After 16,000 miles on my much loved, April 2004 purchased, Shimano SH-SD60B bicycling sandals I discovered three weeks ago on the Shimano site that they had reverted to a two strap design, new model SH-SD66. As I did not like the intervening three strap models I went by a local bike store yesterday and found and purchased a pair in my size. Very spiffo, no?
Ninety nine year old friend Phyllis had to make a trip to the emergency room at Cottage on Tuesday evening. She then stayed Tuesday and Wednesday night in the now termed Medical ICU and is now home and doing well.
Interestingly enough it turned out she was in the exact room I was placed for three days after my heart attack in 2006. So I mentioned during a visit on Wednesday: “I never thought when I met you years ago that we would one day sleep in the same bed”. She responded with her wonderful, hearty laugh.
Aren’t friends The Best?
My wonderful duplex neighbor Jill just hosted a couple from Germany, Frank and Margit. They found her place on a cool web site she had found and registered with called Warm Showers and spent Monday and Tuesday nights with her on their San Francisco to Los Angeles adventure.
Here they are yesterday morning with their unloaded bikes as the three of us are about to start off on a very nice day of exploration as far as Coal Oil Point. Its always special for me to meet cycle tourists and have a chance for a good chat.
Things for bikers to notice:
- Frank wrapped both frames, forks, etc. with insulation padding thus allowing an unboxed air trip from Germany (and back) .
- Sprung/wide Brooks saddles.
- Very upright riding posture.
- Internally geared rear hub with one chainring and and a very nice, very complete chain guard. This allows shifting when the bike is stopped!! Very cool, when I stopped us quickly on a hill — I was the only one in the “wrong gear” for restarting 🙂
- Front hub/dynamo = lights whenever needed without batteries.
- No spandex!
- Frank is a very experienced cycle tourist having solo toured to Morocco twice, Norway, and to Patagonia with a friend.
Last fall at my sister’s suggestion I watched and loved the 1972 BBC series of War and Peace. I then decided to reread the novel. It was so wonderful I immediately turned to Anna Karenina which I found even more enjoyable. In choosing the version/translation of Anna Karenina I was led at Chaucer’s to the husband and wife translator team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky as providing the best and most interesting translations of classic Russian literature. I can now only agree and have moved on to their translation of The Brothers Karamazov.
Ashe, Tom, and Steve ride the Wildflower
It was a very foggy morning as we road off, Tom for 100 miles, Steve 72, and Ashe 50. The fog cleared around noon and had its own sense of movement through the landscape as contrasted to riding on a clear day.
I was thinking when I read this sign that it was referring to the metal cattle guard behind me but I guess it really was a sign for cattle crossing as Bessy, here, was just a little ways up the road.
Baaba Maal at Campbell Hall
The Wonderful Jane Austen
Thanks to friend Carla I took the first of several wonderful adult ed classes on Jane Austen. In preparation for the current class, “The Austen Mystique: Why Jane Rules”, I read the final two novels, Persuasion and Emma. What amazing writing, observation, wit, etc. Ongoing thanks to Carla for the introduction to a new and now favorite author.
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Suzuki ride to see the wildflowers
I had never been this far into the canyon before and now realize why it has such an amazing reputation. Alas I now understand a land owner along the way has denied future access.