Sunny Stormy Weather - and several in between

Friday GPX Route-Path Tracking 

Saturday - Almost the Same 

We are still surviving without a petroleum - powered car.  I could mention we also don't have the use of an electric car, but those types of cars burn petroleum as well, since much of the electric power used to charge them comes from our wonderful electrical system, which in most areas is provided by natural gas, diesel, or coal powered generators.  You ask "What about Wind and Solar?"
Well, those are great sources of power too, but not at all reliable during darkness, storms, or windless times, and are invariably backed up or augmented by - Petroleum.  Don't get ME started, I'm low on gas myself.
SO, when our wonderful friends loan us a car or drive us somewhere, we can go further and haul more junk to and from home.  Without our gas-burner for over 2 weeks now, I find it necessary to pedal the trike around, oft-times with trailer towed behind, to pick up prescriptions, groceries, building materials, yada yada.
I'm beginning to wonder just a little bit if it's as much "fun" to HAVE to use the trike instead of the usual thinking up excuses to ride.
Whatever, as long as nobody runs over me, it's beneficial for this old bod to undergo such minor stresses.
Our spring weather has been rainy, windy, sunny, cold, and warm.  N-O-R-M-A-L.
Two days ago I rode to pick up some building materials, then later to pick up a prescription on the north end of town.
Yesterday, all I needed was to purchase a bag of potatoes for my marvelous wife-cook, and the desired grocery venue is only a couple blocks away.  Ten pounds of spuds is no big deal normally, but without the trike B.O.B. trailer it would be rather difficult to carry the stuff home.  I needed more exercise than a few blocks around the square, so I took the long way around town instead of  just going directly back home.

If this trailer can haul logs, it can do a 10 pound sack of spuds!

The B.O.B. trailer has a steel mesh floor.  I didn't want the taters to get too bumped and  bruised as I encountered our many potholes and pavement bumps, so I dug around in my saddle bags to see if I had anything that might absorb the shocks of street riding.  I found my woolen pullover face/skull cap used when the weather is REALLY bitter.  It turned out to have enough 'stretch' to surround the entire bag of spuds nicely, so I used my cargo strap and bungee cords to tie it down.
No problems encountered.  Got home safe and sound, Blood Glucose was 93.
Jacque didn't have to smack me for destroying any of the groceries.

And today our wonderful friends are loaning us their spare vehicle again for a day or two.   Life is GOOD.  Still praying for our mechanics' benefit as they labor to get OURS running again.  

Ride Started: 4:02 PM           Ride Ended: 4:58 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp: 57 F Highest Temp: 78 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  121   Ending BG: 93
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.72
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
 4.9 MPH                              7.1 MPH            16.8 MPH
Total Trip(s) Time                Moving Time      Stopped Time
 56  minutes                          40 minutes         18 minutes

Hurray, Another Sunny Day

 Today's GPS/Ham Radio Tracking

More items to pick up at our Big Box Store, and the day was again nice, so away I went again pedaling the trike.... very handy since we are still without a running petroleum powered vehicle.
I did the usual route, and before I departed the Big Box parking lot, I checked my Blood Glucose (BG) and found it was a tad low.  I again popped a Glucose Tablet, suspended my insulin pump, and started for home.   I had only gotten a couple hundred yards and got stopped at the light on the overpass at Highway 60.  I felt "guilty" about having the pump not doing anything, so while waiting for the green light, I set the basal rate to 50% and rode onward.

I had only pedaled another hundred yards or so when I started feeling "punk", so I stopped to check my BG again.  Bummers:  It was 69, a bit low.  So I suspended the pump again and rode home.
I must be going through some sort of change in my metabolism or whatever.  For over 20 years being on an insulin pump, I have seldom experienced the sudden drops and dangerous lows in my blood sugar.
On many occasions I have seen my BG in the low 20's and 30's (at one time it tested at 18) without experiencing blackouts or loss of function.  Prior to recent changes, I was always able to eat or drink something sweet and quickly recover.
Since my comatose episode in December, I have ceased being casual about keeping track of  BG.
Months and years ago, 69 would have given me no worry whatever.  Now my endocrinologist sets my pump to maintain my BG from a low of 80 to a high of 120.  Most all non-diabetic people I have ever tested with my tester have invariably shown a reading of 65 or so. 
If I don't ride the trike, I get tired doing other work, such as house remodels, plumbing, wiring, lumber, etc, but such non-riding efforts don't seem to  drop my BG nearly as much - NOR give me the privilege of feeling better, sleeping better, etc.
So now I'm a worry wart.  Oh Well.

