Riding in the Rain...

The house in the woods of Carolyn and Harry, the clouds is not a representation of them!!!

The tents are loaded, bikes on the roof, a bunch of 5 gallon water-coolers are filled, all the other stuff found a place somewhere and Harry's car is loaded to a unhealthy state... but off we go. A short drive to Hatchery Creek Park.
Harry is lending me one of his super-doper mean machine, a Treck Full-Suspension, wheels of dreams... but I can't afford such a toy and that's why I don't have one of them, but what fun to ride it. I already got a good taste of it when we all did our little warm-up ride, and I'll be really afraid, because there will be lots more in store for me this weekend. Let the party begin!!!

Harry's unhealthy loaded car and trailer...


On location we start set-up camp, tables and tents in various locations, I meet some other organizers, volunteers and riders, as usual with the Mountain-bikers, a fun bunch! Banner and posters are going up, registration is ready to go and and more riders arrive.

Banner and fliers get tacked-up everywhere...

The Festival is ready to start!!!

My job is done for now, Harry sends me off with Carolyn for a Tour de Trail. The way this works is; we all get a punch-card, at the trail-head you sign in, get a trail-map, then you have to ride that trail to a set point, there you'll find a puncher, punch one side of your card, and when you get back to the trail-head, the guy there punches the other half and signs you out, with that they have proof that you'd ridden the trail. It is not a race, it is a way to introduce bikers to these trails, thus the name "Tour de Trails". This is just a handful of trails from the whole CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association) system, and I can tell you, these trails rock!!!

First we're riding the Hatchery Creek Trail, a single-track path zigzagging between trees, a little up a little down, almost no shifting required, and if only on the back-derailer, the woods are lush and green, just a great adrenaline-rush for 5 to 6 miles. I actually didn't even see the punch, Carolyn had to holler at me to come back to it. I had so much fun, why bother stopping for a little punch, the guy at the end completed the set of punches needed to prof the ride. Now it's time for one of them beers from the locale brewery in Hayward, "The Angry Minnow", one of the many sponsors of this festival. Might as well go to town and have dinner there.

After all this riding I was starving, Carolyn and I went to the local Brew-Pub in Hayward, "The Angry Minnow"...

A great place with great food and brews!!!

I had some pan-fried Blue Gill with Fries, and some Coleslaw that the waitress almost forgot, Carolyn had a Fish Taco. For Harry we picked-up a Burger with Fries in a togo-box. On the way out Carolyn run into some friends and we chatted a bit. It was Kristen and her beau, Ron, both are from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN), I met Kristen at the Christmas-party we had at the Seeley house in 2004, (I had no recollection of her, until Carolyn showed me pictures from then), she also owns a house in the Seeley Highlands where Carolyn and Harry have their house. Well it was nice to see her again.
By the time we get back to the festivities I'm basically just fried like on of those Fries I just had, I skipped on the night-ride with the gang and we all went home instead. After all there is more Apple-pie to be had!!!

Saturday, June the 13th, 2009 let there be sunshine...

It a beautiful day out, can't ask for anything more, Harry was already at the computer printing out stuff and is all excited about the next step of the festival. We ate breakfast on the go, load this, fill that, check those... This morning is HIS day, he hardly slept last night he is so excited, his job was to line-up all these Restaurants who sponsor this ride to have a food-booth in various locations in the woods. He heads out first to see for things to go right.
By the time Carolyn and I get to Mosquito Brook, a different location than yesterday, all kinds of things are going on. Lots of bikers unloading and checking their bikes. I have to help with tables ad tents again, ride-up to one spot and help the guy from Sublime Subs set-up his booth along the trail. Back down to the parking-lot, then test ride the Hatchery Creek trail, I do that with my camera mounted to take some clips to show you how much fun that is, to much fun. Now I wish I had a professional mount for the camera to really get to it, but I make it work by strapping it around my chest, then mount it on the seat-post, and on the handlebar to get the various views.

