100's and 100's of miles....

Miscellaneous Pictures

Radioactive Soleinuminun fallen to earth from the planet Querin

Blind River

Feeding Station for Hogs and Deer and Chubracabras

Jefferson Davis Pkwy

ME

Me

Blind River

Spillway/Bayou Trapanigier

Corp record of gates opened and closed

Tree stuck in the wall.

Manresa Mansion

Horse and I stop for lunch...

beautiful scenic relaxing grounds

Rows of Oaks

Crucifix at the end of the Row..

Taking a mental break.

Fish are Jumping and the River is high

Very High

Spillway flooded.

Ghost bike on Tammany Trace

How do you get hit at a 4 way stop on the Tammany Trace.

Rest in Peace,,,,this one wasn't in the newspaper.

River still high

Bikes Yield to Pedestrians and they both yield to horses, WHAT???

Spillway Road Flooded

Spillway

Spillway Closed

River Still High

Asked this giy to come out for a photo... he refused.

Adult and Adolescent Raccoon.

If you ride too slow, this is what happens

Waiting on the next slow rider.

Pretty color for water.... from the River, you know where our drinking water comes from

Lakeshore Bike path

Lakeshore bike path

Catholic school in the east

Same school

Lake path again

The alligator saw things my way after a forced extraction

Forcast calls for Pain

The forecast called for pain, headed out on a east side 100 miles, down the lake , lakeshore drive,
got to the Seabrook , I normally take Press St to Gentilly Blvd then the Danzinger bridge to 90,,,, Hadn't ever crossed the Seabrook on bike ,only in a car, the sign said walk your bike, I obeyed like a chump, all walking across the Seabrook does is lengthen the time your a target for cars going 80 miles per hour. On the downside I had enough , jumped in the saddle, already put 20 miles under my belt, speeding down the Seabrook ,no one told me the water drainage grates were parallel with no cross pieces, consequently my front wheel engaged, stopped, while me and the bike I was strapped in kept going , over the handle bars, the good news is my face took the brunt, "'its a tough face", my shatter resistant sunglasses did just that pushed into my face and welted up my cheek, cement took care of the rest, I got a close look at the little rocks imbedded in the cement. ,  my head was saved by helmet, helmet cracked, saved my life, don't ride without one.. When I regained consciousness 3 people stopped to help me, I thank them, I needed help,
got to my feet, shook it off, thanked them, can't tell you what they looked like , was still fuzzy, walked to the bottom of the bridge, found shade under the overpass, took inventory: A, I can walk  B.I can talk, C, I can see, D. blood pouring out my nose ,face is bloodied,  E. Finger probably broken,  F. red kerchief is ok.
G. St Michael the Archangel Jersey didn't save me, can't blame him....
Opened the first aid kit, used Wet Ones to clean face,,,want to be pretty,  put cotton in nose to stop bleeding, taped 2 left hand bottom fingers together. felt better.  Climbed back in the seat, felt ok,
used the left brake and shifter with tapped hand , felt ok, no reason not to carry on .
Hit Hayne blvd, till it dead ended, knew I was following the lake, "My intention", took a right at the end of Hayne Blvd and soon discovered cars passing me at 80 miles per hour, the sign says I-510, whoops!, took the next exit, Lake Forrest Blvd , finally made it to Highway 90. Felt relieved, escaped death twice so far,
at the Rigolets Bridge I stopped and took a few pics, nose stopped bleeding,, down to hwy 433 along Salt Bayou , beautiful ride, especially if you enjoy boats on trailers flying by at 60 miles per hour and no shoulder, hit down town Slidell, crossed over, decided to go to a friends house in Eden Idles, can't get there from here, went around Slidell to Hwy 11, the to the back of Eden Isles, the front is on the interstate,
crossed the whole subdivision, beautiful place, found my friends house, stopped to take a breather,, the Seabrook was 45 miles behind me figure I'm over it , history, sitting the his veranda, his wife came out and asked if I wanted a drink or an ambulance,, she brought me a mirror,,ugly, took my glove off , hand was twice normal size, I headed for my bike , "Where you going?" going home, "no way",  so they convinced me to call Marie to pick me up there and go to a clinic, she did so , went to a clinic, the doc laughed and said pick a hospital ,any hospital, but go to one. We went home , I cleaned up , ate something , changed clothes, didn't want Marie to spend all that time at the hospital , I figured I'd go alone and if it was late  just take a nap, I wasn't there long, CT scan of head, no damaged bones , couldn't find a brain of appreciable size, hand x ray, broken 5th metacarpal,,
Great ride, 65 mile ride ,  trip to hospital , visit with friend in Eden Idles, . 4 weeks in cast, next week is 4th week, start riding again next week, Hey their not all pretty, sometime the forecast calls for pain...... 

b

Can;'t get that left eye open.

