Skip to content

Month: May 2022

Afterwords: Thank You, Earth!

Afterwords: Thank You, Earth!

Published by davetline on May 16, 2022

Zen and the Art of Bicycle Riding

(If you’re new here, please see this post to learn what The Ride for April is all about or, if you are ready now, please click the button below and donate in support, please!)

Please support the Sayre Fund for Nature

It’s been almost two weeks since I completed my Ride For April. The gifts I collected in Michigan have been distributed, the layers for winter riding packed away, and the planning begun for my next biking adventure. I apologize I couldn’t bring everyone some Michi-Gummies!

In a post along the way, I mentioned seeing sandhill cranes and chatting with amateur photographer and wildlife enthusiast Gary Mason about them. He posted his images from that day and they’re amazing. Below you can see the first baby already hatched, then the second egg with some cracks starting to show, then both the babies out and about. Isn’t that so cool?

I pretty much had to throw myself back into life once getting back to Virginia, but was able to take some time out to do some biking with my best biking partner ever, completing the 2-Day Challenge for the Cap2Cap ride. It was a real treat to have some company after so much solo riding.

I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on the trip in conversations with friends and family. I’m still incredibly grateful and continue to feel lucky to have been able to take the time to complete such a journey.

One of the more succinct take-aways for me has been how a trip like I took tends to narrow one’s focus. My regular concerns were very small and specific — what clothes am I going to wear? which way should I turn? do I have enough to eat and, if not, where do I get some food?

Then, as long as those concerns were satisfied, I tended to let my mind wander into the most esoteric and existential places — what is life about? what is my place in the world? how profound is the beauty of nature?

That contrast between mindsets and the constant moving between them was one of the more interesting aspects of the trip. I hope to be able to hold on to the calm and centered feelings that I felt when I was in the long-biking-trip zone and let them reinforce the really great parts of my life.

There is no better book to close this chapter of my life with than April’s Thank You, Earth. It is a beautiful love letter to our planet and the natural world. It was read at April’s Celebration of Life and encompasses so many sentiments I hope I can retain as I trudge through my day-to-day. The book is a gift from April to all of us and I’m so happy to have it and to have known her.

Monday, May 2: Home at Last

Monday, May 2: Home at Last

Published by davetline on May 2, 2022

Please be sure to check out the first post in this series and support A Ride for April. https://davidtimberline.com/a-ride-for-april/

My great Michigan odyssey is over. It ended on a cold, gray day just like it started. But though the weather was similar, my attitude couldn’t have been more different.

On day 1, I was both excited and anxious about what was ahead. On day 8, I felt proud and happy about what I’d done, but also sad that it was ending. Multiple times as I was riding today, I slowed down and just coasted, enjoying the silence and the freedom of a quiet wander through the countryside. 

Last night and this morning. I explored South Haven, a cute touristy little town. The most prominent mural I saw had an impressive three dimensionality to it (above). The dreariness of the day meant the beach was just a huge expanse of sand, probably a view not often seen by tourists. 

Most of my travel was on the Kal Haven Trail, which I had been looking forward to experiencing since the trip’s start. Back when I worked at Rails-to-Trails, it was one of the mainstays in the literature, a nice nature trail that also connected two significant Michigan cities (Kalamazoo and South Haven). 

The trail didn’t disappoint, with access to an impressive pier and platform area shortly after its beginning and interesting trailside info along the way on the importance of blueberries to the area and the brief history of a local oil boom. 

But as delightful as it is, my time on it was relatively short as it was my second shortest travel day at just 35 miles. Too quickly, I was back in Paw Paw at the cozy home of my Aunt and Uncle (below). And then it was off to the highway with the long drive to Virginia begun. 

The book of April’s that seems best for my last day of riding is “Home at Last” because, even though I’m still not home yet, I’m on my way. This book is about migration so not technically about what I did. 

