2022 Rides - Week Thirty-Two

 

All this past week I rode up to the Rusty Mcdonald Library with Keiran on the tandem every the morning to drop them off at the Sage Hill youth writing program, and then rode back up to pick them up later in the afternoon! It was a 14m round trip each time! So I was doing 28Km each day just getting them there and back! 

I have to say, this kid has come a LONG way this past year. A year ago they were suffering from crippling social anxiety - they would barely leave the house at all, certainly not on their own. I highly doubt they would have got to any workshop with a pile of complete strangers for a week (no matter how much the might desperately WANT to)... and they definitely would not have just walked in there on their own... 

When I dropped them off Monday morning I suggested I could wait outside for a bit and they could text me a thumbs up when they got in and figured out where they were going and if it all seemed okay. They just said, "nah, you can just go..."

We DID ride up here the previous week - partly to scout a cycling route to get here, but also I made them go into the building on their own (after I had done so!) to see where the library was in the building and where the meeting rooms were that the workshop would likely be taking place in. 

It was lovely Monday morning.

By the afternoon it got really HOT - I thought I was going to die climbing the big hill up Pembina Avenue... 

All week we rolled past this cute little "free library" on the way to the public library... 

It kind of made me laugh... 

I have to admit, I was curious... but was a little afraid of finding thirty-seven copies of Fifty Shades of Grey in there... 

One of the mornings we spotted cormorants on the cables over the river. 

Part way through the week they closed off part of the trail to do some work on it... 

And the detour turned out to be a bit of a challenge - Almost hit that light post a couple times while dodging branches!? 

Thursday, on the way home, Keiran and I stopped for groceries at Preston Crossing and then checked to see if Amanda was ready to leave as we rolled through campus. She said she was... but then we ended up waiting while she finished "just one more thing!"

Riding home with Amanda. 

Friday we went to meet our new family doctor! Yay! 

I did a LOT of riding in the end this week... but not a lot of picture taking - it was mostly hauling and picking up Keiran from places and a few other errands... not a LOT of pictures were taken (thankfully! less to sort through and decide what to post!) 

I took Saturday off (I was tired, it was hot!!!) 

Sunday morning I decided to paint a portrait of the PURPLE SURLY KARATE MONKEY!

Afterwards, I decided I needed to actually go for a RIDE on the the Purple Karate Monkey! 

hit some of the easy single track along the river valley. 

And that was it! I did make my 200Km goal... but didn't do much extra to try and catch up the kilometres I missed the last two weeks.... 

Bicycle Art - Purple Surly Karate Monkey!

 Felt like drawing today. Wasn't sure what to draw. Thought I might do a bike portrait of my Purple Surly Karate Monkey. 

(mostly done from memory, so somethings are a bit wonky... but... whatevs...) 

Purple Surly Karate Monkey! 35cmx28cm (14"x11") - ink on paper

I haven't done any critters on bikes for a while... maybe I should do more of those! 

2022 Rides - Week Seventeen

Monday I did a short loop of the Circle Drive and South bridges. 

Double-Crested Cormorants

Some trails still a bit damp... Especially on the east bank of the river. 

Maybe just sticking to the paved trails and dirt trails with enough exposure that they're all dried up for another week... 

Larger Murder of Crows! 

Wednesday I didn't get out until late afternoon. It has been nice all morning and early afternoon... then it started to rain. Luckily by the time I was heading out, the rain was just letting up.

Cormorants and Pelicans. 

I find it funny when I see them buncher together in their separate groups. It makes me think of two gangs about to "rumble"... 

Pigeons on the CPR Rail Bridge. 

Wait... THAT'S NO PIGEON!? 

I always find it funny when I see Geese perching way up on the bridges where I normally see pigeons... 

Trails on the west side looking pretty dry. 

Tree that must have been blown over on one of the windier days in the past week or so. 

crocuses are in full bloom now. 

LOTS of people walking by and taking pictures. I kind of had to wait my turn. 

So many crocuses, though. 

SO MANY CROCUSES! 

I was sad to see some of the other people taking pictures were not really paying much attention to where they were walking because there were still buds that hadn't opened that had been trod upon... 

Train bridge and weir. 