On the Rigolets bridge

Whats worse, the weather or my face.

broken helmet

got a green cast to match my Green Lantern Ring.

Shredded and bloody glove....

already have screws in this hand..

grew bigger as the night progressed,,,,got me through those 45 miles,,,

Thunderstorm 100 (100.33 miles)

Finally the weather seemed like cooperating,,, got up at 6 am. hit the street before 7,
sunshine, perfect temperature, clear skies, felt great, decided to try 100.  Not really in shape for it but I've learned at this point it's more mental than physical, Its a Zen thing,  I'm mentally ready, the body has no choice but to come along. Packed 12 Gatorades, 3 pbj's, protein juice, cookies, jello, trail mix,cheese,  all the important stuff, first aid kit, tools, poncho, compass, plenty sandwich bags in case it sprinkles... Aired my tires, lubed my chain, packed , I'm gone,...To the river , which is a little high, rode the river levee through Norco,sucked up sulfur  in case I have an infection, through the dust bowl, was sprayed with  water to keep the dust down, love the smell of  grain dust in the morning , smells like victory, , till you light a match, then the spillway... Wasn't sure of status, if the road is closed I'll have to go to Airline Hwy, cross the bridge over the spillway, bad thoughts, it's a ride of death, , luckily reaching the edge of the spillway I see the road has some water on it, but is still open..Shoot down the levee, travel the road below, I note the model airplane people have picked up their bathrooms, tables, and are prepared for a flooding,  the water is flowing through but hasn't covered the road one side to the other anywhere,  I take my normal route, railroad road to Airline , its there the vultures are in session picking times for a pool  on when I'll be available, up to Old Hwy 51, through the beautiful neighborhood under the interstate, my first goal, Hwy 51 north, a long lonely desolate abandoned highway, plenty of wildlife, dead frogs, dead opossums, dead racoons, dead snakes, dead vultures, dead gangsters, dead turtles, dead alligators, dead crickets, dead beer cans, dead tires... It's  an easy ride, it's a long ride, the scenery doesn't change till  Manchac Pass. Manchac pass connects lake Maurapaus with Lake Pontchartrain, Hwy 51 bridge over the pass is very tall, very narrow and it's railings very low, I always stop atop, take pictures,  it's a neat place to see as far as you can see.About 5 miles pass the bridge is 50 miles from home , turnaround point , my phone is buzzing, need a break anyway, it's a weather warning, severe thunderstorm in Pontchatoula,, 4 miles north of where I'm  standing , headed south east.,that's me, time to go , feeling sprinkles, stopped again to put mp3 in sandwich bag, telephone in neck bag, all is sealed , ready for what's in store, I could smell it, I could sense it in the wind, animals sought shelter, trees fluttered , boats swayed, tumbleweeds came rolling by, a weather channel van drove by, I knew I was in for it,, reaching the Manchac bridge, I note the top is not matching the dark clouds, it's like a flourscent white, I have no choice , I have to cross this bridge to go home, the sprinkle is now rain , just rain , I shift to lower gears and start up the bridge, no traffic, the world left me there to die alone, as I breach the top,  all is white, the cross wind blows me to the left lane, I assume a low profile returning to the right side, hail , driven rain pelt me,I'm facing a white wall of wind,rain, hail, debris, fear, I squint my eyes and punch through it , punching through it was across the bridge top aiming for the park below, suddenly a cow flew by, nice Guernsey, piece of a boat, an acoustic guitar signed by Darren Murphy,  a baseball card picturing the 1964 Pittsburgh Pirates, an aluminum lawn chair with green netting, and a Ravi Shankar album cover..I dodged them all and worked my way to the bottom of the bridge aiming for the little shelter of the lakeside park, as I roll on to flat ground I was glad to see Truman Gandhi in his rain poncho swinging  a keroscene lantern directing me to the shelter, his rain hat covered his face but his glowing eyes were visible , scary but reassuring. The little shelter did little to stop the elements from pounding me like a under inflated football . I relaxed a few minutes, absorbed the trauma, decided to capitalize , I'm drenched, lightening missed me twice, the wind is blowing my direction 30 miles an hour, get on the bike , get on the highway, swept away , flying on highway 51, knocked out 10 miles in no time, the driving rain was inconsequential , I approached the Rudock boat launch , another storm approached, white wind, solid rain, parallel rain , I stopped under I-55 with a group of scared travelers whom exited the interstate and sought shelter under it, this amazed me since I was on a bike, a young couple on a motorcycle, pretty young skinny blonde girl, her driver in sloppy jeans, tattoos all over, skulls everywhere, partially bald, chains on his belt loop not connected to anything, scuffed up work boots, smoking a cheap cigarette, I wanted to say "what?", but didn't , her tight jeans worn where they rub the motorcycle, her heavy leather sandals, shiney teeth, a dirty sweatshirt, but a face of raw beauty, her eyes that had a story to tell of  life before the guy standing next to her, she told me they were on the way to Tennessee, I noted a tent strapped to the cycle, he regretted the weather but both were very accepting, nice to talk to , I wished them the best, suddenly a giant lady from a van approached me, she was bewildered, "where was I going ?" , she asked, "back home to Metairie" I replied, " how far you riding", she fired back, "100 miles", I was getting scared , I think she could throw me over a fence if she wanted to ,  she ask one last question, "how old are you?", "64" I meekly answer, she bowed her head down , shook it in awe , and recited "Oh my God", all the way back to the van, by now the rain was a heavy drizzle, I bid them goodbye, jumped on  my bike scooted down the highway, once the wind died a lengthy death the ride was nice, cool, refreshing, crossed Laplace  eagerly searching for home, atop the river levee the air was fresh, clean, the rain washed away all the sins of big business, cleansed my soul a little as well, off the levee I began watching the odometer, had to take a few extra turns to make sure I got those 100 miles in,,,, as usual  my neighborhood , family , friends had assembled at my house with banners, flags, food, drink, cheers, to celebrate my triumphant  return, someone handed me a bow to slay suitors that assembled in my absence, I think it was my son Telemachus , not Telamackus. The perfect bike ride, filled with hardship, adventure, brushes with death, excitement , struggle, interest and a little exercise,,,,
gary......