Ride Started: 11:04 PM           Ride Ended: 12:56 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp: 57 F Highest Temp: 78 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  157   Ending BG: 69
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.3
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
 3.5 MPH                              5.9 MPH            21.6 MPH
Total Trip(s) Time                Moving Time      Stopped Time
 1 hour 46  minutes            1 hour 3 minutes     43 minutes

 

DECENT WEATHER ! Old Fart RIDES

 Monday's Sunny GPS/Ham Radio Tracking

Monday (15 March 2021) dawned a bit foggy at first but quickly turned into a nice, unusual, sunny day.
I had more work to do on the new washing machine drain for Jacque's upcoming sewing room, so I prioritized that first, but hoping to get done early enough to go for a decent trike ride.
I've missed a lot of riding recently, what with the nasty weather, plumbing work, and whathaveyou.
With Jacque's encouragement I worked with a will to get done with the plumbing and get out the beloved 
Catrike from the garage.  I had planned to do my preferred "around-town" route to get in at least 5 miles.
When Jacque mentioned she had a prescription ready at our local Big Box Store, I readily accepted that assignment as well.  I also had a couple items to pick up.
This being my first "decent" pedal-ride in a week or so, I really enjoyed the cruise, even in spite of the gusty breezes encountered.  Lying back on the low-slung trike evidently doesn't cut much wind.
I noticed I had to ride a tad slower than usual - evidence of the need to do MORE riding for pleasure AND exercise.
I rode to the northernmost end of our small town, first to Ace Hardware, then to the nearby Big Box Store.

Having completed my "shopping", I readied for the trip home.  
After my recent experience of deep diabetic shock at nearly the same location several weeks ago, I thought it wise to check my blood sugar before starting for home.  Sure enough, it was a bit on the low side (90).    My strategy this time was to pop a glucose tablet (a recent addition to my emergency supplies) AND suspended my insulin pump from  pumping anything while I rode home.
It wasn't a bad strategy, since my BG was only 130 when I got back.  Of course I re-activated the insulin pump, just in time to run it out of insulin and require a reload and relocation of my infusion set somewhere on my outer gut.
What really surprised me was the beneficial effect of this ride.  I ate a hearty dinner before bed, slept longer and better than I have in months, AND my miserable sore diabetic neuropathic feet didn't keep me awake most of the night.  I usually wake up several times each night, but last night only awoke at 5:00 AM.  Very unusual for this decrepit old fart.

Ride Started: 3:46 PM           Ride Ended: 5:22 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp: 64 F Highest Temp: 75 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  116   Ending BG: 130
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.54
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
 4.1 MPH                              7.5 MPH            24.2 MPH
Total Trip Time                    Moving Time      Stopped Time
 1 hour  minutes                    52 minutes         44 minutes

