Tour de Cure 50K, Palo Alto CA

Date: 21 May 2006
Miles: 33.58
Average Speed: 13.0
May Mileage: 240.03
Weather: 60 ish °F. Overcast, light rain.
Bike: Roadie



The pace setter Lauralyn.



Foster and Devon register.



The starting line.



Elise (I'd never met her) with a couple of cameras at the first rest stop, taking pictures of her husband riding. She had cool gear.

It was a good ride.

Coot with Swallow Reflection

Digital Photograph, © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

American Coot

 
Digital Photograph. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved. 

Avocet in Summer Plumage

 
Avocet in Summer Plumage. Digital Photograph. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved. 

Snowy Egret

 
Snowy Egret. Digital Photograph. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved. 

White Faced Ibis in Breeding Plumage

There's a whole weekend of news to report. but this was exciting. These shots of White Faced Ibis came from a brief stop over at Kern National Wildlife Refuge today.

White Faced Ibis. Digital Photographs. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

Test Ride

Around my Mother's place.

Date: 20 May 2006
Miles: 4.14
Average Speed: 14.4
May Mileage: 206.45
Weather: 65°F. Overcast.
Bike: Roadie

Photography is like Fishing

So says Gwadzilla -- Nice photos bud.

Ivory Billed Woodpecker?

Nope. Gilded Flicker. This lacks the red moustache so presumably it is the female. Black crescent on the chest with the yellow on the wings and the tail were the deciding factors. Gilded Flicker. Digital Photograph. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

2 Doves and Blooming Saguaro

Some Lucky Day. Digital Photograph. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

I believe these would be white winged doves.

Buckthorn Cholla

Buckthorn Cholla. Digital Photograph. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved. 

About the Weather

I don't know if anyone has noticed that I haven't been on my bike. We have had a couple of serious dust storms this week -- which are particularly nasty.

The other noticable thing is that it was 111°F. in Bullhead City AZ today and 105 in Mesa. Death Valley gets today's high at 116, however. George W. Bush was in Yuma AZ today, and you can bet he noticed it was kinda warm. 105° temps are not enough to keep me off the bike, but duststorms and lightning are. Over 5 fires burning in Arizona today as a result of lightning -- so it looks like Summer might be here early.

Currently at 10:30 P.M. it is 92°F.

Mile

This morning on the treadmill. 1.0 mile in 10:08. Not too spectacular.

This Sparrow

Is this a White Crowned Sparrow? I have to find that bird book. © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

On the stereo: Juliana Hatfield. Hey Babe. "Running around in the desert, trying to get wet."

Get Off Your Knees

Juliana Hatfield - guitar, vocals • Mike Watt - bass • Mike Leahy - guitar • Clay Tarver - guitar • Todd Philips - drums

You taste little bits that wouldn't digest. And you shit 'em out of your system. You grab hands, squeeze, then let it go. Drop it and watch it fall away like snow. Yearning for a drug that doesn't exist. Using your mouth like a fist. That smile can't even show on your face. You gotta get out of this place. Like the noose snared to your leg don't fit. Though even if you found the key you can't. Get off your knees and repeat after me. "The devil rocks my soul." Accept the fact that he didn't die and you'll be good to go. There's a lump in my throat that won't go away. I'm gonna rip it out. I'm gonna kill desire and knock it down. You'll be under my foot down on the ground. You're trying to get the picture when there's nothing really to get. You're running around in the desert trying to get wet. You're wanting to hold on tight when there's nothing really to hold. Stop that train of thought that drives you into the cold. Get off your knees and repeat after me. "The devil rocks my soul." Accept the fact that he didn't die and you'll be good to go. Get off your knees and repeat after me. "The devil rocks my soul." Accept the fact that he didn't die and you'll be good to go.

Ask for More

I was First for a Change

That's never happened before. Me -- first in a physical activity. I had two older brothers. They were always first. Look at Tom Stormcrowe's site to see the week's miles. I think I was highest. I am sure that it is because Jill was on foot. The desert sometimes wants people to walk. Or run. Or dangle from a rope ... and swim.

