Posts from the ‘animals’ Category
the BBC
… Which, in my case, simply stands for the usual: Bikes, Barns, Cows.
(Along with a dose of goldenrod thrown in – just to make me sneeze.)
Happily back to wandering ways, on the cusp of fall. Life is divine.
seventy-four
I don’t know the official high temperature today, but my window thermometer read 74’F … and in the course of a week, nature has exploded into springtime. While I should have been doing other things, I was seduced by the weather …
Just things seen by bike (and apologies for double-posting today).
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…
arachnophobik(e)
today's bike rack "friend"
So I had to make a quick bike run to Target today. I arrive, go to lock up my bike at the rack, and spot this lovely little arachnid along the building next to my bike. It looked suspiciously distinctive, and upon closer (but not too close) look … yep, a black widow. (And yes, she was fully alive and well.)
Now it’s not that I have any big case of arachnophobia; I happen to think spiders are kind of cool – as long as they are not crawling on me. But this one, being a little package of poison – I swear she was eyeing my bike and thinking how nice and cozy it might be to sneak into my panner while I was in the store. It looked like a mighty nice home, rather camouflaged, nice and dark, an easy place to hole up … and wait.
Yes. I’m an idiot. And my mind runs in ridiculous directions. Never the less, I moved my bike to the other side of the building. Just in case.
looking for a new home in my bike?
a color-coordinated house for your 8-legged "pets" (?)
critterpalooza
lens cleaner
(You can thank me now – despite the initial scare, this is a 100% goat-less post). 😉
There has been a lot of rambling around lately … because I am obviously honing my non-productivity skills. And because the weather is beautiful, and I’d rather be out on my bike goofing off, rather than, well … cleaning out the attic or mowing grass.
I’ve been drawn to long rides on the Xtracycle lately. As someone once perfectly described – it’s not the lycra-clad fast and furious stuff (as if I ever do that), but more of a “long, slow boogie”. Typical me. Carry a picnic lunch, stop and talk to cows, linger in the fresh green of spring.
So … a few of the sights of recent days, because there’s not much more to be said.
exploring un-named roads
... and always finding more cows
things that haul...
... and things that haul "better"
the curious ones ...
and the not-so-curious ones
pink-ness
the "end" 😉
#330daysofbiking Day 294: long ride & longhorns
little longhorn
Exquisite riding weather today … sunny and temps near 70’F. So I set my to-do list aside and took a nice long road ride into the neighboring county. And although I had my eye out for some Holsteins for my friend @bikerly, they were apparently out grazing in distant pastures. Instead, it was a day for Longhorns.
sweet black ears and nose
you could probably hang a bicycle from those horns (... and no, I didn't try it)
spotty
always propped up along a fence
waiting for springtime green
#330daysofbarns (and cows)
- #330daysofbiking, Day 239 ~ city bike in the country
One of my twitter friends recently mentioned (jokingly, I am sure) that there had been a conspicuous absence of old barns in my recent posts. So, for @dauphin87 and anyone else who isn’t bored to tears of rural landscapes, old barns and Holsteins … this one is for you.
#330daysofbiking update: have ridden 240 of the past 263 days … 90 days to go.
as for old barns ... this is still one of my favorites (Bigsby Creek Road)
today's bikes and barns (White Oak Valley) ...
... and today's Holstein
windchill factor
the cranes have arrived
- #330daysofbiking Day 224
Over the past few days there has been too much wind, rain and stormy-ness in general to ride with my camera. So, of course, today I probably over-did it (photo-wise — sorry). But the sun was shining, there were some really nice puddles leftover from the storm, and best of all … the Sandhill Cranes have arrived!
- Sandhill Cranes and dairy cows
I confess that I have a huge fascination with these birds. We are fortunate to live along their migratory path and near one of their gathering spots along the Hiwassee River and Wildlife Refuge. Each winter, they fly overhead by the tens of thousands, stopping to rest and feeding on leftover grains and corn in the winter fields. There are days when I’ve watched and listened to them flying overhead, hundreds and hundreds of them for several hours at a time, sounding their unusual rattling trumpet-call.
Sandhill Crane: a rather poor crop ... I had no zoom lens along (#stupid)
Remarkably, they can live for up to 20 years. They mate for life, and migrate south each winter with their offspring. The are beautiful and impressive to see up-close as well as in the air – and to ride along on my bike with them, and pass them in the fields … it’s is a special experience for me that I can’t explain well. They fascinate me.
Each season on a bike has it’s own rewards. Today’s “Riding-With-Cranes” was definitely one of them.
(…. and the rest of the bike photos from the day 😉 )
old farm bridge
puddles ...
and ponds ...
and piles of leaves ...
and (of course) the requisite old-barn-with-bike 😉
shebicycles 