The trend goes on...

As mentioned earlier, we've been mired in a summer of high heat, wildly swinging humidity and utter drought conditions. People's lawns are predominantly brown (well, except for those who ripped out their dormant lawns and replaced them with fresh sod) and, overall, the population has become rather cranky.

This is what climate change looks like - increasingly unpredictable weather where places that don't normally get drenched year round are dealing with endless floods and places where rainy periods are reduced to parched landscapes.

This has translated into a really good season for triking, though. The days, though getting noticeably shorter, remain sunny, windless and inviting. So, I went out accompanied by both Adam and Rachael.

This morning's venture had us heading east toward the Greenboro branch of the library but then continuing along the neighbourhood streets towards Conroy and to points beyond. It was a lovely journey out this morning and, best of all, before the real grit of the day's heat could settle onto an increasingly weary city.

This was a quick out and back returning the same way we went out but, as always, it was really good to get out.

Tally for today was 9.8 kilometres done. That leaves me 135.9 to go as of today.

5.4 and 6.1 - this kind of triking is lots of fun!

OMG I am so sorry for that awful title. I really have drifted into the horrible world of really bad rhyming couplets, haven't I?

Anyway, the first trip saw me heading out on my own and, essentially, following the same route we did last time. The day was hot, dry and with very little wind. I was glad I wore my shorts in the +30C weather.

My venture also had me taking note of the number of people who seemed to have replaced their sun scorched drought stricken brown lawns with much lusher and much newer sod. I'm never sure why people do that kind of thing since brown grass isn't dead but just dormant. Once it rains again the grass will soften once more and become the vibrant emerald green we are so used to seeing...and expecting. However, thanks to the spectre of climate change, what would ordinarily be a summer of sunshine and rainy periods has, instead, just been a summer of desiccating, parched landscapes reminiscent of places like Arizona and not Canada's capital city.

The second trip I took, a couple of days later, had me following the streets and intercepting the bike paths towards the Greenboro branch of the Ottawa Public Library. As with my earlier trip, the day was hot, sunny, dry and with no wind to speak of. I set out, not having any particular goal in mind but to exceed the 5.4 kilometre trips I had been taking. The pathways encircling the library are very well travelled by cyclist, jogger and stroller alike but what really got my attention was the condition the pathways were in.

If you think that it's fun cycling along pathways that are not much more than a collection of frost heaves, potholes and cracks the size of the San Andreas fault lines then you would be mistaken. I found myself weaving around the worst of the potholes, cracks and other nasties as though I were a downhill skier. It got to the point, though, where my eyeballs just couldn't handle the relentless bumping and bouncing around so I switched to the side streets around the library - at least just until my eyeballs could stop bouncing around and my vision was restored to something useful.

No matter, though, I had a lot of fun and my ever trusty catrike survived the whole thing...my eyes, however, took a little longer.

Tally for both trips was 11.5 kilometres done. That leaves me 145.7 to go as of today.

5.8 and feeling great!!

Okay, I admit that was a terrible rhyme but it is accurate. I did 5.8 kilometres today and I'm feeling great about it.

The weather here in Ottawa has been grim. Wilting under major drought conditions, it's been too dreadfully hot and humid to really go anywhere. So, we were very happy when, yesterday, we had some thundershowers drift through here. Yes, it actually rained yesterday bringing much relief to homeowners and outdoor plants alike. Now, today, it's still cloudy and quite warm - but it's not nearly as blisteringly hot, humid and even the north breezes make being outside a very pleasant venture. It's typical post cold front weather which, given the summer we've been having, is a very welcome thing.

We wanted to avoid any kind of rush hour so we didn't head out until around 8:30 or so. Plus, our trip today would only be around the neighbourhood and avoiding any kind of major road. We went down Bridlepath and towards the nearby suburban streets. There were a few cars but nothing too challenging and, better yet, drivers were actually paying attention to the road and not sending text messages. So, we rode around, essentially, very quiet streets. The cardinals and chickadees were out and making the only real noise we could hear although the persistent hum of traffic on Albion Road was also audible.

