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Month: May 2020

South Texas – blink and the weather changes.

South Texas – blink and the weather changes.

The weather radar showed a break in the front producing a dry, sunny weather window during which time I managed to clock up nearly 13 and a half miles on a day I thought would be a washout (pun intended)

However I didn’t quite make it home dry. I cycled through the Walgreens pharmacy drive-thru lane (yes you can do that on a bicycle although they possibly think you are a bit strange) and that slight diversion meant it rained on me for the final mile of my journey. Of course, this being Texas and not Scotland, rain, when the temperature is in the 80F range, is not an unpleasant experience.

The glory that was yesterday

The glory that was yesterday

Sunday is stormy but Saturday was overcast / sunny

I have gathered together a few photographs and a short video of my Saturday cycle ride to Goose Island State Park in Lamar, TX. I did not actually enter the park proper but visited the Big Tree and then headed home via the causeway and Fulton Beach Road.

  • Rockport
  • Fulton
  • Fulton Cemetary
  • Myrtle St. Fulton, TX
  • Aransas Bay
  • Aransas Bay
  • Town of Fulton, TX
  • Lamar Causeway
  • Town of Lamar
  • Goose Island
  • Saint Charles Bay
  • The Big Tree

24 Miles to Lamar and Back

https://gopro.com/v/Xl0DZ9PZJzQgG

Bad start to my cycling week

Bad start to my cycling week

May 31st, the day before the official start of hurricane season. Yes – let’s not forget that we are entering the six month period of the year when we all keep an extra special eye on the weather forecast, keep our gas tanks full, and have our evacuation plan reviewed and ready to go.

COVID-19 is not the only concern in this neck of the woods. It’s more an unwelcome complication added to our annual tribulations.

  • May 31st AM
  • No activity in the Atlantic
Weather is not just a British obsession

So – no cycling today then! But at least hurricane season can wait until tomorrow.

Cycling blast from the past #02

Cycling blast from the past #02

Biggar, U.K. July 2004

I don’t actually remember what the occasion was other than it was an organized public cycle ride. Karen Lamb, on the left, no doubt was instrumental in encouraging Emily and I to participate. I do recall being horrified that I had to jump off the bike and push us up one particularly steep hill. We were using Patty’s Edinburgh Bicycle bike and boy did it have a heavy frame.

Cycle Training 2020 #22

Cycle Training 2020 #22

Week beginning May 24th, 2020

I started on track but as the week progressed the threat of thunderstorms kept me from getting my mileage fix until Saturday when a NNE wind encouraged me to visit my old friend “The Big Tree” at Lamar. Knowing that the wind will be behind you on the way home is a great motivator to keep going.

Overall mileage for Saturday was 24.4 miles at an average speed of 9.4 mph which is kind of slow but that’s a consequence of stopping to take so many photographs!

  • Wind check before hitting the Lamar causeway
  • At the high point on Lamar causeway
  • Entering Big Tree territory
… As time goes by …

… As time goes by …

Far too fast in my opinion:

  • Bolex H16
  • Cine reel, Laptop, HD TV
Hardware past and present.

It seems I’ve been at this game for quite a while now. When I was a teenager I used a Bolex H16 to film, as part of a school documentary project, the opening of the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Throughout the coming years I took miles of Super 8mm film ranging from the neighbors spaniel dog to animated Subbuteo shorts, to holiday footage.

… and here we are decades later using modern technology to “work from home” using Zoom Video Conferencing software and a VPN connection to remotely access my desktop computer in the office.

Alan S Albin

Now, in my leisure time, I use all this modern stuff to instantly create YouTube and GoPro videos with fancy bells and whistles. It’s just so much easier than faffing about with heavy cine equipment and waiting for the results to come back in the mail from Hemel Hempstead.

Film stock was bought in lengths of 100 feet – process paid. So when you had exposed the film you mailed it to Kodak in Hemel Hempstead to be developed and mailed back to you all within 10 days.

No instant gratification in my pioneering film days of last century!
Here’s lookin’ at you Kid.

Cycling blast from the past

Cycling blast from the past

The Edinburgh to St. Andrews Bike Ride 1987

Photo credit: David Drummond

David Drummond, on the left, and myself at the start of a day-long non competitive ride to raise money for LEPRA. I participated in this ride a number of years in a row during which time the route varied slightly and was anywhere from 65 to 70 miles long. I believe the current route is 68 miles and, being Scotland, it is all uphill with the wind against you! More details available HERE.

Memorial Day Weekend – activity

Memorial Day Weekend – activity

Memorial Day weekend crowds and imminent arrival of a rather unfavorable weather front made me decide not to take my bicycle on the open road today. However as this is the start of another “goal” week and the likelihood of rain is high for the entire week, I dusted off the stationary bike and “set out” on my first journey of the week.

Heading my way today.

Clocking 1 hour and 15 minutes of cycling time (whilst going nowhere) I do, at least, feel that I accomplished something towards my weekly goal of 50 miles. Indeed, on the road, an hour and a quarter would take me around 13 miles and so that is what I have fed into my “MapMyRide” app to start the weeks’ training.

During this session I watched a YouTube video, courtesy of the Global Cycling Network (GCN), which made me quite nostalgic for Bonnie Scotland. The North Coast 500 is a step too far for me nowadays (actually I’d say, realistically, 400 miles too far) but it was certainly inspirational – link below.

Memorial Day Weekend – comment

Memorial Day Weekend – comment

Sunday, May 24th

Week 11 of the “Stay at Home – Save Lives” order and the lockdown is easing just in time to allow for the usual influx of tourist folks from the cities to turn our quiet little seaside town into a busy, belligerent, beach destination for the Memorial Day weekend. Huge queues at the grocery store, no room at the gas pumps, traffic backed up from the beach access roads. You could be forgiven for thinking everything is back to normal!

Holiday weekend syndrome is in full swing. On this occasion I suppose we should be grateful and sympathetic to the rowdy hoards who invade our normally quiet, pleasant, and polite space. After all they are bringing welcome and much needed commerce to the businesses of our town and as they have chosen our small section of paradise in which to spend their time and money we should reward them with happy smiles and polite greetings.

Try to remember that most of them don’t appear to understand the concept of social distancing and / or the advisability of adhering to the suggestion that facial masks should be worn in public. Many may also not be fully aware of the meaning of Memorial Day beyond it being a non work day for them. So smile, wave, and move on before anyone sneezes on you.