My Bicycle (Mis)Adventure

In theory, my plan was sound. It was the execution that was flawed. How so? Let's start at the beginning of the ride...actually before that even.

I got my hair cut and highlighted today, which is always something I enjoy. I've had the same gal doing my hair since I moved to Rochester in June of 1982. My forehead looks HUGE in this photo.

On the way home I snapped a couple of shots of some spectacular maple trees down the street.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, it was out Salem Road for my afternoon bike ride. Dad was at my brother's house and Ada had medical appointments at Mayo today. I was thinking about 50 miles would be a good ride for the afternoon.

What a beautiful day for a ride! The wind was generally westerly, and picked up about as soon as I left the house. Figures. I'd planned to ride the Salem Corners ...

 Rock Dell ...

High Forest Loop and then do the Airport loop. But when I got to Rock Dell, I decided I'd head west on the paved county road there. (Can't remember the number.) Before I left Rock Dell, I decided to stop at the Creamery there. I'd always been curious about it. I went inside,, but didn't see anyone around, though there was a pickup out in front. There was a cooler with cheese, candy and beverages in it.

 A freezer with ice cream novelties and lots of feed and fertilizer and a few miscellaneous farm supplies,

Well, now I know what's inside. : ) Then I headed west on this road I hadn't been on before. I'm always wanting to try something new, go somewhere I'd never been so that's what I did. It was a nice road, but kind of rough and absolutely no shoulder. No rumble strips (yeah!), but no (paved) shoulder (boo!).

I saw a sign for West St. Olaf Church. I've gone by East St. Olaf Church north of Rock Dell more times than I can count. So I was curious to see West. It was just north of the road I was riding on and the road was paved as far as the church, which I appreciated. It's a pretty stone church.

It looked like there was a parsonage or something across the street.

There was a very nice, comprehensive map of the cemetery. I saw a headstone right to the left of this location from 1898.

The iron fence looked old.

After leaving the church, I headed west 'til I got to Dodge County road 13 and then turned south.

This road eventually brought me into Olso which is on highway 30. This was uncharted territory for me on a bike.n BTW: The little store there, Teigen's Store, is closed.

South of Oslo, the country really opened up.

I turned left on Mower County 1. Third county for the day. I wasn't expecting to end up in Mower County. I generally knew where I was going and what my plan was. I was going to turn east here and then turn left on the road that would be come Olmsted county 3/6. That was the plan. Again, the problem was in the execution.

Being it was so open out here, it was a good location for a wind farm.

I kept heading east ...

until I found myself going over I-90. Uh-oh. This is too far. What to do. My plan wasn't working quite right. Where was that paved road? I could turn around, which I did, and ride the route I'd ridden out, but that would have given me about 70 miles and I was afraid of running out of daylight (it was after 4:30 and I'd gone 35 miles) and food (I had 2 90-calorie granola bars and had eaten one already). Going east I'd passed a farmstead that was having an auction. I decided to pull in as there were a few people left in the yard. I'd ask someone where I was (yikes) and how to get back to Rochester the quickest on paved roads. Well, I often say I can't go ANYWHERE without seeing someone I know. And this was no different. Out of the house comes ...

Patty Clancy. It was her grandma's farm that was being sold. Her kids and my kids went to school together and her son Josh played traveling soccer with Matt for many years. She told me how to get back ... exit the farm, turn left, and take a right on the first paved road (county 3). Well, I knew that that had been my original plan, but I'd just missed that turn on the paved road to the north. Sure enough ... within a couple of miles I found the road and turned north. I was very glad to get back into Olmsted county.

Most of the beans have already been combined, but there were still a few fields being harvested.

This field of cut hay looked nice in the waning daylight.

Soon enough I was back in Rochester. 61.77 miles. I really pushed it coming back into town. In the last hour of the ride, I rode 22 miles. : ) My legs are tired. And I was FAMISHED when I got home.

I started doing a little baking tonight for Saturday. (I'm giving up on posting RSVPs ... if you want to know who's showing up, show up!) I made blueberry bread ...

and some blonde brownies with white choc chips and walnuts. Both are very good recipes. Tried and true.

Morning workout: 1 1/2 hours on the Stairmaster. I've crammed enough into this day. Good night.