before the rain.

Manhac Pass below me.

Manchac Pass behind me

Hwy 51 is long and desolate. 

Champions diet, PBJ, Gatorade. 

Vultures have gathered to get their spot on the pool for when I'll be available for lunch

Hwy 51 is long and desolate

Hwy 51 is long and desolate

Hwy 51 is long and desolate.

Black sky, not a sailors delight.

more storm coming

as I near the top I see doom

The top of the Manchac Bridge is where the trouble started.

Bike got a good cleaning

stopped here for a few minutes 

joined the other refugees,

no shelter is safe

no place to hide...

Wind, Hail, rain, cows, birds, insects, all flying by.

Thats a beat you up storm..

100.33 miles,,,, not my farthest but still a good ride

Lost in nowhere......

In spite of countless vaccinations, inoculations, incantations, 3 voodoo spells and a black candle, a microscopic, malcontent mucus microbe has rendered me sans invincibility, immortality, bike-ability.
In 2 weeks I've wandered the Halls of Valhalla seeking a Valkyrie to aid me in battle, I search countless  halls, opening doors , the key-master abandoned me, no potions work, spells are useless, each door promising relief that's only a tease.  My kingdom for relief,,,,
It's drama...Set me free......

....

MID WINTER BLAHS....It could've happened...

Its not that I don't ride in winter, the less factor is in effect, less daylight, less miles, less opportunity, less motivation. A cooling rain shower in July is welcome, in February it can ruin your ride, your day, your night,  a bane to avoid, muscles, joints, tendons, perform and heal better in warm temperatures. On a July Saturday morning I can pack food and drink, wear little as possible, head out without direction or care like Huckleberry Finn, make an adventure happen, time, distance, direction, daylight, all irrelevant. In winter, I ride several weeknights, 10 to 15 miles ,,, I try to hit 40 to 50 on Saturday and 20 to 30 on Sunday, once the days lengthen,, temperatures rise, that'll all change.  I recount a recent ride, it may or may not be true, I haven't decided yet. One evening, riding to transcontinental I scoot over to the Lake to ride the path, it's safer at night to be off the street, it's all dark so it don't matter, just ride. I arrive at the Levee in quick time, my 10,000 lumen headlight leads the way, the levee is high and steep, in daylight I'd ride up on an angle using all the machismo I can muster, but at night the 10% of my brain that actually thinks says , "Walk up and down the Levee", so I do so .  Digging my toes into the grass and dirt, pushing bike at my side , I climb Mount Levee, its high, I stop for a few seconds at the top, start walking down the dark side, fighting gravity, looking for obstacles, I wasn't half way down, my left foot went into hole, I lost my balance, lost my bike, tumbled down, helmet flew off, I rolled into a ball to not break anything, my head hit the ground, jolted my brain, then I stopped , my normal procedure for a fall like this, check for breathing , bleeding and breaks, all ok, head hurt, I stood up to scan for my bike, a terrible jolting pain gripped my right knee, no light, I limped to the bottom of the levee, gathered myself.  