Manatee in the River

Manatee
Loxahatchee River, Tequesta, FL
 April 23, 2024

As I biked across a Loxahatchee River bridge yesterday, I spied a manatee grazing along the shore. I bike across this bridge most days when I ride and this was the first time that I had seen a manatee. 

I stopped and watched the manatee from the bridge. 

I have been lucky to see quite a few manatees this year while boating, but this was the first I had seen while not actually out on the water. I stood and watched for a while and then continued on my ride. I posted 16.82 miles as I continue training for the upcoming Greater Allegheny Passage ride. 

There is something fascinating about watching these large water mammals just going about their business and not being concerned about almost anything. This stretch of the river is narrow and the low bridge means that most motorized boats cannot disturb the ecosystem there. 

I managed a couple short videos of the manatee, which I put together. 

Tomorrow is a travel day as Chris and I head back to Maryland for a week to enjoy the Springtime and family, friends, and of course baseball and wine!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Riding Tequesta

Tortoise by the Road
Jupiter, FL
April 18, 2024

 The beautiful weather continued yesterday. I headed out for a ride and wound up doing just over 19 miles bringing my total for the month to over 150 miles. 

I am continue training for the 150 miles in 3 days GAP ride planned for mid-June.

Across the Loxahatchee River
Jupiter, FL
April 18, 2024

I changed-up my route a bit yesterday and tours an area that I don't frequently visit. I enjoy the ride, but parts of it cross some bridges, one of which I call suicide bridge because there is no sidewalk or bike lane and traffic sometimes gets too close. 

I enjoyed the ride and am preparing to try a 40 or so mile ride in the near future. I want to check out how things go in the over 30 mile region. I know I got a bit tired about the 16-mile point yesterday, but got my speed back by the 18th mile, but then the promise of getting home was a reality. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Blow-out

Crossing the Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
March 29, 2024

I had a no kidding bike tire blow-out during my ride yesterday.

It was, as you might expect, very sudden. I was closing in on 15 miles of my planned 16.5 mile ride when suddenly I hear a pop and felt a rush of air on my leg. Not a good situation. I brought my bike to a stop and confirmed what I suspected, my real tire blew out. 

I was concerned that the blow-out was the result of a fully inflated tire combined with the extra weight I have been training with and the heat of the day. Instead of fixing the tire alongside the road and using my expendable supplies, I called Chris to come rescue me with my truck. I took the additional training weight off the bike. The weight consisted of a ten pound weight in the bike bag over the rear tire and, for the first time, I was riding with a camelback water supply. 

Once home, and after cooling down and attending to some other matters, I began the process of determining the cause of the blow-out. I pumped some air into the tire to determine the source of the leak and it immediately became apparent that I had ridden over something that punctured the tire and tube. I never saw it--it had two blade like puncture marks right in the middle of the tread. I noted that the tire was thin from the riding I have been doing and decided to replace the tire while I had everything apart. 

The whole repair process, including going to the bike store, took about an hour and the bike is ready for todays' ride--if I do one. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tortoise by the Road

Gopher Tortioise
Tequesta, FL
March 17, 2024

 As I ride my routes on my bike, I look for wildlife. I always see a lot of squirrels and rabbits, but I especially enjoy seeing the tortoises. They are like small armored vehicles sitting by the site of the road and generally they do not get too excited by my presence. 

I enjoy counting the sightings on my rides, but all too often the count is zero. On St Patricks Day, I counted four tortoises during the ride. One might have been counter twice. The one in the image was the most fully exposed and it even earned a turn-around to go back for another look and a picture. 

Watching for the wildlife gives my mind something to do on the rides, actually seeing wildlife makes the rides even more enjoyable. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Preparing for the Big Ride

Rear Bag on my Bile
Tequesta, FL
March 14, 2024

Preparing for the upcoming three-night, 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage bike ride is no small undertaking.

It turns out there is a lot more to it than just hopping on my bike and heading off. I am outfitting my bike to carry clothes and water for the trip as well as learning to ride with additional weight aboard. 

I discovered during my ride the other day that water is something that I need to push. I did 26 miles and was dehydrated at the end of the ride. That distance is less than our daily plan and so I purchased a camelback to help ensure that I drink sufficiently during long rides. 

The bag over my back wheels has panniers which unfold to allow me to carry more stuff, but that comes with a price--weight! I am also putting back on my front wheel. 

