The Dog Days of Winter

I have come to anticipate strong hints of spring this time of year and 2006 has been typical with the robins returning and early flowers blooming. But for some strange reason we just had to have an arctic cold air system roll in for a few days just to remind us that it's still WINTER. The SeanMan left town a few days ago to test the slopes somewhere in southern Colorado. I promised to look in on his beloved doggies while he was gone so they wouldn't get so lonely and to take them out for a dog run. The last few days we (the dogs and I) packed into the SeanMan's pickup and headed to the Mann Lake for some excercise.

I just let the dogs set the pace which is faster than you would believe. My Fisher single-speed is the perfect dog running bike I found since the dogs and I have nearly the same easy pace at about 12 mph and with short bursts of speed up into the +20mph range. The days have been beautiful and the cold has been bearable without the wind we had earlier last week. When I got home I found that spring is still battling the cold and apparently still winning.

To Ride or Not to Ride

Another week is over - where did it go? I'm so busy in school these days that time seems to pass me by. The last several days have been simply spring like here - sunny crisp mornings with warmish days. The robins returned a few weeks ago, trees are budding, and my early flowers are blooming. I know this makes some people sick, but it make me sick that I may have to start mowing my lawn before March 1st. Today was another beautiful day and the bikes were all calling me for a ride...must resist, need to study for that exam on Monday, must resist...study... study...study...ride-no...study...ride-yes, no-ride(palms sweaty)...study (sweating profusely) ...ride...ride, ride, ride...aaaahhhgg! RIDE!!! OK ride...hmmm - Kestrel, Fisher, or Salsa? (drooling & panting) SALSA...

Oh what a nice day for a ride it was.

Super Hot Salsa!

In my last post on Saturday I hinted that I had a new toy - well it was just a frame then and now it's a full bike. Shamelessly, I could not resist my bike obession building it up instead of studying. I put it together with parts I removed from my old buddy the Fisher 292. The new bike is a Salsa Dos Niner - a soft-tail design in which the rear end gives (flexes) about one inch to make the rides a little softer on my growing butt. I finished it, but too late in the day for a real test of my super-human biking abilities. So the next day while everyone else was watching the Supid Bowl I took it to Hellsgate State (Horse & Weed) Park for its maiden voyage.

It was so nice today (Monday) that I took it for another ride after school. My first impressions were nothing more than a big grin the whole time - that means it was really good. Salsa did a good job of putting together a super nice riding frame - thanks Salsa! My butt was especially pleased with the soft-tail suspension design. The real tests of this bike are yet to come - I did not plan on racing this year because of school, but that could change now.

The Perils of Being a Student

School is once again a center focus in my life...I am in my last semester of nursing in which I am taking both junior and senior curriculums concurrently. To say the least it is a lot of work and allows little time for life's essential pleasures - like riding. I still dream of riding and obssess over bikes daily...it seems that I do more than just dream though since the SeanMan delivered my new toy...

I do still get out now and then for an attitude adjustment or some stress relief, but sad to say that my racing agenda this year is foggy to say the least. Anyway, yesterday was one of those exceptional days here with temps near 60F, grass turning green (early it seems) and the robins returning. I took a short ride up to Hellsgate State (Horse & Weed) Park. The views seemed exceptional and taking a rest on the hillside to enjoy the sights and warm sun seemed to be the right thing to do.

Life is good!