But it is about journeys and the challenges faced by animals who take them, so I think it works. Even though a book for young kids, even adults can learn from it (lobsters migrate?!?) https://www.amazon.com/Home-at-Last-Song-Migration/dp/0805051546#

Sunday, May 1: Trout, Trout, Trout

Sunday, May 1: Trout, Trout, Trout

Published by davetline on May 2, 2022

Please be sure to check out the first post in this series and support A Ride for April. davidtimberline.com/a-ride-for-april/

Lake to lake complete! On a cold, windy afternoon in South Haven, I finally caught a glimpse of Lake Michigan and I couldn’t stop smiling

It’s been almost 275 miles versus the 250 I planned but, after completing the traverse, it seems like I only just started.

It was a much more challenging day than I expected. I left Paw Paw, Michigan, with its stately statehouse around 10:30, another colder than usual morning – but at least it was windy!

Half the day was supposed to be on something called the Van Buren Trail. But when I got to it, here’s what it looked like.

Not asphalt, not crushed rock, not even dirt. It was basically just ground, essentially a hiking trail. After 20 minutes struggling across it, going maybe 2 miles, I jettisoned the trail. It is a straight northwest diagonal shot to South Haven, so instead I had to stair step along alternate northward and westward heading county roads. It definitely added a couple miles but the smoothness of asphalt was like heaven after hobbling along the trail.

I really didn’t stop to check out wildlife or other interesting sites in the last 5 miles or so, anxious for the lake I knew was almost in sight. When I got down to it, the wind was whipping up whitecaps and I had no desire to linger. Before long, I was at my hotel celebrating with a nice cold one.

Tomorrow I wrap up with a relatively light sojourn back to Paw Paw and this biking journey will be over. I’m both sad and excited to wrap it up.

In honor of reaching the lake, I wanted to highlight “Trout, Trout, Trout! A Fish Chant,” April’s first species specific chanting book. Another mainstay in our kids’ reading repertoire, this book has some bold colorful fish drawings that are a great compliment to April’s fun fishy prose.

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday, April 30: Happy Sloth Day!

Saturday, April 30: Happy Sloth Day!

Published by davetline on May 1, 2022
Please support my Ride For April. davidtimberline.com/a-ride-for-april/

Zero miles today! I think my body was a little surprised at the relative inactivity — but grateful!

On this day off, here are a few facts and reflections:

I was supposed to have ridden 225 miles over the past 5 days. With mistakes and misdirections, it’s ended up being over 232. Those “oops”es add up.

Last time I checked, people have donated $995 toward the Sayre Fund for Nature in honor of this ride. I’m really blown away — thank you all so much!

Every day on a trail, I have seen items like water bottles, dog leashes, and gloves hung from fences or placed prominently and obviously on picnic benches. My read has been it’s the result of people finding lost items and putting them somewhere to make finding them easier to those who have lost the items. There’s something about simple hopeful kindnesses like these that almost make me believe in the basic goodness of humans.

The many “Fuck Biden” flags in central Michigan (flying proudly under the American flag) somewhat undercuts that belief. Oh, and the very occasional Confederate flag…in Michigan. I mean, there’s a veneer of hiding behind “Heritage, not Hate” in Virginia. Here, what can that be about other than racism?

There have been a dozen times, I’ll pass a street or landmark and the name of it sticks a song in my head for at least the next hour, if not the whole day. In Port Huron, there was “Electric Avenue.” Outside Jackson, I saw the Stone Soap Company, misread it as Stone Soup and was singing the theme song from one of Holly’s kids shows all day. The sign above prompted me to think “Stop, look around…” leading to a couple hours trying to remember the lyrics to this:

The biggest anxiety of the trip has been imperfect technology (i.e., my phone’s been acting up). Note to self: paper maps don’t need to be charged…

April’s last book to be published, coming out this past March, was “Happy Sloth Day!” It’s a testament to her photography skills, the number of fun shots of sloths included. I wasn’t exactly a sloth today but I did take it easy. April’s book validates sloths for their slow-moving but still fascinating lifestyle, and I’m taking that as a validation of a good day of rest!

Sent from my iPhone