Fortunately, the ride is not until mid-June. By then, hopefully, I will be in better shape and fully familiar with the handling characteristics of my fully loaded bike. One thing I have already learned is that I need to lift my leg higher to mount my bile to clear the bag on the back. That gets tougher when I get tired. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Another Great Saturday

Last Quarter Mile
Village Blvd, Tequesta, FL
March 16, 2024

Happy St Patrick's Day

 I began yesterday with a 15.5 mile bike ride. But, this ride was different from all the others. I am beginning training for riding the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) from Downtown Pittsburgh, PA, to Cumberland, MD, a 149 mile ride. Yesterday I rode for the first time with a bag on the newly installed rack on the back of my bike with 8 pounds of additional weight. It really changed my ride. I rode the 1h 12m ride without stopping. Usually I stop once or twice, but yesterday I forced myself to drink water without stopping. 

Map of the GAP

I could not believe how adding 8 pounds affected everything from my breathing and heart rate to my mental state. I'm really not looking forward to lugging about 40 pounds of clothes and water along the trail. But I know that I need to train to be ready for the three day ride. Patrick and Jen have a good plan and I am encouraged because this will be Patrick's fifth time to ride the GAP. Jeremy and I will be the newbies on the trail.

Upon returning home, the remainder of the day was devoted to getting our new Mustang Mach-E set-up. There is a lot to new cars. Although, fundamentally it is a car and the basics apply: get in car, foot on brake, start car, put in gear and drive. There are a lot of things to assist us as drivers. This car even has Alexa and is a WiFi hot spot!

So much to do and so little time.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tequesta in the Afternoon

Sunday afternoon, Chris and I managed an afternoon bike ride the other day after the rains passed. We decided on a short ride of 5 miles that turned into over 8 miles before we were finished. We toured Tequesta in Martin County, near us. 

It was a very easy ride and we managed to go up and down nearly every side street looking at the wild spaces and the houses. There were many streets that we had never before visited and of course some that are regular streets upon which we ride. 

I was fairly amazed that we turned the ride into an 8 mile jaunt just by riding nearly every side street. We passed on one because it was only a 100 feet long and there is a gated community that denied us access to the other side streets that we passed on. 

I had some fun during the ride recording our activity using my RayBan Smart Glasses. I am pretty happy with the result. I added music to the video to mask our relatively mundane conversation. I mean, who really wants to hear about dinner prep?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Look at What I Saw

Cow by the River
Jupiter, FL
January 26, 2024

Friday was a diverse day. I completed a 21.64 mile bike ride covering areas that I don't normally ride while enjoying a beautiful morning. For the afternoon, Chris and I headed off to the South Florida Fair, which I have already written about.

But it was during the morning ride that I discovered a something new and one very depressing. First, I saw a never seen before animal during my ride. It was a cow! I do not typically ride along pasture lands, except this one piece of field has been undergoing a transformation over the past months and I now understand what for--a cow! Yup. On one side of the road is a branch of the Loxahatchee River and on the other is a small pasture complete with cow! It was very different. Of course I had to take an image with my Smart Glasses. 

Newly Cleared Land
Tequesta, FL
January 26, 2024

One very depressing aspect of my ride was when I passed a field which was formerly very wild. It used to contain grasses and trees. Unfortunately, a developed decided to plant houses and the plot has been cleared displacing the gopher tortoises and other wildlife which previously resided there. I enjoyed riding this infrequently traveled road which is near the center of Tequesta. Sadly, now it is becoming a development. I wish there were a way to protect wild lands from indiscriminate development. The roughly one acre lots go for $3.5 million! Yup--prime real estate. I wonder how much the houses will cost?

There is nothing exciting, for me, about looking at cleared and formerly wild land.

That was near the end of my ride. I will not ride down this street much anymore because I used to enjoy looking for the tortoises--which have been displaced.

Overall, though, it was a great Friday. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

80s and Bike

 I have been keenly watching the national weather forecast. I have noted that there is only one place in the country that has warm temperatures, in the 80s and that is South Florida!

Yay!

Chris and I enjoyed sitting outside on our patio last evening as the sun set. I remembered the incredibly hot and humid days we suffered through during September and October. Last evening was perfect. It has been windy--but that is not hard to handle when the temperatures are warm. 

We rode over 16 miles together yesterday, even in the wind. It was nice not to sweat profusely and to enjoy the ride around Tequesta. I decided not to ride Beach Road on Jupiter island because the wind was coming from the south and the ride back would have been entirely directly into the wind--a very exhausting endeavor.  

We are lucky that more of the same is on tap for today. We will remain warm until Monday, when our temperatures again drop and become cold. 

