A Tale of two Votes

It was the worst of times, It was the best of times. It was a long cold spell in early March 2007 when temperatures were in the teens. We were discussing plans for the family's annual Spring Holiday. I suggested we head West where there was good Spring Skiing as there wasn't any good snow in the Northeast. Other members had their own ideas. Being a good natured person and naive to a plot that had been hatched, I suggested we vote on it, secret ballots, everyone write on a piece of paper their destination choice. I lost, by two votes. I'm not a gracious loser, but in this case, hey, It's dirty job but somebody has to do it.

The Tour de France in French

Since Lance left the Tour de France American interest has declined but the French have figured how to 'arouse' American interest in it again.

Aquebogue and Jamesport

Out in the east end of Long Island the summer rental crowds are gone and everything seems to return to its bucolic state. The trees, compared to the Catskill Mountains are not as showy with their colors, the sandy beaches and the gold brown seagrass of the salt marshes all add to the tranquility. These photos were taken along my bicycle route from Aquebogue to Jamesport and Mattituck.

Bethpage State Park

This path runs from the middle of the Island in Bethpage to the south shore village of Massapequa New York, paralleling the southern section of the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail. Despite the fact that it is in the heart of a densely populated area, it provides a quiet, bucolic environment that is rare in this part of the island. The northern starting point of the path is the Bethpage State Park picnic area.

Back To The East End

Back to the East End of Long Island this weekend, back to beaches, farms, vineyards and flat roads. The sun is setting earlier as winter is slowly but surly coming. Retuning later than expected from my ride I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture the changing colors of the setting sun reflecting off the Peconic Bay. I paid the penality for stopping. My legs stiffened and my fingers numbed from the cold as I struggled to maintain a pace during the last few miles toward home. It's not too soon to plan for an alternative to my bicycling weekends. Door Number One or Door Number Two

Catskills Fall Foliage

The date of this MTB ride in Minnewaska State Park Preserve was agreed upon several months in advance. However no amount of planning assures that you will see the fall foliage at its peak. We got lucky as the colors and the weather couldn't be better. Minnewaska Preserve is part of the Shawangunk Ridge located in a sparsely populated area in the Catskills. The carriage trails provide the most spectacular views. The Nature Conservancy has designated the preserve as one of the "75 Last Great Places on Earth".

North Fork Pumpkin Picking

It's mid Fall, as I bicycle pass the farms they are full of families with children picking pumpkins and losing each other in the tall corn stalk mazes. Most pumpkins are made into jack-o-lanterns and with stacks of hay and corn stalks used as decorations for halloween and the fall season.

Lehman College

Though not bicycling related this thought is a recurring theme. Only three weeks into the 2008 Fall school term. I'm seriously beginning to feel it's my time to retire as each freshman class appears to be younger and more naive than the previous. Some instructors see their naiveté as youthful enthusiasm. I am not so sure. But as I walk around the Campus I decided to preserve some images.

Fall Farm Harvest

It's Fall out East, the farms stands are displaying their harvests. It's always a colorful and amazing display of what the land provides. My bicycle ride is always interupted in the morning by the smell of fresh baked doughnuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and in the afternoon by pumpkin pies and a glass of fresh squeezed apple cider at Wickham's Farm

Tour Of The Hamptons

The Tour of The Hamptons organized by The Massapequa Park Bicycle Club is a bicycle tour through the summer playground of New York's Rich and Shameless. The club offers tours from 25 miles up to a century.