good riddance to winter

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's been a particularly tough one here,
with weather more intense than usual.

I recall ignoring a gale warning one November
or December afternoon, and heading out to do
some shopping. The gale came up instantaneously
as I was riding back home. The trees (we've got
lots of 'em) were swaying like a Baptist choir
getting The Spirit. As I rode past Riley Park,
cypress or Cuban cedar fronds were being mercilessly
body-slammed down onto the street in front of me; I
was scared that one of 'em would clamp onto my face
and cover my eyes like that thing that leapt out of
the egg in 'Alien'.

My other worry was about live power lines being blown
off their poles. I made it home safely, despite the
accursed (by me) wind. It was interesting to note that
strong cross winds didn't cause me to lean my bike at all.
They did, however, slow me down. My bike weighs like a
lead ox, and I wouldn't be surprised if Hurricane Andrew
at its peak couldn't blow it over.

We're not quite out of the woods yet, but just getting
past the equinox seems to have a mellowing effect.
When we get sustained overnight temps @ 10 C, it'll be
time for putting out bedding plants, and reverting to
fingerless gloves.

At least we're past getting iced-up streets (knock on wood.)

I'm hoping for a nice, hot, dry summer, and a one-day tan,
and not too many yellow jacket stings[*].

I guess the next thing to put up with will be swarms of
those little bugs -- mayflies or midges or whatever the
heck they are. Y'know, the ones where you get one in your
eye, and as you're trying to extricate it with your finger
on the fly (as it were,) you get one in the other eye.
And then you /have/ to pull over. I once rode through a
swarm of airborne baby spiders, but that's another story.
Suffice it to say my initial response was to take a long
shower and get a haircut.

I guess every season has it's pluses and minuses.
But this past winter had more minuses than pluses.

cheers,
Tom

[*] It doesn't hurt to pack along some calomine.

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

Tom I think you are understating the winter we had. It was the worst we
have seen in decades.
Bit windy today all of a sudden but the weather is picture perfect
otherwise. Sunny and 8C. Low Th night will be 6 but it has precip.
The trees were something else too. The hurricanes we had were not this bad
when I was oh about 10.
My garden, was pushing shoots early this year only to get frozen again.
The rest will survive now. Anyone ever tried to grow loofah sponges?
And what the heck do you use for wind burn? always complaining I
know...yuk yuk

Quoted message said:

Tom Keats said:

It's been a particularly tough one here, with weather more intense
than usual.

I recall ignoring a gale warning one November or December afternoon,
and heading out to do some shopping. The gale came up instantaneously
as I was riding back home. The trees (we've got lots of 'em) were
swaying like a Baptist choir getting The Spirit. As I rode past Riley
Park, cypress or Cuban cedar fronds were being mercilessly
body-slammed down onto the street in front of me; I was scared that
one of 'em would clamp onto my face and cover my eyes like that thing
that leapt out of the egg in 'Alien'.

I went on a bike ride the night Seattle had a fairly good wind storm
this winter. It wasn't too terrible except for when the wind was making
the rain come in horizontally. It's no fun getting rain blasted
directly into ones ear cavity.

Though we did have a good chuckle at the cars that crept deeper and
deeper into the lakes in the road and then hit the reverse lights.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I guess every season has it's pluses and minuses. But this past
winter had more minuses than pluses.

It was definitely the soggiest winter I've cycled through. It's been
hanging on with a death grip, but I think winter's back is finally
broken. Of course, one of my coworkers told me he woke up to an inch of
snow on his back deck...

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"I don't see anything wrong with being arrogant
and not at all helpful." -- Paul Tomblin

Winter isn't quite done here. It was 81 last week tomorrow it's
snowing. Well I made it to and from work today so I suppose one day
off won't hurt. I wonder what I will do next November...

Dane Buson said:

Jorg Lueke said:

Winter isn't quite done here. It was 81 last week tomorrow it's
snowing. Well I made it to and from work today so I suppose one day
off won't hurt. I wonder what I will do next November...

Well, assuming you're in Minnesota, I'd suggest studded tires for the
icy days. A singlespeed or fixed gear might be less prone to problems
with frozen cables.

http://peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

Ooh, and they're 25% off, I might have to finally pick up a pair.

Those Nokians are great tires.

--
Bob in CT

Jorg Lueke said:

Dane Buson said:

Jorg Lueke said:

Winter isn't quite done here. It was 81 last week tomorrow it's
snowing. Well I made it to and from work today so I suppose one day
off won't hurt. I wonder what I will do next November...

Well, assuming you're in Minnesota, I'd suggest studded tires for the
icy days. A singlespeed or fixed gear might be less prone to problems
with frozen cables.

http://peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

Ooh, and they're 25% off, I might have to finally pick up a pair.

I am indeed in Minnesota. But my tires are too narrow for the studs.
So, if I get so into cycling by November that I can't stop myself I
might have to just buy a winter bike.

It's a good excuse to troll yard sales and similar things for older bike
boom bikes. An older used bike makes a great poor weather commuter,
usually with lots of clearance for larger tires and fenders.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
Rule the Empire through force.
-- Shogun Tokugawa

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dane Buson said:

Tom Keats said:

It's been a particularly tough one here, with weather more intense
than usual.