Our ventures continued around the streets where we could take in everyone's brown lawns in all their glory. I'm sure yesterday's deluge (13.0mm - a little more than half an inch) was cause to celebrate (it was) so the dormant lawns may actually revive a little bit. Indeed, I saw a few lawns whose general brown had just the slightest tinge of light green. We really do need the rain and, hopefully, we will get more. I don't trike in the rain but I can manage to sneak out in between showers/deluges.

We did get home without any problems and are now just enjoying the rest of the morning.

Today's tally was 5.8 kilometres done. That leaves me 157.2 to go as of today.

First 30 of the season!

Despite it having been quite cool and damp yesterday, we decided to do the Colonel By Sunday bike day anyway. Actually, yesterday's venture was that much more special because my daughter, Rachael, was with us. Our good friends had a bicycle they loaned to us for the season specifically for her use and as she really wanted to get out before the forecast rainshowers we thought it best to head out early.

So, after a good breakfast we got ourselves ready to take on the much beloved Colonel By bike day. Rachael is familiar with the program but hadn't actually experienced it herself. Her keenness to get going was palpable and so we headed out right at 8:30. The sun was very weak, a sort of yellow-ish grey-brown ball peering through thickening clouds and the day wasn't all that warm. But, it wasn't miserable either so happily we headed out.

Rachael wasn't too familiar with the route so Adam and I took turns just hanging back with her as we guided her along Hunt Club Road which had been swept clear of the broken glass and various car parts so commonly experienced. Luckily, it was early enough that there weren't too many other cars on the road so that made things easier to negotiate. The last thing anyone wanted for Rachael (or anyone else for that matter) was to have a bad experience dealing with inattentive car drivers - especially on the first day out of the season.

The three of us wound our way up McCarthy and headed north towards the more suburban quiet of the area. Our goal was to get to Mooney's Bay park as, from there, it's a very simple matter of hooking onto the bike paths and, eventually, the closed-to-motor-vehicles Colonel By. We try to time our departure so that we get to the barrier by around 9:00 am when the road is closed to cars and this morning would prove to be no exception to that rule.

The clouds were jumbly and tumbly as they bounced along in the brisk upper winds but it was neither very cold nor was the sky immediately threatening. What Rachael noticed was just how much quieter Colonel By is without any motor vehicles driving alongside - as in noticeably quieter. She really seemed to like that (which we knew she would) and the three of us kept going, cycling and zooming along and into town. There weren't nearly as many others on the road as there could have been and I attribute that to the fact that it was quite cool, overcast and just not that lovely sunny warmth that so inspires cycling.

Admittedly, the trip into town was fairly nondescript although it was very nice to see clusters of some wild looking flowers providing some badly needed colour in an otherwise monochromatic world.

Finally, we got to the very end of the Colonel By portion of the journey. Next to us was the Convention Centre (the "dead mackerel" we call it and which Rachael calls the "pineapple grenade") so we stopped for about ten minutes or so to just rest and re-group. The skies were starting to grow even more ominous and the first of a few spits of rain had begun to dance around us. Isn't that always the way it is? If it's going to rain, it'll start as soon as we are at the farthest point in our journeys - it almost always works out that way.

So, we turned around and, essentially, re-traced our route back along Colonel By to Hog's Back and into Mooney's Bay park. At that point, a genuine shower settled onto us for a good ten minutes so we three sought shelter around the closed concession stands to wait out the weather. At least we knew it was coming so we weren't too surprised.

Eventually, the rain had let up to merely a thick-ish drizzle and so we left the park and headed back home. We encountered our friends who loaned us the bicycle for Rachael for the summer and so we spent a few minutes talking and catching up and making plans to maybe head out one day all together. However, it was getting late and the skies were getting dark once more so we all grudgingly parted ways with our friends heading off in one direction while we three merely came home.

