Posts tagged ‘rain’
riding through puddles
The weather continues to mystify me. Heavy rains and severe storms have rolled through the area, and to see tornado destruction in AL and AR in January is mind boggling. I cannot bear the thought of a repeat of last spring – and we’re still in the middle of what is supposed to be winter.
Rain or not, I needed to get out today. It was gusty but warm, and I revisited a road I hadn’t ridden in quite a while. Cows, barns, creeks (overflowing) and plenty of mud. But I still have fun riding through puddles…
rainy
It’s been strange weather. Very warm, pretty windy. Fronts coming through. Rain. It’s like the weather can’t commit to becoming winter-like. Sigh.
Days have been filled with errands, commuting, and not much else. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will return to cold and crisp and sunny over the next few days. Also hoping there will be some Thanksgiving break rides with my boys, home for the holidays.
Meanwhile, wishing everyone a peaceful time with friends and family – and a very happy Thanksgiving.
rain puddles & threatening clouds
foggy mornings
a window of "nice"
hat
#CyclingCapTuesday ... before the rains came
day 328: serainity
While I am more than ready to see some sun and blue skies, I have to confess that there is a certain tranquility to riding in a soft rain. I love the smell of the damp fields, the quiet windless-ness, the mist hanging over the hills. Once I get past my initial reluctancy to be out in it, and get warmed up and used to the damp feeling against my skin, it’s a beautiful time to ride.
bike, barn, cows ... as always
crossing Bigsby Creek
rain commute out-takes
rain
When you’re going to end up jumping into a pool anyway, does it really matter?
One of the big gaping holes in my blog, I think, is … well, the rest of it. The not-so-pretty stuff, the traffic, the rides around town that don’t take place on the pleasantness of the greenway, but rather, tailing exhaust pipes and edging away from distracted minivan moms texting on cell phones.
view of traffic from the handlebars, in the rain {-P
I rarely take pictures while on the commuting rides, largely because it’s tricky business, not-so-safe, and I typically don’t carry my DSLR along. It’s not the kind of shooting where I can take time to stop, compose the shot. When I manage to capture anything, it’s typically blind shots from the hip with my point-and-shoot. And on days like today, rain on the lens and blindly shooting … well, not a pretty picture.
blind shot from the hip
like I said ... my arm (and a truck)
I had a couple errands to run, and since it was a better day to be swimming than cycling, I wanted to head to the pool. The weather was pretty high on the crappy scale – upper 30′s, rainy, gloomy – and probably a blessing in disguise. I ended up having the pool largely to myself.
going from wet to wetter at the Y
pool to myself
Had a great swim, got out and dried off …. just to go back out in the rain. {-P
So, although I may try to tip the scales and balance the biking photos with some real-life-on-a-bike shots, don’t hold your breath. I think I am obviously more suited to old barns and quiet rural roads. ;)
blindly shooting wet legs heading home
the good samaritan
wind, rain, sky drama ... and a bike ride 
Are there days when you actually shouldn’t be out riding around on a bike? I don’t know. But apparently the woman who stopped her car as I was standing along the road snapping a few pictures thought so.
“Can I give you a ride home?”
“Oh … no thank you, I’m fine. Just taking a few pictures,” I say.
“Um… well, ok.” (Looking at me sideways, apparently assessing my state of mental health).
“But thanks for asking,” I say with a smile, trying to assure her that I had a functioning brain underneath my helmet.
Maybe if she could just see the sky the way I saw it today, from the seat of my bike … would she understand?
I didn't spot any Holsteins flying through the air...
#330daysofbiking Day 210
rain delirium
- practicing for living somewhere like … Portland?
I have some “nice” fall color biking photos from days prior … but today, while I was riding in the rain, I was thinking about friends in Portland and the Pacific Northwest. (And yes, also snowbound Minneapolis, @bikerly, @blueallez, and @myrnacgmibus). In my mind, cities like Portland, Seattle, and Amsterdam are my idea of cycling nirvana. And Minneapolis. I see the videos, the pictures, read about the bicycle culture, the rideshare, the cupcakes (big incentive), and converse with a few friends who live there in the midst of it. I am fairly convinced that I belong there.
And then I ride on a cold, grey and damp day and wonder if I really would have what it takes? I can easily do a few days here and there in crappy weather, but am I really cut out for months on end of this kind of kind of stuff? I dunno. The cupcakes I could definitely do on a daily basis. The rain riding, well … ?