I reached into my left back pocket for a small LED light I kept for such emergencies, got to find my bike. Searching the ground, struggling to take 3 steps forward I spot long brown leather shoes attached to a very tall ominous man in a light brown suit,  he looked a lot like French President DeGaulle, thin legs, pot belly, prominent nose, big man, in his left hand was a half burned blunt,tarred on one end,wet on the other,  the other hand grasped a frosted can of Strawberry Flavored Metrical,  I could only think of one thing to say ,"Can I help you?", He replies in an accent of unknown origin, , "no I'm here to help you", I retort , "you mean stop my right knee from hurting", "no", he delivers, "I'm here to explain to you the deepest workings of your alimentary canal, "  Again I could only respond with ,"your shitting me ",, "no", he answers with a serious DeGaulle face, "that's what I want to explain". I immediately follow my instincts , turn, hobble the opposite direction,  my knee is really hurting, I shine my little light on it , there's a gray rabbit with his buck teeth sunk into my knee, no wonder I thought, my right hand wraps around the top of his jaw, my left on the bottom, I spread them gingerly , remove him and toss that silly wabbit to the side, he sits up on his hind legs, bites into a carrot, and says, "Whats up Doc?,", a black hole appears on the ground, he dives into it , the whole closes up , I'm relieved, my knee feels better, it could have been Tex Avery then a wolf that whistles would have had me,  still looking for my bike, the tiny light is not much help, mp3 player came back on , seemed to pick up some Why fly channel playing bits of Harvey and the Moon Glows, so NOW, I'm in the dark, with out my bike, injured, a tiny light, I have to listen to "The Ten Commandments of Love", any other time would be fine,  I see something glimmering about 15 feet away, moving toward it I recognize it as a big belt buckle on white bell bottom trousers, with a matching jacket, high heeled boots, rhinestones everywhere, 8 inches of chest hair busting out a high collared opened shirt,  turning my light to the face I'm relieved to see it's not Elvis, it's Captain Kangaroo dressed like Elvis and he's looking for Bunny Rabbit..I explain to him, he bit me then went into a hole in the ground that disappeared,"figures" he responds, by now I'm done, I've had it, just then I smell ammonia jamming up my nose, my eyes open, again, there's flashlights in my face, several people surround me. my bikes next to me , my helmets on my lap, no Elvis, no DeGaulle, no wabbit, everyone keeps asking, "are you all right", again I can only respond, "I don't know, what happened", someone offers an explanation , " you fell down the levee, your were out for a few seconds, skinned your knee, you must have tripped in a rabbit hole, my reply was automatic ,"OOOKKKK",. I get my senses together, decide to recross the levee and head back home ,  Down the other side of the levee I approach Transcontinental, 2 men standing next to a Peugeot , yes, its Degaulle and Captain Kangaroo impersonating Elvis, DeGaulle says in a concerned voice, "need a ride?",  again I can only answer, "no","no","no", "no", .. Getting home I clean up, bandage my knee, don't mention anything about what happened, the TV's on, "Stories from the ER ",  I hear the commentator saying to a patient, "you mean you took 2 Valiums and saw Captain Kangaroo dressed like Elvis", OMG,   I then immediately took the 3rd Valium and hid in the bathroom till morning.....the end finally.....waiting for spring.... .....