Day #126 Sour Grapes

No! Not sour. Actually, they're sweet, and have an explosion of taste flavour to give you. Be sure to spit out the seed, though.
When you're out cycling you'll come across many such a treat - apples, blackberries, blueberries, wild grapes etc. Makes for a nice snack and rest.
These are wild grapes along the Millenium Trail, Wellington, ON. Wild grape vines wend their way in, over, and among the branches of good trees, shutting out the light for the leaves of the host tree and eventually it dies. The wild grape vine lives on.

Day #127 Never Too Old

Swings, slides, teeter-totters - you're never too old.


Rides at the Picton Fair? Never too old.
You're never too old to try anything:
scary rides,
playing in the park,
or cycling across Canada.

Day #128 You're Never Too Young

...to use the cycling trails.
Mr. T loves to hike on trails.
He also loves to collect berries, and there are lots of wild grapes right now, along with many other kinds of berries. The grape vines have taken over many a tree along the path. After the rain, there are lots of puddles, and he picked some flowers, too, and floated them on these 'ponds' to make them look prettier. It took a long time.
Grandma K was very tired, and, under protest, put him on the trike to push him back home, or we would have been headed home in the moonlight.
As you can see, the 2 km. Wellington part of the Millenium Trail is wide and well groomed. Families and friends can walk side by side.
Not so for the other 50 km., sadly.

Day #129 Never Say Die

Day #130 Talking to Myself

Today I did a return at a store where the owner is maybe 2 decades younger.
She filled in the forms audibly, but, upon finishing, she laughed and said,
"I have been talking to myself!"
"Yes", I replied, "I do that, too."
On refection, I added, "It's good company."

You don't have to be a senior to behave like one.
Only 130 more days to go, folks, and then I am one.

However, the more I talk to myself,
the more people will think I'm crazy.

The more people think I'm crazy,
the more leeway I have for behavior!!!

Day #131 Determination

Whenever you feel down,
and maybe like giving up,
remember the valiant efforts of plants like these Purple Asters and Golden Rod, trying, and often succeeding, to survive in such a harsh environment as here among the prehistoric limestone rocks of Point Petre.
If they can make it, then I can, too.
(I think I can. I hope I can.)
It's a matter of mind-set, and determination,
and then trying.

Day #132 Guilt

My neighbour says "I don't do guilt."
She makes a great mentor for me.
My other neighbour agrees and replies "I always say, if you don't like my gate, don't swing on it."
Both are seniors. Being a semi-senior has its advantages.
Especially with friends and mentors like these.
Hopefully, my children will celebrate these changes along with me.

Day #133 Live Forever

Today was another glorious autumn day.
I spent it at my cabin, organizing, burning, and tidying up.
While working on Soduko during a break, a red dragonfly landed on the back of my hand. I expected it to fly away as soon as I made a movement, but not so. It stayed for quite a while.
Dragonflies, once they have chosen a favourite perch, will come back to it. This makes these beautiful, bright insects so easy target for photographers with tripods.
Not so this time, though. It flew, and didn't return.
However, on another afternoon, this August, I had the same thing happen with an Admiral Butterfly. It moved its proboscus around and around on my arm while I watched. It tickled quite a bit. The Admiral did return again and again, to my leg, and to my arm.
On leaving, I watered my sedum plants. These are descendants of a variety called Life Forever that the late Olive Horton gave me back in the early 80's. It will tolerate very hot, dry, sandy locations, and will live almost anywhere - in your lawn or in the wild.
It has green cabbage-like flowers until August/Sept., and then it has lovely big dusky pink flowers on tall stems. Few animals will eat it, but butterflies come for the late season nectar.
It's the best flower for my wild and barren area as nothing much grows down there except rocks and cedars, daisies and asters. You can see the hundred of white asters growing around the sedum in the above picture (not a great photo).
Live Forever thrives on neglect, making it a favourite for thousands of negligent gardeners! Try it. You, too, will love it.

Day #134 Last-Day-of-Summer

Today was the most beautiful last-day-of-summer one could ask for.
My neighbours chatted with us out on the lawn.
My friend drove over for a visit for awhile and gave me two books of Sudoku.
I packed them up to take to the cabin.
First, we were to go to Lake on the Mountain for a glass of wine.
It was full up.
We went over to the Waupoos Winery instead for wine, mussels, smoked salmon and a swan filled with whipped cream and swimming on a pond of maple syrup.
Too late to do anything else after that except stop at the chocolatier's in Bloomfield on the way home afterward for a hot chocolate.
Wayne Carruthers has just put his cafe/chocolate shoppe up for sale. It's the best coffee shoppe ever. Very sad news.

