Cemetery Loop to Meriden, MN

 I decided to ride later on Saturday waiting for the sun to emerge and the temps to warm in to the low 60's around 5PM.   A light, 7mph, north wind encouraged a route I had not taken before, riding north, northeast.  Must be an area of the county that supported more dairy farms, because I rode by more dairy operations than any other direction I have traveled. 

Out and around Clear Lake and onto the Snake Trail for about 8 miles while rounding Watkins Lake and Moonan Marsh Wildlife Area.   Then getting off the Waseca 1/3 Ironman course, I went east and south to Meriden.  So many cemeteries, I thought I would call it the Cemetery Loop.  I added a shot of the smallest one so you can see the uniqueness of these little midwest cemeteries.  It can't be more than 1 acre in size, and right at the corner of an intersection, no other buildings nearby. 

Just outside side of Meriden, I encounter a farm with 2 big young (did I say dumb) St. Bernard dogs.  They must have seen me coming, because they decided to stand in the middle of the road until I told them "NO".  That didn't work, but they cleared to the side of the road, giving me enough room to bluff them and speed by.   Then they gave chase.  Normally, I wouldn't even slow down for a dog, but with 2 dogs, you can't keep track of both their movements. Got a bit scary.  Gonna need to watch for these guys, next time.

So far, I have not seen any other bikers outside of the town of Waseca this Spring.  So either I am riding in the wrong areas, or at the wrong time to encounter some riding buddies out on these country roads.  That's ok, riding alone makes we challenge the winds and will give me early season strength. 



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Drafting on a Farmall M Tractor

 At noon today, the weather cleared a bit and the temps got up to the low 60's.  When the wind is blowing out of the north in the spring and summer, it's time to take a bike ride.  Going north to start the ride is always a treat, because most of the time the southern MN, WI winds are blowing out of the south.   Add to that, only a 5 mph wind, which is basically no wind, and yahoo!

I decided to ride part of the Waseca 1/3 Ironman Triathlon course toward Elysian and the lakes in that area.  The farmers were just getting started injecting anhydrous ammonia into the fields before these last few days of beautiful spring rains.   So everyone was sitting idle, waiting for the fields to dry again.

As I rounded the corner to start heading east for a bit, I could see a tractor ahead of me driving down the road.  So I decided to see if I could catch it, and do alittle farm equipment drafting.  Took me a mile or so, but I caught the old tractor and pulled right up behind with my front tire a few feet away from the PTO (not turning).  The farmer did not know I was there, and we rumbled along for a few miles at a very nice pace_______ mph.  I am leaving speed blank to see if anyone can estimate or guess what pace we were traveling at.  Now remember, this is a Farmall M, probably new in the 1950's.  Traveling in road gear, not wide open. 

Yes drafting is possible, and I was able to reduce my pedaling intensity and just hang with the farmer.  Some of the neighboring farmers waved and watched us go by.  I'm sure the got a kick out of it.

The farmer decided to turn off on a gravel road, and just as he was making the turn and I was going by him on the right, he turn around saw me, and gave me a startled laugh.  I shouted, "thanks for the pull"! and we parted company.

The rest of the ride was very pleasant, I am still riding pretty slow.  My legs are generally tired from the P90X workouts all week.  Just trying to add to my base, and get the miles in, and enjoy the Spring.

The turtles are now out and crossing the roads.  I saw shoveler ducks, grebes, wood ducks, blue bills, and buffleheads in addition to the standard mallards and honkers.  I guess the northern ducks are still passing through the area. 

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Windy Ride

 Weatherman said it was 22 mph wind, I say, no way.  It has to be more than 25 to make me wobbly on my bike.  So I took this picture by the lake to show the waves.  I think the wind was consistently 26 mph and gusts of close to 30. So that means I pedaled south at about 10 mph and then north at about 23 mph.

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St. Patrick's Day Ride

 I decided to be "wearin the green" on my bike ride as I headed south into a 23 mph southern Minnesota wind.  Pretty warm for the middle of March at 74 degrees, my legs felt pretty good considering on Friday I did P90X Legs and Back workout.  I am trying to learn how to integrate the strength training into the bike riding season without hurting my muscle adaptation and growth.

Heading out, I don't think I was able to cruise more that about 12 or 13 mph until I got near the slightly wooded area of Otisco Creek (I think).  Otisco was about half-way as I turned east for a couple miles.  I ran into an older farmer driving his John Deere lawn tractor, with a flat bed hay wagon on the back, out to his mail box.  He stopped at the mail box as I rode by, and I briefly asked him if he was expecting a large package from the mail man.  He laughed at me politely.

I noticed farmers staging their tractors, with diggers on the back, at the edges of the fields.  It's early to get started, but they have to take what the weather gives them.  The earliest I have seen corn planted was the third week of March.  That was back in 1980 or 1981.  I was scouting those fields for emergence during the first week of April near Benson, MN.  If I remember right, their was about a 30% reduction in the plant population because of seed rot, due to the cold soil, and the length of time it took the plants to emerge.

Speaking of emerging, I rode by a dead snake on my way back south.  So, that means it's warm enough already to get the reptiles moving.  That is amazing.

I hit that zone you achieve when riding with the wind.  You now the one where everything gets still and its totally quiet as your bike cruises at the same speed as the wind at your back.  To this day, I marvel at that feeling, of being one with the wind at 23 mph or whatever the wind speed is.

Ok, back to grading E-Portfolio's and finishing up my internship.

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Beer Bike

 When you bike alot, you need a few bikes for different uses.  Here is one of my bikes (beer bike), and another bike I want to get (wine bike).  Excellent beer for after a ride.

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First 50 degree Ride

It was a beautiful early March day for a bike ride.  The first  50 degree ride of the 2012 season.  Winds were out of the south at about 15 mph, so I decided to be easy on myself and ride south to start with.  At the little town of Otisco, I turned east and then back north, with the wind to Waseca.  The geese were migrating north on the south wind, and I saw my first robin, and redwing blackbird. 

I'm guessing it will be less than 10 days, and the farmers will be back in the field gearing up to plant corn.  Not sure how corn seed will do planted in early April, but it seems like we better get used to this, because the climate is changing. 

At the very end of my ride I ran into a friend preparing for an estate sale, and he let me borrow this painting of Thompson's Boat house on Clear Lake.  Painted by a local artist in the early 1960's.  I used to hang out here and fish for the big northern's right on the dock next to the minnow cages. 

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