I think we will go to the South Florida Fair today or tomorrow. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

As the Day Evolved

 

Chris and Fin Coming Home
Tequesta, FL
January 20, 2024

It was NFL Playoff Saturday and so I knew where I would be from about 4 PM until I retired for the evening--in front of the TV watching the games.

Ibis in a Yard
Tequesta, FL
January 20, 2024

Fortunately, the outcome was to my liking as the Ravens dismantled the Texans to move onto the Conference Championship, one win away from the Super Bowl.

It was cold yesterday, not as cold as the 54 degrees this morning, but it hovered around the 60 degree mark when I rolled out my bike and started a 16-mile ride. I was lucky in that after attending the Ravens game a couple weeks ago in the cold and rain that I bought heated vests for both Chris and myself. Yup, heated vests in Florida! Mine came in very handy during my ride yesterday. There are cold days during January and February. So I was toasty warm during my ride. 

The real great part of the day is how the it evolved and the sky cleared during the afternoon. I have two images from the day, the first from my ride as I spied a flock of Ibis in a yard and the second as Chris and Finnegan were coming home from a walk. Note the sky! The change from overcast to crystal blue was dramatic. I wanted to be outside, although the 64 degree temperature put a damper on my enthusiasm. 

I love the blue sky! Sadly, we are back to clouds this morning, but hopefully the skies will clear as the day progresses.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Bringing it Home

Heading Home Along Old Dixie Highway
Tequesta, FL
January 19, 2024

 I headed out on my bike yesterday for a ride. Sadly, the weather had other ideas and about 3 miles into the ride, I was greeted by rain. I don't mind a mist, or a light rain, but when I can see my shirt getting wet, or in this case a fleece since it was cold, and drops forming on my glasses it is time to head home.

That is what I did. 

I knew when I departed that the skies looks threatening, but often here in South Florida they look mean but there is no rain. Well, I got fooled yesterday. It was very cool and apparently the rain needed to fall from the sky onto my ride. 

I was trying to get a ride in before the activity of the day got happening, but I only made a total of 6.7 miles and 33 minutes. At least I got a ride in, it was just too short. 

In other news, the 3D printer is still not functional. I was able to level the table, finally, but then upon further inspection I noticed that extruder had a broken lever. So I ordered a new extruder which should be here today. It was made from plastic anyway and so I am a bit excited about installing the metal extruder that will be arriving as it should be more durable. 

Today is colder than yesterday, but for the first day in a row there is not rain in the forecast. Yay. I even witnessed a beautiful sunrise to celebrate the start of the day although the skies remain mostly overcast.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Riding the Tequesta Circuit

 

Chris in the Lead
Turtle Creek, Tequesta, FL
January 17, 2024

Despite the afternoon rain and early morning cold, I have managed 30 miles on my bike during the past two days. On Tuesday, I completed my standard 16 mile circuit around Tequesta. Yesterday, even though it was cold, Chris and I rode the reverse routs and made it over 14 miles. I took a few miles off because of the high winds and cold. 

Chris and I were appropriately dressed for yesterday's cold, 60 degree temperatures. It would like to say it was refreshing, but no, it was just cold!

We have solved the communication problem by riding with our cells connected on a call. It means that we are in constant communication and can tell each other abut safety issues--such as a vehicle passing or whether it is clear around a blind corner. When I ride alone, I listen to music. My new Smart Glasses mean that I do not have to have AirPods in my ear--which is good because with AirPods only one can be in place leaving the other ear open for traffic sounds. 

I managed to put together a short video from my Tuesday ride. I finally was able to successfully employ my Smart Glasses and get the videos. They are very easy to use. The first part of the video is a fun intersection in the Country Club road area. There might be a Stop Sign--oops! But I cleared the traffic. The second part of the video is crossing the SE County Line Road Bridge. It came out really cool! I was amazed at how smooth everything appears. I guess my head works as a good gyroscope to stabilize the camera in the glasses. 

I have been enjoying the rides. Today may be a washout. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Weather and the Beach

Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter island, FL
January 16, 2024

With afternoon storms forecast, yesterday was a day for morning outdoors activity--and I took advantage of the opportunity by completing a 16+ mile ride around Tequesta. It felt good to be getting my legs under me again, although I could tell they are still getting back into riding shape after the over one month hiatus. 

Along the Dune
Jupiter Island, FL
January 16, 2024

Chris and I later headed off to the beach for a walk and to enjoy some time together in our favorite environment. As we crossed the top of the stairs over the dune, we were greeted with a beautiful blue sky and multicolored ocean scene across a wide beach. I confess, it has been some time since we visited this beach, we have been going to Carlin Park--but, I was unprepared for what we saw. While everything looks idyllic, in truth an incredible amount of sand (beach) has been washed into the ocean. I took an image from the base of the dune--as near as I can estimate about 10 feet of sand has been carried off and the beach which last year went from halfway up the dune and sloped to the ocean is now gone and has a slight slope from the base of the dune to the ocean.