Another Day

Date: 14 May 2006
Miles: 18.08
Average Speed: 14.9
May Mileage: 202.31
Weather: 96°F. Overcast.
Bike: Roadie

Cleaning, and Cleaning

I know -- this is what everyone has in their bathroom. Bengay -- for those days. Maalox, to counteract the effect of Gatorade. Dermatone sunscreen slime -- yuck. Badger muscle rub with cayenne. My personal favorite. An ice pack with an ace bandage still intact. Joi Juice.

The truth is -- I am expecting company soon. I don't know when, but soon. In honor of this I am cleaning the bathroom the way a grrrrl might. So that it's actually clean, guys. So it's clean for the moment. 

Red-Tailed Hawk(s)?

Is that a Red-tailed Hawk Fledgling? It's hard to tell. Assuming that one of the adults is on the nest -- who's that on the far tower.

Digital Photograph. © Shawn Kielty 2006. All rights reserved.

Date: 14 May 2006
Miles: 14.82
Average Speed: 14.7
May Mileage: 184.23
Weather: 100°F. Sunny.
Bike: Roadie

Nashbar™ Pannier/Daypack

I am going to follow Ruby's model and start reporting the bike for each trip -- Today's trip was to run a few errands, like check on the hawk nest and get some SPD pedals from the usually nice bike guy, and stop to pick up a few groceries. SO I decided to check out this bag I got from the Jeep driving mailman today, and get the commuter out of mothballs. I was tempted to transfer the Banjo Brothers™ seat bag off my roadie onto the commuter, but it didn't look like it was going to rain so I just threw a flat kit and some tools together.

Date: 13 May 2006
Miles: 22.0
Average Speed: 11.6
May Mileage: 169.41
Weather: 101°F. Sunny.
Bike: The Bianchi Commuter



Luggage tends to get personal. It can be really difficult or it can be a lifesaver. I have a backpack/suitcase that I bought when I was first married, with my then wife, as we prepared to go to Europe. These days that bag is relegated to carting around the traveling library of guide books that go on any extended birdwatching or photo trip. Everytime I look at that bag -- or touch it, a flood of memories rushes forward. "Voulez vous douche ensemble?" A shower with a band? what? Together. A shower together? No. "No?" NO. Like that.

I decided to carry the camera with me on the bike today. The bike on the camera is a bit of a luggage problem. A bit like this one:

luggage.wav(203K) luggage.mp3(203K)
Luggage Salesman (Barry McGovern): "Have you thought much about luggage, Mr. Banks?"
Joe: "No. I never really have."
Luggage Salesman: "It's the central preoccupation of my life. You travel the world, you're away from home, perhaps away from your family, all you have to depend on is yourself, and your luggage." trunk.wav(242K) trunk.mp3(242K)
Luggage Salesman: "This is our premier steamer trunk. All handmade, only the finest materials. It's even watertight. Tight as a drum. If I had the need and the wherewithal, Mr. Banks, this would be my trunk of choice."
Joe: "I'll take four of 'em."
Luggage Salesman: "May you live to be a thousand years old, sir."

The requirements for the camera are that the bag not fall off the bike, that the bag hold the camera completely when fully assembled, and that the bag be 100% waterproof. The Nashbar bag seems to fit the bill nicely, although the bag did fall off of the bike today, the result of user error.



The back panel of the pannier removes by unzipping to reveal a pair of shoulder straps. This means that it's quite heavy, and that the bag is held to the bike by a zipper. I'll need to remember to zip it completely so that the bag doesn't move about while driving.





This shot shows the drybag insert. It is a bit difficult to get items into this bag, but it seems that is a price that gets paid for having the safety of a dry bag. All the dangly straps make me nervous -- and I may have to add some velcro strips to the end of all the straps to allow me to wrap them up.

My appetite has finally come back after my century last week. I ate one of these. In it's entirety.