Day #135 Collections

Mr. T teaches Ms. C and Mr. B to collect flowers and seeds, too.

Day #136 Cycling the Hard Way

Today, Mr. T and I walked the Millenium Trail while I pushed his tricycle.
It has been so dry this summer that most of the leaves on the trees are just shriveling up and falling to the ground brown.
Dull colours this year, unfortunately.
We found wildflowers,
and lots of seeds to add to his collection,
and put them in the carry-all at the back.
Finally, on Main Street, he asked to get on the trike.
Outdoor education: the best kind. He teaches me a lot.

Day #137 PJ Work Day

We are allowed to wear our pajama's to work today.
The pj's I choose are just a variation of my cycling clothes mentioned yesterday.
Leggings, not inside-out, white dress shirt, socks and sandals.
However, I change the T-shirt to one that is a nightshirt.
It shows a young woman flying out the bedroom window to dreamland.
It lights up in the dark.
I forget my froggie slippers, though.

Day #138 Cyclingwear

The clothes I wear while cycling are pretty simple.
I wear a pair of black leggings, inside-out because prolonged cycling with the seam rubbing against me is brutal.
I wear a long-sleeved man's white cotton dress shirt which is light, soft, and roomy, and protects my arms from the sum.
I wear a bright yellow, very light-weight old tee over this so that drivers will see me, and under both of these items, I wear a cotton racer-back halter-top in case I am just too hot and have to remove the shirt and tee.
Around my waist, I wear a belted water bottle holder and put my camera bag onto the belt so that I have quick and easy access to my camera.
I always wear socks and sandals. The sandals have a good instep support, in case I ever have to walk home.
I wear cycling gloves, and a helmet with a visor.
Keep it simple.

Day #139 Comment on SkiTrailCycling

A comment yesterday, blog #140, by Mary A:
"We saw the bike trail and a couple of the kids on their bikes but, unfortunately, did not see any of them come down the trail.
I have trouble riding any bike and just cannot imagine riding on one up that 'big ski hill'."

Me, too, Mary A.
I love cycling, but do not like the idea of having to cycle big hills and/or mountains.
Guess I'd better deal with what I might be faced with next year, though.
Thank you for the comment.
May all your hills be little ones.

Day #140 Ski-trail Cycling

Last night at work, a customer called in from Whistler.
I asked him if the kids still played hackysack in the square.
No, he said, now they mostly do mountain bike riding on the ski trails.
Now, that would be extreme sports, I would think, yet one that anyone could afford to try.
Not that I would - or could, physically.
However, maybe by next year at this time, I will be able to get some sort of photo of this sport.
I can't imagine either cycling up or down a ski trail myself.

Day #141 Deserted Abode

This Cicada shell has been deserted and left on a tree.
One of the unfortunate things about cycling is that one usually misses the most interesting parts of Mother Nature.
Each August, the Cicadas outgrow their shell.
The shell splits apart as they get too big for it, and out they crawl.
Within a day or so, their new shell will harden to protect them.
Zzzzzz

Day #142 Fall Friend

Macaulay Mountain Museum Garden
Spiders are quite big by this time of year, and the more colourful ones stand out until the fall colours become predominate. This one has a fascinating pattern on its back.
Last year, I went out onto the little upstairs balcony of my cabin around midnight to look at the stars and I was suddenly bitten on the bottom of the foot - I imagine a spider which, feeling the vibration, thought he had caught a dinner big enough to last the next month.
It felt like I had been bitten by a viper - not that I ever have - and I danced around in pain for at least an hour.
I rarely go out onto any deck now in my bare feet.
Still, after reading Charlotte's Web, I still have respect for them and enjoy watching them.
(Friday, Sept. 14 - blogsite wouldn't come in.)

Day #143 Camoflauge

I am an amphibian.
Can you find me in this picture?
Clue: Macaulay Mountain Pond, Sept. 13/07

Day #144 mmm milk

Milk is full of Vitamin D and is great for the bones.
Every cyclist needs milk.
Here is something very surprising that I have discovered for myself this week.
I bought organic milk last time but didn't realize the date was for Sept. 3.
Today is Sept. 12th, and it is still good, and in my morning tea.
I will be buying only organic milk from now on.
Everyone knows regular milk goes bad exactly on the date listed on the carton box.

