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!
Monday, 1 August 2022, was "Saskatchewan Day" - a statutory holiday here in Saskatchewan - so Amanda had the day off and decided we should go for a paddle.
There is a whole separate post about that...
Tuesday I rolled over to the Broadway area to drop some stuff off at a friends and then rode down to the South Bridges, just to get some extra distance in...
It had rained a lot the night before... and most of the day... and I thought I might just get rained on before I got home...
Lots of sections of pathway through Gabriel Dumont Park were partly washed out - lots of these cones all over the place.
Gulls out on the water. I stopped to try and take some pictures with the better camera... only to find the battery was dead...
CrAzY clouds.
I did not get rained on in the end.
Wednesday I rode keiran over to dance class on the tandem and pick them up again later. Admired MORE crazy clouds while waiting for light to cross 22nd.
Thursday I rode up to Chief Mistawasis Bridge and east through the swale. Hit some dirt trails along the river bank on the west side.
View from the west side of the bridge.
Lots of ducks and their babies in the wetlands.
Our friend the Swainson's Hawk at its usual post.
As it was well past quitting time when I rolled past campus I check to see if Amanda was still working (and she was!?) so I convinced her to ride home with me.
Friday scouted a route to the library Keiran would be doing workshops at all next week and art show
On the way home we stopped at City Perks to check out the Wild in the City art show that I have a few pieces in.
Later in the afternoon I did a loop of the bridges.
South bridges
Lots of Pelicans and Cormorants on the island by the weir.
Circle Drive Bridge
By the weir on the other side of the river.
Again, I met up with Amanda who was working late and rode home together.
Saturday I made a quick trip to Broadway for supper fixings.
Sunday up to folks and then back on other side of river.
Later on Sunday, I went for a ride south of town.
How long has it been since I went out this way!? Fields are turning yellow already!?
Lots of Black-eyed Susans along the edges of roads everywhere.
In two separate locations I was startled by very well camouflaged Goldfinches taking to flight from clumps of Black-Eyed Susans as I rode past. (can you see the goldfinch in the picture above!?)
There he is!
Hit some sandy summer roads.
Saw lots of other birds. Kestrels... Some other hawk I coudln't identify or get a good picture of...
Raven on a power pole
Young Mountain Bluebirds.
Scores of Magpies!
Heading back into town.
more yellowing fields
Some kind of party on one of the islands in the river.
That's all for this week.
Monday, 1 August 2022 was "Saskatchewan Day" - a Stat Holiday in Saskatchewan and Amanda had the day off, so she suggested we go for a paddle.
Not really bicycling... but it is a Human Powered, outdoorsy endeavour and I'm not about to start another blog for pictures of our few kayaking trips... so.. Also we haul them to the rive with trailers that are designed to potentially be hooked up to bicycles... though we don't have that attachment and just walk them down...
Whatever...
attempted stow-away on my kayak as we were getting things out.
Down at the boat launch. They have a new deck down there. It is not awesome...
Out on the water, paddling past the water treatment plant.
Heading south - up river.
Amanda was thoroughly amused by a ducks butt as it was bobbing for food at a shallower point in the middle of the river.
Lots of mid-ever sandbars with gulls on them.
Some with a LOT of gulls on them.
The South Bridges. Gordie Howe traffic bridge and the Grand Trunk rail bridge.
Stopped for a break on the sand bars just south of the bridges.
Super loud train rolled by.
More Gulls
Heading back, I mostly stuck to the west bank of the river where there were loads of ducks sunning themselves on rocks.
Back to the dock and loading up to haul the kayaks home.
Amanda has some pretty grand ideas about a camping trip with these... I'm not so sure. we're both pretty sore from a short trip that didn't even get us OUT of the city limits. we'd have to do 2-3 times as far to get to anywhere that we might be able to camp... I think we'd need to be paddling more than we are now to get fit enough for that. Maybe if we started in JUNE and were paddling at least few times a week... then... MAYBE...
Maybe next year.
Of course, that's what we said LAST year...
Slacked off on Monday again, but got caught up on the previous two weeks of posts... and got some drawing finished up...
I did have to go out to get Kerian to an appointment later in the afternoon/early evening.
There were some CrAzY clouds on the way downtown
We got to the appointment without getting rained on too much.
It did rain for a bit while Keiran was in the appointment...
On the way home we spotted PILES of Cormorants on the cables going across the river!
They were teetering and bobbing and looking like they were having a hard time balancing up there - which is unusual. Usually they sit up there quite perfectly still...
It wasn't windy, so I wondered if it was that the cables were wet and slippery from the rain, or if these are all young cormorants, unaccustomed to sitting on cables (or possibly some devious combination of the two!?)
Tuesday I woke up to rain... didn't go anywhere...
Wednesday I ran out to do some errands along 8th street.
Picked up a copy of Stone Age from Dragon's Den (which we played the next day).
and some bulk pure sugar candy for the diabetic to deal with low blood-glucose events. And some more groceries at Superstore.
In the evening I rode with Keiran to dance and rode out to pick them up later.
Thursday I went out for a ride to drop off two pieces of art which are to be included in a show next month. After that I rode up to the Circle Drive Bridge, across to Sobey's at Preston Crossing and then back home through the University of Saskatchewan campus.
There were SO MANY CROWS everywhere.
This fist three I ran into as I worked my way past construction and the detour through the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan site. I think they were running lines... I'm pretty sure I heard one of them say something about the "Thane of CAWdor"...?
Murder on the Tracks
I think they're plotting something...
rolled into capus on a trail I haven't used in some time.
Getting close to where Amanda works
This old crow was just finishing work so I rode home with her.
I swear the whole ride home was just catching me up on the latest in the unending OFFICE DRAMA!?
Saturday I made a quick trip up to Broadway for groceries... no pictures...
And that was it for this week. Nowhere close to 200Km I was to do this past week... However, I did note that at the end of week 30 I was just over 3000Km for the year. The plan was to do 100Km per week plus eight weeks where I'd do and extra 100Km - originally that plan was to be july and august... as long as I manage to do 200Km a week for the NEXT eight weeks... and then 100Km a week for the rest of the year.... I COULD still make the 6000Km goal!
