Skiing la Grave is a bit different...

Caladium Plant

I haven't had a caladium plant in many years and this spring when I saw some bulbs, (actually corms, I think) I got a mixed bunch but all have come out this color. Has huge leaves, as much as 12 inches across and longer in length. I did go back yesterday and got another bag of bulbs that are to be the greenand white leaves. Will bea while before I can get a photo of them. They are grown a lot outside in warm climates like Florida but are houseplants here and in cold areas.

Bringing back Catharijnesingel in Utrecht

This is for those who have been in myadopted home city Utrecht (Netherlands)...

Trivia: Did you know that the 4-laneroad that separates the Hoog Catharijne mall (right under the mall passageway)used to be part of the Catharijnesingel (canal)? It used to be water underneathuntil the Gemeente Utrecht dried the area to pave way for the 4-lane road.
Rest assured though, the GemeenteUtrecht has plans on bringing back Catharijnesingel to its former glory! And to a much granderlevel! That’s the reason for all the on-going construction and road works. Utrechthas 25 different projects that includes the new Utrecht Train & Bus Station and bringing back the old canal into the centre. The projects will be realized in the coming years until 2030.
I can’t wait to see the new Utrecht withthe old Catharijnesingel back to where it was before.
Below are the pictures I took of the current Catharijnesingel that rims the south western part of the old centre of Utrecht. Soon it will be extended back to where it was, up to Vredenburg.

But firstly, a video (in English) of the infrastructure developments in the City of Utrecht:

And here are my pictures of Catharijnesingle during our walk:

Grand Hotel Karel V on Catharijnesingel is the first 5-star hotel with a 1-Michelen star restaurant in Utrecht.
Walking Period: December

Happy Hour at Karen and Tom's

As we were discussing when people are heading out tonight, I had a talk with some people about how sad they were at the thought of leaving. We had a nice talk about how our pickleball family really does make this place "home" for us.



I know I've said it time and time again here, but I love our pickleball friends. They are some of the most special and rare friends we have ever had. They just tend to be the neatest, most kind-hearted and interesting people as a whole.



As always, we had tons of fun with them tonight.



The food was fabulous! Tom made pulled pork and it was incredible.





We were even honored with music by Garth and Rosemary. Rosemary has written two songs, the RV song and the Pickleball song. Both were awesome!



It was a wonderful time with some of our "chosen" family.



Living the life in sunny Florida!

How Do You Choose a Winter Bike?

With the snow bound to arrive any week now, I am hearing local cyclists talk about "winter bikes" again. Before my first winter of cycling, the very notion surprised me. You're supposed to ride a different bike in the winter than you do during the rest of the year? why?? But then I understood that not everyone's transportation bicycle is a "tank" that is already winter-proof. Some bikes are more suitable for winter conditions than others. And while there is no one bicycle that is universally considered to be the ideal winter bike, there are certain characteristics most cyclists would probably agree are beneficial for winter commuting in snowy climates:




Stability:One reason the number of cyclists decreases so dramatically in the winter, is that cycling on ice and snow is scary. On the right bike, it is much less so. A winter bicycle should handle well on slippery, snowy, muddy and plow-ravaged winter roads. City bicycles and mountain bikes tend to do best in this respect. Those who commute on aggressive bikes during the warmer months may prefer a more relaxed and more upright bike for winter, with wider tires. If there is a great deal of snow where you live, studded tires could be a good idea, or at least knobby tires. Tame, predictable handling becomes much more important than speed in the winter months. Stepover is another factor to consider. A slippery road surface can make it easier to lose one's balance when mounting and dismounting a bike, and even those who normally ride diamond frames might prefer their winter bike to have a step-though frame or a sloping top tube.




Reliability:Related to the above, it is important that the bicycle's crucial functions - in particular, braking power and shifting ability - are not compromised by winter conditions. Rim brakes and derailleur gears can function poorly (or not at all) if clogged with snow or frozen over, which is why many prefer for their winter commuter to haveenclosed hub brakes and hub (or single speed) gearing.




