Thinking of Winnie the Pooh

Cliff Cave Park is right on the Mississippi River.

The River was high and running fast.

There was plenty of debris in the water. There were lots of tree limbs and old stumps.

There was even a barrel floating downriver. It made me think of a Winnie the Pooh story, the one in which he saves Piglet from a flood.

It was good to see the barges running with full loads again.

It was a beautiful day to enjoy the sun and watch the River run by...

But, in less than twenty-four hours 114 barges broke loose in St. Louis and raised havoc downriver. Four of the barges hit the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, the bridge I-55 uses to cross the Mississippi. (You can read about it here) The River never lets us forget just how very powerful it is.

Speaking of Pooh, are heffalumps pink?

If they are, I may have found one.

While It Was Still Warm

It seems someone must of prayed for seasonal weather. This morning the Spring like temperatures were gone. The forecasters were telling us the beginning of the week could bring the coldest temperatures of the season. I figured I'd better get a ride in while it was still warm.

It was 28F/-2C when I left the condo.

The first stop of the day brought me bagels, nice warm bagels.

My second stop was somewhere along Rte.61. I like the wood railroad trestles that span some of the side roads. I decided today was the day to get a photo of one.

My third stop was in Ste. Genevieve.

After Ste Genevieve I meandered over to Rte.67 and zoomed toward home. I learned two things on Rte.67: Isabelle is much happier going 65mph(indicated) than I am; and, I need something to give my throttle hand a break.

But before I went home I made a fourth stop at Bee Tree Park.

At Bee Tree Park I met a man and his wiener dog. He came over as I was parking Isabelle. He told me it was a really nice looking machine. He also told me he used to ride a 750 Honda. He'd had a tumor removed from his wrist and couldn't work the throttle and the brake at the same time. He tried to ride it for a couple of years after the operation, but finally decided he was a danger to himself and others. I told him I'd been to Ste Genevieve and over "Y" to 67 and back in. I'd stop at the Park in hopes of seeing some robins. He told me I should have been there a couple weekends ago. There were flocks of robins. He'd never seen so many robins. I told him I'd seen the same thing, but I was at the Botanical Gardens.

With this robin all puffed up to stay warm its legs sure look spindly.

I did see a few robins, but nothing like what I'd seen a couple of weeks before. I'm thinking we must have witnessed a migratory event.

I saw some seagulls, too.

And some geese.

And lots of people walking their dogs.

I'm growing more and more fond of Isabelle. Today's ride was a little over 190mi/305km and it was nice, smooth, and drama free.

Oh, and it was 32/-1C when I got home.

Isabelle's First Longish Rides

Last Saturday I took Isabelle, my new 2010 Kymco People 250S, out for our first longish ride. It was a getting to know each other ride. I took her out to the Covered Bridge at the end of Old Lemay Ferrry Road. I've been there a couple of times riding Billie, my 100cc Symba. It was a much more enjoyable ride on Isabelle. On Billie I would usually have to pull off the road after some of the hills to let the parade pass. Today there were no lines of cars building up behind me.

 

You can see how dry it is by how brown the grass is.

At the intersection of Old Lemay Ferry Rd and Old Hwy M in Antonia I saw Steve from the St. Louis Scooter Club out on his trike. I waved, but he didn't know who I was. How would he. He didn't know I had a new bike. I detoured and followed him. Eventually he wondered who the guy following him was and stopped. It is a small world. He oohed and aahed over Isabelle. We chatted briefly and he continued on to his friend's place and I made my way back to the Covered Bridge.

 

I, also, rode the length of Rte.141 from Lemay Ferry to Marine. Recently the last link in this outer loop was completed. This is a highway I would have avoided if I were riding Billie. It was no problem for Isabelle. Isabelle performed exactly like I'd hoped she would. Can you tell I'm smiling.

 

I liked the reflections off the water.

