I know I haven't been great about writing lately and I'm sorry. I keep saying I'm going to make it a priority and then it gets really nice out in February and I ride and run and read books outside and it leaves no time for prattling on about myself online. It's a travesty, frankly. As always, I promise to try to write self-indulgent drivel more regularly.
This scary climate change gave us 75 degree days in February this weekend. Sure, it causes 500 year floods every 15-20 years and tornadoes where there have never been tornadoes before, but I feel like I need to take advantage of the good parts of it, since I've had to deal with the bad parts. For me that meant going directly to my back porch after work and reading and eating pistachios and drinking a rare (for me) anymore, cocktail. Ahhhhhh.
On Saturday, I ran 3.5 miles in the morning and then we met our friend, Burne in the Amanas to ride bikes. He lives over that way and knows all the best gravel roads to ride. Plus, the Amanas are funky and interesting.
We got a couple of miles out when we had to stop so John could fix his cranky crank. For some reason, it got loose. So, he cranked it tight again.
I am constantly amazed by the kind of money some people have in this part of Iowa. Are they all doctors? There isn't a whole lot of other business in this area, but apparently, some people can afford to be in such a hurry that they fly their plane right to their front door to get home...
I love trees, I love trees, I love trees.
This is me at my happiest. Playing outside all day on bikes. I don't need much more than that.
We made it to Green Castle Bridge and beyond. This where we have to get off our bikes and portage them over rocks. Once we got to the other wash-out place we had to turn back around. If it had been in the 80's, we would have walked through the water, but it was just cool enough that walking through it would make us uncomfortable riding our bikes against the wind.
Green Castle Bridge is old and I don't think anyone drives over it. It seems to be mostly for people to fish off of it, but it sure is pretty...
...If not all that well maintained.
We got back to the Amanas and went to Millstream Brewery's new German eatery. There were brats and schnitzel and beer flights and most importantly for me, their lovely root beer. They didn't have a huge menu, but they had a couple of veggie options and they offered smoked gouda as melted cheese on veggie burgers and chicken schnitzel too.
We finished eating and then headed back to Iowa City and to our friend's house for a cook-out, and fire pit outside. I didn't eat at the cook-out, except the brownies, of course, but it was great to see all of my friends.
On Sunday we rode to Kalona and back. Since the weather was in the 70's we got 7 people to ride with us. Two of the guys only went halfway, but it was nice to finally get some more of our friends out on bikes. We stopped at a Casey's on the way out and if you've ever been to Iowa, you know that Casey's is the cyclists haven.
They put more gravel down on the dirt roads we ride on, so John got a flat from riding on the gravel. While I was waiting for some of the boys to catch up, I stopped to meet some new friends.
This is my new cow friend. Ain't she a beaut?
We finally all made it to the Kalona Brewing Company and I had more root beer and some shrimp pasta. We rode back a little harder than we rode out, which was good for me, even if it made my legs cry.
This weekend it is supposed to be a lot colder...Which is still probably above normal temps for Iowa at this time of year, but it will give me more time indoors to get all the stuff done that I should have done this past weekend, but I chose to play outside instead.
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