Further down the beach, where the new Seaglass condo building has been constructed, the stairs from the building to the beach no longer actually make it to the beach. They end about 5 feet above the beach. The beach erosion is significant. To make it worse, I am pretty sure all of the sand has ended up just off shore and destroyed the fragile ecosystem. It is a lot of sand!

The beach was, however, very enjoyable in the wind  80 degree temperatures. I highly recommend it for everyone fighting snow and cold!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Over the Bridge with the Smart Glasses

View from Bridge over SE County Line Road
Martin County
January 15, 2024

 Chris and I made it out for our second ride of the year yesterday. We increased our mileage to over 15 miles now that we are getting back into the groove. I received Ray Ban Smart Glasses for Christmas and have been experimenting with them while on the rides. 

There is one bridge that I cross on nearly every ride. It is on SE County Line Road in Martin County. Chris and I ride this bridge and depending upon the particular route we choose we can cross it in either direction, but usually it is on the homeward leg of a long ride. There is a significant hill across the bridge which is the biggest hill on our rides. I like crossing this bridge because it is in a wild area and very open. I have not, until yesterday, taken an image off the bridge because it has a narrow wood sidewalk and is not a good place to stop and sightsee. 

Apple Map of the SE Country Line Road Bridge
Martin County
January 15, 2024

I decided to use my Smart Glasses yesterday to get an image as I was riding across the span. It worked. I took an image while riding on my bike all without crashing. On the satellite image to the left, I took the image from just before the middle of the bridge while riding from left to right.

I had tried taking a couple videos yesterday as well, but due to operator error they did not complete. I held the button too long. 

I am hopeful of getting becoming proficient at the Smart Glasses. I did maintain communication with Chris throughout the ride yesterday using the feature that connects to my phone!

The joys of technology. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

First of the Year

 

North Fork Loxahatchee River Bridge
Tequesta, FL
January 13, 2024

Chris and I managed our first bike rides of the year yesterday. I was good to get the bikes out of the garage, top off the tires, and hit the pavement. There was more wind than we had expected and so we shortened our ride to about 10 miles--that was wise especially considering that it had been almost 4 weeks since we were last in the saddle. 

It was a beautiful morning for a ride, despite the wind. We knew from the weather report that rain was moving into the area for the afternoon and we needed to get out earlier than later. 

We also knew that we expected to become couch potatoes during the afternoon and evening while watching the NFL Wildcard Playoff Games. Our shortened ride worked out great as we toured around Tequesta and updated ourselves on the status of activities in our community. It looked to be a good morning for boating--but, well, we did not reserve a boat and we had other activities to accomplish. 

We are still trying to bet back into our groove after being gone. 

Hopefully, the weather will allow me a ride today before I fall onto the sofa for more football magic. I am 2-0 so far in predicting winners, although secretly I was hoping that Miami would win over Kansas City just to shock the Chiefs back into reality. But alas, the Dolphins frosted over and never made much of a game out of the contest. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

It's Relative

 

Cold is a relative thing. 

It seemed cold here yesterday with a morning temperature of 63 degrees as I headed out for my ride. I thought that I had properly prepared for the cold by wearing a long sleeve shirt, rather than my usual short sleeve riding shirts. 

I even waited to start later than normal, hoping that the temperature would improve.

It didn't. 

With the cold wind, I knew the ride was doomed right from the start. I could not keep my core warm and so, after about two miles of being cold I decided to head home. The 4.1 miles yesterday was my shortest ride in a very long time, but, on the good side of the ledger, the ride put me across 100 miles for the month. 

I never even crossed my favorite bridge in Tequesta. 

I am going to have to dress warmer for these low 60- and high 50-degree days. I remember last year it didn't seem so bad, but cold is relative. Given the wind and the humidity 60s cam feel refreshing or frigid. 

Next week when we are in Maryland, I will be longing for 60-degree days.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta ,FL

Impressionist Sky

Clouds Reflected in the River
North Fork Loxahatchee River, FL
November 7, 2023

A beautiful morning with moderate temperatures called Chris and I out for a nice 16-plus mile ride yesterday. I was happy that the bike shop repaired the broken spokes on my rear wheel in record time and my bike was ready for action. 