Durability:Understandably, cyclists may not want to expose their nice bikes to freezing temperatures and road salt, for fear that doing so might damage the frame and components. This is why some recommend getting a "beater bike" for the winter. Personally I am uncomfortable with this advice, because a beater bike is unlikely to be reliable (see above). The approach I prefer is to get a bike that is not vulnerable to the elements in the first place. A tough paintjob, stainless and aluminum components where possible, hub gears and a chaincase should get your bike through the winter relatively unscathed with little maintenance.




Visibility: Not only does it get dark much earlier in the winter months, but snowfall can further decrease visibility - making good lighting more crucial than ever.




Presentability:Just because it's winter, does not mean that we are no longer expected to look presentable at work. With road conditions messier than ever, it is important that a winter bicycle be equipped with features that protect the cyclist's clothing: full fenders, and ideally a chaincase or chainguard.




Taken together, these features suggest a number of candidates that could work especially well as winter bikes. If buying new, fully equipped classic city bikes are worth looking into: They already offer hub gears, hub brakes, a full chaincase, a resilient powdercoated frame, stable handling, generous fenders and reasonably wide tires. Recently I wrote about city bikes with mountain bike heritage, which might be particularly appropriate due to their super-stable handling. For those who prefer to put a bike together from scratch, frames with horizontal dropouts (suitable for hub and single speed conversion) and clearances for reasonably wide tires are now easily available from a number of manufacturers: Soma, Surly, Rawland, Rivendell, Salsa and Velo Orange are just a few that come to mind. For extreme conditions there are even all-terrain models that will fit monstrously wide tires, such as the Surly Pugsley and Moonlander, and the Salsa Mukluk. If you prefer to refurbish a used bicycle, an old mountain bike converted to a single speed and fitted with some upright handlebars could work nicely. Same with a vintage 3-speed, fitted with a modern wheelset with hub brakes.




It goes without saying that not everything mentioned here will be applicable to every cyclist who reads this. The kind of winter bike that is ideal for you will depend on everything from the harshness of your winters, to the character of your route, to your bike handling skills, to your bike storage situation, to the amount of time you are willing to devote to bike maintenance, and to the type of clothing you wear when cycling for transportation. Your current bike may already be a winter bike, either as is or with minor modifications. Or you may need to get an additional bike specifically for winter cycling. My own preference gravitates toward classic city bicycles, and those I've owned have made great winter bikes. But I've been increasingly curious to try a mountain bike with knobby tires and see how that compares. What is your idea of a winter bike?

Sunny

Sunny is our oldest horse. We think he is around 25 years. He would eat us out of house and home if we would let him. He thinks we should feed him 24 hours a day. And grumbles when we don't and when we do. We feed him what the vet says to feed him. He has a big belly but his backbone shows. Vet says we need to re-arrange his body. Says he needs more excersise to do that. But I find it hard to excersise me or the horses when it is as hot as it has been this summer. But we are going to start trying to do more. In the mean time Sunny thinks his retirement is going great. he is a sweet old horse, who loves to be petted, groomed and bathed. I bet he was one heck of a horse when he was young. I don't know anything about who had him or what his life was like then. He and my QH mare, Nita, are best friends.

Flying to Geneve

Hi, I’m flying to Geneve, Switzerland tomorrow early morning for work. Will be staying there for a week. Will be busy so no sightseeing really unless after work hours. We shall see.

For now I am faced at packing and I am not really in the mood to pack. I guess it’s easier this time as I am bringing business suits, so it’s easy to pick them as they are pairs compared to when travelling for pleasure where you have to think of the mixing and matching thing. I used to like packing, now I am dreading it.

It’s going to be an early morning drive to the airport. YAWN. I hope I can get up early. I’m reminding myself to eat breakfast at home, at 5AM—I don’t like sandwiches for breakfast and KLM serves them for their short distance flights. I’ll have coffee though at the airport and tea during the flight.

See you in Geneve, Switzerland.