Papa and Isabella

Of all the pictures snapped on Father's Day yesterday, I am drawn to this one the most. It was a moment between granddaughter Isabella and me at her second birthday party. Aunt Chrissy Krol captured the mood beautifully.

Here is the brief conversation we had...

Papa: We really should go inside, Isabella. Everyone is waiting for you to open your presents.

Isabella: No. Outside.

(I told you it was brief.)

Moments later Isabella rushed inside-- bribed by her mother with a sugar cookie. The expediency of simple bribery beat logic and reason once again.

Doesn't anyone abide by the, "Don't negotiate with terrorists" rule any more?

New Bike, New Trail, Great Sky

2014 Giant Sedona DX on a section of the Tunnel Hill State Trail alongside US 45
between Harrisburg and Eldorado, Illinois.

When I first got back into bicycling a few ten years ago, I went to the local bike shop and said I wanted to get a mountain bike. The owner quizzed me on what type of riding I did and then told me I wanted a hybrid bike. So I tried one and thought it was OK and ended up buying the thing. After riding that for a couple years I got an itch for something lighter and faster and bought a road bike-- the kind with the dropped handlebars. I quickly found out that was not my style at all and I sold it within a year. Still wanting something lighter and faster, I found the Trek 7.5 FX-- a flat-bar road bike. So I sold the hybrid and bought the Trek. It's my primary bike now and is best for me for longer rides. But I still itched for the more upright riding style of the mountain bike. It's easier to look around when riding on streets and, frankly, reminds me of what bike-riding was when I was a kid and rode my bike everywhere. So here's the new mountain bike. It's a comfortable bike for shorter rides and has the wider tires that do better on softer terrain, but it isn't the best for distance.

This week I was travelling downstate for work and decided to take the new bike with me to take a bite out of a trail I've been wanting to ride for several years. The Tunnel Hill State Trail is an old railroad line that has been converted to a cycling/running/walking trail. From the Barkhausen Wetlands Center just outside Karnak to the end in Eldorado is 55.6 miles. I rode from Harrisburg to Eldorado and back. It was only 18 miles but that was plenty in the 90 degree heat on a bike not built to ride distances. I'm looking forward to riding more (or even all) of the trail, especially the southernmost portion.

Isabella's ball

One of the traditional gifts for toddler birthdays in my family has been a ball. Nothing fancy, just a 99 cent ball, the kind you see in big wire bins. What made it a little special, was that I would always put the child's name on it with permanent marker.

Well, Misha got a new ball for Isabella last week and asked me if I would put her name on it. It's nice to see her hanging on to things she remembers from her childhood. Makes me feel that they were special enough to her that she wants to carry them on.

Plus, I get to play with markers.