The booths of Sublime Subs and Rivers Eatery, soo much food so little time...

Video Clip to be here at some point of time in my life!!!

By the time I get to the Pizza-guy who is representing his restaurant in Cable, WI, the Rivers Eatery. He is there with his kids, an open fire in a pit, warming the little calzones he made early this morning. Here the walkie-talkie does not appear to work, so I ride back to the parking-lot and come back up with a different radio, just to find out that the range is too far for the radios to work, alrighty then, I go back down to return the radio. Then back-up to finish the trail. By that time the "Taste de Trails" is in full roar.  I think they signed up over a hundred riders, the parking-lot is buzzing with cars and bikes, coming and going. Barb from the Mooselip Java Joint is serving Espresso-Martinis at the trail-head, well that should get you going.

Barb and her partner from the Mooselip Java Joint in Seeley make and serve fresh Espresso-Martinis...

While having my Martini Kristen and Ron show-up for one too. They are just too good!!!

Now I go for a "real" ride with Kristen and Ron, we ride all the way to the Gravel-pit Road on single-tracks, then turn around and meet-up with the "Trail de Taste" have some pizza, run into Carolyn and Harry, battle a few more mosquitos, learn that the time is running out for the last place to get some more food to try. This part of the event is closing at one. Of corse I didn't know that, running around all morning long without even reading the schedule, but so it is. The 3 of us hop back on our bikes and bust a move, a quick stop at the Sublime Subs, a few snacks there, a braise here, and back on the saddle. It's almost all down hill on the Berkebeiner Trail, past the parking-lot to the last food place on the Makwa trail. The Rookery Pub has a booth there with all kinds of delicacies, but by the time we're there, 1:03 pm the place is all cleaned-up, what a shame. From here Kristen and Ron take off on their own, further out on the trail, I ride back on the single-track to the parking-lot. Help with the clean-up and loading Harry's car and trailer back to a unhealthy status before Carolyn and I drive to the next event.

Caught Carolyn and Harry eating Calzone Pizzas, a delicacy in these woods here...

We drive back to the main-highway Rt-63, go north, to Seeley where we stop for the last cup of coffee out of the Mooselip Java Joint, right before they close. Ahh what a lucky moment. Then continue on Hwy-63 to turn right in Cable towards the Telemark Resort, but stay on CR-M (County Road "M") all the to town of Namakagon. Here at the Town Hall is the next ride. We also brought with us 2 trays filled with those delicious sandwich-slices from the Sublime Subs. One we delivered on the way her at the Rock Lake Trailhead and the second tray is for here, the Namakagon Trailhead. I rip through the plastic-wrap and help myself for one, then another one. I get Carolyn and my bike ready for another round of single-track riding. The weather changed really fast here. By now the sky is black in the north and I can hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. We better hurry-up, lets hit that trail. We're not even 5 minutes into it it started to rain, it is kind of a nice thing here in these dense woods, you hear the rain but can't really feel it because of the canopy from the trees is so tight that the raindrops not fall though yet. But after a while the rain gets stronger and now we;re getting wet, let the fun begin. When I was here in 2004, Carolyn and I rode the Rock Lake trail and it was the very same thing, we're soaked and covered in mud by the time we popped-out of the woods, it will be the same today...

At 3 o'clock I get rained on while riding the Namakagon Trail...

But that's when the fun just starts!!!

Bike to Shop...