Gopher Tortoise
Little Creek Community, Tequesta, FL
November 7, 2023

We followed what has become our base route and as we crossed the North Fork Loxahatchee River Bridge, Tequesta, I saw the clouds reflected in the water and it looked like a French impressionist painting. We usually stop on the bridge in one of the sitting areas to get a drink of water and admire the view. It was especially beautiful yesterday and I and expecting to be in that very location today as it is a boat day and the weather seems perfect.

We were rewarded during our ride by sighting two gopher tortoises. They are more elusive than one might think and we enjoy watching them munch the grasses along the roadways. 

I have to say again, tis time of year is the best in South Florida. The temperatures are moderate and the water remains warm from the summer. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Ringing in November

 

Looking South from North Fork Loxahatchee Bridge
Tequesta, FL
October 31, 2023

I hope everyone survived Halloween and are enjoying the first day of the penultimate month of the year. 

I closed out the month of October with a 16 mile ride. The ride took me over 200 miles for the month and October was the first month over that amount since May! It just shows the amount of travel we have been doing. Well, and our weekly boating adventures do cut into my biking days. 

I rode my usual route around Tequesta and enjoyed watching the houses under construction along with the myriad Halloween decorations. I expect the decorations will be coming down during the next few days to be soon replaced by Christmas decorations. My stop on the North Fork Loxahatchee River Bridge in Tequesta was short, but I enjoyed looking at the flat water and imagining being out on that water in a small craft. 

I am getting prepared for today's boating adventure. We will see where we end up. We are departing from Jupiter and therefore will head south probably to explore more of the Loxahatchee River. Time will tell. At least I will have my trusty deck boat back instead of the pontoon boat. Funny thing about the pontoon boats we took out the past two weeks, they both had a slide which we never used. 

Well, it is the hump of the week and Halloween is now behind us. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Angry Ocean Biking

 

Angry Ocean
Hobe Sound Beach Park, FL
September 16, 2023

Chris and I biked South Beach Road yesterday. It was a nice 15.5 mile ride past some of the most expensive homes in America. Officially, I read that Jupiter Island has the second highest per capita income of any inhabited place in America. 

We really enjoy the ride and by parking at the Coral Cove Park, we can avoid having to ride our bikes over the drawbridge. 

Looking Down the Path
Hobe Sound Beach Park, FL
September 16, 2023

It was a beautiful morning to be riding along the road passing mansions listed for sale in the $30-50 million range. One in particular that I like is listed for $49.5 million.  The road is fairly quiet, very little vehicular traffic, but on Saturday and Sunday mornings there is a large amount of bike traffic. The ride is mostly straight and flat running about 11 miles from one end to the other. We chose to ride from Coral Cove Park to Hobe Sound Beach Park and return, which is right at about 7.5 miles each way making a nice 15 or so mile ride. 

With the angry ocean sporting waves running in the 6-7 foot range, we thought we might return to the beach later during the day to watch the surfers, but alas, driving rainstorms turned the relatively bright day into an afternoon washout. Nonetheless, riding along South Beach Road provides continuous opportunities to enjoy the scenery as well as to marvel at the mansions. 

I am happy that the oppressive humidity abated and that it is fun to be outside again! 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Day of the Tortoise

Gopher Tortoise
Along A1A, Port Salerno, FL
September 12, 2023

 Following on to our beach day, Chris and I decided to head out on a bike ride through a local State Park that we have not visited in quite a while yesterday. 

It is a park that hosts a lot of wildlife and especially gopher tortoises. 

12 Mile Ride
Hobe Sound-Port Salerno, FL
September 12, 2023

We were not disappointed. 

I have been easing back into biking, since it has been almost a month since I have been seriously ridden due to the travel we have been doing. I feared that I had lost some of my endurance and stamina. I rode on Monday, alone, but kept it to about 12 miles and an hour. That was the plan for Chris and I--10-12 miles of about an hour. And that is what we did. 

We had an enjoyable ride spying a number of tortoises and a few snakes along with birds. 

It was an out and back ride. We rode to a point and then turned around to retrace out path. There were a few other bikers out riding on the beautiful September morning and the weather was perfect. I enjoyed the scene and of course riding with Chris. We did not quite make it to Cove Road Park, but I did not want to push Chris too hard. 

Amazingly, when it was complete, I had ridden exactly the same distance, to the hundredth of a mile, as the previous day. That almost never happens even when I ride the same route. 

Today is a boat day. The ocean is supposed to have waves of 4-6 feet, and so we will be staying in the intracoastal. 

September through November as some of the best months in South Florida. The ocean is still summertime warm and the temperatures begin to moderate. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL