Testing, Trying, Experiments

Sisters on the Fly

   I loved it.  I didn’t think I would,  but I did.
   I was first introduced to Sisters on the Fly (SOTF) by my friend Debra.  She was dreaming of going with them camping.  
   Early this year I tried camping with friends.
   The first try I camped in my van.  It seemed like too much work.  I was worried about my stuff at night being out in the rain.  And during the day if I went on a long bike ride, I had to put everything in the van in case it rained while I was gone.  I know this can be solved by buying and carrying ONE MORE THING... some shelter for my stuff.  But I decided I didn't like camping in my van.
   The second try I bought a tent and camped in that.  I spent an hour putting the camp up.  Slept one night in the tent.  Then with the threat of rain for the next two days, I packed up and went home.  I donated my new tent to the homeless.

 Then some new friends invited me and Debra and other friends to a SOTF camping event about 2 hours from home on the Suwanee River.  It was held and the Suwanee River Rendezvous Resort near Mayo, Florida.  The resort had motel rooms.  I thought I would give it a try.  I didn't think I would like it much.  I thought it might be just a bunch of sitting around eating and drinking.  We did a bit of that but we also went Kayaking...

 on the Suwannee River.

 And cooling off in the springs.

And one morning my friends and I rode our trikes on a trail that went right by the resort.  It was only 16 miles.  Just right as we got off the trail before the day got too hot.

   I came home from the long weekend and joined SOTF.  And now, hopefully I will find time to travel with them again and explore new places, rivers, and trails.  Thank you, Robyn for the invitation, I am so glad I went!
   Robyn is part of what I call the "Texas Trikers".  They are not all from Texas, but if I am talking to someone in our bike group about the "Texas Trikers" they know who I am talking about.  They call themselves the "Traveling Trikers".
   It started out with a couple from Texas looking for a place to retire that is on a trail.  They bought a place in Inverness a couple blocks from the Withlacoochee Trail.  They then proceeded to share their excitement about their move with their triking buddies.  And now there are... SIX "Traveling Triker" couples that have moved into their neighborhood.  Wow!
   They hope to help each other and support each other as they age.  Isn't that cool?  My biking friends in Wisconsin, 20 years ago, would talk about doing something like this.  Well, these folks did it.

Small Solo Tour

  I think I told you I have been planning a bike trip.  I will bike down to the St. Pete airport and then (hopefully) fly (with my trike in baggage) to Wisconsin.  There I will bike to my sister's house in Rhinelander for a week long visit.
  I have solo toured once before with a tent and I got very lonely.  I didn't like it.  This time I have arranged almost every night to be with a Warmshowers host or an Evergreen Host or an Affordable Travel Club Host.  So I will get some human interaction each evening and morning.  That should help feed my need for social contact.
  I am excited.  I start biking on Monday, July 8th!
  Yesterday I did a test pack to see if I could get everything I needed in the two small rain panniers that my friends, Regis and Cindy, loaned me.  I learned from Sylvia Halpern, who travels the world with her trike, that she only packs one outfit for triking.  That's it!  She washes it out with shampoo each night, and it is dry the next day.  So I will be packing only three sets of clothes.  One for biking, one for evenings (and kayaking), and one for hiking in the woods (long pants) when I get to Wisconsin.

 

 

   Then I practiced packing up my trike.  Today I bought some plastic wrap to wind around things on my trike.  We will see if the airline rejects me.  Their website says maximum of 80".  My trike is 78"... plus bubble wrap.

   I tried pushing in the boom on my trike, but the paint job I had done would get ruined, and seems to be preventing it from moving anyway.

   I am excited!!  The trip down to the airport is almost all on trails.  Wisconsin will be mostly roads.  I hope they are smooth and not gravel or grass.  I hope to post videos and pictures here.  Though text might be difficult without a keyboard.  I am just taking my phone and ipad.

Book Progress

  People are asking when is the kindle version of  The Journey Continues coming out.  The answer is that I have not set a date yet.  The project I am working on right now is to put the first book into an audio book.  That means taking out the pictures (there are over 1200 pictures).  Where there are pictures I  may have to write something to tell the story or describe the scene.  Then I have to submit that for bid by Audio book recorders.  It is a process.
  I want to release the Kindle and the Audio of the second book at the same time.  So I am thinking it may take until January or February.  Though I am aiming for November, I also don't want to lose out on adventures and having fun and keeping fit by writing all the time.
  Choices.
  In the meantime I added some pictures to my Amazon Author page.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.
  Today I delivered paperback copies of The Journey Continues to the two bike shops in Inverness and to Frank DeGiovani, the City Manager in Inverness.  Since the story is a lot about the support we found in this county.