The weather turned into a good storm here, lighting, thunder and the rain is coming down in buckets. Brenda, Tommy and I are back out on the porch enjoying natures show. Just before the rain I was helping Tommy to adjust his bike, he got himself a bike and I have seen pictures of him riding around with Brenda and her cousin Karen and Moto. That bike he got is way to small for him, I raised the seat, moved the seat as far back as possible and changed the handlebar to give him a few more inches of room. I showed him how to remove the wheel without deflating the tires and a few other tricks. As we're watching it rain I wanted to make that interview with him, it happen a few month back when I was working on a job-site with Rich Flowers that I met John, the general contractor on the site, there was something about John I could not lay my fingers on right away, but after some time when I was not watching him I popped into my head, this is the voice of Tommy here in Walker Louisiana, I went as far as making an interview with him to send it to Tommy to see what he thinks. I never heard back from him until just a while ago when I showed him the video-clip on my computer. I since uploaded it onto youtube so you can see it again if you haven't on my February 25th posting. Now is the big moment to capture Tommy, he is ready as can be, gets a hat to mach John back in Berkeley and of we go, making a little video clip of talking with Tommy. Now this is gonna take me some time to get finished, with all this writing and picture taking, editing, sorting, and uploading I'm busy enough as it is.
Time flies as we're having fun and soon I have to go, have to be back at Karen's by 7 and the way the weather looks like it's not gonna make it any easier.

Bad weather and the route to drive the 80 miles to Karen's...

Leaving the rain-storm behind on Interstate 12 before the I-55 Junction

Back at Karen's the house is already busy, Karen and Sabine are setting-up the dining-table, salad gets cut and pizza's figured out. I make a salad-dressing, Karen calls in 3 large pizzas for Cafe Roma and Moto is just popping into the door. I'm giving Lonnie directions directons on how to get here and he arrives at the same time as Joann and Al do. The party is complete, too bad that Sarah and Lee can't make it! Lets sit down and eat...

A after Jazz Fest and a farewell Sabine, dinner-party at Karen's...


Moto brought a Tiramisu for dessert and all were happy!


In the morning Karen goes to work, Sabine and I get stuck in front of our computers, Sabine to find a place, be frustrated with scams and excited about new possibilities... me, I'm just blogging away. I wanna wish Jabarra Athas a happy birthday, have fun blowing out some candles and hanging out with Peter at the Tonga Room. Hugs and all!!!
Now it is about 12:30 when I finally separate myself from the computer and hop onto the bike, make my way down to the French Quarter to meet with Joann and Al.
I get a phone-call from Joann that they are running late so I went to a local joint to have some Red Beans and Rice, the Monday Special in New Orleans.

Lunch at the Royak Street Deli in the French Quarter...



Then a walk on the levee that separates the Mississippi River from the French Qarter...


The last Beignet with a Coffee au Lait with Al and Joann at the Cafe du Monde...



Joann is taking off to the airport to fly back to the Bay Area, Al probably goes to see family in Houma and I hop back onto the bike to get some groceries at Langenstein's

3 o'clock, it's hot and humid, that makes me extra sweaty while biking...

Some more grocery shopping at the local store here on Metairie Road...

Finally Outside again...

My butt is hurting from sitting on these chairs, here in Karen's kitchen, I'm spending way too much time to keep up with this blog, but so it is, I do enjoy the result and one day I can look back and really enjoy it. As for now it is a perpetual lag on the daily dose of words and pictures. Karen is back from work again and I'm still on the same spot as when she went to work, for her it's nap-time and when she gets up again I'm still on the same chair... just one more picture, just one more paragraph. It's way past due for a delicious cup of you know what, so I better brew some now. Make a iced one for Karen and a hot one for me, with this proper beverage in hand it is time to think about tonight's action, and it is clear that we have to go eat something and it is also clear that we're going to the famous Rock n' Bowl in the Mid-city of New Orleans, it is the last bang of the "old" location. Hmm that coffee is good, hmm I look forward for tonight's program!
Alright dinner first, we settle for Taqueria Corona in Metairie, not far from Karen's house, good mexican food sounds good, I'm ready for a Margarita. After a shower and getting dressed we're off to that next adventure. I'm not sure if I have been to this place before, for sure to the one in New Orleans on Magazine Street. We get seated right away and quickly order a couple of Margaritas, on ice with salt, please!!! I scan the menu for food. Karen already knows that she wants a fish taco, I settle for a quesadilla con polio asada, that is a flour tortilla heated with cheese and topped with grilled chicken before a second tortilla covers it all and gets a final grilling on the second side, love it. With that I have a side order of rice and beans, after all I haven't really eaten anything substantial since breakfast.
The food is good, close to delicious, and the Margarita is going down way too easy, life is good one more time.
Next is the last visit of the good old Rock n' Bowl, tonight is Swing and Joe Krown is playing with his band, come to find out later that only his band was playing. Joe's mother passed away and so he could not play for us. Which is too bad, and my regards to him for his last mom...
It is the last time that I crawl up this long set of stairs, pay 5 bucks to get past the cashier and end up on top in a great place. Lots of people, a few familiar faces, smiles and handshakes. John Blancher the owner is there, and many of the dancers from the Zydeco scene are here even though it is swing-night.

