The year 2011 was full of so much. Bicycle tours, travel with friends, work, family and gifts from God. I could hardly take it all in. Now there is another year to fill. The first bicycle ride was a mere seventeen miles, but it had some fillers. Robins flitted from branches to earth and back. The westerly winds continued to be prominent.
The second ride of the year, on January 2nd, was even better than the first. Robins again, the sound of a jay, and several Cardinals. The red flashes of these beautiful birds were uplifting. The Cardinals often pair up and stay in this area all winter. Today's ride had a community that was three pairs of Cardinals. They seemed to be keeping up with me for a while. Some flying ahead a short distance to wait and others perched in the branches next to where I was. Short flights took them back and forth across my field ov vision. I don't know if they were just curious, hoping I would flush out a bit of something to eat, or just playful. It was a delightful experience.
The trail was covered with a small amount of snow. My tires have enough tread on them that they were picking up the snow. It packed between fender and wheels. At one time I looked down at the front fender. It seemed as if the fender had grown since the snow, molded by the shape of the fender, was being slowly pushed out the front. This snow packing made it seem I was riding with my brakes on, there was so much resistance. Snow even began to push out the sides of the fenders. But, these were the same problems anyone faces when riding in winter snow. After the ride I parked the bicycle where melting snow would not harm the floor. Then I cleaned the frame and chain, relubricated the chain, and made a few adjustments. The snow had produced some good excuses to maintain my bicycle.
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