Creve Couer Lake is a favorite destination of mine. Isabelle and I made our first visit there. I just had to get a photo of the Bonnie parked in the background. I asked the nice dragon to keep its tongue in its mouth, but it just wouldn't behave. I'd forgotten light dragons had forked tongues. Oh well.

When it was all said and done we traveled a little over one hundred miles. Some impressions. I really love the hook for securing a bag/backpack. Very handy. Actually, the only thing didn't like was the mirrors. I see way to much of me and not enough of the road behind me...and, they are ugly.

 

Sunday was another day, and another ride. This one of a little over 60 miles.

 

The sky on Sunday was filled with a cloud show.

One of the major reasons for bringing Isabelle into my life was to be able to ride more safely to St. Peters to visit my son, daughter-in-law, and grand-daughter. Sunday afternoon I headed for St. Peters. She did great. A couple of times when I glanced down at the speedometer it was registering a bit over 70mph. The reviews I've read about the People 250S say the speedometer is surprisingly accurate for a scooter. Most scooters are rather optimistic in their speed readings. Although I don't know how accurate Isabelle's speedometer is, I do know this, I stayed up with traffic just fine, which is all I ask.

Isabelle and I plan to visit often.

I Am On Vacation

I am on vacation. It is the type of vacation that finds me waiting for the truck to deliver a new washer and dryer. It is the type of vacation where I'm going no place special and much of my travels seem to be connected to the word "errands."

I had hopes for this vacation time. Originally I thought it might mean a trip to Michigan, but that didn't happen. Then, I thought it might bring a new scooter into the garage, but that was not to be. I even thought I might be doing a lot of riding and inline skating, but it is so very hot here. So, of course, that hasn't happened either. All this left me only one alternative. I went out an bought some new gear.

Cyclegear has their HEAT-OUT base layer garments on sale--50% off. I bought both the "long johns" and a "long sleeve crew neck top".

Today was the day for the new washer and dryer to be delivered. All went well. The delivery guys came on time, made quick work of hooking up the set, and then were on their way. It was still before noon and the temperature had just reach 100F/38C. I figured if I was going to go for a ride, I'd better do it before it got really hot. And besides, it seemed  a great opportunity to test the new gear.

And, how did it work? It worked 85mi/138km fine. Yep, it took me a few hours to make sure, but it worked just fine.

While I was testing my new base layer, one of the places I found myself was Creve Coeur Lake.

This was my second hydration break. The scenery was much nicer than the QT where I made my first stop at.

I, also, checked out some corn fields. What I found wasn't pretty.

This corn should be green, but...

it was mostly brown.

I did see some irrigation going on and some activity in the fields.

I saw a for sale sign in this field. It is being offered up for "development".

Back in the City the grass, too, is turning brown.

This is in Carondelet Park, but it could have been almost anywhere.

There were clouds in the sky, but the earliest we might see rain is early next week.

One hopes the rain, if it does come, doesn't come violently.

I was very impressed with the HEAT-OFF garments. I was hot, but not uncomfortably so. When I ended my ride I still had energy. It was 105F/41C when I returned from my ride. The heat index wasn't much higher than the actual temperature. Nothing much works when the humidity is up, but these undergarments matched with vented pants and an armored meshed jacket work well for today's condition.

On a another note. Early in my ride I came up Sappington Rd. At Big Bend Blvd. I found traffic backed up and although I'd planned to turn left, I decided to turn right so as to escape whatever the commotion was. When I returned home and went online I saw this headline on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch  website: Two Motorcyclists Killed in Crash in St. Louis County. This was the commotion I'd encountered near Sappington and Big Bend. (click here to read the story) It appears to be another case of a car turning into the path of a motorcycle. I would have been there not long after the accident happened. I know the intersection where it happened. Until today there was nothing remarkable about it, but from now on it will be another reminder of the danger lurking in all intersections.

Please, you all; stay cool, be safe, and take no intersection for granted.

