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Susan now enjoys riding without the cramped hands and sore seat. We belong to a small group of (casual) recumbent riders that try to meet up on as many weekends as possible for rides throughout Ohio rail trails. Denny Oswald, the recumbent bike guy at the local bike shop, is pretty well networked and seems to know or have met just about everyone I run into on the trail. Denny had a Sun EZ-1 for Susan to try for the last few weeks and she has come to really like the laid back ride.

BTW Jon.. That’s your mirror on there. I owe you one.

So far this year Susan and I have ridden in several organized rides, mostly with folks that are in it for fun rather than speed. But don’t underestimate a recumbent bike’s ability for speed… they can be fast. We would rather like to think of them as an alternative to taking an evening stroll.

Here are some shots (with Susan’s size-wise camera) of a 30 mile ride we did a few weeks ago. Fortunately in Ohio we have tons of rail-trails. Xenia station (near Dayton) is a hub of trails that lead off in every direction. Check out the variety of recumbent types here…

It was hot. Little Jackson was playing it cool by staying in the shade and chillin’ out.

We were going to meet up at Laura and Brian’s place but the rain held off and we staked out a shady spot at the park.

No we did not get a group shot… Next year Laura suggest we take the shot before anyone eats. Good idea.

more pics here

A Tribute to Two Sisters:

Inniswood Metro Gardens was once the 37-acre estate of sisters Grace and Mary Innis, who enjoyed gardening and wildlife observation respectively. The Innis sisters’ desire to preserve and enhance their gardens and woodlands for the enjoyment of all people resulted in the generous donation of their home and property to Metro Parks in 1972.

To honor the memory of Grace and Mary Innis, Metro Parks opened the 2.8-acre Sisters’ Garden in 2002. Designed to celebrate the complexity of nature and the inquisitiveness of childhood, The Sisters’ Garden aspires “to nurture the nature of the child in everyone”.

Clayton Archer graduated from pre-school this week.

We are very proud of you Clay!

Hey, where do I get a cap like that?

Amy took Gabby to get her hair cut. They donated her long hair to ‘Wigs for Kids’ to help support a child in need.

When children lose their hair, whether as a result of medical treatments, health conditions, or burn accidents, they don’t just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To combat this additional trauma, Certified Cosmetic Therapist Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1980.

Our little Gabby is growing up so fast…

We met up in Indy with family Saturday night and got to meet the new kid on the block, Jackson. He’s a cool little guy! Now Magnus is no longer the baby…

We ate and played, and ate and played… later Brian and I took the kids for a walk down to the lake. (actually they took us) A fun evening. Photos here

The artist and his wife. Jason and Christy Stewart [our Nephew and his wife] are soon both to be finished with school and living happily in Huntington WV. With my work travels taking me within blocks of their home, I finally chiseled out some time to pay a visit. I met them at their home east of downtown near the junction of the Guyan and Ohio rivers. We went to Hillbilly Hotdog, a locally owned [crazy!] family style burger joint. The food was awesome and I will be back!

We wound up at the art gallery where Jason, Christy and their partners display/sell their art. These guys are on a completely different plain of existence when it comes to seeing art in ordinary objects. The pottery they have created is nothing short of awesome. I noticed they are working on a collection of cups as evident by the table space in their kitchen being taken up by their works, ready for a show.

Read more about the gallery in the Herald Dispatch.

David Stewart is also doing well in Huntington but he was away on a special work project with his company when I visited. I called to say hi but he could not talk long as they were in the middle of a remodel project.

Click on the pic for more photos of my visit

While in Florida a few weeks ago we visited Sanibel Island so the girls could do some “shelling” [the art of bending over and gathering shells at the beach]. I frankly do not see all the excitement here when you can get a whole bag full at the gift shop for $10… I even saw them at Biglots right here in Ohio, but admittedly these are made in China and are no doubt defective.

Anyway while the girls were bending, I was riding my ‘bent. Recumbent that is.. When the tide is out the beach made for a nice hard surface to ride on, and what a view! The sound of all those shells crunching under my tires was kind of neat too. Of course they were cursing me for ruining all the shells.

While putting the ‘bent away I saw a sign that said, “No bikes on the beach”
oops.

Susan and I got to spend some time in Ft Myers Florida with our friends Joe and Ladonna this last week. Temps in the 70s and plenty of sunshine. Got to ride my ‘bent a bit too.

We saw lots of strange birds, some of which were the “snow Bird” variety… Check it out.