I went for another ride this evening after all the crazy rain-- seven miles. I did see something out of the ordinary but I didn't photograph it. As I was coming around the corner of one of those country roads, I thought I saw two bodies crumpled in the middle of the lane.

"Oh my God!" I said, and the two crumpled bodies turned into two sheepish teenagers making out in the stupidest place imaginable.

Very romantic, if you're looking to get run over by a tractor or a bicycle.

Miles today: 10 Total miles: 69