This Is Getting To Be An Old Story

I needed to get gas for my commute tomorrow. I really didn't plan to even go for a ride.  There was a chance of 100F/38C temperatures. I knew I didn't really want to inline skate in the heat. Heather was busy and I was on my own for the afternoon. I figured I would decide how to spend my afternoon after I filled up Billie. Truthfully, nothing sounded all that much fun nor was there any chores I had to really get done. Besides, it really wasn't that hot riding. Actually, it was rather comfortable. It just started to seem to be a good idea rather than go straight home to point Billie in the general direction of South.

Why South? It seems lately I've been going mostly West and North. Other than going South, the closest thing to a goal I had was to take Morganford/Union to its end, which believe me, is a rather modest undertaking. But, then I wondered what the corn looked like. I know we need rain. I wondered how bad it was. I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

The corn looks quite stressed. We are very dry here.

Well, one thing led to another and before long I found myself headed for the Covered Bridge that sets in a park at the end of Old Lemay Ferry Road. 

The bridge is closed to traffic, but I know a number of people who have posed their rides in front of the bridge, and some even on the other side.

I'm afraid I am terribly rule bound. This was as close as Billie got to the bridge.

When all was said and done, my little ride turned into a three hours plus and 77mi/124km jaunt in the country. By the way the temperature didn't reach 100F, but did make it up to 98F/37C.

Where Would You Be?

It's 90F/32C outside. We've yet to turn on the air conditioner. We do have the ceiling fans going. If you are a cat where do you choose to hang out?

Leo making sure he doesn't catch a chill.

Undercover, of course.

And, if you are a motorcycle rider where would you be?

I may have trouble getting out of the metro sprawl, but I know one or two interesting roads.

On the road, of course.

What to wear? I saw a guy on a cruiser wearing a full face helmet, tank top, cut-offs, and flip-flops. I made some other choices.

Dri-plus tight fitting shirt and well vented pants worn over knee guards and a good pair of wicking briefs.

A mesh FirstGear Venture AT Jacket and an O'Neal Series-5 Motocross helmet. Also, I wore a buff to keep the sun off my neck and help minimize dehydration. Oh, I wore goggles, too.

I rode for close to a hundred miles, which was over three hours seat time. I got warm only once.

That train wasn't there the last time I came this way.

It's all about the gear, and......

the lack of humidity doesn't hurt either.

I'm My Father's Son

I wasn't preaching today, which meant I could ride to Church, rather than drive. Actually, I wasn't scheduled to do anything at Church today other than be there. As I left the condo I found myself thinking it would be a most excellent day to play hooky. There even seemed to be a good reason to do so. Theoretically I retired May 1. It is theoretical because I've been pretty much retired from Church work for a few years now. I knew I was rationalizing, but still.....

I decided to swing by the Church and talk with Doris. Doris is the Priest I help out at St. Matthew's. It was 0730hr and I knew she'd already be in the office. When I walked in she said, "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be in Illinois this week." I told her I'd gone to Illinois last week after Church, but now that she had mentioned it, it did seem like it would be good for my soul to spend some time riding. She was good with that. And off I went.

I wasn't planning a very big ride. After Church, I'd planned to head up to Cabela's to pick up a couple of things. I decided I'd just add dropping down into the Missouri flood plain near where I lived when I first moved to St. Louis to the agenda.

I grew up on a farm and really am forlorn when I can't check out crops. I'm a total Flatlander at heart. I appreciate photos of mountains, but whenever I've traveled there I've found I'm my father's son. It just looks like bad farmland and I can't wait to get back to the areas most others call boring.

Notice the tree covered ridge in the distance. Just beyond that ridge is Olive Street Rd. with its urban sprawl. But, below the ridge there are nurseries and corn fields and truck farms.

I noticed this little garden. The leaf lettuce is ready, and even the sweet corn is up.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I couldn't pass up Creve Couer Lake.

I hung out for a while and took on some fluids. The temperature was 83F/28C and it wasn't even 1000hr yet.

