Happy Thanksgiving...

No photo today and no ride either but I would feel like something was missing if I did not at least acknowledge the spirit of thanksgiving day. We are hosting the traditional dinner today with Kelli and family and Katherine and her family and I am very aware of how lucky I am to be here and celebrating. I am very tempted to make the cracked helmet a part of the centerpiece of the dining room table (except for the fact that Susan would probably chase me out of the house if I tried it). I know I am stating the obvious but I have much to be thankful for this year: certainly and most simply my life; and then all of the things that we so often take for granted. My wife Susan who has stood by my throughout these past few months, my daughters and my step-children, my grandchildren. I appreciate the fact that I can wake up this morning and be a part of this wonderful life more than ever before. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And to all who might read this, my wish is that you too have the best of all possible days today and every day.

Back on the roads - again

As I suspected the cataract surgery did require a few days of recuperation but it was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I found out that cataract surgery is the most prevalent form of surgery in the United States - I cannot now recall the exact numbers but it is somewhere in the low millions every year. And while it is surgery and is performed in an operating room it is really not much more than what is involved in a typical eye exam. The entire procedure took little more than half an hour and the entire pre-op/post-op took just about two hours - including the coffee and cookies in the recovery room.

I have told a couple of people that counting all the time I've had with various medical professionals over the past six months I'm beginning to feel like some one's trusty old Volvo - shows a lot of miles on the odometer but still runs pretty good and the mechanics keep patching and fixing the little breakdowns and it is back on the road and ready for another trip.

I actually got the bike out on Sunday, a beautiful day after three or four days of rain and warm enough for short sleeves. Today was a little cooler but still nice for mid-November. I'm still rediscovering some the roads I have not seen since early spring and today's pictures are taken from along a couple of those roads in Hunterdon county.

And like Ira I typically ride alone but today discovered a potential partner (as did he in a post a couple of days ago). He is kind of on the skinny side, almost flimsy you might say, so he is not much help when you are looking for a draft. But he certainly doesn't slow you down either and with just a bit of a tail wind he can be an absolute inspiration.

Spring in November

No photos today although I did regret not taking my camera at the end. The last two days have seen most unusual weather for New Jersey in November. Yesterday hit 70 with full sun all day and today was high sixties with just a few scattered clouds. I blew and raked leaves on Saturday, dragging them out to the curb so that I could establish a clear conscience and the right to ride. Yesterday was a forty mile day and I was comfortable in shorts and jersey. And since it was Sunday there were also a ton of cyclists on the roads. I was riding alone but part of the fun is being able to wave at others and be a part of the crowd. At one point yesterday I was climbing a long-ish kind of hill and caught up with another guy, probably about my age, and gave him a "howyadoin" as I passed him. I paused at the top for a drink and a fig newton. And as he paused a moment before passing he said he had had a fall a couple of weeks ago and was still struggling with the effort of getting back into the cycling...I could only say "I know how you feel" and more than you might guess. And so today - another perfect day - I went out with Tom, first time I've ridden with anybody since I've been back on the bike. I have just needed to do my own pace, be able to pick my routes according to how I feel, and to pack it in when I felt like it. So this morning I put on my XC jersey and took off. I knew Tom wasn't going to push but still, I felt the need to ride a respectable pace and choose a decent route. We ended up wandering over some familiar roads, picking up a couple of new ones, and finally going after the more challenging (hill) portion of Lindberg road. And it turned out to be a great ride...no pain, I could hold my own on both pace and the hills and we did a respectable 44 miles. Although, to be completely honest, I do come home and grab a couple of Advil, my new best friend, before I head for the shower. And I think I will now have a couple or three days of no riding no matter the weather. Tomorrow I have a meeting with our eye doc for cataract surgery. He makes it sound very routine but I suspect I will be taking a couple days hiatus from the bike...

A little easier....

Another great New Jersey fall day - and there are deer in that field - really! The second is a pretty little pond where the swan rules. And as you might guess from the leaves we still have color but the peak is definitely behind us. A couple of days of rain last week followed by just a bit of wind and most of the leaves are now on the ground. Not a great thing for the leaf-peepers but not such a bad thing for people (like me) who have a ton of leaves to blow and rake out to the street.

Today was kind of a rehab milestone, of which I've had a few recently. I headed east toward Assunpink and Allentown - lots country roads but not too many big hills. And for the first time I did just a bit better than fifty miles - and aside from the usual creaking of bones I feel pretty good tonight. And in addition to the photos I had a red-tail hawk fly just a few feet above me trying to hold onto his lunch: a squirrel that dropped right into my path (but was obviously beyond saving). And I also spotted a red fox running through the edge of weathered corn field. These guys are pretty good at staying hidden but they are a pretty sight when they make a rare appearance. And once again I'm reminded of the reasons I enjoy cycling so much. Beyond the sheer physical pleasure of the turning crank and rolling wheels the sights of the countryside are simply a gift. I go home feeling peaceful, my head clear, and my spirit more alive with that sense of joy the afternoon in this wonderful world can provide....And the weekend ahead promises to be very nice - maybe I'll make it to the covered bridge.

Fall colors are still with us...

The sun was kind of in and out today but still a great day for riding the back roads in Mercer and Hunterdon counties. The temps were in the mid-fifties but no wind. I left the house thinking I would head for Sergeantsville and the last remaining covered bridge in NJ, a very scenic spot in the fall. However I'm still kind of taking my cycling temperature every time I go out and at about fifteen miles I decided that I wasn't up for a sixty mile ride and cut it back to about forty. As you can see from the pictures though you can't go wrong with any route: every road is just so nice at this time of year. So, even though I was tempted to stop and make a photo every mile or so here are just a few - and extra points will be awarded for anyone who spots deer in the shot (Jim, don't get distracted by the girls in bikinis).

I'm still re-discovering some of the familiar roads I've taken for years but have not ridden for the past six months. In a way I feel like I'm making up for lost time but also it's a great feeling to take the new bike over some of the rollers and s-curves that make up these roads. My ankle still feels a bit weak but amazingly my back, which still tires easily, has no problem at all with the bike position. It will be a while before I can comfortably do a century but to paraphrase an old truism, I'm just glad to be doin' it....