Rainy Riding

 Short Wet GPS Tracking

We still do not have a usable fuel powered vehicle to get around in.  Our Ford Exploder's transmission died several days ago and we were stranded along the roadway; called Little Billy's Towing for rescue, and dropped the undriveable buggy off at Childers Auto Repair .    
Unfortunately for us, though Childers is our preferred shop, they were extremely backed up with repair work resulting from the recent "Polar Vortex" AND the inability to get much work done on existing repair jobs DUE to the horrible weather.  Thus we were informed they could not possibly even start on replacing the transmission until the 16th of this month (March).  Well that's up in a couple days and hopefully they will soon get our ride running again.
Meanwhile, we were blessed with a loaner car from dear Church friends for a few days.  Then they had family visitors arriving and needed that car back, so we have been riding trikes and walking and staying mostly home.
Of course we had warmer but wetter weather to deal with, so not much could be accomplished by "getting out" anyway.
Jacque's new sewing room addition suddenly began, with foundation digging work going full steam...
Until the weather got wet again and washed our workmen away, figuratively of course.
I had committed to installing new plumbing to move the washer and dryer into the new room when it gets to the point of being relatively out of the weather, and I managed to get a lot of the galvanized pipe installed in the basement, with stubs poking out in the wall that will be an inside wall of the sewing room.  I struggled to cut and thread the necessary galvanized pipe for the hot and cold water lines, and finally got them where I wanted them.   Trying to figure out how to run the washing machine drain, I realized I had some 1 1/4" PVC pipe in the back yard that should work.  It wasn't quite long enough, so I decided to drag out the Catrike and B.O.B. trailer and see if I could successfully drag or haul the 10 foot length of pipe home from the CHC Home Center several blocks away.  I actually made two such trips to CHC for galvanized pipe  fittings and then the PVC haul.

My PVC Pipe stuck way out from the back of the trailer but somehow didn't touch the pavement.

It was a bit damp and drizzly during these "trips" but I was able to get some more work done !

Ride Started: 12:01 PM           Ride Ended: 4:55 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp: 50 F Highest Temp: 59 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  158   Ending BG: 127 
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 2.8
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
 2.2 MPH                              4.8 MPH            13.2 MPH
Total Trip(s) Time                Moving Time      Stopped Time
  42  minutes                        30 minutes          Hours and Hours

Sudden Springtime ?!?

 Short Tracking for Thursday

Worldwide Weather.  Something to confuse us, bless us, even sometimes destroy us.  "Polar Vortex".
Can we say that phrase slowly without grimacing?  Not me.

We've endured at least a couple weeks (it seems, anyway) of freezing and below ZERO temperatures, ice, fog, freezing rain, and of course, ice.  
NOT great weather for pedaling around town, regardless of how many layers applied to the body.  
Snowbanks on each side of the streets, plowed or otherwise, leave no room for pedaling safely on the shoulder.  So we mostly stayed home and tried to keep warm.
Unlike Texas and Oklahoma and a few other areas, including nearby Springfield, we NEVER lost electricity, natural gas, or water.  Not much water, anyway.  The small copper tubing feeding the refrigerator ice maker froze up for a couple days, so I thawed it out with low voltage high current electricity connected to each end.  No leaks and the ice cleared in about a minute or two.
The outside "frost free" faucet was another story.  Been here almost 3 years and never worried about exterior faucets or the normal need for disconnecting attached hoses etc. during winter months.  Ours turned out to have REALLY busted from freezing.   Thankfully it only leaked when turned on, since the freeze - break was outside the actual valve seat.  That involved a couple trips to the hardware store and some unwelcome trips crawling under the house.  All fixed OK, just in time for....
SUDDEN warm weather!!  What a shock.  SEVENTY degrees and sunshine the next day after a below - zero night.
So, of course, I finally was able to drag out the pedal-trike and go for a ride. 
Of course our driveway was a messy mush due to the many freeze / thaw cycles it's been through with freezing rain and melting snow.  So I had to drag the trike backwards through the slush to get to the street where the mostly clear pavement provided traction.  (Of course I DID try pedaling the trike through the snow;  no apparent traction).  Rode the trike clear across town for some glorious exercise, WITHOUT a coat.  I confess I was wearing a brand new flannel shirt Jacque just made for me, and it actually got a bit cool during the ride, especially when the wind was in my face,  but still.  After all the miserable subzero weather that seemed like it was going to never end.  A couple of warmer nights followed, but still cool.   Wednesday and today, Thursday, I also used the trike for a couple short trips.
But we're all familiar with Weather.  No telling for sure WHAT it's going to do from hour to hour.

February Sunshine ?

FRUSTRATION.

