Logging with a Trike?

A dear neighbor not far up  the street gave me some small tree trimmings from her yard for firewood recently.  I procrastinated picking them up for several days....
Thursday, yesterday, 30 July, I decided I wanted to take another trike ride.  As I approached the main road leading west out of the city limits, I
 noticed her house only a few hundred feet further up the hill, and I remembered I still had not hauled her wood to my house for conversion into firewood for my little garage stove.  I really had planned to take a nice ride around the area to rack up a few miles, and it took me a few minutes pausing at the intersection to weigh things in my feeble brain.
I decided I needed to haul that wood away, and I WANTED to ride my trike.  I thought to myself that I could likely hitch up my bike trailer and see if it could be used to haul the relatively short hunks of wood.  So I turned around and pedaled back to our garage to drag out the trailer and hitch it up.
Unfortunately, for tired legs, pulling the trike and trailer uphill, even this slight grade, required a rapid descent through the gears to Grandma Gear, the lowest and slowest. 
Sure enough, I was able to load the trailer with several pieces of wood.  I'd call them logs but worry about sane folks laughing at me.
I could only load and carry a few at a time, so I made 3 or 4 trips back and forth before finishing.
Thank goodness it was DOWN hill all the way home with the heavy loads.
Even so, it generated a lot of sweat in this Missouri heat and humidity.  And this was a COOLER day with a few clouds protecting me from the solar heat.
Great exercise, likely  more than if I'd taken my intended nice long ride.
But I still waddle when I walk.

Ride Started:    12.29 PM      Ride Ended:  1:16 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.6  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0

Beginning Blood Glucose:  111      Ending BG:75

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles: 1.63 (quarter-mile several trips)
Distance Walked: .6 mile
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  2.2 MPH(!)                           4.8 MPH              22.6 MPH

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
 45 minutes                          20 minutes           25 minutes

More Shocking Stuff

Another Ride Around Mountain Grove

My trike ride this morning was actually successful in that I found some Diet Root Beer actually in stock, but it wasn't at the W.M. Big Box Store:  Town & Country Market up on the freeway exit had several in stock and at a decent price.
This day was cooler because of partial cloudiness and a bit less humidity, AND the breeze was quite stiff.  I'm riding low on this recumbent trike so the wind doesn't bother much even when it's head-on.  In this climate we LIKE wind since it helps cool things off a bit.
I got a fair amount of work accomplished after I got home.  We bought a VERY used Craftsman riding mower a month or so ago for the screaming "bargain" of $100 cash.  The seller at the yard sale said all it needed was a battery, and when he jump-started it for us, we paid him pronto.  It has yet to cut a blade of grass since so much of the cutting deck is in bad shape.  I finally broke open the new box of deck pulleys and parts (another $100 - Plus investment) and had it all assembled and then when I cleaned more of the coated grass and gunk off it I discovered a huge vibration crack that will require welding repair.  More bucks.  We will have a sizable investment of money and who-knows-how much time and labor by the time it actually  starts cutting grass.
Later in the evening I ran the chainsaw to cut up some fallen limbs for firewood for the garage stove when cold weather finally comes back (Hoping?).
I learned (at MY age) another new pearl of wisdom:
DON'T operate a chainsaw wearing only shorts.  Don't even think about it.  Anybody who does is stupid.  Ouch.

Ride Started:   9:42 AM      Ride Ended:  10:46 AM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0
Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0
Beginning Blood Glucose: 148 Ending BG: 130

Lowest Temp:  75 F    Highest Temp:    78 F

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Usual Dog Potty Trips)

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles: 5.00

Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  4.6 MPH                              6.3 MPH               22.0 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 4 mins                    47 minutes           17  minutes