I recall ignoring a gale warning one November or December afternoon,
and heading out to do some shopping. The gale came up instantaneously
as I was riding back home. The trees (we've got lots of 'em) were
swaying like a Baptist choir getting The Spirit. As I rode past Riley
Park, cypress or Cuban cedar fronds were being mercilessly
body-slammed down onto the street in front of me; I was scared that
one of 'em would clamp onto my face and cover my eyes like that thing
that leapt out of the egg in 'Alien'.

I went on a bike ride the night Seattle had a fairly good wind storm
this winter.

The Big One, that so damaged our Stanley Park?

We've all had so many wind storms, it's hard to keep track.

Quoted message said:

It wasn't too terrible except for when the wind was making
the rain come in horizontally. It's no fun getting rain blasted
directly into ones ear cavity.

In my case, it would probably just blow out the other ear.
Maybe iPods & Walkmans would obviate that effect.

As you know, we've got this rat's nest of overhead power lines --
not just for buildings, but also for our trolley buses. I've
seen downed ones of those spit & sputter & dance all over the
place like angry king cobras looking for anyone nearby to bite.
Being electrocuted is not my favourite way to die. If we ever
have a big earthquake here, I figure hi-voltage electricity
would be at least as much a killer as falling high-rise glass.
We're enshrouded by a cheap hydro-electrosphere.

Quoted message said:

Though we did have a good chuckle at the cars that crept deeper and
deeper into the lakes in the road and then hit the reverse lights.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I guess every season has it's pluses and minuses. But this past
winter had more minuses than pluses.

It was definitely the soggiest winter I've cycled through. It's been
hanging on with a death grip, but I think winter's back is finally
broken. Of course, one of my coworkers told me he woke up to an inch of
snow on his back deck...

We had some freaky snow squalls a couple of days back.
Then, lawn mower time. Now, back to good ol' drizzle.

During the past sunnier days I did get some cherry blossom
blizzards to ride through. Sometimes a mass of little
white dots of cherry blossoms on the street looks just
like a patch of broken glass. I've been snookered a
few times.

cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

Dane Buson said:

Well, assuming you're in Minnesota, I'd suggest studded tires for the
icy days. A singlespeed or fixed gear might be less prone to problems
with frozen cables.

http://peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

Ooh, and they're 25% off, I might have to finally pick up a pair.

I may get some for next year! Great new page from Peter White too.

I thought winter was over but today I'm not sure. It's been in the 70s
and even the 80s all week, but today it's only 43. Go figure. At least
it's sunny.

Matt O.

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dane Buson said:

Tom Keats said:

It's been a particularly tough one here, with weather more intense
than usual.

I recall ignoring a gale warning one November or December afternoon,
and heading out to do some shopping. The gale came up instantaneously
as I was riding back home. The trees (we've got lots of 'em) were
swaying like a Baptist choir getting The Spirit. As I rode past Riley
Park, cypress or Cuban cedar fronds were being mercilessly
body-slammed down onto the street in front of me; I was scared that
one of 'em would clamp onto my face and cover my eyes like that thing
that leapt out of the egg in 'Alien'.

I went on a bike ride the night Seattle had a fairly good wind storm
this winter.

The Big One, that so damaged our Stanley Park?

We've all had so many wind storms, it's hard to keep track.

That big one led with a rain so hard, it was unbelieveable. (My little entry
about that day over here: http://www.43things.com/entries/view/1449499)

Quoted message said:

We had some freaky snow squalls a couple of days back.
Then, lawn mower time. Now, back to good ol' drizzle.

Bakingly hot yesterday. Now that it's the weekend, it's clouded over again.
As soon as I finish this posting, I'm getting dressed. We're headed out to
Whidbey to do a little tandeming, while the kids run around at Fort Casey.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Tom Keats said:

Dane Buson said:

I went on a bike ride the night Seattle had a fairly good wind storm
this winter.

The Big One, that so damaged our Stanley Park?

Yes, that would be the one.

Quoted message said:

We've all had so many wind storms, it's hard to keep track.

True, and it's been rather windy the past few weeks also. I wouldn't
mind so much, but it's been a head wind *both* ways to and from work
most of the time.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon
having a good time."
-Sign seen in a Rome laundry

"Dane Buson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom Keats said:

Dane Buson said:

I went on a bike ride the night Seattle had a fairly good wind storm
this winter.

The Big One, that so damaged our Stanley Park?

Yes, that would be the one.

Quoted message said:

We've all had so many wind storms, it's hard to keep track.

True, and it's been rather windy the past few weeks also. I wouldn't
mind so much, but it's been a head wind *both* ways to and from work
most of the time.

I have decided to make a new vehicle. I will place a bicycylist on a flat
bed. I will face them in the oposite direction where I want to go. Add one
very large Sail and presto. No matter the direction, we all know the wind
always is in the oposite direction of our direction.

Daryl Hunt said:

"Dane Buson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

True, and it's been rather windy the past few weeks also. I wouldn't
mind so much, but it's been a head wind *both* ways to and from work
most of the time.

I have decided to make a new vehicle. I will place a bicycylist on a flat
bed. I will face them in the oposite direction where I want to go. Add one
very large Sail and presto. No matter the direction, we all know the wind
always is in the oposite direction of our direction.

The very day I read this post, I had a tremendous tail-wind on my way
home. So, I suppose I shouldn't keep complaining.

More seriously, there is a reason that it seems like the wind works
against you more than it works for you:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/wind.html

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
Money doesn't buy happiness.
Poverty doesn't buy anything.
- Seen at the sig of JerZ Fox in r.b.m