The Ground is so Hot ...

It can fry a snake. No -- seriously --- stay out of the bike lane. This guy was undoubtably the causualty of a car.

Date: 15 July 2006
Miles Riding: 10.96
Weather: 93°F.
Bike: Marin San Marino
July Bike Mileage: 51.43

Todays ride was a bit more eventful than I would like. I destroyed the original Ipod earbuds by rinsing one of them in the sink accidentally. I have tried to find a suitable replacement -- but they are impossible to find. I can't walk into a store and buy original Ipod earbuds. I even tried the Mac store. I have to order them online. This is the most insanely stupid thing I know of -- and only Apple could make that possible. Why? I couldn't possibly imagine.

So I almost died today because I wasn't aware that there was a pickup right next to me -- because I was wearing a replacement set (Griffen) of headphones -- and couldn't hear the ambient noise of the road. Not to worry -- I lost those later when I blew a tire and had to walk three miles because the tire tools fell out of the Banjo Brothers large seatbag, which defaults to dump the contents of the bag if the zipper isn't secured correctly. I'll be giving that bag away later.

Well that about sums it up. It was cooler because I went out earlier in the day. The brotherhood of the sweaty was out in full force -- so perhaps next week I'l start earlier and carry the camera. They all are eager to wave -- but -- not so willing to stop and offer asistance to a stranded cyclist.

Monsoon Today

Date: 14 July 2006
Miles Riding: 18.70
Weather: 1o9°F.
Bike: Night Rider aka Commuter
July Bike Mileage: 40.47

Welcome to Arizona. This is the kind of day in the desert where it expresses its force in angst. Rattlesnakes belly up beside the road -- crows dodging cars to pick at them. Fierce winds overnight rollover into a dust storm blast furnace by mid afternoon. In this morning's wind I saw a soda cup lid on edge rolling down the road like a tumbleweed, driven by unrelenting hot winds. Today we had a monsoon. Wind driven dust in the form of haboob, blasting away at everything, giving way to the virga finally breaking the surface tension of the earth to throw half-dollar size dollops of water and lightning firmly at the ground. The desert becomes wet. It hurts to hear the droplets hit. Children run out to catch the droplets on their tongues. It feels good.

The short rain and thunderstorm repeal the blasting heat (113°F.) and humidity (a mere 23%) of today, if only briefly. I rode in to town for dinner and then rode back after dark, stopping for groceries, batteries for the light, and a flat. I believe the monsoon season is officially on.

I know -- you all must be thinking that darkness makes it cooler. Not true. It's just less sunny.

Casual Sex Friday

How much actual fisting goes on?

Hot it is.

Todays high was officially 113 ° F. And the low overnight was 91. You can see it all for yourself here. The ever happy bike buddy's on the bike thermometer topped out at 113.8°F., which is 274°C. I think. John? It's funny because usually happy bike rider's very same computer reads out distances in kilometers.

It is supposed to be hotter tomorrow with a 50% chance of no rain and 2-3° hotter. It's a wonder that these weathermenpeople can ever get it right with predictions like that.

Date: 13 July 2006
Miles Riding: 12.90
Weather: 113°F. 45°C.
Bike: Roadie.
July Bike Mileage: 21.77

Today's ride was unusually difficult and left me wanting to heave. I still feel mostly that way. My legs were spent after the first hill climb and it was difficult to keep cool.

Walking After Midnight

It's on the Ipod -- The Cowboy Junkies rendition of the Patsy Cline favorite. "I walked a mile ..." I am not on my bike. The ever happy hiking buddy thinks a ride on Friday would be good -- after work. Predicted temps for Friday are now 115°F. So -- maybe we can ride down to the Salt river. I can brag after that -- if I can manage it.

Blogs of Note

No -- It's just wishful thinking that I might get into the blogs of note over at the blogger blog ... I am however in a section called the Blogs of Note over at the Foto Phantastic Blog. Thanks! I'm feeling notable now. Honored.

On the Ipod: The Ronettes, I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine.

Wild is the Wind

I want everyone to understand that it takes Nina Simone 7 minutes to lament this.

Nina Simone's rendition of Wild is the Wind:

Love me, love me, love me,
Say you do!
Let me fly away with you,
For my love is like the wind,
And wild is the wind.

