Memoirous

 Visitors to the Tiny House have been introduced to my favorite trail, just steps from where I work and the loop is close to 3 km in length. A few weeks ago, Playmakers, where I work, asked me to help re-set the community room after an event. There had been a meeting for Friends of the Lansing River Trail. As I picked up trash and ate some catered leftovers, I said to a guy: I love the river trail! Let me tell you about my favorite trail. He said, Hold that thought, and brought over another person. Come to find out Jordyn is the communications director for the organization and after I gushed about my favorite section of the trail, we arranged a time to meet at the trail entrance, where they set up a camera and had me and my grandson ride our bikes back and forth. It was fun! It’s about connection. The following is a link to the website and to my video. facebook.com/reel/2094247154809332/?rdid=wFNswiXhGHHD1rKB&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fr%2F18aX...

This blog is about memories, and one memory that’s been popping up repeatedly lately—not sure why, maybe prompted by a bit of music or the country’s birthday or ICE/immigration chaos—I’m remembering a bike trip, my first solo tour, in Florida beginning of February 2014. I was in south Florida, perhaps a day away from the Keys, and had a Couchsurfing host lined up for the evening at a kind of farm. Of course, I had an address, but I’m not sure I yet had a smartphone, only a flip, which can give GPS. I could use it in a pinch. Anyway, I was south of Homestead in a smallish town and though I’d ask directions—always fraught. Locals rarely know where they are and if they don’t bike have no idea of how to get somewhere without accessing major roads. But, I thought I’d take a chance. There was a mother and son walking down the sidewalk. She had her arm through his and he wore Western-style clothing: a cowboy hat, boots, jeans, white dress shirt. They looked respectable, in other words. What...

It was a long winter and cold, wet spring. For example: it was 42 degrees last Friday, only 4 days ago and the winds were howling. I’d like to think nothing keeps me down, but when the weather’s bad, I generally do not exercise outdoors. Thus, it’s been a few months since I rode my bike more than 10 miles at a stretch. Today in preparation for taking the bike to Sleeping Bear Dunes next weekend (June 1-4) I did a 35-mile loop this morning. I can tell you about half-way through (17 miles) my legs were already toast. That being said—it was a GREAT ride. I did feel fresh most of the trip and didn’t really struggle even at the end. But I could tell all the parts of me that weren’t quite ready for 35 miles. The feet got sore and tired, my bum, the thighs burned.   The weather and temps were perfect, as they will also be next weekend in the Traverse City area. It felt good to dust off the cobwebs physically and let my mind go for such a long stretch. I look forward to more rides—ju...

 Waiting in a Snowy Wood Riding our bicycles Through a fog-hushed snowy wood A train horn echoes We wait, the sound fills the air Grinding down all around us The above is a tanka, a Japanese form I’m revisiting after my class, The Road to Haiku. In a previous post  I outlined the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable scheme. Truthfully, anything can be a form see renga, sonnets villanelles, and the rondeau. Consistency is the secret sauce. Regardless, the form forces us to search for different words instead of taking the first one that comes to mind, it forces us to pay attention to sound. With a specific word/syllable count we have to make choices—often for the stronger adjective, verb. It makes us slow down, dwell with the piece, ask ourselves, What exactly do I want to communicate? Emphasize the sensory. The context or story behind the story is Jack, my 3-year-old grandson, and I like to ride our bikes in the woods near our house. He on a child’s balance bike and me on mine. Believe me,...

In mid-October my daughter and son-in-law celebrated their anniversary—5 years—and went away for the weekend, leaving me with 2 children who do not sleep well at night. Sooooo, I said to myself, I’m going to tire these kids out. Except for a dry autumn, it decided to rain. On Sunday morning we got up and because everything was so early we had a long breakfast and indoor play until the baby grew cranky and I knew the best way to get him to sleep was to push him in the stroller. There was a break in the rain and we left in milky light for the woods. Early Sunday morning and there was no traffic on busy Grand River Road. Our tires made sizzling sounds on the new blacktop path in the hushed woods. As the sun slowly broke through the clouds the sky between the tree canopy was a Capri blue. A flock of wild turkeys gobbled and ate their way back into a copse of trees. Glittering leaves lined the path, gems red, orange, and gold. After cresting a “hill,” Jack said his hands were cold. I ...