Our near - nationwide Polar Vortex has caused deep snow, ice, and lack of sunshine for 10 days or so in a row this last couple weeks.  As noted earlier, my diabetic blood glucose has suffered from the lack of enthusiastic exercise.  Yesterday I  decided to shovel snow to clear pathways for our dogs to go potty outside, us to get to the car more easily, and of course to make it easier for our faithful mailman to cross the yard and get to the house.

Surprisingly. the SUN came out the last 2 days and the snow is slow to recede since the outside temperature didn't get above 28 or so yesterday and it was well into the afternoon for it to crack 40 degrees today.

I decided to remodel our basement light situation and as I was gathering tools and stuff I realized I needed a couple of outlet boxes.  I thought I might actually pedal the trike the short distance to the nearest local lumber / hardware store, since the streets were mostly clear.  

I walked through the crusty snow out to the street and thought Why Not.

It was so relatively warm I didn't have to bundle up much, but as I tried to pedal my way across the hardened snow to the paved street, I lost traction almost immediately.  I almost gave up the project but kept rocking the trike back and forth until I was finally able to get out in the street pavement and take off.
It was a short trip and didn't take a lot of time, especially since the store evidently had recently re-stocked and had a nice, visible. easily found selection of what I needed.

On the way back home I shot a short GoPro video of the streets.

As shown, there's still substantial snow all around, and the pavement shoulders are not too available, but this was a less than a mile ride anyway.  Home safe and sound.

Great exercise in spite of the short ride.  Must have been due to the fighting in the snow.

Blood glucose dropped to 47 when I arrived so I "had" to take a snack break.

Ride Started: 2:25 PM           Ride Ended: 2:46 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5   Ending Battery Voltage:  13.5
Lowest Temp: 32 F Highest Temp: 37 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  108   Ending BG: 47 (Whew)
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: .82
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
 2.2 MPH                              4.8 MPH            15.2 MPH
Total Trip Time                    Moving Time      Stopped Time
  22  minutes                        10 minutes          12 minutes

Side Note:  A Sure Sign your RV has been parked too long:

                                          Icicles are proof we should have gone to Yuma for the winter

Mercy, It's Cold Outside

 Today's Frigid GPS Tracking 

Today was another damp cold day - I doubt it got above freezing all day.
The weather forecast called for the SUN to burn through the cold around noonish.
Of course noon came and went with no sign of sunlight.  Another check of the so-called forecast claimed the sunshine had been postponed until 2;30 to 3:00 PM.  
Well, THAT milestone came and went and still no sun.  I looked outside again and no precip was evident, in spite of the soggy fog, so I decided to saddle up, bundle up, and ride somewhere anyway.
Jacque had a text message that she had a prescription waiting for her, so that was a wonderful "reason" for a trike trip.
I should have bundled up a bit more.  I didn't freeze, but I was a bit too cold for comfort in spite of the heat normally generated by pedaling furiously.  It was COLD. 
But, I had an errand to run, so I kept a-going.
I was going to the Big Box Store to pick up Jacque's prescription, and I had a small item I was looking for as well.
I approached the pharmacist and after an unusually short wait, spelled out the name and birthdate and all that..... To NO avail.  Pharmacist lady says "We don't show anything for her."  After making sure she had the last name spelled correctly, I called Jacque - who verified the text she'd received was a couple days old AND did not specify a medication.
So I thanked the nice lady and wandered around the Big Box looking for my desired two-bit item.
After maybe 20 minutes of looking, I gave up and left.
On the way home I got several waves and several looks from folks who seemed to think I was crazy.
Frankly, I think they were right.  It was great to get out, stretch the old legs, and get some exercise.
I had a last thought about making use of the trip:  I rode past my favorite barber (Murphy's) to see if he might accidentally be open on a Monday. 
No such luck, of course.
The good news:  Made it home safe and sound, with fingers and toes still intact.

Ride Started: 3:02 PM           Ride Ended: 4:06 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.8
Lowest Temp: 32 F Highest Temp: 35 F
Beginning Blood Glucose: 182    Ending BG: 112
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.36
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
 4.9 MPH                              8.0 MPH            23.0 MPH
Total Trip Time                    Moving Time      Stopped Time
 1 hour 4  minutes                41 minutes          24 minutes