Last Canal Walk of 2009?

Probably. It's not likely I'll be on the C&O Canal again before the new year.

I won't use a lot of words here. Suffice to say it was a cold and breezy and wonderful walk. Many birds, different ones now... we're into the season of juncos and titmice. Also saw a beautiful red-tailed hawk and a pileated woodpecker. I'm always taken aback by just how big those pileated woodpeckers are.

Photos from today are at:

December 29, 2009, C&O Canal

Our Winter Wonderland Last Week

I didn't find the gumption to sit down and write about it, and it seems a little silly more than a week later to spend the time, but I did want to post one picture and a link to more, from the lovely snowfall we had on December 18th, here in the DC area. A rare event in this region, a heavy snowfall before Christmas, and in this case, apparently record-breaking, with reports of from 16" to 22" or more.

This picture is from the woods behind my place. More can be seen at:

December 18, 2009 ride home from work

December 19, 2009, walk to work

Dec 19, 2009 walk home

December 20, 2009 walk to work

December 21-23, 2009

It Ain't Macy's, but...

... the only real "decorating" I managed to do this Christmas (aside from my mom's lights) was to put a few strings of battery-powered lights on the bike I built, the Goshawk. The shop was scheduled to do our annual Christmas Eve Luminaries Ride (in which we ride around a local neighborhood that puts out the little candles in bags for the holidays)but due to ice and snow on the roads and on lawns, John decided it was best to cancel. This came about, of course, AFTER I had decked the bike out with lights! So John suggested I put the bike up in the front window of the shop to join our spiffy new "Open" sign and the Christmas lights I had already hung there.



So the only question now is, what is the correct protocol with a decorated bicycle in a shop window for the holidays? Does it come down at the Epiphany or sooner? Later? Decisions, decisions.

Might require serious thought. I know! A walk along the Canal would help with that! On a blustery, cold winter afternoon. Delightful.

Vienna, VA in snow

The old train station, taken as I walked to work Saturday morning.

Snow ride!

One of my favorite and rare treats since moving back to the DC area seven years ago (where did that time go????) is a night ride in freshly fallen snow. And tonight I had the chance to do that for the first time in a few years. We've got what promises to be a major storm going on here right now, and it started before I left the shop tonight.

Once I headed out in it, I just couldn't make myself go straight home... I just had to stay out and enjoy it a while, so I rode past my usual cutoff point on the local rail trail. All told it was probably about a six mile ride, which isn't much, but it was lovely. Saw one other cyclist and a couple of walkers, including one guy with his dog, but mostly I had the trail to myself.

I did have one fun wildlife encounter... a fox trotted across the trail not far ahead of me. I passed where he ran across, then doubled back and took some pictures of his tracks in the snow, crossing my tire tracks.

All in all, a gorgeous night out there, and a pleasure to enjoy the snow before others tramp it down.





My Miyata 210, with studded tires, out in the snow tonight. More pics at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43828356@N00/sets/72157623028154844/

Very minor moment of not quite fame

Okay, I'm a geek, but I have to share this... today I had an email I wrote to the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, (DC public radio station) read live on the air!

They were doing a show on things to do outdoors in winter and ways to dress for it and such, and I wrote in my experience with winter riding in Lake cycling sandals, with layers of some combination of silk, wool, neoprene, and nylon, depending on conditions. I was kind of surprised they read it, but they did.

The text of what I wrote:

"It may sound crazy, but my favorite footwear for winter cycling is the cycling sandal, available from Lake or Shimano. The advantage of these is that the straps are nearly infinitely adjustable, so you can add layer after layer of liner sock, wool sock, neoprene bootie (such as Sealskinz), and if it's really cold or wet a nylon wind/waterproof shell. I've been riding this way for 6 winters here and have never found it inadequate. The problem with conventional shoes or boots is that the more layers of socks you pack in there, the poorer your circulation, and it actually makes your feet colder."

And a link to listen to the program:

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2009-12-17/local-winter-adventures

It's funny, because I had just been discussing that very thing with a customer, and then the show came on and I decided to write in.

A Little Christmas

I haven't really done anything in the way of decorating my place or
anything, but yesterday I ran a string of lights on my mom's house.
I've done that most years since I moved back to the DC area in 2002,
and it's a nice little ritual for me. I like helping my mom (that's
her standing there) and it's a little bit of Christmas spirit for me.
And it's kind of cool that I get to decorate the house where I grew
up. How many can say that at 48?