Fall 2010

It's been three months since the last post - school work and the holidays filled much of my free time. But I promised myself that before the year ended, I would mention a few memorable rides that I took this fall with friends. The one that stands out most is the ride that started at the Pittsford Community Library and took us to Ionia and the historic beautifully landscaped home of my dear friends Olga and Brian. They were gracious enough to have us for coffee and cookies when we discovered the Sweet Solutions Bakery was closed for the day (off to cater the 10/10/10 weddings). Enjoying this spectacular ride through a colorful fall setting were Terry, Brian, Brian's friend Dan and myself, of course. Olga rode a short distance with us after the break, but she was having problems with her knee, so had to turn back. It was still nice to see her and the garden at her house. I really must grow dahlias again - they are the best fall flower!

Another nice ride that I lead with Gary was from Irondequoit Plaza to Greece. The best part about this ride is the trail and boardwalk that we take along the river. I also like the section that cuts between the lake and the ponds; the most scenic part of Greece for sure. This ride started at 10:00am and did bring more riders out; eleven I think. Beautiful sunny day, stopped at Bruegger's Bagels, but did not finish until about 2:00pm. This may be the trade off if we want to get more of the group out to ride on Sunday's. I would not mind hearing how others liked this starting/ending time...anyone?

My last ride with friends was in November with Gene and Brian. Great ride out to Macedon on a beautiful unseasonably warm day. This ride could have ended painfully as Brian and Gene both went down when Brian lost a wheel on his bike. Fortunately, they were not going fast and neither were injured, just sore for a few days. Brian has since taken his bike to the shop to ensure the stability, safety and performance of his older bike, including the essential rear view mirror!

Overall, the number of fall rides with the group was way down this year. Partly because of colder than usual, rainy days, but also because of the cancellation of the RMSC fall ride course. I also took a few Sunday hikes with friends and family this year, which was a nice change of pace. Karen and I had fun running our first Turkey Trot in Webster on Thanksgiving day. I may continue to run during the winter when the roads are dry as it is a great workout, using a different set of muscles. The fact that it is weight bearing is another benefit.

The snow came early in December and gave us near record accumulations, so cross-country skiing has been our best outlet for exercise and social contact lately. Unfortunately, it is melting rapidly today. On the plus side, I got out on my bike and it felt very good!