Morris to Sauk Centre
Today is Elysa’s birthday! In honor of her, I will pedal her age in miles and then add on about twenty more for good measure.
It would be fine with me if a cool breeze blows from the west all day.
I’ll be blowing kisses south in the direction of my wonderful daughter.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, E!
.
.
Alexandria to Morris
Only 50 miles to travel today. That should be easy for those of us who didn’t stay out too late consuming adult beverages while cavorting with raucous crowds at the most popular Alexandria establishments last night. If I was true to form, the desire for a full night’s sleep had me tucked in just about the time mosquitos took over the air space.
I’m usually sleeping hard enough by the time late-comers return that I don’t even hear the tent zippers opening and closing. Sometimes I hear when someone trips over a rainfly guy-wire. Mind you, that happens whether or not the person has been imbibing freely –day or night.
I look forward to finding what is in store for us in Morris.
.
.
Alexandria
.
day off
already
don’t have to ride
get to sleep in
eat wherever looks good
explore Alexandria
hang out with friends
laugh till we cry
don’t get too crazy
gotta pack in the morning
and ride again
early
need to get back
in the groove
.
.
Albany to Alexandria
Okay, so this morning is when it feels a little tender to climb back on the bike and sit. Like so many things in life, you get used to it soon enough and pedal away without a care in the world. It’s Juneteenth today!
We ride some on the Lake Wobegon Regional Trail today. I wonder how many new friends I will have made by the end of the day. The biking is great but it’s the people on the trip that make it so dang much fun that I keep returning year after year.
I sure hope the wildfire smoke isn’t as bad today as it was at the end of last week.
.
.
Albany Loop
We leave Albany this morning and ride a loop that reaches St. Cloud and then returns to Albany. It is a bonus that we don’t need to take down our tents and pack everything up before we ride. A second night of sleeping in Albany might mean I will be used to all the sounds of the area and snooze solidly straight through this time. Not likely.
My butt won’t feel sore until I get back on the seat tomorrow morning.
.
.
Touring Minnesota
It’s that time of year again. The middle of June and here I go again, getting back on my bike touring Minnesota with friends. I have modified the chorus of this song I wrote about the trip so it fits the current version of the weeklong adventure of biking and camping that has been happening for 49 years. The original song celebrated the founder of the “Jaunt with Jim” ride, Jim Klobuchar.
I haven’t committed to a firm blogging plan for the week ahead but as a backup in case I decide to do nothing more, I have programmed posts that will, at the very least, point out the towns where the scheduled camping sights are located. You can then check the weather and find out if massively dangerous thunderstorms have formed directly over our heads each night.
Not that such calamities occur every night. Last year it was more like every other night. I have a new rainfly for my tent this year so I’m ready for whatever nature decides to dish out.
I am meeting Gary Larson in Minnetonka this afternoon and we will travel together to the check-in at Albany, MN. Riding begins tomorrow morning.
MY VACATION STARTS TODAY!
.
.
Asher’s Lineage
We received the DNA results for Asher. Our initial information was that he was a Shepherd Mix. In our estimation, primarily based on appearance, we guessed German Shepherd and Labrador. We didn’t for the life of us figure he was part Chihuahua.
Asher is almost a quarter Siberian Husky. Cool! Followed closely by Great Pyrenees. Then comes the Lab and Shepherd we anticipated.
I should probably look into getting a sled for him to pull during the snow season. Hoping we will still have such a thing as a snow season during winter. Do you think we could train the Pyrenees in him to guard chickens if we try again with birds?
Birds would be friends, not food. Asher is rather inclined to chew into shreds the things he really likes.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Maybe that’s the Chihuahua in him.
.
.
Farming Versions
We started our morning at Walker Farms with George and Anneliese. I joined George for his morning chores. We fed chicks, checked on cattle, tossed feed to pigs, and moved chicken pens.
Cyndie and I departed after a luscious crepes breakfast and headed toward home. On the way, we stopped to visit the farm of my niece, Liz, and her husband, Nick, and their kids. We met their new dog, and their pigs, and toured their garden. The strawberry patch was loaded with a thrilling amount of ripe berries.
We came home with a rich bounty. Cyndie was wondering if her strawberry patch might also have berries ready to be picked.
Nope. But almost!
Our place, with only 4 horses for livestock, seems less farm-like except for one fact. Our hay field has been cut in preparation for getting baled.
The guy who leases farmland south of us grazes cattle there in the summer and cuts some grass fields to be round-baled. It helps us to have our field cut so they generously include our irregular-shaped acres in their cutting and baling. We generously charge them very little for the hay they get off it.
It almost feels like farming.
.
.
Visiting Walkers
Asher is home with a dog sitter and we are up in Princeton visiting George and Anneliese and getting a chance to spend some time sharing fencing chores, good food, and fun games.
Cattle grazing is on some leased land where temporary fencing is installed to allow moving the herd frequently for maximum health of land and animals. We tagged along and helped a little to run a new line encircling a fresh plot of grass.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
We got a close look at what weed control via goats looks like.
I was most impressed by the way the goats tip down tall young saplings so that others can reach the leaves which sets off a feeding frenzy.
In the evening after dinner with George’s parents, we were introduced to the yard game, Kubb.
The turf of the playing field provided a vivid example of the drought conditions area farmers are enduring.
Coping with weather extremes is not for the faint of heart.
.
.
Hedge Trimming
I have talked for years about trimming the random growth along our north property line to turn it into a hedge fence but it wasn’t until yesterday that I finally made visually satisfying progress. The secret weapon that enabled me to reach this milestone is the Greenworks hedge trimmer that Cyndie’s mom gave me for Christmas last year. I have tested this impressive tool on multiple trees and bushes and on every occasion the performance has exceeded my expectations.
What a fabulous addition to my collection of yard and garden tools.
It chewed up everything I asked it to while hardly sipping from the energy of the battery. I couldn’t be more pleased about how well it worked. This beast is going to become a very handy resource for controlling the explosion of growth that happens at this time every year.
The northern border of our property is identified by a rusty old barbed wire fence. On the east half of that border, a short width of random growth separates us from a neighbor’s plowed field.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I’m really pleased to have my vision finally taking shape. It took me years to get to this point and it will take a few more years for the “wall” of growth to fill in, but I take yesterday’s progress as a successful proof of concept. It should be easier every year now that I’ve established the first cut.
Progress stalled in the middle of the afternoon when our co-op propane tank inspector arrived but that was perfectly timed with a passing rain shower so I would have needed to take a break from trimming anyway. We got two out-of-date regulators replaced at no cost. Safety first!
After that work was completed, I went back to the trimming and worked until dinnertime to get it done. I didn’t want to leave it unfinished because we are headed up to Princeton, MN today for an overnight visit with George and Anneliese. Asher will be staying home with a pet sitter.
From this point on, if any new growth dares to reach beyond the line of my new hedge wall, it will get snipped.
Hah! What do I mean, if? We all know the correct word is, “when.”
.
.
Relative Something 