Awesome Ice!

Let the sun shine! Today was such a nice day, that I went for a walk on the ice for about 2 miles down the shore from my house. The ice is about 2 feet thick now, which means its plenty safe to walk on and what an interesting way to explore the shore! Not to mention easier. Most places along the lakeshore its difficult to walk because of all the rocks and boulders. The ice makes it much easier, because right next to shore its very smooth. About 30 to 50 feet from shore, there are ice piles here and there. Today I just wandered with the camera and when something caught my eye I snapped a picture of it.

(Above: Ice cave ceiling)

Bringing back Catharijnesingel in Utrecht

This is for those who have been in myadopted home city Utrecht (Netherlands)...

Trivia: Did you know that the 4-laneroad that separates the Hoog Catharijne mall (right under the mall passageway)used to be part of the Catharijnesingel (canal)? It used to be water underneathuntil the Gemeente Utrecht dried the area to pave way for the 4-lane road.
Rest assured though, the GemeenteUtrecht has plans on bringing back Catharijnesingel to its former glory! And to a much granderlevel! That’s the reason for all the on-going construction and road works. Utrechthas 25 different projects that includes the new Utrecht Train & Bus Station and bringing back the old canal into the centre. The projects will be realized in the coming years until 2030.
I can’t wait to see the new Utrecht withthe old Catharijnesingel back to where it was before.
Below are the pictures I took of the current Catharijnesingel that rims the south western part of the old centre of Utrecht. Soon it will be extended back to where it was, up to Vredenburg.

But firstly, a video (in English) of the infrastructure developments in the City of Utrecht:

And here are my pictures of Catharijnesingle during our walk:

Grand Hotel Karel V on Catharijnesingel is the first 5-star hotel with a 1-Michelen star restaurant in Utrecht.
Walking Period: December

Riverfront Discovery Area

Explore the vital role of James River and other waterways in 17th-century travel, commerce and cultural exchange at the riverfront discovery area, where seasonal interpretive programs focus on Powhatan Indian, European and African traditions. At discovery stations along a winding pathway, historical interpreters provide information about 17th-century piloting and navigation, boat-building techniques, methods of fishing, and the importance of trade between the Powhatan Indian, English and African cultures that came into contact at Jamestown.Learn about the production of commodities for export and the importance of tobacco as the cash crop led to the economic success of the Virginia colony. Scrape out a tree trunk to make a Powhatan canoe,work at a carpenter’s bench, and examine trade items to learn about the objects considered valuable by each culture.The guys asked if we could go back again tomorrow, so I count the day as a huge success!

Living the life in historic Virginia!

Great comments on lwt skiing....

Ski season is about over here....just a bit more to be had.



For another look inside the current cutting edge, from Brian's blog:







"It's no longer "all about the down" and I have addressed the issue of boot weight previously. The only thing I will say is that taking weight off your feet is one of the best "weighs" to get your motor running. Any of the offerings from Dynafit, La Sportiva and Scarpa involving carbon fiber will do the trick."



http://www.getstrongergolonger.com/journal//7/17/grand-teton-speed-project-update-weight-matters.html





Next up...hopefully some sun in the NW, rock, road bikes, tris and thealpine. August OR show coming up quickly as well.

Yard Sale...again

Gear for Sale?

















I'll be adding more gear, clothing
and boots and deleting the items that have sold on a daily basis for the next
week or so. Happy to ship Internationally if you are willing to pay the
postage.



More here if interested:




http://coldthistletools.blogspot.com//03/yard-sale.html

A Walk Along the Erie Canal

One of the many nice things about staying at the campground we are at right now, is that it's next to the Erie Canal. There is a very nice bike/walking trail next to the canal. The weather has been wonderful for walking. All of which makes me happy.

One of my kids even gave in to my pathetic begging to come and walk the path with me. I'll let you guess which one since I was not allowed to take pictures of that person even if they were kind enough to walk with me.



It is just so beautiful here. The perfect place to walk and see the area.



There is red rock along the shore of the canal.

And it is really educational. There is a long, interesting history to this canal. I already have a few books to dig into so we can learn some of that history. We might actually get to those books now that I'm taking a day's break from cooking to catch up on blogging and do some other things. In the meantime here is an overview of this fun place: New York State Canals



Living the life in New York!

Covered Bridges in Ohio

We are enjoying being back in Thousand Trails and having friends around. Rene and Mira are here, so that means we are also enjoying pickleball. Beyond that, there are some neat things in the area. One of those things are the covered bridges. They are all unique and they are all really interesting to us.

We liked driving through them, but we enjoyed walking through them even more.

There is just a beauty involved in the curves and lines of the bridges.

There is something about seeing and feeling the texture of the wood.

There is something so impressive about the handiwork involved in these.

And they are just so cute!

I'll try to catch up in the next few days and share more of these beautiful structures and the surrounding landscape.

Soda Damn

This little weird natural damn is called Soda Damn and is just above the town of Jemez Springs, NM. Don't know who the people in the photos are but I thank them for being good photo models.

Closure Systems on Bicycle Bags

Cristobal Pannier

Having now owned and tried a number of bicycle bags, one of the features I pay close attention to is the closure - particularly on bags I use every day. Many classic bicycle bags are fitted with traditional buckles. While I love the idea of it, in practice I find that I fiddle with the closure way too much every time I want to open or close the bag.

Carradice Kendal Pannier

And with bags that use really thin straps, there is the additional issue of the straps fraying and breaking off from frequent use.

Zimbale 7L Saddlebag

Zimbale bags use a quick "Sam Browne" style closure that does not require undoing the buckle. This is the biggest reason I favour my Zimbale over my near-identical Carradice; it simply takes me less time to open and close the bag. I've had this bag for 2 years now, and over time there has been some stretching in the leather eyelets, but not so much that the closure comes undone.

Philosophy Pannier

Philosophy bags use a snap closure, also independent of the buckle. It works well and does not seem to stress the leather. I sometimes worry about the security, but it has not come undone as of yet.

OYB Pannier

Some vintage Swiss Army bags feature an interesting "latch" system where a stiff cord is inserted into a metal loop. It is simple and secure, though the cord may need to be replaced after some use.

Ironweed Pannier(more pictures and review soon)

Nylon cords with plastic buckle closures seem pretty easy and convenient, but it's a system I haven't used until just now.

Ostrich Handlebar Bag & Berthoud Medium Handlebar Bag

I love the simplicity of elastic closures. But in my experience, it's not always easy to get the tension of the elastics just right, and I've been in situations where various parts of my handlebar bag have flung open en route. The elastics also tend to stretch out over time, so they may need to be tightened or replaced after some use.

Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Pannier

Zipper and velcro closures work nicely - except when the bag is full and cannot close completely.

Po Campo Loop Pannier

All closure systems seem to have their pros and cons - from ease of use, to security, to durability. Overall I tend to favour the quick and easy methods, though I do wish I had the patience and digital dexterity for tiny buckles.



What closure system do you prefer on bicycle bags?