By the time we got back, we all needed some towels to mop up the good soaking we had had. It sure felt nice to head out but a lot nicer to get back home, warm and dry and enjoying the afterglow of an awesome run.

Today's tally was 30.0 kilometres done. That leaves me 163.0 to go as of today.

Another gorgeous day, so why waste it?

After yesterday's thorough drenching from the numerous showers, this morning's bright sunlight brought a sudden riot of light green. It also brought with it the promise of a great day to head out triking. With climate change, the seasons become somewhat less predictable so now, more than ever, am I reminded to head out when I can.

I had my usual breakfast of rice and awesome java. Then, once all that was digested, I showered, dressed, put on sunscreen (a must for all days of the year - even winter) and got ready to zip out for a "quick 10 k run". As the day was mine to do with what I wished, I decided to go for a good run along the numerous pathways that lace throughout the city, including here. I didn't so much have a destination in mind as a minimum number of kilometres I wanted to ride and today's was 10 kilometres, no less than 5 out and 5 back.

So, I checked my trike tires for proper inflation and otherwise suited up (meaning helmet, pant straps and sunglasses). I left and immediately found myself immersed in the tail-end of what passes for rush hour here. My trip took me up Bridlepath, crossing Hunt Club and continuing in a generally easterly direction on Daze. I crossed Bank Street, continued onto Cahill and sought the earliest exit onto the pathways, right by a bus stop. Once on the pathways, I encountered very well behaved dog owners who kept their pets on leashes and even picked up after them. Thank you guys.

What struck me was just how many joggers and other cyclists were out there on the path too and that filled me with a sense of expanded safety. It's not that Ottawa is a dangerous city (it's no more or less dangerous than most other Canadian cities) but the bike paths in suburbia can get rather sparsely used so if there is some psycho lurking in the bushes...then I can outrun 'em even though I'd rather not see one in the first place.

The other thing I noticed was that, despite the sunshine and lack of any discernible wind, it was actually quite chilly - and here it is the end of May. The day would warm up substantially later on but I wasn't there yet.

In no time did I find myself leaving the bike pathway right at the library. Sidling through the parking lot edge, it was a matter of a quick left turn onto Lorry Greenberg before I could resume my happy jaunt through suburbia once more. School was on and there were many parents or caretakers dropping kids off on the side of the road so that made for a busy portion of the day's trip. Finally, I got to the corner of Lorry Greenberg and Conroy where there was virtually no traffic to speak of. I guess rush hour ended.

I went straight through the intersection and arrived at Lorry Greenberg and Blohm. A quick right turn and the silence of the street played nicely into the stillness of the growing morning. I kept going, feeling energized by the now warming (but not too warm) air until I got to Karsh Drive. I slid around the corner, taking somewhat of a wide sweep and noticed that my trip odometer read 4.8 kilometres. Close enough, I thought and then kept curving gently around the road until I got back to Lorry Greenberg and Blohm. I turned onto Lorry Greenberg and then kept going straight through, happy that I didn't have to wait long before getting a green light.

It was only a matter of a very short while that I re-acquired the pathways around the library. I hopped onto the pathways and followed them back to Cahill. A right turn onto Cahill and I continued until I got to Albion. I decided then that rather than risk life and limb going straight through Bank and Cahill and onto Daze (I got my reasons), that I would turn left onto Albion and make up the remaining 200 metres I was short when wanting a minimum of 5 kilometres going one way. Besides, I felt energized, and both the trike and the conditions were perfect. I practically flew up Albion until I got to the top of the hill where it meets up at Bridlepath. The rest of the journey home was a speedy trip where everyone I saw smiled at me and me at them. It was truly a lovely and magnificent morning's trip. Best of all, I'm more than 1/3 of my way towards meeting my goal of 300 kilometres - and it's still just May.

Last standing was 203.5 kilometres
Today's tally was 10.5 kilometres done
That leaves me 193.0 to go as of today.