One of my earliest memories is my dad strapping blocks of wood onto the pedals of a tricycle so that my feet could reach and me pedaling up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. Flash forward. My 3-year-old   grandson Jack on his Strider balance bike pushing his way through the woods—5 miles! When I first got him the balance bike in the spring he was flush with excitement, but then the glow wore off. I realized he was tired of just going on our street; he needed to branch out. We rode around the “block”—he on his bike and me on mine. Next we rode to Playmakers, where I work, then through Indian Hills the residential track next to ours along the Red Cedar River. Then . . . I loaded his bike onto the trailer and we rode across busy Grand River Road and at a trailhead through the woods I’d stop and get Jack out and his bike and we’d ride. The path was recently paved as an extension of the Lansing River Trail. The trail winds up and down some sloughs and drainage ponds a...

Bike Life is a podcast from Warmshowers.org, a non-profit group that connects bicycle tourists to hosts. The organization is world-wide. For example, I was able to stay with hosts on my Rhine River ride in Koblenz, Koln, and Karlsruhe, Germany as well in Strasbourg and Egsheim ,  France. Doing this allows me to actually pursue international bike travel. After the costs of airline tickets and surcharges for bringing the bike, I can save some money not having to stay in hotels the entire time and ALSO connect with locals. My host in Strasbourg, Florian gave me great tips for getting out of the city, told me all about Egsheim and how great is is, then proceeded to help me by saying to stay on the German side of the Rhine after visiting my friend in Freiburg. These kinds of “insider” info has at time made all the difference in a trip. I go from just following directions to understanding a place or region, clued in as it were to only stuff a local cyclist would be able to share. I was...

There’s always pre-trip jitters. I’m not sure if this will ever go away. At the bike shop several of my co-workers have used services such as someone to haul their stuff from hotel to hotel—in one instance the husband and in another someone recommended by the guide service. They have also used guide services who plan EVERYTHING. Of course, my approach has been way different. How do poor people travel? 1) I hopped on this deal when it was first introduced on Facebook. I thought it was a scam. $600 RT tixs to Zurich, that’s tax included. I added like $30 trip cancellation protection (because COVID is not going away) 2) I do all the arrangements and itinerary planning myself—thus, all the headaches. 3) I stay at Warmshowers or hostels. Friends are also along the way. 4) Food is from grocery stores, bakeries. 5) As much as I can, I pre-book—thus, the NEED to attend to and stay on itinerary in order to make a train, etc. Here, though, I can also train to the train if I’m caught short. Yet...

Warm Showers hosts a podcast called Bike Life . As I’ve been prepping for my Rhine River Ride  I took the opportunity to explore the website further and—what the heck!—sent in my profile. Last week I got an email asking for a pre-interview and then yesterday recorded a 20-minute sit-down. The show will be posted and able to be downloaded soon and also available on YouTube. I sort of went over my personal history of bike touring and introduction to Warm Showers. We didn’t even get to my cross-country bike trip during the pandemic (in which I didn’t really use Warm Showers except for in Missoula). I had originally pitched the interview as riding during the pandemic. Tahverlee the host likes to work unscripted and steadily built the conversation based upon my responses. We ended up discussing stealth camping and some of my adventures and misadventures doing that. I do love camping by myself in off grid areas—selectively. Anyway, they’ll post in the show notes links to my blogs and...

What a lovely ride! Yes, it is scorching hot. It seems I only get days off for extended bike trips that coincide with heat waves. Still, I'm grateful. I packed Saturday night after work and got up and off early. Temps were moderate when I left as were winds, WSW, which was mostly good. Being Labor Day weekend and Sunday, the roads were empty. It seemed like in no time I was in Stockbridge Township where I picked up the Mike Levine Lakeland Trail heading east. In another few miles I was in Gregory where there is a well stocked market. I got Gatorade, chips, and a decadent treat that will last the entire trip. After Gregory  I stopped for an early lunch besides the trail. There are very few benches and picnic tables. After eating it had warmed up, but not bad. The sky was a summer blue with little puffy clouds and the meadows were wreathed in wildflowers edged by spruce trees. I really felt like I was in another land. I missed my turn to Hell. I know, it sounds worse than it is. The ...

