Shhh. Don't mention the y word. My wife might read this. The bikes stay ready.

Lookin' good, Miss K.

Well, I never stopped riding over the winter, so the bike's OK. I did recently replace the rear shifter cable, lube the chain, replace the toe straps, and add one of the new 900 lumen headlights.

The yard on the other hand... After our windstorm of about 3 weeks ago, it seems I have a pile of logs waiting to be split into firewood.

- Ed

Some yards get their own bicycle.

Thought maybe Miss K was in front of her Summer Home.

I've cut down a couple of big ornamental grasses and pruned severely (they needed it) a couple of viburnum bushes and a burning bush. Still have a couple of butterfly bushes and another big ornamental zebra grasses to prune down to the ground. And throw into the chipper shredder. Ain't Spring fun?
The bikes are ready and willin'.

I was gonna mention that white bar tape. Still suspicious of this thread due to that.

Bikes get ridden year-round. At least the mtb does.
Yard is not getting any special attention from me. Never does. It gets mowed 1/week during the summer. No more, no less. Gets trimmed 1 or 2x per month. I'm not a yard person.

Now the garden, on the other hand.............

All bikes are ready to go. Second charity ride of the year for the tandem is on tap for the weekend.

I mowed the yard for the second time this evening. I also picked up spring fertilizer. Tomorrow I scalp and catch 1/2 acre of yard. Then I'll throw fertilizer. Next I'll be ranking and tilling the flower beds that outline the shrubs. Four hours max. The right tools make things go fast.

Garden is just about draining right now but this is what it should look like
Garden10..jpggardenand shed..jpg


But have a bit of work to do in there- but perhaps I ought to do a bit of House maintenance first
Garden offroadin .jpgRRpevcastle..jpg

Dealing with the yard at this time would be like harvesting rice. I've been working so hard the last few weeks keeping water out of the house, that this weekend I'm just going to throw down the tools and go for a ride.

Sometime later in the year when it's finally dry, I'm going to have to do some digging to replace the crushed pipe in my drain system.

My bikes are always ready, my yard is another story.

This is what it looked like in mid February while the local utility company was replacing 80+ year old gas lines. There is some undisturbed areas of grass but I can probably handle it with a pair of scissors!


The utility company has promised to do my yard work this Spring!

The yard crew was here earlier this week and trimmed what needed trimming, planted 4 new bushes, and spread pine straw. Turns out one of the crew is a "poor" cyclist. He was asking about my bikes and if I knew where he could get a new bike in the under $500 range. He uses his bike as transportation and for weekend rides. He has an old 80s Schwinn that is just about worn out. I offered a few suggestions. Next time he's here maybe he'll tell me about his new bike.
The bikes have been ready since early February. I've been riding and patiently waiting for spring and now my drivetrain needs a good cleaning. I rode longer and harder than usual yesterday so today is rest and work on the bikes day. Clean and lube the road bike and put street tires on the cross bike.

Is it spring?

We have had the house painted - it is almost 10 years since we bought it new - those original subdivision paint jobs don't last a real long time. We had a new roof - only cost us $1,000 as we had a hail storm last summer, and the insurance paid. In CO, one does not often pay for a roof - this is my 3rd insurance-paid roof (always hail damage).

As far as the yard, we have a very small backyard on an open space area. We will clean out some stuff, but otherwise, I pay a service to mow. I pruned this winter when the leaves were off the bushes - much easier. Generally, I absolutely detest yard work, so my wife insists that we have someone mow besides me, who doesn't!

As far as the bikes - I really need to get the Lemond in for a thorough tune-up. The Hard Rock needs some new brake pads, which I will attend to one of these days.

I've redone my inside basement gym a bit, getting rid of extraneous unused stuff (sold it all for $10) - and added my inversion table, and a whole lot of stretch bands and related stuff, which I have added to my resistance training. Debating whether or not to keep my trainers and trainer bike. They sit there all winter looking at me and saying "Why don't you ride me?" - and I don't. I hate inside trainers, and I would much rather walk and swim in the winter. So, it may go someday!!

Currently looking at investment condos for a couple of rentals. Not sure what I am going to do. Decent condos (500 - 750 square feet) are available right now for $25,000 - $30,000, but not sure I want to be a landlord. However, it is the best return on the $$, given the banking situation.

Updated gym.

First time I've ever seen someone with a tiller wearing a helmet. That machine must throw a lot of rocks when fired up.

Mrs. Stapfam: "Stapfam, if you want to sleep in this house tonight, you'll till that garden before you go riding!"
Stapfam: "Yes dear."

Stapfam! Your garden is wonderful! I just love it. As a gardener myself I keep a fairly large garden, so I appreciate your efforts. Well done!

How can we be sure on an April Fool's Day post? Sure looks like a hottie to me.

Bike is ready and got its first shake-out ride yesterday.

The body, well that's another matter, my rear end was certainly not ready, bike shorts or no bike shorts, Ouch.

The yard, well my wife's the avid gardener, so all I have to do is mow the grass — about 45 minutes a week — and a bit of raking here and there.

With all the rain, and a few warm days now, the grass is starting to kick up big time.

Good one Miss Kenton. That's the only April Fool's joke I received at all this year, and today is Friday, April 3. As noted above, the McMansion, the bike, and the "hottie"; well, two out of three ain't bad.

Garden is less than 1/4 acre- there is more that you can't see in the pics- but it is self maintaining. Grass cutting takes about 20 minutes to do but weeding is never done- You walk round and see a weed and it is gone. (Gardening habit.) All beds are cleared in the spring- which has possibly come this weekend- and in the Autumn so all I do is sit in the hammock and watch the Chickens- and the pigeons eating the veg- and the squirrels ruining the shrubs.

Garden has to maintain itself as The wife is always in the pool and I am out building my daughters garden- Thats where the rotovator pic came from. Got back from a ride to find that the son-in-law was making a mess of the "New" lawn so I showed him how to really wreck it.