The end of a era... Rock n' Bowls last dance...


John Blancher, the owner, sandwiched between Sharon and Karen...


Dancing to the tunes of Joe Krown and his band without Joe Krown...


And all this while bowling is still "in"...


Unfortunately Karen and I were not able to close the place down for good, too tired and have to get up in the morning made us blow this Popsicle-Stand and home we went.
Of course, in the morning the first thing is getting back to "work" got to catch-up here and it's go go go... while eating my muessly for breakfast, drinking my tea to stay awake I'm typing away to have you informed of what, where and why...
Finally by 2 o'clock I post yesterdays blog... now what???
Ahh, so many things I wanna do and see, first lets hop on the bike and get some exercise, I change clothing, take the bike off the car and assemble it, find my back-pack, money and camera and off I go... bike a couple of miles to shop for some groceries.
On my list are the goodies to make some Chai Tea again. The last time I checked the prices for cardamon at Rouses and it is way too expensive. So I give it a try at Byblos Market. A middle-eastern market and restaurant right on Veterans Memorial Boulevard. I love that store, and promptly find what I was looking for, green cardamon seeds, loose leave black tea and anise. I'm set to make some Chai Tea for breakfast.
The bike-ride home is more challenging than getting there, I ride some sidewalk back to Bonnabel Blvd. then turn right all the way back to Metairie Road via Codifer Blvd. and Metairie Ct. Ending up at Fagot Street back to Karen's. Unload my pack just to hit the road again, this time it's Rouses to complete the shopping list.

3 o'clock Central Standard Time is when I get out of Rouses with a full pack...

Camping like a Evacuee...

I'm setting-up my tent after the 50 mile bike-ride from Breaux Bridge to Washington. So far I had a great day, now the weather is a different story, it has been cloudy and overcast all day, but now the sky is getting darker and loaded with tons of energy for a storm to be happen soon. So I choose a place to set-up the tent on hight ground, what ever that means on flat grass between to school-buildings. Making sure the water won't stay there so that the tent is not standing in a lake. After that it's time for a short nap, then shower and head to town. The dinner this year is in the Community Center and not outside at the Pavilion because of the upcoming weather. The same caterer every year serves us the same food every year. And it is good, it's Cochon au Lait, pasta salad, green beans,mashed potatoes, green salad and dessert, what a feast. The other feast is for the ears, Corey Ledet & his Zydeco Band doing the beat we all dance to, I don't care what the weather does now...

My tent-spot, dinner @ the Washington Community Center...


Followed by dancing to the tunes of Corey Ledet...



To finish the day off Karen & Sharon invited Harry and me to the porch of the house they're staying tonight. A great coincident that Karen and Sharon's hotel cancelled the original reservations, then calling the owner of this house to see if they could stay there again. like last year, and then the owner needed a place to stay in New Orleans and so Karen offered her house to them, just a great deal, while they all just met once before a year ago.
Now we're all on this porch while lightning is going on all around Washington, I can tell that rain is just around the corner and so I skipped further drinking and headed back to the school were my lace to sleep is. The minute I sipped-up in the tent it started. First the official alligator tear size drops, than a bit heavier and finally the big down-poor, ad boy does it rain here. I didn't care, the tent stays dry inside and all is well. I did had a hart time falling asleep with all that noise, thunder lightning and buckets of water been thrown from the sky. It is another adventure.