I stopped and sat for a bit. it was super nice out. 

Quintessential Saskatoon Image: The Bessborough Hotel. 

I spotted this beaver swimming along the river by Rotary Park and I followed it a bit. It stopped for muchies, so I got off my bike and quietly clambered down the bank to get a better shot... 

Just as I was getting to where I took this picture, I spotted another fellow clambering along the rivers edge carrying a giant-ass camera and a tripod and he looked kind of angrily at me and started motioninig with his head like he wanted me to fuck off on out of there... Dude. Chill... I was taking one quick pic and then I'd be on my way. It's a public waterway. It's a public park. That ain't your pet beaver. And how many times have I seen dudes like that that park themselves right down by wildlife and sit there shooting for hours (or, at least, longer than I have patience for to move out of my way so *I* could take a shot of the critter in question!?). 

Thursday I made a quick, uneventful trip to Broadway for some groceries and to try and get a new Bottom Bracket for the Salsa... which ended up being way more of an ordeal than I imagined... no pics. 

Friday morning I went for a walk with my friend, Ray. 

ended up being a 10Km Hike. I am not used to walking THAT much... I am STILL feeling a bit sore and it's TUESDAY now... 

There were some pretty clouds, though... 

Later in the afternoon I made a quick trip down towards the weir. A Friend said he had seen LOONS and I was really hoping I might see one before they head further north. 

The trip was not a waste! I did spot one Common Loon swimming along the river (and occasionally diving). 

I have seen loons on the river before, but they aren't common. I kind of associate them with Northern lakes. 

Followed it for a little bit. 

While waiting for the loon to resurface after a dive, I was surprise by a group for four cormorants that very suddenly surfaced out of no where!? Totally hadn't seen them anywhere along here before!? Where has they come from? How far do these things swim underwater!? 

Doubled back and met up with Amanda heading home from work. 

Saturday morning I rode with Keiran to their tap dance class. While they were in the class, I went for a little ride alongside the railway. 

There is kind of a path there... a bit bumpy, and kind of disappears at times... I was curious to see if I could get to a wetland just past the west end of the city. 

I got to the edge of the city just a minute or two before I had to turn back... If I'd hurried, I MIGHT have gotten to the wetland... but would have immediately had to turn back... I took the road back (rather than the bumpy, grassy trail I took getting there. It was MUCH quicker. If I took the road route there and back - and had a more suitable bike for faster riding (like the Salsa, instead of the Yuba I was riding) I could probably make it there with a few minutes to look around before I had to turn back... I think maybe I'll try next weekend - If I can get that new bottom bracket for the Salsa.

Later in the afternoon I went out for a longer ride - heading for the Chappell Marsh Conservation Area - another wetland just beyond the southwest part of town. 

Before I even left the city I saw a dark shape out on the river near the water treatment plant - it didn't have teh same profile as a Cormorant, so I stopped to have a better look. 

Turned out to be an American Coot! 

Murder of Crows greeted me just beyond the city limits. 

The Climb - it isn't much of one... 

Horsies

Brewer's Blackbird. 

I'd spotted a whole bunch of these flitting across the road a fair bit back. This one was kind enough to remain on this post long enough for me to get up close and take a picture and get a really good look. 

Sky. Field. There is a LOT of this once outside the city. 

I got to the Chappell Marsh Conservation Area - only to find it almost completely dried up again!?

It's heartbreaking to see it so dry just after all the snow melted. 

Unless we get a LOT of rain, things are not looking great. 

Wow. 

The norther park of the march, across the road, seems to have a bit more water in it!? There I spotted a pair of Bufflheads... and then another male Bufflehead. 

Seemed like the other dude was trying to put the moves on female in the pair... 

They made quite a racket chasing each other back and forth across the pond! 

If they'd been humans, I'm sure the police would have been called! 

Also spotted a Red-winged Blackbird there. I heard it long before I spotted it!

Unoccupied Bird Box... dried up wetland. 

Some sort of raptor I spotted. Still not entirely sure what it was... 

Some of the notes I made along the way of the birds I spotted. 

Hare. 

I has planned to go for a longer ride on Sunday, but was feeling very tired and lazy and worn out and just stayed at home all day...