Coasting is for Pussies
02/08/15 07:14
We're getting off on the backroads hereabouts when we ride our bikes and that is not only different but sometimes more fun and always more challenging. There are more hills for one. Maybe "hills" is an exaggeration. We're on the coast so how hilly can it be? But, more often than not it is the sun, the heat, the crowds, the cars, and motorcycles that push us off 1A along the ocean and on to the back roads where there are long stretches of shade and little or no traffic. It has to be cooler by a good 10 to 15 degrees and I'm always surprised that we're not surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts of one kind or another when we arrive unannounced. Granted, we get on the road early but never early enough it seems and never during the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest in the sky. So, when the sun and all else proves too much we head for the hills. I always tell Nancy that she should take advantage of the downhill stretches on those back roads to push herself even harder when she is otherwise inclined to stop pedaling and have the bike go along on its own accord. I think she gets it but I've seen little in the way of change to suggest she's wanting to go along with my suggestion so we'll leave that alone for the time being. As for me, coasting ain't my style.
Another little (or not so little) difference this year is that we've taken to sticking our feet in the ocean near the end of our ride when we turn up at the local harbor. It's a working harbor so usually fairly busy with pleasure boaters, fishing vessels, and tourists looking to expand their sight seeing horizons. The traffic has lessened considerably over the last couple of years with the implementation of crippling regulations in the fishing industry which threaten to put the commercial fisherman hereabouts completely out of business. On those days when the heat is oppressive and shade is hard to find, there is nothing more refreshing that wading into the ice cold north Atlantic waters right up to your knickers. You stay in the water until your extremities start to numb up and then move about ever so slightly just to keep the circulation in check while your core temperature returns to normal. It is immensely satisfying and something to look forward to especially on those really nasty, hot, and steamy days. Thankfully, and because we are on the ocean, there are precious few of those but when and where we find them we treat ourselves to a quick and sometimes prolonged dip knickers or no knickers.
I wish Nancy had paid a little more attention to the garden when she put it in earlier this year. She planted precious few items and in the process left certain areas go to weed and those areas now threaten to overrun the rest of the garden. I have no regrets over not having gotten more involved. I enjoy gardening but find it to be a chore if it becomes a continuous thing and back-to-back seasons qualify as continuous in my mind. And what about those oysters we had in downtown Portsmouth last night? "How do you prefer your oysters, sir," the waitress asked politely. "Do you like them briny or perhaps a little less briny?" They had several varieties on the menu so the choice was mine to make. I settled on oysters from Maine and thought to myself that the colder the water the better when and where it comes to buying and consuming farmed oysters. They served them on the half shell atop several pounds of shaved ice and with an ample side of lemon, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. I do like raw seafood so these little fellas were just what the doctor ordered. The coffee place up the street was a disappointment but that's fine since there are plenty of other shops to frequent in downtown Portsmouth. When I get a spare moment I'll talk a little more about my latest indulgence, cold brew.
Another little (or not so little) difference this year is that we've taken to sticking our feet in the ocean near the end of our ride when we turn up at the local harbor. It's a working harbor so usually fairly busy with pleasure boaters, fishing vessels, and tourists looking to expand their sight seeing horizons. The traffic has lessened considerably over the last couple of years with the implementation of crippling regulations in the fishing industry which threaten to put the commercial fisherman hereabouts completely out of business. On those days when the heat is oppressive and shade is hard to find, there is nothing more refreshing that wading into the ice cold north Atlantic waters right up to your knickers. You stay in the water until your extremities start to numb up and then move about ever so slightly just to keep the circulation in check while your core temperature returns to normal. It is immensely satisfying and something to look forward to especially on those really nasty, hot, and steamy days. Thankfully, and because we are on the ocean, there are precious few of those but when and where we find them we treat ourselves to a quick and sometimes prolonged dip knickers or no knickers.
I wish Nancy had paid a little more attention to the garden when she put it in earlier this year. She planted precious few items and in the process left certain areas go to weed and those areas now threaten to overrun the rest of the garden. I have no regrets over not having gotten more involved. I enjoy gardening but find it to be a chore if it becomes a continuous thing and back-to-back seasons qualify as continuous in my mind. And what about those oysters we had in downtown Portsmouth last night? "How do you prefer your oysters, sir," the waitress asked politely. "Do you like them briny or perhaps a little less briny?" They had several varieties on the menu so the choice was mine to make. I settled on oysters from Maine and thought to myself that the colder the water the better when and where it comes to buying and consuming farmed oysters. They served them on the half shell atop several pounds of shaved ice and with an ample side of lemon, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. I do like raw seafood so these little fellas were just what the doctor ordered. The coffee place up the street was a disappointment but that's fine since there are plenty of other shops to frequent in downtown Portsmouth. When I get a spare moment I'll talk a little more about my latest indulgence, cold brew.