Bygone Bicyclist

Slacking and fixating on things is a weakness we all have, and I’m not afraid to note having so myself. Work, and other things, have robbed my time of late, and my time for ‘me’ has been limited; cheers to working on that.

Fall (or autumn) in Phoenix is a lot like spring elsewhere, just like our winter is like most peoples’ summer. Weather gets nice (trust me, it’s relative). It’s bearable to be outside. Things grow. Things flourish. It’s fantastic. Phoenix, unlike a lot of places, can host gardens twice a year. I like to plant in fall, as well as around the time of the last freeze. Additionally, fall, like spring, is a time for new additions. In this very case, our addition happens to be … more chickens!

Brahma & Cal

I live on a great property, allowing for such things as chickens, gardens, and – hopefully someday soon – bees. Maricopa County law states no more than 20 hens, zero roosters, and residents nearby must be notified. So where does that put us? 16, if you’re interested to know!

Four from the original flock.

Pumpkin – Barred Plymouth

Six from my second flock, of which two have started laying eggs just this month (green and light peach … almost white).

Mixed Eggs

Six new chickies: 1 Brahma, 1 Welsummer, 2 Cuckoo Maran, 2 Ameraucana. My third flock is much less stressful to deal with, and almost effortless. I’ve amassed enough knowledge and equipment that the new flock is very cheap, little of time consumption, and little-to-no stress.

The new chicks

Additionally, fall is a great time to plant a garden in PHX. The harshest weather is gone. The air is less dry than normal. And the risk of freeze during the winter to come is fairly low. We typically have less than a week of freezing nights; with due-diligence you can keep a garden alive through so few frosts.

Lastly: a flavorful trip with Cal-my-gal to Tucson allowed for great times, and an amazing musical theatre by Beach House at the Rialto Theater.

Shelter Cocktail Lounge – A hideaway of the 60s

Beach House at the Rialto Theater in Tucson

So it begins. Early morning from Phoenix to Branson.

From there we visit Mr. James Allen, and his trove of bicycles.

Rick will be atop a 56″ Victory, and I a 50″ Spillane Whitney.

Indy tonight, Maryland tomorrow, Clustered Spire High Wheel Race on Saturday! A penny farthing race in historic Frederick, MD, that begins at Brewer’s Alley, held in conjunction with Tour de Frederick, where Tour de France winner and World Champion Greg Lemond will be making an appearance? Yes please!

Denver Abbey

Thanks, Ricky.

Here’s some interim pictures of PHX -> SF -> WA and back. Mount Shasta took my breathe away and stole my heart. San Luis Reservoir is a sight that must be seen – descending from the snowy mountains into green, grassy hills with flood waters hiding around corners is just something else.

This little guy followed us from SF til Washington. Deemed his name: broccoli

Everyone always talks about how gorgeous Ashland is. We made what was meant to be a quick pit-stop. We took what appeared to be a main street, and headed back towards the highway. After crossing over the highway, then going under it, and still finding ourselves in the middle of some farm country, we grew irritated with Ashland. Our quick stop turned into a 30 minute detour…maybe more. On the way home we found ourselves in Central Point, OR as the sun faded. Our options for dining (or drinking, I should say), lead us to Medford, and Medford was lacking, so we headed to Ashland…with much apprehension.

All in all though, Ashland was a great stay. A tiny town that reminds me of Prescott, with two great breweries and a cute little gelato cafe that serves Stumptown. It snowed, and iced while we were there, which always makes for great times while under the influence (see: snowchair).

We had a great stay in Castle Rock, WA, at Toutle River RV. It never ceases to amaze me the wonderful fare that comes out of small places (in this case, beer from Centralia, WA). Roughly ten inches of snow over the course of our ~30 hours in town was a splendid surprise for the city boys from the Valley of the Sun.