Quiet trip on a gorgeous day

It's as though someone flipped a switch and the perpetual chill of a cooler-than-we'd-like-to-see-May became instant summer. It was hot yesterday and it's still hot today. As today's high is forecast to reach 30°C (85°F), we felt it best to head out this morning.

We left and had smooth sailing throughout the whole nearly 14 kilometre trip as much because we were out fairly early in the day as that there were almost no cars on the roads. This is the May 2-4 weekend (aka Victoria Day long weekend) and with awesome weather today's trip was nothing less than gorgeous.

When we were out, the temperature was that exquisite warm where sitting outside wearing only a housecoat and nursing a hot cuppa coffee (or an iced tea) would have been so wonderful. Instead, our trek through numerous neighbourhoods revealed just how richly green all the leaves on all the trees, bushes and gardens are now. Garden plots were a hazy display of multicoloured flowers among that bright green. The very air was infused with that lightly sweet scent of lavender and the warm bright sunshine almost completely washed away that powdery blue sky of almost-late May.

Even though we knew the daytime breezes would start soon, we had no headwinds or gusts to deal with and so our journey all the way home was done fairly easily. What really helped, too, was the relative absence of cars.

Perhaps everyone is out of town for the May-2-4-time-to-open-up-and-air-out-that-musty-cottage weekend.

-Peace

Last standing was 217.3 kilometres
Today's tally was 13.8 kilometres done
That leaves me 203.5 to go as of today.

Picnics, triking and the quadracycle

Yesterday, May 13th, was Mother's Day. As my 21 year old daughter is in town to visit for awhile, AND the weather was really nice, we decided to pack a picnic lunch and head out. Adam and I have not only catrikes but we also have what seems to be Ottawa's one and only quadracycle. With the three of us heading out, and our quadracycle could only carry two people, we all agreed that Adam and my daughter, would take the quadracycle and I would take my catrike.

So, after packing a good lunch, we headed out. Driving down Bridlepath towards Trapper's the riding was easy. The roads were surprisingly quiet considering it was just around noon on Mother's Day. Perhaps everyone else had already brought their mothers to the restaurant for the requisite brunch and we were the only ones on the road.

It didn't take us long to get to the park. Called Fawn Meadow Park, it's one of those quaint neighbourhood parks with swings, a large jungle gym for the wee ones and, in this case, a large plastic sea monster. Presumably we could climb on it just like small kids. Hmm...

Anyway, we arrived at the covered pavilion, parked the quadracycle and my catrike and proceeded to enjoy our lunches. Admittedly, the breeze was kinda chilly but we had a good time anyway. This is what life is all about, at least to me it is.

Once lunch had settled, my daughter and I decided to go "play on the swings" while Adam took a video of us horsing around in the park in general. After that was done, the three of us decided to play frisbee on the mostly dry grassy field. Like my daughter, I have no talent for frisbee playing but that didn't stop us from having a really good time. After about twenty minutes of that, it was time to go - but we weren't going home just yet. The day was still too good to pack it in.

We then drove east along Queensdale, crossed Bank Street and found ourselves in that small area of Blossom Park we often trek through. We went north on 6th street, to Athans, Levadia and then down that little connecting pathway that joins Levadia to Carriage Hill. Carriage Hill to Sable Ridge and then a quick run down to Hunt Club had us all getting there while the light was still green. We all zoomed through until we got to the library and then intercepted the pathways there. A quick saunter through there and we wound up back on Cahill to Bank Street. Once we crossed Bank Street it was a simple trip up the slight hill that is Daze (pronounced DAH-zay and not DAYS), to cross Hunt Club once again and then onward. The streets remained light for traffic overall and the skies remained that gorgeous blue so typical of May.

The weather is supposed to stay nice for most of this week (plus or minus the odd shower) so I fully expect to head out a few more times. Stay tuned, right?

Last standing was 227.6 kilometres
Today's tally was 10.3 kilometres done
That leaves me 217.3 to go as of today.


-Peace