2022 Rides - Week Eighteen

It was a beautiful week for riding... so... I didn't do that much riding... 

I did as much as I have the last few weeks, but I'd really hoped through May I'd start getting out for longer rides...  

I didn't even get out for much of a ride Monday until the evening. I went out for some groceries - and took the "scenic route" along the river to see if there were any new birds to see. 

I did spot a few Canvasbacks and a Grebe! 

By the time I was heading home, the sun was setting! 

Tuesday I made a few short trips. One to 20th to hit a few stores - mostly looking for new tires for the Salsa. 

Then I rode up to my folks to drop some stuff off. I thought I'd take the fun route - but then I ran into these guys and they all looked like they wanted to take my lunch money...  

(I made it past without incident...) 

GREEN GRASS along the trail now! 

Spotted a few American Coots along the way...

a pair of Common Mergansers... 

and a few Grackles....

Oh, and this little guy ran across my path. 

Usually these little guys dart away as fast as possible. Maybe it's a young one that hasn't learned FEAR yet. 

In the late afternoon Keiran and I rode up to 33rd to the Art drop-in at SCYAP.

Wendesday I did another loop up to the Circle Drive Bridge and down the other side of the river. 

Crocuses still blooming. 

I decided to try and take the dirt trail right down by the river - to get a better look at the birds along the east side of the mid-river island. 

There was one muddy bit... 

But I DID see some birds I hadn't seen before - three different Grebes! (only two present in this pic) 

Nest! 

Lesser Scaups 

Still snow! Well... ice... in a deep gully. 

Needed to either pass through the gully to go back up the bank on a relatively not-so-steep pathway - or push up a REALLY STEEP path on this side of the gully... 

Gully it is. 

There was a fissure down the middle where watter had run. it wasn't very wide, but very deep and still presented quite the obstacle to get across... with a heavy cargo bike... on uneven and somewhat slippery ice. 

I did get across though. 

The not-so-steep pathway has a lot of long over hanging grass and short shrubbery... and I picked up a few friends along the way. I brushed a few off my legs and bag. 

A few even made it home on the bags!? 

Thursday I made a quick trip to broadway to pick up the new Bottom Bracket for the Salsa (that's a bit of a story... but I just don't have to time or energy to revisit that ordeal!) 

After supper, Keiran and I rode out the the Chappell Marsh Conservation area. 

Motorists passing at high speed kicking up lots of dust.... 

The Marsh is looking pretty dry on the south side of the road - the part that is actually in the Conservation Area... 

Depite all the signs that say "Foot Traffic Only", it looks like some tool decided to try going off-roading in the Marsh.... doesn't look like they got far.... 

it was a little depressing... How much rain to we need to refill this - especially when ALL THE SNOW we got this year melting didn't do the trick!? 

Brought the big binoculars along to look at birds. 

Kerian seemed more interested in looking at the dude out taking pictures in the marsh with a GIANT camera lens - seriously it looked about as big as my leg (and I've been described as havong tree trunks for legs!). We both has a bit of a laugh about the ridiculous size of it. 

He probably does take way better pictures than me, though... so... maybe a bit of sour grapes there... 

There were LOADS of Red-Winged Blackbirds back - I could HEAR a lot more than I could even see - and i could see quite a few of them! 

Friday I spent a chunk of the day fixing up the Salsa - tune-up, new bottom bracket, new tires. 

In the afternoon I took it out for a test-drive and rode to campus to meet Amanda. 

There she is. 

Saturday I rode with Keiran to dance class and then thought I'd ride over to Montgomery for a quiet pleasant roll through the neighbourhood... when I got there the streets were lined with parked cars - not usually the case - further into the neighbourhood, the streets were just PACKED with parked cars and cars driving around very slowly (some looking for places to park, others just driving around because they're too lazy to park and just walk) and crowds  of people walking up and down the streets... Turned out this weekend was the annual community wide garage/yard sale - It's really quite the event!  I probably should have taken some pictures of the streets further into the neighbourhood... but there was just too much movement on the streets (and there are no sidewalks in the neighbourhood) and I kind of just wanted to pass through and ride the long alley way that skirts the outside of the neighbourhood... 

and... that was about it. I'd thought about going for another, longer ride after I got home on Saturday... But I was tired and had to wait for a delivery and ended up just drawing birbs. 

I was feeling tired and lazy on Sunday as well... 

Maybe next week... 

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...