Friday Fifteener

Today's ever-so-partial GPS/APRS/ Ham Radio Tracking

I had a request to examine a good friend and near neighbor's (out here in the East Mountains a neighbor can be within 20 miles or so) riding lawn tractor.  This neighbor is only about 3 miles away so I thought I'd use him for an excuse  to ride the bike and get in a few miles as well as a good deed, which I'm way behind on lately.
He has 7 kiddos from upper teens to baby-in-arms and they are all super people.  I got the usual warm welcome when I rode up and rang their doorbell.  The older boys took me out back to look over the defunct tractor and, after deciding it needed gas, tools, and a voltmeter to check it out, we walked back to the front of their house.
My recumbent bike was swarming with kiddos; twisting levers, pushing buttons, and generally smothering the weather-beaten bike with attention.  If I'd had my wits about me (Very rare) I would have pulled out my cell phone and got some pictures of them crawling all over it.  The only girl in the family, age 3 or so, loudly proclaimed her firm belief "Trikes are Better than Bikes!" at least 13 times as all of her siblings, including her, admired the clunky recumbent.  As I was saddling up to leave, she again announced this firm sentiment, well louder than her less-opinionated brethren.  As I rode away from the house they began screaming "BYE! BYYYYYEEE!  Later, Alligator! Etc.!" until I was well out of sight.  What a fun bunch.  Jacque and I keep warning them we're going to snatch one or two of their little twerps, since they have so many they'd never miss them, etc, etc.
Weather today was a bit overcast, providing partial shelter from the baking sun of recent weeks... when it's not raining.
I still lathered on the sunblock.  This stuff is so thick it looks like I've rubbed toothpaste all over my arms.
How do you tell if you have enough sunblock on?

When Your Arms are Covered with Dead Bugs?

I get a kick from some of the signs I encounter riding around, and signs directed to cyclists are almost always some of the silliest there are.
This one is out in the middle of nowhere, on a road that is well used for cycling by dozens, if not hundreds, daily....

Bike Route..... BEGIN?

There is nothing different before or after this sign, the bike lane or wide shoulder is nice and well used by cyclists going both ways, and there is absolutely nothing that is a destination or interest point for cyclists... or motorists for that matter.  Sigh.
By the time I got close to home I wanted a few more miles to burn off some more of my too-high A1C, so I rode on west past our turnoff to the Post Office and then the East Mountain Refreshment Spot, more commonly known as the Shell Station, for an ice cream sandwich to get that A1C back up there. 
I guess one of their employees drives this low-slung little buggy with a bumper snicker I had to go back for....

Ride Started:  9:59 AM    Ride Ended:  1:05 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  14.0       Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp  78 F      Highest Temp:  84 F 
Stats from the GPS:    Total Miles:  14.41
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  5.5 MPH                               8.6 MPH                    26.2 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 Hours 36 mins                     1 hour 40 mins           56 minutes