There is this place that has a humongous amount of wildflowers.... right next to the freeway!So, yet again, mom made me pose amongst the flowers and here I am... Fortunately, after the shoot, I got to go to the park and play with my pals!
This is my pawsome pal, Wesley, who came from the same organization as me... Norcal Golden Retriever Rescue! 
This is our own version of soccer a la dog parkie! 
Ma! Find my kong! I'm really not into bumpers!
Today I returned to the Tweed Coast for the first time in as long as I can remember. I should probably visit there more often to make the most of what's left -- at the rate urban development is swallowing that place up, it mightn't be worth visiting for much longer. I guess the thing that keeps me away is that it's so damn flat -- 70km into today's ride and I still had less than 200 metres of climbing to show for it. It's not just the ocean views here (which surprisingly only come up occasionally), there are also various mangrove areas that one passes through on a journey south.
After reaching the southern end of the Tweed Coast, I headed inland for the hills around Mullumbimby. This is a beautiful area with some of the most interesting vegetation in the entire country.
Unfortunately, the ride I really wanted -- up to the Crystal Castle, was unavailable due to a road closure. As it was, I found another way to climb the ridge further south, on Possum Shoot Road. This is actually a classic climb -- a narrow winding road with views constantly opening up as height is gained. On the top of the ridge, of course, there are sweeping views on both sides of the road.
After this I simply wound my way back home along the old Pacific Highway across the Burringbar Range, to Murwillumbah and home via Urliup, for a total of 205km. It was actually the first 200km day ride I've had since November, but I really needed to finish it off today. I'm house-sitting next weekend, and starting the New Zealand tour the weekend following. Once again, I went through 6-7 litres of fluids out there, despite the fact that it was an unusually cool January day (only reaching 29 degrees C). I also had some stupid moments on the dirt of Urliup road where my carelessness sent me closer to crashing than I should have been.
I also took what may be my last ride on the narrow winding dirt road near Brunswick Heads known as Stock Route Road. It looks like it's about to be buried under the duplication of the Pacific Highway. Some of it is already gone. Such is life I suppose, but I actually like the old dirt roads, and I'll miss it.
First of all, some quick web surfing the other night revealed that another blog, cfsmtb, is currently linking to this page. Actually, that blog has quite a few interesting cycling tidbits from Melbourne, and would be quite an interesting read for anyone with a spare few minutes. I should probably take this opportunity to ask if there are any other cycling bloggers out there who have linked to this page and want me to reciprocate.
Something else I'm wondering, is who managed to snap this picture of Dubya in this particular pose?
Someone as cynical as myself might suggest that it's entirely appropriate, given one or two polices that have surfaced in that particular part of the world in recent years.
Week before last Darcie and I spent a week at a horse jamboree in Clemson, SC. This was her first show ever. All week was spent in clinics learning how to do horse stuff such as trail riding, cantering, etc. Saturday was the show. She won three ribbons and won first place in her age division on horse knowledge. I'm very proud of her.
So, I think this horse love is here to stay. She's willing to give up dancing for it. Time won't allow both as they are both labor intensive. Of course she wants a horse. Even though we have the room to pasture one, I don't want the bother and worry of a horse. The stables are five minutes away, so she'll just have to love the ones there.
My part of town had just over one inch of rain Sunday night to Monday morning and the rain lilies have responded. The pink ones are Zephyranthes 'Labuffarosea'
The native white rainlilies are called Cooperia pedunculata by the Wildflower Center - but there seems to be some disagreement on the name. 
A month ago these peonies bloomed at middle sister Josie's house in IL - bet her daylilies are unfolding now
On Thursday, someone in Washington State enjoyed a radish sandwich
While rereading Eric Grissell's A Journal in Thyme I discovered that garden blogging can change how you read a book. This paragraph about making labels for small starts of rock garden plants made little impression on me during previous readings:
but last week the solitary bloom looked like a small, pale shadow of the formerly robust friend. I'll do my best to help this Passalong daylily recover and bloom again, but right now am just glad it's still alive. 
Their pansies have faded in the last couple of weeks so they sent another picture when the marigolds and zinnias took the stage. Can you see the lily in bud at right? Although Oriental lilies are sometimes called "expensive annuals", this lily has bloomed for our son and his wife for nearly 10 years. 
Although it looks a little ratty, Philo and I are really glad we let it grow. We've been watching a pair of small birds hang on it - at first we thought they were American Goldfinches but the photos didn't quite seem right. They didn't look like photos of the Lesser Goldfinches either. Instead of a black cap - the male has a black head and back. After viewing many pictures and reading descriptions, we think they are Arkansas Goldfinches, a Western species that wasn't named for the state of Arkansas but because they were found on the Arkansas River in Colorado. 
Is it any wonder that she's already learned to help out in the garden? 
It's wonderful! If anyone out there recognizes it we'd love to know the name of this delicious tomato.
Tomato sandwiches, acrobatic goldfinches and an amazing local firework display have enlivened our three day weekend - I hope yours has been fun, too!