Morning Shopping Run

Predictabe Routing Around Mountain Grove

My most recent "discovery" has been that MORNING triking provides more benefit than later in the day.... Not only that, but the heat and resulting fatigue are less overwhelming.  My blood sugar is lower for the rest of the day and I actually have to back off my insulin pump dosage rate the rest of the day AND night to avoid too-low blood glucose readings.
So, for the last few mornings I've ridden every day a few miles instead of missing.  We'll have to see how long this behavior lasts...
Anywho, first I loaded up the trike B.O.B. trailer with all the flattened cardboard boxes we've accumulated in the last few weeks.  Jacque tasked me to also take a package to be mailed to one of our nieces who just had TWINS.
We have a local cardboard recycler / collector where we take cardboard, which I hate to just throw away.  Never found anyone in attendance there; just big trailers almost full of cardboard for the occasional visitor to make deposits in.
Again, nobody was home at the cardboard accumulators, and I rode on to the UPS place on the more - northern end of town.  I was Shocked at the cost of shipping a small parcel weighing only a few ounces:  THIRTEEN bucks.  I forked over the money but will be using the Post Office Parcel Post options in the future.
I then crossed the overpass crossing US 60  to the Big Box Store with the initials W.M. in hopes of finding some Diet Root Beer, which for some reason they are always out of stock recently, undoubtedly due to the steaming hot weather evident all over the country.  Sure 'nuff, they were still out of stock again today, so I bought a baking item for Jacque and took the return route to home.
I also learned that waiting until just before noon has little advantage over later in the day.  I must better motivate myself -
So now I've rested and have no excuse to avoid getting something useful done around the house.  BAH

Ride Started:   11:04 AM      Ride Ended:  12:44 AM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2
Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0
Beginning Blood Glucose: 168 Ending BG: 133

Lowest Temp:  75 F    Highest Temp:    82 F

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles: 6.23

Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  3.7 MPH                              7.0 MPH               21.9 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 41 mins                    54 minutes           48  minutes

Whoa, it was HOT today...

A Route Not Taken Recently

(This denotes Saturday, 11 July 2020)

The last couple of rides I've taken on the trike were earlier in the day, like even before Noon.  I may have to change my lazy habits and make a habit of riding earlier in the day.  Not only is it (of course) cooler then, but my blood sugar does better the rest of the day, instead of crashing dangerously low at night when I'm asleep.
Today was a degree or so "colder" than recently but it FELT much more uncomfortable.  Heat index, something or other, everybody felt it and did not enjoy.
I decided to ride out to our famous "Memorial Airport" and take the long route back.  The day was hot, as mentioned, and the shade trees at the airport entrance were a welcome cooling rest for the already-weary feet for a few minutes.  This airport has never shown any activity that I've seen.  There are a couple of hangars there and occasionally a door will be open exposing a plane set up for spraying crops, but I've never seen one in action.  But the shade trees are nice.
A couple miles farther than I normally ride recently, but that's a good thing.  More miles and more carbs burned.
Speaking of feet.  Mine have been feeling a tad better recently and I've been able to stand and work longer on them - little by little.  Wonderful stuff, feeling better.  God is Great.

Ride Started:   8:57 AM      Ride Ended:  10:26 AM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2
 Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0

Beginning Blood Glucose: 133 Ending BG: 89
Lowest Temp:  78 F    Highest Temp:    86 F

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:  7.10

Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  4.8 MPH                              7.4 MPH               25.5 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 29 mins                    57 minutes           31  minutes

Doodling Around Town

Today's Track of Wanderings via GPS & Ham Radio

My most recent doctor consultation (Over the Phone) included an admonition to "Stay Active" and "Keep Riding".  Advice I'm certainly willing to take and advice I should probably improve upon.
The temperatures have been pretty high and the humidity/heat index as well recently, but today we started out hot and around noonish we had one of those sudden downpours that POURED rain for about 15 minutes and then faded away.  So we almost got soaked, but the rest of the day was noticeably cooler, at least by a little bit.
I finally dragged the trike out of the garage just before 7 PM and got going.  The ride was quite pleasant, and I seemed to enjoy less foot pain this time, which is a wonderful thing even if temporary or imaginary.
Instead of taking my semi-normal "ride around the city center" route, I zigzagged around a few corners and turns and back streets I don't normally ride, while trying to stay close to the outer perimeter of the city center to run up some miles.
The end result was not much different than my "normal" daily mileage:  Around 5 miles.

