In Which Summer Turns Me to the Bike Side

August 2015--pelicans on Cedar Lake viewed from bike path.

Post RAGBRAI-biking—shorter rides, often to and from campus. I’d like to take at least one more epic bike journey, but I’m not sure it’s in the cards.

Still, from a biking point of view, the summer of 2015 is about as satisfying as it can be. I took a 3-year-old granddaughter for a bike ride (or she might be 4). Anyway, we saw a family of turkeys running across the trail in front of us, which was pretty cool to see. The next day, there was a bird hopping around the back yard, and she declared: “Look at the baby turkey!”

Black-Eyed-Susan in bloom next to bridge on side trail just west of main Boyson trail in Marion, photographed recently while I was on a morning bike ride to or from the gym.

Well, not all small birds are baby turkeys, but pretty much all bike rides are fun.

Late summer flowers are in bloom, cicada and crickets provide a nearly ceaseless chorus, and I’m enjoying the bits of time I can steal for riding my bike.

In other biking news—for Father’s Day this June, my kids, led by Katy, presented me with a set of photos of the grandchildren in biking poses, with a sign that says “Team Joe Trainees.” My office is still a mess, I still have not finished by syllabi or course handouts and I have a mountain of work to do for a fall speaker series—but the most important prep work for fall is done. I’ve hung the pictures. The Team Joe corner of my office much more lively and inviting now!

Biking corner of my office, now with Team Joe Trainee photos.