Granville has a new wine bar!  I & 2 children enjoyed a glass of wine as I contemplated my first group ride in OH, in 5 years. You would think, a guy coming from southern AZ would be fit as a fiddle but alas no. For a variety of reasons, I struggled to reach 100 miles each week, usually well short. With absolutely no prodding from me, the ride organizer, Don N, allowed his emotions to get the best of him as he greeted me.  Truthfully, it was as if I never left and I throughly enjoyed reconnecting with the gang.   There were 43 of us for tonights journey through rural Ohio ..read more

The visits to my silly blog have ticked up and I suspect that a is because the Tuesday group ride has come and gone and a few people are anxious to read about it.  Meantime, it was new shoe day at the Denison Bio Reserve. It was great to run on soft dirt trails and leap, awkwardly like a wounded antelope, over streams and logs.  Also nice not to worry about a rattlesnake, poised to strike behind the logs. A long dear tree, soon to fall over. The trees are massive.  Some of the most mature examples of oaks, maples and.... beech.  Got in 4.5 miles on this Sunday before ..read more

That for which I returned to Ohio was a big part of my first day in Ohio.  Anthony is thrilled I am staying longer than a week.  He dearly wants to be a goalie but being 8 in an "Under 11" league means he's too small.  But, he is undeterred and so I was required to kick ball after ball so he could practice. And than the woods.  I will finally bring order to the 3 acres and cleared brush and briers for several hours. And the projects to relieve the work load of my son-in-law and son.  On the second day, I began splitting these pieces of cherry.  Alas, those in t ..read more

The Catalinas received a bunch of snow after precipitation marred my final 2 days in Tucson.   I enter NM and approach the Organ Mountains.  Actually hiked there once. A rest stop had this unusual statue. I pass White Sands. I was following the system that came through AZ and the scenery was amazing. More snow capped peaks in NM. So far, I had threaded the needle and avoided the rain, which was good considering I had 2 bikes on the back of my SUV. Now this is annoying!  Trucks occupying all three lanes. Day 3 and going through St. Louis with the Arch.  I broke the ..read more

When I announced to friends I was about to become a grandfather, they said, "Ohhh, you won't want to return to AZ." I did and was glad to but then.....during a visit last spring, I had a great time with grandson Anthony but upon returning to AZ, the separation ate at me.  A visit last fall, in which the other two grandsons, Chris & Ben had also transitioned from babies into boys, really impacted me after I returned to AZ. Having great memories of my grandfather coupled with the certainty that if I continued to live my life as I was, in 10 years, I'd be filled with deep regret. Someth ..read more

We drove about an hour to the southeast to visit Tombstone.  A cold (52 degrees) and very windy visit. We walked the streets and frequently dove into shops to warm up.  My daughters and grandson wanted to watch the "Gunfight at the OK Corral" so while they did that.... ...I visited "Big Nose Katy Saloon" and had lunch.  A couple from WI sat next to me and stated their winter has been the mildest in 140 years. Rain arrived and created great views.... ....all around. We had a fun time playing putt-putt golf where.... ...Anthony did all he could to distract me.   ..read more

Jack typically stands on the shore to watch the ducks during our morning walk but for some reason, he waded in today. I have a bag full of golf clubs.  One of the drivers I designed and developed on the left, my first driver mid right, my grandfather's driver, etc...  Would be hard to party with any of these sentimental favorites. And yet another system sweeps out of southern CA, bringing wind, cool temps and rain.  Every week, it's rinse and repeat with these systems.  Was talking to a guy from WI and he said they are having their mildest winter in 140 years! I got in ..read more

Now that Redington Road has been repaved, it's fun to ride the rollers to the base of the climb.  From there, it's 0.4 to the end of the pavement having an average grade of 7.5%.  I ended the day with 18 miles, saving myself for a longer ride the next day. The runoff has again reached Tanque Verde Loop Road.  The city was doing a fine job cleaning the sand when.... ....it left the pavement and promptly sank. The machine thrashed about wildly to improve its situation but was unable to do so, it stuck, like so many vehicles at this wash. Across the wash, someone had killed som ..read more

With two children and a grandson visiting soon, I wanted to refresh my memory on how to navigate up canyon to the 80' falls.  I thought the 8 year old would enjoy this adventure. Lots of people were enjoying the sun and water as I descend off Redington Road. A healthy flow of water greets me.  I actually thought to bring water shoes with me so slip them on and stuff my hiking shoes and socks in my pack. Every visit, I'm struck by how huge is the bolder on the left side.  I have to cross the water several times to reach this point so glad I brought the alternative shoes. Che ..read more

One more systems sweeps out of Southern California and deposits about 1/2" of rain on us as I visit Sabino Canyon for a hike.  So grateful that I have hiking as an alternative to cycling on days I deem unfit for riding (although there are plenty of cyclists out during my drive). The clouds are just beginning to break up. I pass the dam on Sabino Canyon Creek as I push up canyon.... ....looking for a place to cross.  All those boulders but none placed strategically close together to allow me to hop across.  I decide not to remove my shoes and socks so reverse course... ...he ..read more