I couldn't have asked for better beach weather in October! Last week while it was raining up and down the east coast, the skies were clear and temps were high in Hatteras Village. We tied two record high days, reaching into the 80's. The ocean was warm at 82 degrees, and the pool was refreshing, not too cool for swimming.
Looking down at the pool from the second level.
We enjoyed lots of fishing and the delicious dinners that followed. Caught blues, spot, whiting, black drum, a croaker, a few small flounder, and some monster pompano.
I fished so much, that my legs got tired of standing.
During a "blitz," Jeremiah was reeling in some Blues.
Evenings were full of festivities. We re-celebrated both Jeremiah's and my second wedding anniversary and my parent's 35th wedding anniversary. One night we threw a party to celebrate mom's birthday.
Drank a lot of beer, played a lot of billiard's, ferried over to the nearby Ocracoke Island, and generally lived it up in the luxury of in-law-uncle John's beach house. Decorating Diva Diane has outdone herself outfitting Davis Dunes 2 with the latest and outrageous you-name-it.
I finally learned how to use the bluetooth setting on my phone! Here's what I dumped onto the computer this afternoon.
March 07 - Me fishing at Hatteras with Shady (in the background)
Same trip - I took this pic to send to Dad because I didn't know what I'd caught
This is me on clif-side trail in Lynchburg, VA during the Tour of Virginia
This is the scary bridge where I decided to turn around
This is in Switzerland. I was just entering a massave tunnel under a massive Alp, when I saw some alpine cows. They were pretty, and I thought Kelly would enjoy looking at them.
Proof that I have creative design skills. This is an obe that my grandparents brough back from Japan in the 50's. I've drapped and hung it on the wall.
Fish from Bumble Bee Farm.
Beer. Nice names.
A viper. I think this photo is roadside in Hatteras from almost 2 years ago. Vegas lights are bright. And it sucks when you forget your camera in your hotel room and have to use your phone to take pictures the first time you are on the strip.
Bellagio fountain at midnight
creature in the Bellagio Conservatory
Very expensive pocket books
The glass ceiling in the Bellagio, now I know why Kelly likes it there.
Jeremiah, looking good.
Volcano is about to erupt.
More lights
The Sirens of TI motorcycle
Rain cloud
A man jumping out of the sky
The knives Josh wants to complete his collection. He is a chef, not a murderer.
Friday evening, Jeremiah and I caused some trouble at the Six Pack downhill ride.
This week the fun was at Mud Pond/Oak Knob. The view from the knob was stunning. Higher up, fall is already taking over. The trails are still dry, and super sweet.
This is a quick post, but I'm including my first attempt at YouTube'ing....
If you aren't sure what you are looking at, that's Carp clearing a log pile on a Trek Navigator! Since Little Carp won the downhill this week, he'll have to ride that Navigator beast next Friday. If the video doesn't show, youtube sucks.
Big adventure in the works. I'll have a lot to blog about soon!
After dumping an entire suitcase full of casino-smelling clothes into the laundry machine, the next thing on my to-do list was to get outside into the fresh air and sunshine. And, since there's no better way to enjoy a crisp autumn afternoon than by bike, I zipped off in the GTI to the local trails at Massanutten.
The meadow at the bottom was inviting. If I had a blanket, I would have taken a nap there.
Instead, I'm glad hit the trails. It's been so dry in H'burg, the trails were as smooth and fast as ever.
I was sure to honk my holographic bear horn when I neared what I call the bear hole. This hollowed out tree stump is large enough to hide a fridge, and I think it's the perfect place from which a giant bear can stalk cyclists.
I couldn't help but notice how brilliant the colors were. Not just the new reds and yellow, but the sunshine twinkling through the green leaves.
This is an up-close look at some lichen I saw on a rocky ridge. I realized that during my entire Vegas stay I hadn't seen this much non-human life.
Here I am, hanging out on some rocks near the top of the trail, where it intersects with Kaylor's Ridge.
Not only did I destroy my feet in Vegas, but as I hurried out the door eager to ride, I forgot my socks. Lucky for me, the first aid kit was well stocked and I improvised with some soft cotton bandages. As you can see, they held up for the duration of my adventure.
It's been a good week back home. Done some more mountain biking, joined in the cyclocross fun, hosted a burgers-and-beer dinner, and gave some love to the new trails at Hillandale with the SMBC trail work crew. There's a six-pack downhill tonight.
Watching the Cross Vegas race was a lot of fun. After a long day at the trade show, it seemed so natural to head out for a bike race that I was surprised this year was the first time bike races have taken place in conjunction with Interbike.
I've been told that the promoter of Cross Vegas is from Boulder, and I'm impressed that such a great first time (UCI) event was organized from afar. Since the race was in Vegas, I'm sure there were lots of wagers made on the sidelines. I put my money on Big Bird (that's Ryan's pre-Treefarm moniker) and kept my fingers crossed that he wouldn't have an early race bobble, which I was certain would spell disaster in the form of a giant temper tantrum. But, he played his cards right and took the victory from an impressive lineup of competitors.
The next evening was the crit finals. This race took place on the grounds of Mandalay Bay, out back in a ginormous parking lot. The course was about as wide as a city street, and was bound on either side by metal crowd barriers (those with feet sticking out perpendicular to the "wall"). A major advantage of the course design was the giant "oxbow" that looped around the best spectating spot of the event, from which you could also see the well placed jumbo-tron. Disastrous to the course, other than the metal cage surrounding it, was the lack of distance out of the start/finish line before hitting the first tight corner. So imagine what happened every time the announcer would yell "PREM' LAP... $500!" The men would sprint through the finish with nowhere to go, and crash after crash would ensue. While the race was dull in the middle, the last 12 laps were pretty exciting. Steve Tilford broke off the front with two other racers for the event's most enduring breakaway. After 3 laps together, Tilford rode the other two off his wheel (or did they crash on one of the death corners), his sights surely set on the impending $5,000 one-lap-to-go prem'. Then the KBS/Medifast team worked the front, eventually spitting off their own riders one by one from the front, the exhausted riders nearly caused even more crashes as they gasped for air after their all-out efforts. Tilford was caught. The Rock Racing team - or should I call them a gang - swarmed to the front behind the KBS riders, looking primed to sneak up on the win. When the announcer cheered riders out onto their second to last lap, with $5,000 for the prem', all hell broke loose. The pace already fast, became insane, riders crashed into the metal caging around the first corner, spectators screamed, the front of the race moved faster. I forget who got the prem'! A KBS rider who was in the lead with a decent gap at the last lap's start tried so hard to hold the gap to the finish and it looked like he would, until Ivan Dominguez caught his wheel on the last corner into the finish stretch. Then it seemed inevitable that he would out-sprint the KBS rider for the win, and he did!
This is ridiculous
The finishing lap of the crit
What an exciting event. Glad I could be there to see it for myself. Erin
