Ken Johnson and I giggled and grunted our way up the bike trail yesterday enjoying what turned out to be our version of...

THE ALASKAN IDITAROD
Bellville style

Usually, on Thursdays, he, Lynn Rush and I do a two hour exercise program in his Bellville home’s basement. But, this day he was nursing a sore shoulder and Lynn was absent, nursing a sore nose.

With an additional nod to his pesky ailment he proposed, instead of a traditional bike ride, we hop on his side-by side tandem cycling rig and head up the bike trail toward Lexington and see if it is still clogged with ice and snow.

It was.

We set off—and were barely north of Bellville when we were slogging through multiple inches of snow just now morphing into a slushy mess of winter’s residue.

We did a Chinese fire-drill of randomly riding and hopping off to push while one of us hopped back on trying to steer. We were never totally stymied in our progress but we had to be quite a sight to traffic whizzing high overhead on the interstate highway.

We must have looked like a moving bicycle wreck still arguing about which of its halves had the right-of-way.

We grunted and giggled some more; resting periodically on ice-free pavement and enjoying the squirrels and the bluebirds cavorting through winter’s last fling.

To our right melt water was gushing through the meadows hurrying to be somewhere while just ahead of us a small herd of whitetail deer lazyied across the trail—their sentinel pausing to consider the silly apparition heading his way.

The deer’s ears twitched and it correctly identified us as peaceable as he and his companions disappeared slowly into the marsh—and we were thankful for the gift of their presence.

About then we noticed another source of resistance to our progress. Ken’s front tire was flat.

Not really a big deal at our modest velocity and we finally cranked our way up the hill into the Y-Not Bike shop’s Lexington parking lot.

Ken works there part-time as a mechanic so it was easy to acquire and install a new tube while other bike shop customers peered at our curious mount.

We zipped north on US 42 a bit for a cup of coffee at the Speedway station then zipped back for our return to Bellville, waving often at remarkably civilized drivers who appeared just as curious about us as the earlier deer.

We marveled at how much the snow had melted since our upward passage and mostly cranked our way home.

In a spurt of enthusiasm we crossed the Bellville RR bridge like it was a finish line of sorts.

Ken chortled “Geezer Power!” to the lady standing there with her posse of small dogs. She smiled and waved at our silliness.

We enjoyed a handshake and a smile as we put Ken’s bike away for another day; each of us in his own way, knowing something very special had just been shared and would be long remembered.

THE MELT CONTINUES—

Jan Shafer, snowbird friend from Bellville now wintering with her hubby Dick in Vero Beach, FL, recently inquired about our remaining snow cover—no doubt attempting to achieve perfect timing for a return to their local home.

Above is the view from my lower deck looking toward the southwest woods taken March 10th . My back is toward the pond, more or less, and the walkway proceeding straight away from the camera goes up the stone steps out of the rock garden toward the front of the house.

The trail heading to the left passes a couple of the bird feeders and gave Max and me winter access to the driveway from the walkway along this pond’s edge.

The average snow depth in this view remains about 6 inches but already our southern exposures are snow free.

That’s the still frozen surface of the pond on the far left of the picture, but, it is sporting a layer of melt water on top of the ice. It’s hard to imagine as I write this the pond usually is ice-free by the 15th.

That seems a distinct possibility again this year with temperatures in the mid to high 50s these days.

We are keeping our fingers crossed.

AN OLD GUY AND A NEW BIKE--

As a nod to my aging body I bought a new bicycle.

Actually, I’ve been eyeing a recumbent bicycle design for a year or so now thinking, when I get older and my upright bike is no longer comfortable the recumbent design with lawn-chair-like seating would be a good alternative.

Then during recent exercise adventures at my friend Ken Johnson’s home, I began to ride his wife JoAnn's recumbent-styled exercise machine and found my comfort and stamina were both enhanced on it compared to riding a traditional bike installed in an exercise trainer.