Give me more than one caress,
Satisfy this hungriness;
Let the wind blow through your heart,
For wild is the wind.

You touch me,
I hear the sound of mandolins;
You kiss me,
With your kiss my life begins.

You're Spring to me,
All things to me,
Huhhhhm.
Don't you know you're life itself.
Like a leaf clings to a tree.

Oh, my darling, cling to me,
Are we creatures of the wind?
Wild is the wind,
So wild is the wind,
You touch me.

I hear the sound of mandolins
You kiss me
And with your kiss my life begins.
Daddy, you're spring to me. All things to me.
No, you know you're life itself.

Like a leaf clings to a tree,
Oh my darling cling to me,
For we're creatures of the wind,
And wild is the wind,
So wild is the wind.
Wild is the wind.
Wild is the wind.
Wild is the wind.

I am not (that much of) a Slut

Tim's post is right on target.

I need some new sunglasses in case you happen to be someone at Smith's looking for someone to say something nice about your glass.

Welcome Back to AZ

Date: 08 July 2006
Miles Riding: 8.87
Weather: 103°F.
Bike: Commuter.
July Bike Mileage: 8.87


Date: 09 July 2006
Miles Hiking: 8
Weather: 100°F.
July Hiking Mileage: 12

In case your wondering, all the photos in the previous post were taken in Schroon Lake

Colonel Mustard in the Fountain with a Staff

Shots from Schroon Lake, NY.

Lower Cascade Lake, Near Lake Placid, NY

 

West Branch Ausable River, Adirondacks, NY

 

Dix Mountain Wilderness, NY

Paper Birch. Digital Photograph. © ShawnKielty 2006. All rights reserved.

So I went for about a 2 mile hike in the Dix Mountain Wilderness. Starting just below the Elk Mountain Lodge in the Adirondacks, and up almost to Big Sally Brook. A fairly short easy hike, but somewhat wet underfoot by the Arizona norm.

Giant Mountain Wilderness

Giant Mountain Wilderness near Lake Placid. I did about a mile strait up towards Giant Mountain.

All images © 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

Pharoah Lake Wilderness

Looking around for Rock Pond -- didn't quite get there.

Schroon Lake

Last night I stayed in a place without internet, or even a phone. In Schroon Lake. Schroon Lake was the setting of a Hitchcock mystery, wasn't it? Well it could have been. It should have been. I am inspired to move there for the winter and write the story.

Live Free or Die

These two folks took me in and took me for a hike near Sandwich NH. Alyssa and Mike. Alyssa spotted a birdy bird and pulled a bird book out of thin air (be still my beating heart). It was a black and white warbler. Despite a combination of quick fleeting glimpses and a short viewing period, I think we have a confirmed sighting. My first warbler. We had a great conversation -- I enjoyed it a bunch. My faith in the human spirit was restored today. I want to say thanks to Mike and Alyssa, because I had a great time, and I appreciate your sharing that with me.

We saw this view of those lakes.



They recommended that I eat at the Common Man in Concord. I had the Shore thing. It was good. Steak, crab. bearnaise. a spud, two veggies -- serious hiking reparation. Awesome. I am a pig. I ate it all. Plus a coke.

After that I found this deertickimus bitemyass spp. lymedisease on my neck and killed it. Then I ran off to take a shower.



I looked out the window tonight and saw fireworks. I've heard they take independence seriously here in New Hampshire. For those of you that don't know -- the New Hampshire state motto is -- Live free or die. There's not much else for me to say. Happy Independence Day everyone.

Live Free or Die

Live Free or Die

So I went on to the Lakes region and Squam Lakes.


Squam Lake Vista


Look at that


I thought of the Girl


Birch trees

Live Free or Die

I lived in a house at 1000 RR 1. I lived in the lower left corner.


House in Campton, NH. Digital Photograph. Copyright 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

I then headed off to drive the drive I did daily for seven weeks -- to shoot some of my favorite areas along the route. I stopped along the way at Livermore falls -- a short hike down to the Pemigewasset River (Matt) where I found this shot.


Livermore Falls. Digital Photograph. Copyright 2006 Shawn Kielty. All rights reserved.

The folks on the right hiked back up with me and were students at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. We had good conversation about life and Art -- I enjoyed it. I didn't remember their names though.