If one were to look by the numbers, I’d be a publishing success. So far in 2023 I’ve had 8 acceptances—about one per month. Except . . . How is success measured? I’m struggling to get representation for my novel manuscript, placement for my short story collection, and then there’s the nonfiction project languishing because I lack a platform. Yet, I continue to write and get smaller pieces accepted. This is not a revenue driver. Mostly the journals taking my work are grateful for free content (their word, not mine)—though I do think they genuinely like the story. Albeit, they do not pay. This week I learned a short story I wrote titled Little Norway was taken by Pensive Journal: A Global Journal of Spirituality & the Arts. Cool! The genesis of the story is thus: When my daughter was getting married and had her reception at a church in Sycamore, IL I remember seeing the church kitchen and thinking—a homeless person could hide out here and always have food and a stealth plac...

Yes, I’m on my bicycle nearly EVERY day; I commute to and from work and do all grocery and other errands on the bike. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready for steady long miles every day. Or should I say kilometers! Last Sunday I went out for what I thought would be a long ride—at least on the maps, but turned into only 33 miles. I’ll have to be much more ambitious with my planning for something longer. I’ve made improvements to the bike with brands new puncture-resistant tires and a new saddle. I’ve also bought a new pair of padded riding shorts and handlebar bag. Of course, none of this is a substitute for butt in the saddle. I’ve 5 weeks to go!

Last year, right after Thanksgiving, when a long winter loomed, I bought tickets to go overseas. My thoughts were thus: the pandemic is over, well, not over, but no longer scary, and I hadn’t been overseas since 2018, and finally, I’ll be turning 65. Why not travel! What lured me into purchasing was that Iceland Air was opening up a new hub out of Detroit and the tickets were essentially the same as if booking to California. Of course with all the extras such as travel insurance and excess baggage both ways for the bike, the total was about what one would normally pay, maybe not during high season, but …. I’ll leave Sept 26 and fly into Zurich where I’ll meet up with Monica whom I last saw in 2001, who I first met nearly 25 years ago. My friend Johanna will come down from Germany for a girls’ get-together. We had all gone camping in Door County in the late 90s, so a kind of reunion. Next, I’ll go back with Johanna and see the farm, where I was last there in 2001. There have been ...

Day 3, July 5 64 miles Saranac to Okemos The heat was almost unbearable today. I got up early and was gone by 6:20. There was a heavy ground fog in the fields as I left. I tried to eat as much as I could. Again, every bottle was full and, most importantly, I had a Gatorade in reserve. The Shiawassee Trail to St. Johns was slow, or else I was. I took my time and made frequent stops to simply drink or adjust my butt. Everything felt a little ragged around the edges. It took 4 hours to go 36 miles, but I made it to St. Johns by 10:30. Wildlife along the trail was intense with deer and rabbits darting out and then scurrying away. Riding along the Grand River was beautiful as the sun was just coming up. There are depot towns about every 7 miles with trailside water sources and restrooms. After eating and taking a break, I slathered on cream for my backside and brought out the big bottle of Gatorade. I knew with noon coming there would be very little shade on the roadways, and I had a...

Day 2, July 4 76 miles Alma to Saranac Wow, what a day! I’m exhausted and burnt out—temps hovered in the high 80s and humidity was bad—but I feel like I did a lot. First, last night—I stealth camped at a county preserve. What was great was there was no road access, so I felt safe. I went to Meijers and bought chicken, danishes for breakfast, and a gallon of water. Last night I slept so sound, only waking once to pee. This a.m. before leaving I filled all my bottles and left the rest on the shelf for the Girl Scouts. I was on the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail by 6:20 across the Pione River. I was still tired from yesterday, so would pedal and then pause, on repeat. It took me almost 3 hours to get to Erdmore where I took a Danish break and made tea. By 11:15 I was in Greenville, where I took another big break. It was already terribly hot. Overall the Heartland Trail was quite remote, not a lot of houses. Truly the heartland of Michigan—some farms, meadows and woods. No water fauc...