I pondered that observation a wee bit then launched my search.

I was rewarded when my search led to the Easy Racer models which are acknowledged as a high-quality standard of that style. My search then continued to a bike listed for sale online which turned into the one I actually bought.

Ken and I wound up driving to Xenia one recent morning to consummate the purchase and have lunch with an old bomber pilot friend of his, Don Haddock, who lives nearby.

We met with the bike’s owner and I promptly amazed myself by taking a successful spin on this new design (my first ride ever) without enduring any harm to the bike or myself. We did the deal, loaded my new treasure in the truck and headed for lunch.

When we arrived back in Bellville we noted the streets were fairly clear of winter’s ice and, since it was March 1st and the local custard stand was open, Ken on his mountain bike, accompanied me on another familiarization ride around the neighborhood, then headed through the town’s traffic to the ice cream stand.

The only downside to this purchase is—somehow, it is an acknowledgment that I have, indeed, gotten older...

...a fact that was promptly proven when I posed us for a picture beside a big snow bank with my new bike at the ice cream shop and discovered I had forgotten to put a memory card in my digital camera.

Gulp!
_________________
That forgetfulness ultimately led to the above photo in my driveway.  For you cycling afficionados the bike is a 2009 Easy Racer Sport AX (aluminum frame) model.  It enjoys upgraded, linear brakes and a titanium bottom bracket.  The rider is the old guy; author of this story.  When I sit on this thing I feel like I am astride a long, skinny Harley--with me as the engine.  Can you see my smile?

Recent news...
FROM FANTASYLAND ON THE POTOMAC—

This recent headline; “Sherrod Brown Among Most Liberal” is from the National Journal, a...DC-based magazine that keeps a close eye on Congress. According to the Dayton Daily News, “Ratings released (in late February) by the magazine showed Brown tied with three other democrats...for the Senate’s most liberal voting record in 2009.”

Barf.

* * *

Fox News reports on March 3rd, the White House once again paraded a herd of health care professionals, complete with white lab coats, in front of the media in another of its spasms to promote health care reform; a repeat gambit from last October when Obozo’s political cronies had to hustle spare lab coats from their prop room for cast members who showed up but forgot their medical costumes.

Fogeyisms has seen better theatrics in high school drama class.

* * *

Then there is this doozie: A headline in the Weekly Standard.com asked, “Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes?” It went on to point out (Obozo) has named the brother of an undecided House democrat to the Federal Court of Appeals.

The story continued, “Tonight (March 3rd) (Obozo) will host ten House democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he’s obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The WH just sent out a press release announcing that today President (Obozo) nominated Matheson’s brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.”

Does the sleaze from this administration never end?

ENCHANTMENT IN THE HOCKING HILLS--

Thank you God

Hiking companions Mark Meinzer, Sue Brooks and Nancy Meinzer pause to appreciate this sun dappled cliff face in Conkles Hollow near the Hocking Hills State Park. Please stop by Saturday and enjoy an album of pictures from our recent visit.

THEN AND NOW--

It used to be I would hop in the shower, slop some shampoo through the hair, scrub with a bar of soap, rinse, dress and go down the road.

Now...

...I mix a concoction of distilled water, non-iodized salt, baking soda and corn syrup then do a vigorous nasal spray to clear congestion so I can continue one of my favorite activities—breathing,

...then, I hop in the shower and shampoo with an expensive moisturizing product instead of my old favorite VO5 which, by the way, costs only a buck a bottle,

...then, I spread a moisturizing body wash on a sponge and scrub—gently,

...then, after drying—gently, I lather with a prescribed, compounded moisturizing cream,

...then, retrieve my dentures from the soaker,

...then, clean and install the hearing aids,

...then, clean and install the glasses,

...then, with clear vision restored, I glance in the mirror and wonder who that old guy is who is peering back at me,

...then, dress and go down the road.

Gently.

Jeeze.