Back to Biking in the Woods

I was so excited to get back out to biking in my favourite woods again. It's actually 3 tracks of woods linked together with an extensive network of paths. My favourite paths are the ones that are created by the horse riders. There are really wide main trails that go every where and are laid out on trail maps and then there are the ones that have been cut through the woods over time by rider after rider.

I thought this year I would try to better capture the progression of nature as it unfolds through the spring and summer. It amazes me how each week the trails look so different because of the plants and trees that are sprouting and the leaves that are beginning to show. By the summer the paths are almost overtaken in many areas by the growth.

This is a field that's been cleared (I don't know why, but it's been like this for years) now it's bare, but by the summer it will have lots of green and flowers all through it. I actually saw some new paths cut through this area, but I haven't explored them yet.

It doesn't look like it now, but that same field has many raspberry bushes in it. This is one of them that I know will soon be filled with fruit.

This is my tree that looks like a deer. I use a lot of "markers" so I know that I'm going down the right path. Unfortunately this isn't the best idea when the markers decompose year after year, but keeps it exciting.

I turned around at one point on the trail and saw this fellow staring back at me in surprise.

A great land mark. The twisted naked tree.

Here's another of my favourite paths that I take year after year. I know that this particular area does grow over as the summer comes into full growth. It's a path that you need to know where every stump is or your sure to hit a wheel or worse a pedal against.

This rock I always thought was a landmark to let me know I was going the wrong way. Last year when I took the path with the "big flat rock" I ended up down a hill (I may have left my bike momentarily unwillingly as well - but that happens a lot) and was at the edge of the forest. So I know there is no more trails if I go that direction. This year though I noticed a path to the right and took it instead. Surprisingly it was a great path that looped me back to a familiar area. Now the "big flat rock" means turn right.

On My Way To Work

I've come across these 4 deer more than once on my way to work. I've also seen more than 40 wild turkeys in a field as well.

Flordia Trip - March

I had the opportunity to go to Orlando in March this year to a conference. This year I was asked to present at one of the sessions as well and that was great.

But one of the things I really love about the area (during the evenings when you get to have a little fun outside of learning) are the miniputt courses. We just don't have them anything like these ones.

Of course if I got lost while I was there I did find a great directional post.

The other sign I really liked was this one that I saw in a rest stop along the highway.

Adventures With Scott

I haven't added much here in a little bit so I'm going to add a few different posts today. Here are some shots when I was away on yet another adventure with my brother. Him and I went to Niagara Falls for an overnight trip. We did some eating, a little gambling and the highlight of the trip for him was a Rock and Roll 50's show that was on at the casino theatre. It turned out to be a great trip.

My brother an I out for dinner at a medium priced restaurant that is charging premium prices. I think my pop cost $6. You've got to love tourist traps.

We also went to the Bird Aviary and that was really neat. A large building has been converted into a garden area where the first floor has small birds flying over head. The next and much larger 3-4 floor open area has large birds flying around you. Then there was this fellow who was in the reptile area at the front door. This place was well work the time during our trip to visit. My brother got a great picture of a boa constrictor around a visitors shoulders. You had to pay for these pictures and I'm not even sure when he took it. Sneaky guy.

Then, as I have mentioned before....I love my brother for the open willingness to do silly things only because his sisters' tell him too. I told him to stand beside the poster to have his picture taken in the theatre. Without a second thought he does it. Thumbs up and smiling the whole time.