Getting ready to head south

Departure minus 3 days. I am working on trying to tie up loose ends, working  with many lists; things to do; thinks to pack; people to visit; as well as trying to ride and get strong enough to do long consecutive 60+ back to back days.

Below are some recent photos of Stockbridge and a trip to Maine.

Still lots of snow when leaving Stockbridge. 

Cuckolds lighthouse Southport Island Maine on a recent trip before departure for FL

Hendricks Head lighthouse Boothbay Harbor, ME. 

The only sigh of spring in Stockbridge when I left were these chutes of emerging "shrunk" cabbage. 

Butler Bridge in Stockbridge still buried in spring snow, recents of winter. 

Day #1 to Florida

After a rousing send off from the Stockbridge coffee shop a little later than I wanted I headed off. The trip began on a cold 28F overcast day with snow. They were not reall flakes but more like frozen pellets, not a problem since they didn't stick to the road. But it was cold with no sun and the wind was from the south into my face.

I made good time through Great Barrington, South Egremont and down Rt 41 into CT in Salisbury, where I made a stop to eat around 11AM. The weather got better with peaks of the sun as I went through Sharon, CT but the wind now from the south west was relentless.

A rest stop in mid day. 

After Amenia, NY I had a relatively big climb and with the sun out occasionally it got warm. Then there was a nice rolling decent into the Hudson River valley and into Hyde Park, NY, home of Franklin Roosevelt.  

Since my warm showers hosts cancelled me at the last minute I checked into the Roosevelt motel and ate the senior special chicken Parmesan at the Roosevelt diner down the road.

This is very typical rural Dutchess county NY, rolling hills with farms and unfortunately still patches of snow. 

March 2015 Back in touch and blogging again

It has been a long while since my last post, almost 2 years. So where have I been and what's happened?

Since my last post when I was finishing up my trip across Europe battered and bruised but with many memorable experiences, I have returned home to Stockbridge and resumed my normal life as I had left it. That is working as an Independent Engineered Equipment Sales Representative; keeping the family financially afloat and making the last of the tuition payments for my 2 great kids and seeing them graduate from Bates College in ME and Georgetown in DC. Plus enjoying the companionship and the fun and lively social life with Sarah and our friends. The operative word in my job description is Independent which usually allows me lots of opportunity to ride my bicycle.

So most importantly I have continued to ride. After returning from Europe I finished the fall of 2013 strong. In 2014 I planned another long trip in Europe but was pleasantly distracted from a long distance ride when Sarah and her friend Jane rented a cottage on a Etruscan Castle in Italy as well as unpleasantly distracted by a urinary tract infection and ended up without a long touring ride but with some great local cycling in Tuscany and Umbra in late summer and throughout New England all year.

2015  Has begun with a very cold and snow filled winter but with my New Years resolution to "ride my bicycle every day"

I have reached the end of March with having missed only 2 days. I usually ride Gertrude my "fat tire bike" mostly on roads that are dirt in the summer but plowed and snow packed in the winter. I don't go nearly as far but have more fun. I fall over a lot. The cold is a challenge but with my "bar mits"; many layers of creative clothing and always something dry in my seat pack I have survived so far.

So now with Spring approaching I have again gotten the bug to get on the road and am beginning to plan heading south.

My destination and a potential traveling companion will be in the next blog.

But first I will post some photos of winter rides in the Berkshires

WINTER TRACKS

ICE-CYCLES

Blowing snow on a -7F day