Day #145 Cycling Mate

A volunteer for the street kids of Peru wants to cycle the TransCanadaTrail next year to help earn more money for the kids.
She may do the trail with me.
This is such good news for me, and, I hope, for her as well.

Day #146 Anniversary

This is the 32nd anniversary of the day I arrived in Prince Edward County and, consequently, Wil-O-Lea Cottages, with my 3 beautiful young daughters in my 1973 yellow Plymouth, tenting gear, and not much more.
Thus, by 1979, 2 more beautiful daughters.
I count myself among the very fortunate in this world.

Day #147 Pet Cougar

Nicki, the pet cougar, owned by Paul Malagerrio.
County by-laws have since forced Paul to move out of the area.
Don't think I'd like to meet one of these while out cycling.

Day #148 Kittens

One is a cougar and one is a serval cat (I think), which went missing from Paul Malagerrio's home this year.
Nicki, the cougar, is still with Paul.
They look like nice kitties.

Day #149 Tomatoes and Wet Webs

Day #150 Playing with Spiders

Thursdays and Fridays are babysit-my-grandson days.
He is a very low maintenance kid, as his Aunt C described him.
He quietly entertains himself with Cars or seed collections or picking flowers.
As first, he was very afraid of the spider webs.
I pulled one down today and showed him it was just like string only sticky, so he asked to have some in his fingers, too.
Then he started decorating the webs on the corners of the deck.
As soon as he put a flower in this web, the spider jumped out to catch whatever dinner had landed on her table. When she saw us staring down at her, she backed back into the hole that she has woven for herself - you can see the entry hole and her front legs on the top part of the web, as well as the flowers that Mr. T has decorated the web with.
We will know if Ms Spider likes these artistic improvements tomorrow.
If she leaves tonight, then we'll understand. I certainly won't miss her.
Can't help wondering if her name is Charlotte, though.

Day #151 Beach Weather

Even if the weather turned cold tomorrow, the waters of Lake Ontario would remain swimmable for at least another 3 weeks because its mass is so great that cooling down time is considerable.
So far, the latest that I have been in swimming was Oct. 12th 3 years ago with my dog, Gentle Ben. Two years ago, it was Oct. 10th.
So don't despair just because June and the first part of July were so cool and grey.
Sept./07 is having a beautiful first half weather-wise.
Bike, hike or drive to the beach and enjoy.

Day #152 Voice Power

Grandma K and Mr. T in 2004.
When I was in teacher's college back in the 70's, I was told once that my voice was too boring - that is, monotone. Would I please try to put some expression in it.
I never forgot that. I was very shy then, and it was difficult.
However, after I published Tom E. Toad just a few years ago, I was asked to give readings at various schools, and did my best to read Tom E. with plenty of expression.
When I started work at the call centre where all our calls are incoming calls, I kept that in mind, and have tried to lighten and soften my voice while at the same time giving it some expression.
It isn't very easy getting excited over someone's order for black jockey shorts.
Last night, a N.S. gentleman called in a chatty mood. He asked what I was doing working Labour Day, and I said it was fine at 2 and 1/2 times, but come Feb. 2, Mr. Harper would be paying me to stay home.
"Oh," he replied, "are you having a baby."
Yessssssssssssssss. You have just passed the eligibility test, sir.
Nooooooooooooooooo. I will pass up that suggestion. 5 and holding.
My daughters will have to carry on that job.

Day #153 Walks on Walls

It has long been a dream of mine to walk the Great Wall of China.
Rick Hanson got to do it in a wheelchair.
Wouldn't it be wonderful it they could put together bicycle tour trips for doing it.

Day #154 Cycling Has Its Ups and Downs

This is the fun part of cycling - sometimes.
Remember to have your brakes checked before setting out.
Remember which one is not the front brake.
Cartwheels are more fun done off the bike.

Day #155 Light is Right

This bicycle is a Fisher, and, as you can see, it's also light.
It's one of the bicycles that I'm considering.
If you're going to do a long cycling tour, light but strong is a very important factor, esp. when you're a senior citizen.
Fisher comes highly recommended because of its years of expertise. It has an excellent frame and components, I've been told.
Haven't made my final decision yet, though. Any other suggestions?