I wake-up early in the morning, about 4, it is still dark, raining and I have to go pee NOW!!!
I take the plunge, standing water all around me, what a mess. I do my business and hurry back inside the tent. A few spots on the floor were soaking wet, always the lowest parts, were the luggage lays and other heavy things that press through the grass into the standing water. I'm not looking forward to pack-up my things this morning and try to sleep some more.
I manage to sleep some more and when the alarm goes off at 7 it still is raining, what a bummer!
But I was smart when I set-up the tent, right near a over-hang of one of the school buildings so I can get all my stuff outside and place it into the dry. The messiest part is to roll-up the tent, soaking wet. The rest of my stuff is damp and will dry out fast if it ever stops raining. And it does right when I'm all done with my chores of morning toilet and clean-up. By the time I sit on the bike to rode back into town to the Steamboat Warehouse the rain is history. The breakfast is so so but I hang around as long as possible to wait for dryer roads.

Lake Tentsite in the Morning...


Then a strange thing happen, as I'm riding along I wanted to take some pictures and I could not find my camera, what the hell, have I forgotten it at the site where I camped, because that's where I took the last shot of the tent in lake, I must have left it right on that windowsill.
This is mind-boggling now, I'm already too far from Washington and I'm thinking that in Mamou I ask one of the organizers to help me locate that darn thing. It has not rained since HArry and I hit the road, the sun is pushing through but the clouds don't let it happen. We're passing through more farmland with horses and cattle and riding through the town of Point Blue, which might as well refer to our butts... Harry has been moaning more that me, usually it is the other way around, we're on mile 130, Mamou is getting closer, the wind is from behind for once and that make everything so much more pleasurable, sore butt and all.
After the 32 mile trip today I roll into Mamou, find somebody important form the ride to start explaining the situation with my camera, calls get made and the janitor of the school has been contacted while I be going in and out of Fred's Lounge to dance and then to catch some fresh air. Fred's is the institution in the part of the world, the bar is only open on Saturday from 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, then you have to go on and find another place to keep your levels on Bud Light up.
At one point of the time as I'm outside I hear my phone ring, looking through all my pockets and reaching into the back-pocket of my bike-jersey and a have my camera in my hand, cool now that is solved but the phone is still ringing. It is Joann Seaver calling, checking in with me to see how the ride is. That silly girl cancelled the bike-ride because she does not like the line-up of the bands, and so she decided not to ride this year, what a bummer, we all miss her, she is a great riding buddy.

Now that I have my camera back I better get some pictures of Fred's Lounge here in Mamou...


The owner of Fred's... Tate Sue, a wild one...


Also in Mamou we have lunch...


More people on the side of the Fred's...



Onward towards Eunice, our destination for tonight, not much lays between these two towns, lots of flooded rice-fields to grow rice and farm crawfish. Every once in a while you'll see a fisherman on a special boat emptying the baskets were crawfish gets trapped in, and they better get busy because we're gonna have a big cook-out tonight, so grab as many as you can Mr. Fisherman. The other thing between these two towns is lot and lots of wind, and of course straight in our faces... it was an 11 mile uphill ride n a flat road to nowhere, hate that wind.

The last smiling face before Eunice...


But the reward makes all that riding worth it, the Cafe Mosaic in downtown Eunice is making the best lattes in town, and so it is time to kick back and smell the java. A few riders are already sitting outside and slurping away, then later Harry joins me, Michael, Lilly and Bob, last was Judy a little party of laughter happens.

Cafe Mosaic... party time...


But the timing in this town is crucial and I better get going and set up camp for tonight.
Judy updated me on todays weather forecast and advised me to camp inside. Expected is a lot of rain tonight and since my tent is already soaking wet it might not even dry out. I find my luggage and drag it into the gym, it is already hard to find a place, I settle next to Harry.

3 o'clock today means setting-up the tent to get it dry but sleep in the gym because it is gonna get real wet tonight...