Gravel, Rail Trail, and Chip Seal: 3 days in the heartland of Michigan Monday, July 3 63 miles Okemos to Alma The first 10 miles were familiar territory. I eventually got on Chandler going north and soon Google put me on gravel. Krepps was 9 miles, mostly hardpacked surface. I hooked up with the Shiawassee Trail in St. Johns where I had a lunch break. There a seasoned rider gave me intel trying to help me stay on paved roads, using DALMAC maps. His route took me into Maple Rapids, where I took another break. From there Google again had me on gravel. Algers started gravel then changed to chip seal. Harder work than I wanted. Winds were fairly calm and the day started with thick clouds. By noon clouds were breaking and I had to put on sunscreen. Traffic was very light and will likely stay that way over the next couple of days leading into the holiday. The last 10 miles were ugly as heat and exhaustion caught up with me and there was no shade and the miles were boring. My legs were b...

I’ll be riding along on my bike, maybe after work near sunset, and in the air will be this subtle odor of grapes. Lush. If green was a smell. Flowery. It is the lilacs, the honeysuckle, and all the other flowering trees opening up to the night. I ride into the sunset, dramatic in itself, with the smell of earth, spring filling my nostrils.

So if this blog is a diary of sorts, a way for me to talk about my life and as well as memories, then let me report: Everyone wants a bike. When I wake up before work, I’m lately feeling a weight, anxious. I know once I get to work it is going to be chaos, a build up to frantic demand. We could have several customers lined up at the register and many more out on the floor all needing time and attention toward their decision to purchase—you name it: lights, a lock, a helmet, a bicycle. It is up to us, me, to show them how an item works, answer questions, and work with them on fit and size. It’s amazing how little or how much a person may know. For some a bike is that thing with wheels, so to talk about tire size or the number of gears is getting way too technical. For some they have read every review and know way more than me. All of this can be intimidating for me. I’m expected to be the expert—and I do a terrible job of masquerading. All I really want to convey to them that it i...

Ufff! I should have taken some ibuprofen before bed. I woke up achy. I’ve been spending evenings after work tilling the patch at the side of my Tiny House in preparation for a garden. 1) I’m not sure about how much space I’ll need, 2) I’m not sure when the big trees leaf out if there will be too much shade, 3) I don’t know anything. I do know that when I turned up the dirt there were lots of long, pink, healthy worms. A good sign. I’ve probably spent $100 dollars getting the ground ready. I bought seeds, soil, and some gardening tools. Some of these expenditures are one-offs. Now that I own them, but the soil and seeds are money in the ground. Luckily, some of the seeds have already sprouted indoors under lamps. The idea of gardening is not new to me. I’ve always wanted to have one—but in Chicago it simply didn’t make sense. Food was plentiful. (Though I would have loved a tomato that tasted like a tomato). Then in Oregon my roommate Jon tore up some thorny huckleberry bushes and...

 On Thursdays we open and close early—thus, I get home around 5:15 pm. These spring days there is still a lot of daylight; the sun doesn’t set until; about 8:20 pm. So after dinner I hopped on my bike and went out for a ride. At the moment everything is green and flowering. White and pink blossoms carpet the pathway. I feel like it has taken awhile—and still, there is a see-sawing of temperatures and seasons within a day/week. Whenever I point this out, folks reply, Michigan! And throw up their hands. On my 2-hour ride I saw a pair of swans on a wetland pond and a family of deer grazing right off the path in the woods. I’m not out in the countryside by any means; I’m right off residential areas where nature has been allowed to co-exist. This time of year I also catch a glimpse of turtles sunning themselves on logs and croakers and peepers and blarers (frogs/toads) at the various vernal ponds and wetlands setting up a racket. It is soul-soothing to get out and ride after dinner—I’ll...