On my way to Cabelas I've notice a road. There is a "Caution One Lane Bridge" sign visible from where I travel. Each time I've gone past it's intrigued me and I've been thinking I should see where it went. I decided today was the day to find out.

I discovered it ended up running along the northern boundary of Lambert International Airport. If you click on the photo hopefully it will enlarge and you can see the Control Tower and some of the runways.

The road ended at Lindbergh Ave. Back in February I'd taken a rainy day road trip. (Click here to view the post). I mentioned in the post I thought I'd found a way to cross the Missouri River on Billie. Lindbergh Ave. would lead me to that bridge. I decided I'd check it out, but wasn't sure I was going to try the crossing. Still I thought it would be a good idea to get gas.

It's a good thing I did. Not only did the crossing of the bridge go well, but I found myself turning onto West Missouri Rte.94. There was a welcoming committee waiting for me. How could I resist? I couldn't, nor did I try very hard.

The ride on 94 was gentle. I saw lots of Harleys and a couple of scooters. I didn't see any sportbikes. The road was mostly flat and straight. When there was a curve it was a sweeper. And, there wasn't much to look at other than the crops. I loved it.

When I got to the outskirts of St. Charles I decided I'd better stop and get something to eat. I'm not the carnivore I once was and I don't miss it much, but now and again I get a hankering for a all beef hotdog. When most folk see a Dairy Queen they think ice cream. Not me. I think hotdog.

When I walked into DQ a young man said to me, "What's up?" I never quite know how to respond to comments like that. I think I said, "Same old, same old." If not it was something equally un-clever I'm sure. The next time I passed them he said, "Aren't you hot in all that stuff?" My response? I pointed to the young woman he was with and said, "You'll have to ask her?" We laughed and this began a nice conversation.

Meet Houston and Kristen.

I got some directions from Houston. Since I hadn't really expected to end up in St. Charles County I hadn't a map. I'd been sort going from memory of the February drive and my sketchy knowledge of St. Charles. It all worked out. I made it through St. Charles without accidentally ending up on an Interstate and then I crossed back over the Missouri River on the Page Extension.

I still didn't go straight home. I made my way back to Olive Street Rd. and went west. This took me by Faust Park.

There is a Butterfly House in Faust Park. I never been., but Heather and I plan to remedy that very soon.

Next serendipity struck again. I knew Olive Street Rd West turned into Clarkson Rd., but I didn't know Clarkson Rd. turned into Kiefer Creek Rd. Kiefer Creek Rd. leads right into Castlewood State Park. I couldn't pass that up could I?

By this time the temperatures had risen to 92F/33C  Folks were enjoying the old swimming hole. I got to witness a little drama. A couple of Park Rangers came down and inspected the cooler of one of the parties on the beach.

I don't think they found anything, but it was enough to break up the party. It seemed like a good time for me to leave as well.

From Castlewood I headed straight home. When all was said and done this little ride up to Cabela's ended up being close to 150mi/240km. I left the condo at 0700hr and returned a little after 1600hr.

I got home in time to change gear and head to Grant's Trail and fit in a 7mi/11km inline skate. Is life good or what?

A Chilly Day In February, Part 1

It was another Saturday and Heather again was headed to the office. She asked me what I was planning to do with my day, but before I could answer she said, "I know what you're going to do. You're going to ride aren't you?" And, of course she was right. She is always right. (Yes, she does read this blog.)

I  found my way to Carondolet Park....again.

It was a crystal clear blue day. The temperature when I left the condo was 25F/-4C. It became clear to me very early on that I had one too many layers on.

I was getting warm and feeling perspiration on my brow. Not a good thing anytime, but especially bad on a cold day ride.

There is a shop I've seen off Morganford called Plaza Pastries & Donuts. I'd never been there and now seemed like a great time to head in that direction. 

The shop sets back off of Morganford and it was a bit of a chore to navigate the one way streets.

