East Bay Bike Path in East Providence, RI
Meet at 9:45 for a 10 AM start
Fort Hill Parking lot Veterans Memorial Parkway across from the golf course.
CLICK HERE for the location
Links
Register ASAP For Upcoming Group Rides
There are many rides and events in this area for all levels of riders. Usually, the larger the group, the better chance of finding people who ride just like you. Weather it be a casual 10-12 MPH average speed, or the intermediates who average 12-14 MPH on long rides.
None of the rides on the following list are geared to the really fast, head down, race to the finish line bicyclists.
April 14. The Boston Midnight Marathon Bike Ride.
For a modest fee, the group will transport your bike from South Station in Boston.
You take the commuter train to Southboro, pick up your bike and ride to Hopkinton, the start of the Boston Marathon. There is no support, other than the bike transfer. Your on your own riding the Marathon course. Safety is not an issue because every town has their police force and workers out preparing the course. This ride begins at midnight and the road along the course are deserted and safety is not an issue with 3,000 bikes hogging the roads. CLICK HERE for the Video
May 19. The Mattapoisett Land Trust Tour de Creme. Mile options are 5-10-15-25-50. Fee is $1 per mile at registration. This one fill up quickly. Watch our pages for open registration. CLICK HERE for the video.
Ten Speed Spoke bike shop in Newport. Longest Day of the Year Ride. It’s the Thursday closest to the Summer Solstice. Probably on June 20th. CLICK HERE for the video.
Tuesday Photo Challenge.
It’s not often that my cover photo fits the weekly photo challenge of “Round” , suggested by Dutch Goes the Photo
Palmer’s Island Lighthouse in the harbor of New Bedford, MA. USA
A lighthouse was built on the northern point of the island for $1,951 by Charles M. Pierce, a mason. It was first lighted on August 30, 1849, by William Sherman (sometimes spelled Shearman), the keeper. The 24-foot tower was built of rubblestone, with wooden windows and floors.
Layers
Tuesday’s photo challenge #149 Layers
There was definitely a pecking order as these gulls approached the food. The dominant gulls would go to the head of the line and the others would back off, (or up) until the coast was clear of the stronger birds. Others watched and waited.
Academy Awards.
I am a big fan of the award shows. The Grammy’s, the Golden Globes and especially the Academy Awards. I have made it a point to see all the award movies and had a blast doing so.
Here are my picks for the major awards and also my predictions. I think the awards have become shy to pick the best out of fear of offending people who usually haven’t even seen any of the movies.
Here we go.
Best Actor: Christian Bale (Vice) The winner. Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
Best Supporting Actor: Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me) The winner. Mahershala Ali (Green Book) is my second pick.
Actress in a leading role: Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me) . The winner
Glenn Close (The Wife) Both were superb.
Actress in a supporting role. Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) I think the academy and I will agree on this one.
Best Screenplay: “Can You Ever Forgive Me”, but I would be happy with “Black Klansman” The winner.
Best Picture: Either “Vice” or “Green Book”. Both are not politically correct movies, so I’m guessing that Roma will get the award. Black Panther was good but I would be offended if a CGI movie won. Giving an award to a computer generated movie makes no sense.
I think the academy will choose “Roma” as the Best Picture.
It took me three tries to get through the movie and I really struggled to finish this film. To me, this looks like a high school kids project done with some of his friends and family, filmed with his 1980’s camcorder.
Cinematography: “The Favorite” but it may go to a foreign film “Cold War” or “Never Look Away”
Director: Spike Lee (BlackkKlansman) Definitely not a PC pick. That would go to Alphonso Cuaron for “Roma”
The Stand-off
Thanks to Sonya for this Three Line Tales suggestion
The territory has boundaries
Lucy and Rocky’s eyes meet
Neither move a muscle
Tuesday Photo Challenge
This weeks challenge offer by Frank at Dutch Goes The Photo, is simply titled, “Surface”.
I had so much trouble deciding which photo to use picking one, changing my mind. Pick another, then another. Eventually I decided to post more than one. All are from the New Bedford, Ma harbor. Twice New Bedford was the richest city in the country and once the richest in the world. It is has the honor of being the number 1 fishing port in America for many years.
July Tour of the Erie Canal
#3 son and I have decided to ride the Erie Canal again this summer. We have done a few short tours together over the years. Back then, I had time constraints and now he has that problem because of work.
We are going to meet in Albany, NY, take the Amtrak to Buffalo and ride back on the canal, (mostly). I say mostly because we have the option to ride NY Bike Rt 5 which is state rt 31, in case of tow path being mucky due to rain. The first time we rode the canal in 2008, it rained 3 of the 6 days of our tour.
This time around we will probably take eight days to ride the four hundred miles because we are going to smell the roses, as they say. The last two times we did this adventure, we put our heads down and rode to the next destination. We never took the time to stop at any historical or quirky places. It was all work back then. We did the same on our Lake Champlain tour and the Great Allegheny Passage ride.
The Goblins
For Sonya’s Three Line Tales prompt
We arrived at Goblin State Park after driving for hours. We pulled up to a closed gate with a sign saying, “no vacancy”.
There was a dirt path a ways back. Could that be a place to spend the night? The dusty road led to a box canyon. No one around for miles and dusk was approaching.
We found a spot and settled in for the night. It got pitch black dark. So dark something five feet away was invisible. That night we experienced how the canyon got it’s name.
There was no room at the campground. We found this spot in a box canyon off the main road.
Sixty Five Degrees Simply Begs For A Bike Ride
I’m the only retired person in our group that rides regularly in the winter. Today I was the only retired guy who rode in summer evening weather. I chose to head East to the town of Mattapoisett MA.
It was a short 11 mile spin that twice got bogged down in mud when I found myself on dirt paths. It was all caused by the two day thaw following a week of alternating rain and freezing temperatures. It’s all in the video.
2019 February Mattapoisett Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.
A Midnight Rider 