Ride Started:   6:38 PM      Ride Ended:  7:28 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.7  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0
Beginning Blood Glucose: 127   Ending BG: 49

Lowest Temp:  75 F    Highest Temp:    78 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:  5.56

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  7.2  MPH                           7.8 MPH               19.0 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  46 minutes                          42 minutes           3 minutes

Hot Day Cool Ride

Today's Riding Route Recorded via APRS and Ham Radio

It got a wee bit hot today - in the 90's according to our porch thermometer.
Jacque wanted to wait for later in the early evening to cool a bit, but I found an excuse to take off about 4:30 when it was still hot.  After delivering some paperwork to our financial advisor a few blocks distant, I rode on northward and wound up going the Wally World way, spent some money in that Big Box store, and took the long way home.
Heat like today is uncomfortable, but as long as the breeze is generated in my face instead of following me and canceling out the benefit, keeping moving helps cool off at least a little.
I got a call earlier today from one of my Vets Administration doctors and he asked if I was "Still Physically Active", and I told him Yes, so I was motivated to take a ride today from that commitment at least.  He told me physical activity was one of the best ways to maintain health, so another motivation....
Got lots of waves from passing motorists today and a couple of young cyclists.
Good Stuff.

Ride Started:   4:24 PM      Ride Ended:  5:42 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.5  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0
Beginning Blood Glucose: 227   Ending BG: 61

Lowest Temp:  81 F    Highest Temp:    90 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   6.83

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  5.2  MPH                           7.6 MPH               19.5 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  1 hour 18 mins                  53 minutes           24 minutes

Getting HOT and Muggy

Thursday's Travels
Friday's 12-Miler Route

I  broke my wood splitter maul a few days ago, for who knows how many times previous.  It's all steel, including the handle, and was advertised as "indestructible", inaccurately.  I've broken the handle - just splitting wood - more than once before, and have had it successfully welded back together.
Splitting wood is a necessity around here, with all the monster trees growing everywhere including our yard, so I asked around and found a guy who does part time welding who has a good reputation.
He had told me over the phone to bring it to his house today, at 10:00 AM, and even though he's farther away than I've been riding lately, I considered it a good excuse to hitch up the B.O.B. bike trailer and haul the heavy monster on a trike ride.
With the help of the cell phone map and the outdated GPS on the trike, I finally found his house out on the far west end of town.  I was a bit startled to encounter his 2 loose hound dogs who, of course, raised the alarm and rushed toward me for the attack.  Once close to me, thankfully, they turned into beggar doggies, wanting me to pet and adore them, and REALLY got mushy with me as I dug out a cookie to eat to build up enough energy for the trip home.
Welder-Guy told me he would have to take some time to get it done, and that I should return home and wait for him to call back.
Of course, he called back while I was still on the road about 3/4 of the way home.  I was of course "bushed" by then, so I went on home, rested my aching feets, and took the gas powered Ford Exploder back to his place.
I had expected to pay in the neighborhood of $20 or less, but the tab was actually 30 bucks, for a weld repair on a maul that sells for maybe twice or 3 times that price. brand new.
Since then, I've used the maul enough to wear myself out today, and it's holding up well, but when and if it breaks again:
- I'm NOT going to repair it again, and
- I'm NOT using this welder-guy again.  He's good but too pricey for this old man.
This trike trip was a tad over 12 miles, and of course it lowered my blood sugar.  A LOT.   I've been dealing with low sugars all day since then.  Which, to me, is preferable to  dealing with High sugars most of the time.
Often, including today, a vehicle will pass me and I will get a loud BARK! BARK! from  a dog with his head out the window as they pass.  Great Stuff.

Ride Started:   9:51 AM      Ride Ended:  11:09 AM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0  Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0   Lowest Voltage:  13.0

Beginning Blood Glucose: Unk   Ending BG: Unk

Lowest Temp:  75 F    Highest Temp:    83 F

Stats from the GPS:  Total Miles:   12.26

Distance Walked: .6 mile (Dog Potty Trips)
Overall Average Speed       Moving Avg          Max Speed
  4.5)  MPH                           7.4 MPH               20.3 MPH 

Total Trip Time                   Moving Time        Stopped  Time
  2 hours 44 mins                1 hour 39 mins     1 hour 5 mins