When I walked in I told the woman behind the counter I'd been wanting to see what this shop was about. She apologized for being sold out of donuts. All she had left were cupcakes and a couple of cookies. She told me it had been a very busy morning. I assured it was okay since I was there mostly to shed a layer, that I'd been overheating. She was incredulous. She told me when she saw me pull up she thought to herself how cold I must be and here I was telling her I was too warm. No way. I invited her to touch my forehead which was still "glistening". She commented, "Wow, you are hot." I thanked her for noticing and we both had a good laugh.

I took her last chocolate-chip cookie and sat down at one of the two tables. As I ate my cookie I chatted with Aletha. I learned how all this started because her mother was looking for a place to have a daycare. They founded that on one corner of the building, then came the donut shop and next the restaurant which is located in front of the shop and on the main street. While we talked I got to meet her husband. He was working in the restaurant. It is only open Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and lunch. The donut shop is open everyday but Monday. I'm thinking Heather and I need to check out the restaurant some Saturday morning.

Alas, Aletha was shy about me taking her photo. And, I wasn't going to use her name until she gave me a business card with her name on it. Then, I figured it would be alright. She and her husband seem like really good people.


I geared back up with one layer less and headed toward Downtown.

(To be continued)

Raising the Sukkah

I spent Friday Evening and all day Saturday attending Yom Kippur Services and making music with my friends Jim , Shlomo, and Will. It was an insightful, rewarding and rich experience, but I'll admit I was more than ready to be out and about come Sunday morning.

Recently a blogging friend posted about going to a lake and it reminded me it had been a while since I visited Creve Coeur Lake. This is one of my favorite riding destinations and seemed  the perfect place to begin my day. What made it even more special is how seldom I get to check out the Lake on Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings are when the rowers are usually out on the water.

The St. Louis Rowing Club uses Creve Couer Lake to practice.

It is very peaceful sitting by the water and watching the rowers.

The trees haven't really changed much in the last week.

I noticed this woman using chop sticks to pick something up from the beach area. At first I couldn't figure what she was picking up, but soon it became clear.

She was picking up Goose droppings. I went over and asked her what she was doing, but she didn't speak English and just pointed to what was in her bag. I'll probably never know the true reason she was gathering goose sh*t, but I'm guessing (hoping) she uses it for fertilizer.

I wanted to be at Neve Shalom to help raise the Congregational Sukkah. But, before Neve I wanted to go to Cabela's and, also, grab a quick bite to eat. This meant I had to tear myself away from the Lake and be on my way.



I made it to Neve nearly right on time. Much to my surprise I wasn't the first one there. It seems at Neve things begin when they begin and the published starting time is meant as more of a suggestion for when folk can start to gather.

There were five of us and it was enough.

The Sukkah we use came from Sukkah Soul and was easy to put together and well designed. Helping to raise the Sukkah and spending time in it are two of my most favorite things to do.

We erected the Sukkah on the concrete patio in front of the Synagogue.

Then we walked it up a slight hill and set it on the grass.

Proof I wasn't the only one enjoying myself.

Nearly ready to begin decorating.

Looking good.

Nice.

Heather had been visiting her Grandmother and called to say she was heading home just as I was getting ready to head for home. Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

On the way home I saw this sidecar rig. By the time I got the camera up he was nearly out of sight. And being in a hurry made for a fuzzy photo, but I think if you know what you're looking for you can make it out. I couldn't tell what kind of a tug it was, but it was red.

The day ended with Heather and I going for a nice six mile walk (at least according to her new Nano with pedometer). The two highlights of the walk were seeing an owl (no picture) and one particular squirrel (have pictures).

This little beast let us get rather close, but . . .

. . . soon enough close enough was too close and he took off like a Busch Stadium Rally Squirrel.

It has been a full and wonderful weekend and the best part of it all is . . .

Tomorrow is Columbus Day and I'm still off work.