The weather outside is frightening

The trailer I am building for our O'day 272 is just about complete, I could probably put the boat on it right now, I finished installing the lights and touching up a few things. I have an idea of hauling the boat in June to get in some sailing before the summer heat sets in.

We had a big storm blow in Friday night with heavy rain, hail stones, tornado sirens and a loss of power several times sometimes for a couple of hours. We had no damage but some areas close by were destroyed, we count our blessings.

Of course our bicycle clubs rally was Saturday and it dawned dry but cold with winds over 30 mph. The Lancaster Country Ride was still good but we only had around 600 riders and would have liked at least 1000. We had all put a lot of work in this, I never thought about all the little things required to pull off an event like this, 1000 riders and course lengths up to 62 miles.

25 minutes after the start a group of us club members rode the 62 mile course which covers a lot of hills, the last 25 miles were dead into the 30 mph wind. I was riding with guys faster the me and with trying to keep up, the wind, and hills this was possibly the hardest 60 miles I have ridden.

Here I am with my official t- shirt with large letters STAFF on the back, showing the different groups where to stage, register and find one of the 24 toilets this event requires, did I mention it was cold.

On Monday Michele and I went on an evening ride at another local bike shop and had a great ride. We ran into a friend from our bike club there (Paul) and got this picture of his recumbent bicycle and the light reflective front wheel.

Tuesday I got caught in a big rainstorm on the bike, at least it was warm as I had to ride about 12 miles in a hard downpour to get back. I rode through some areas where the water was several inches deep.

Tuesday it was 85 and Saturday I rode the trainer watching it snow, what a week.

Easter at my sisters with a lot of family and a nice meal, I wish I would have brought the camera, oh well. Lets see what this week brings.

Dennis

Your things are not who you are.

New Family Member

This was a busy week at work for me and my little operation, we did a lot of small jobs and also did an upgrade to a nice home as you see here. The old systems leaked freon and one did not run so we increased the efficiency by 30% by changing the evaporator coils and installing new outside condensing units while using the existing heating units.




Of course we got in some bicycle rides by doing the TEBR ride with our local bike club and once again doing the customary Airport Ride. This week we are going to ride some different rides as long as the weather will permit.

This is our new Great Nephew Colton Thomas Stone. My niece Heidi and her Husband Tim had their second son Friday, so here we all 3 are with our mouths open.

I'm having withdrawal symptoms and have got to slip away and go to the boat for at least a short visit, and the weatherman says a lot of rain this week. We had some powerful storms here Friday night, I only need a little while.

Have more than you show

Speak less than you know

Dennis

Into The Sunset

Wednesday I was able to drop by the boat for a couple of hours to clean it up from our overnight last weekend. Well I started fishing from the dock and caught a couple of nice bass like this from our dock. With the spring weather and the bass hitting a spinner bait I didn't get much done on cleaning the boat.

Thursday Michele and I went on a new evening bike ride at Bicycles Plus and had a good time and met some new riders, the ride was about 20 miles we just got it in before it got dark. This ride should become longer as the light lasts longer in the evening.

Saturday We rode the Airport Ride put on by our bicycle club, it was windy and warm and we had a crowd. Several months ago this ride was written up in Texas Monthly as a top 10 ride and will probably get to big.

Saturday another evening sail with a good breeze, we are sailing off into the sunset but soon come to the dock and wake up from the dream, but not before a fish hit the lure I was trolling.

Some of its majic

We had a great weekend with nice weather and were able to get a lot of activity in two short days. On Saturday morning we rode with our bicycle club www.gdbclub.com and did what we call the airport ride in which we ride ti DFW airport and take a lap around the outside loop of the airport and return, I got in 53 miles at almost 18 mph average. Michele also rode but with a different group and they went for 30 miles around the White Rock Lake area. After lunch we went to the boat and spent the night.
While Michele and Sprocket read a book I fished off the dock and caught a nice bass before we sailed to a nice cove and set the anchor under sail. We cooked dinner on the boat and I had one of my best nights of sleep on the boat.
Sprocket likes to read too!

Sunday morning we sailed back to the marina and secured the boat and cleaned it up a little before returning home and loading up the mountain bikes for a ride on a new trail.

We rode a rails to trails bike path from Weatherford to Mineral Wells State Park, this is a nice change from the road bikes. The State Park is up a 5% grade of switchbacks and offered a nice view from the top. Well it was a fun weekend and we are tired, it may take a few days of work to rest up.

Dennis

View from the top

country ride, trailer and rain

Toward the end of the week I started welding the tongue of the trailer on and since it is now to long to go in the garage we are working outside. The spring like weather has been nice and I have really liked being outside. My guess would be that the trailer is about 80% road ready. It needs some touch up and completion of the paint and then adding the lights.

We rode our bikes south of Dallas this weekend and rode from Lancaster to Ferris and Palmer and I got in 60 miles. Michele rode a lot of this with us but was nice about letting me ride off with the racers, I could hang in until we hit the hills and they would drop me.

With the nice weather I was looking forward to the Tuesday night ride,but rain cancelled the ride. We need the rain so bad it was a good trade, I watched it rain and did a spin class on the trainer. Ive been to busy to do much else so far this week but we may take another trip this weekend, either a night on the boat or ride a rails to trails path from Weatherford to Mineral Wells.

Dennis

Georgetown Texas trip

We had a nice weekend in Georgetown shopping and dinning in the restored Historic Downtown and riding the bike trails in the area. The trails are nice and we rode paved trails, dirt and rocky trails and saw few people. The weather was cold and windy or else I think it would be to busy to enjoy a ride, so I think the weather was a blessing this weekend.

. This weekend was Michele's Birthday and I think she had a nice time, she was a real trooper and rode hard and pushed hard up the gravel hills, am I a lucky guy or what.

Aflac Duck ( goose) Attacks Cyclists

Some of its magic, some of its tragic, make the best of it.

Dennis