For now, I ride in it … just to practice. And to pre-qualify. ;)
#330daysofbiking Day 209 ~ in the rain
iFauxlaroid selfportrait
#330daysofbiking Day 72: heat and thunder
circular
Weather continues to be hot and stifling. Heat index peaked today at about 100′F. Basically miserable.
Today I played catch-up at home, after the past few days of fun and games on the river and elsewhere. Took a very quick errand ride in the late morning – which convinced me that I didn’t want to be on the bike again until it cooled off, hopefully by evening. As the pattern goes, the heat builds and builds throughout the day, culminating in big thunderstorms complete with wind and torrential rains. So it was again this afternoon, lingering into dusk. Right now it feels like some Amazonian rainforest out there – steam rising from the pond, the ground, the pavement. I gave it up for the day; the errand ride will have to do.
grapevine tendrils in the rain
#330daysofbiking Day 67: rain and the river
crossing the inlet
It was a beautiful morning … and I should have taken better advantage of it. The day started out picture-perfect – sun was shining, temperatures were not so warm. Expected the rest of the day to be more of the same, so I spent the morning catching up with a few things at home, figuring I would have all afternoon to ride. My mistake. I guess timing is everything (that, and not bothering to look at weather forecasts).
Shortly after noon, dark clouds began rolling in and the rains came. Thunderstorms, winds, and even a few pieces of hail. In between showers, the heat and humidity were smothering. Kind of wanted to kick myself for waiting. Finally got out in the evening and headed towards the Hiwassee River, just up the road. Reached the bridge and inlets just as the sun was beginning to drop, spreading its last rays over the water. Sounds of frogs along the banks, several herons overhead. It was beautiful. Maybe my timing wasn’t so bad, after all?
#330daysofbiking Day 58: rain and red skies
red skies
Some days I go out and think – “Today, I need a change of scenery …” Not of barns and cows and thistles – something else. And then I end up along the same (beautiful) road and I am rendered speechless by some incredible sight. As if someone was trying to tell me I was completely foolish for wanting to see anything else. And so it was tonight. A crimson sky after a day of rain.
You would think I’d have learned my lesson already, wouldn’t you?
A lot of rain today. No paddling in the new boat. Had to take the boys into town, stopped to say goodbye to friends heading out of town, took my road bike into the shop (having issues with my front derailleur). Late in the day the rain stopped and I headed out on the Xtracycle, riding till the sun disappeared. Last few miles with lights on in the dark. Soft night air, fireflies. Maybe I learned my lesson this time.
rainy day in town
#330daysofbiking Day 44: dumb and dumber
saw it coming...
Perhaps the smartest thing I did today was leave the DSLR at home. (Today’s photos brought to you by Mason’s pocket camera – which, quite miraculously, I managed not to ruin).
So the sun was popping out, along with patches of blue sky, and we figured the rain had finally moved out. Mason and I decided we were overdue for a nice long road ride. I cannot tell you why, but something in me decided to leave the “good” camera behind today – and since my little Lumix had a dead battery, Mason offered up his to take along.
taking cover; Mason always manages to keep a smile on his face, regardless of what I drag him through
Around 8 miles out, the rain started. And unfortunately started really coming down on a more heavily travelled stretch of road, where we encountered some yahoo who decided to pass a truck in the oncoming lane just as we approached – which could have been disastrous had we not had some ample clean shoulder space to move on to. We made it to a small commercial building that was empty and up for sale, so we stashed the bikes and took shelter on the front porch. We thought we could wait out the worst of the heavy rain – a plan that worked just fine until some really strong winds started blowing the driving rain onto the porch. We ended up pretty soaked, thinking how stupid we were not to bring any rain gear, or even a plastic bag to stash phone and camera. Dumb. Murphy’s Law of cycling, I guess … but we should have known better.
The rain finally let up and we decided to head back out, debating whether to continue our loop, or just head back home. Made the decision to stay out. And about 5 miles further down the road, got caught in a downburst again! This time we were close to a big Baptist church, and found cover under one of their equipment sheds. Had it not been for having stupid electronic devices with us, I think we would have just continued on in the rain. Time to stick a few ziplock bags in my seat bag. (You would think I would have learned this by now. Duh).
Finally it let up again. And the sun came out. And the rest of the ride was spent drying off in the warm sun. Totally worth it! I wish I could bottle the air on a day like this – damp grassy fields, the incredible perfume of honeysuckle in bloom. This was the reward part. 
I don't know why I did this in black and white ... I just felt like something different 
