Author Topic: Catskills Nomad  (Read 125786 times)

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #120 on: April 17, 2012, 01:06:57 AM »
Here is my longest ride so far this year:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/77406634

Small stuff compared to many, but I'm only comparing against myself! The ride took me to Kunzang Palchen Ling in Red Hook:

http://www.kunzang.org/

A few months ago I helped build the access ramp on the right side, a bit of the work needed to get the Certificate of Occupancy, which we did get!


Danneaux

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #121 on: April 17, 2012, 01:50:13 AM »
Oh, how wonderful, Jim!

Y'know...there's no bad ride, no matter the distance. Getting out on the bike at whatever level s the thing.

I was thinking of this again on my ride yesterday. When I was an undergraduate at university, I signed up for something called "The Century Club".  People -- runners, swimmer, cyclists like me -- logged their mileage and it was charted on a big poster. Self-competitive person that I was/am, that's all it took to put me in the Mileage Trap. I rode 8,000-12,000 miles every year, like clockwork through my four undergraduate years, and on into my post-grad studies. I rode well, I rode sick. I rode with walking pneumonia. And y'know what? It became sorta not-fun anymore for awhile. I'd even awaken at 4AM with my heart racing, a classic sign of overtraining.

So, I took off my odometer for awhile; no distance calculation...just riding for the joy of it.  And, I became a far better cyclist. I loved the zenlike notion of gaining by letting go. By giving my body a chance to recover I could do more, and then I discovered the joy of longer-distance riding -- with the foreknowledge it could hold the same trap as the Century Club. When I was sure I'd learned the lesson, I got a computer. Lots of fun, but Fun in Perspective. Truly, a neighborhood ride is as nice as 400km through the Cascade Mountains.
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Small stuff compared to many, but I'm only comparing against myself!
You've got the core of it and don't need an epiphany! I think you did great, and what a beautiful destination. Fascinating architecture, and you can surely be proud of that access ramp -- it's a beauty! The bike is looking fine, as well. I forget...did you ever choose a name for it?

Thanks for sharing; great stuff, as always!

Best,

Dan.

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #122 on: April 25, 2012, 06:00:13 PM »
« Last Edit: April 25, 2012, 06:01:46 PM by JimK »

Danneaux

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #123 on: April 25, 2012, 06:10:03 PM »
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...Our local hill and our local monastery...
Ummm, no. Jim, your photo clearly shows you've cycled to Tibet over the weekend, and are letting us know about it in little teasing dribs and drabs. You've been holding out, man!  ;D

What a beautiful photo of a lovely scene; it really does look as if you've traveled half the globe to get it! Well done!

All the best,

Dan.

jags

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #124 on: April 25, 2012, 08:21:08 PM »
thats a nice paint jod on that building ;)

rualexander

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #125 on: April 25, 2012, 10:37:23 PM »
Nice looking monastery Jim.
Here's one in the Scottish borders region which we often cycle past that has a Tibetan Tea Room.

http://www.samyeling.org/


JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #126 on: April 25, 2012, 11:10:25 PM »
Great to see Samye Ling! That is a famous place! My sweetheart was there a few years ago - she is a painter in the Tibetan tradition and went to visit a master painter there who is in his 90s. She told me about seeing cyclists passing through!

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #127 on: May 16, 2012, 11:20:06 PM »
Today's ride

I saw this odd name of a town on the map, "The Vly", & thought - what could be there?



Not much that I could see! Though I bet there is some curious old history tucked away in these hills!

Danneaux

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #128 on: May 16, 2012, 11:27:06 PM »
Jim...be careful...

This thing is used either for government communications or for communicating with Aliens. Be very careful; those two entities may be the same.  :-\

Looking at this: http://newyork.hometownlocator.com/ny/ulster/the-vly.cfm I just don't know...nothing specific there.

The name is derived from the Dutch for "swamp" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaie ), but that doesn't look like a swamp to me. Very strange, indeed.

Good thing you came on the bike...no license number was recorded, though you may be on closed-circuit video.

I don't know you.  :o

Best,

Dan.
 ;)

jags

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #129 on: May 16, 2012, 11:29:16 PM »
say jim i heard woodstock is a pretty small place,  dead curious do you know a guy called tom early he ownes a bakery in woodstock ;) your mission for today if you chose to accept it is to find this guy. ;D ;D
actually he's from the same town as me nice guy .

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #130 on: May 16, 2012, 11:35:56 PM »
The name is derived from the Dutch for "swamp"

Ah, there *is* a big swamp there! I was looking for a way to take a photo but it was behind too many trees. It was quite a swamp though! Thanks for the explanation!

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #131 on: May 16, 2012, 11:39:56 PM »
i heard woodstock is a pretty small place,  

Ah, it looks like he is in Woodstock, Vermont. That's three or four hours drive from Woodstock, New York, where I live. Hmmm, I keep wanting to ride my bike in that direction. Could be a good expedition! A bakery as the ultimate destination, oh yeah!

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #132 on: May 16, 2012, 11:52:39 PM »
Be very careful;

Back in college... ha, my 35th reunion is in a few weeks... yeah I was even more foolish than I am now! - I was out on my beautiful Legnano - sew-up tires, one fast bike! I confess though that I still like my Nomad with the sprung saddle and the 2 inch tires - I can ride on all kinds of rough ground and still get off the bike feeling good.

Anyway one day I got lost and stumbled on a tower like this. I hopped the fence and climbed up to get a view. Wow! It worked!

Anybody's guess though what kind of permanent damage it did!

JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #133 on: May 17, 2012, 12:08:48 AM »
communicating with Aliens

Now here is a curious thing. Looking at the satellite image, the microwave tower is visible at the top and a bit left. There is a nice big swamp in the middle. But look at that, some sort of airplane got in the picture. Must have been flying rather high, I would think, to show up looking so big. Or maybe that is a C5A cargo plane. They used to go in & out of Stewart Airport in Newburgh often enough.


JimK

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Re: Catskills Nomad
« Reply #134 on: June 12, 2012, 12:33:38 AM »
Hit one of my goals today, crossing the Hudson River on the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge eastbound , then back westbound over the Rip Van Winkle bridge.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/101870399

This let me explore some of the countryside over in Dutchess and Columbia counties. Lots of apple orchards! Exploration often comes with surprises:



That why I like a sturdy bike, that's why I call my Nomad "Fearless"!