Goofus Maximus July 1, 2012 Share Goofus Maximus Member July 1, 2012 I've not been playing CS:S for a while, since I've been doing two other things. First, I've been trying to digitize old Polaroid photos in our family scrapbooks from the 1960s, since some of them are fading badly. I wasn't sure I could do anything with some of them, but it's going well so far. The other thing I've been doing is getting into bicycling again, my cholesterol had gone up earlier this year, and the price of gas went up with it! So I've been killing two birds with one stone, and doing all the local errands with my bike, that I bought new in 1992. However, I'm getting... less young... and those riser handlebars just had to go, and I needed panniers for big grocery hauls, so I've been practically living in front of the Amazon website, looking for just the right cheap good stuff with free shipping. So now I have trekking bars wrapped in cork tape for my bicycle, and a nice M-Wave Double Daytripper pannier set to put on my new better cheapo rear bike rack. I borrowed an old point-blindly-and-shoot-in-the-general-direction camera, and took some pictures. Having built up enough stamina, I've pedaled my way onto the Great Confluence Trail that runs along the Mississippi, and I have pictures! Here's the link to my skydrive folder. If it's in thumbnail view, switch it to detail view and select the "date modified" to put them in the correct order of viewing! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samurai nightling July 1, 2012 Share samurai nightling Member July 1, 2012 Pretty cool. I have a friend who likes to ride, he actually had a 70 mile ride planned for this morning. I would like to start biking, just need to buy one and find the time lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus July 1, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member July 1, 2012 By the way, did the skydrive slideshow work properly for you? On my browser, some of the pics show up blank, and you have to *left-click -> view original* to see them. If you plan to bicycle more than just around the neighborhood, I'd advise against those "big box" store bikes like Walmart or Sears, since they use components that are a little too cheap. My rusting big box "road" bike is twice as heavy as the hybrid in the pics, and that's with the hybrid loaded down with my toolkit, spare innertubes, water, lock and cable! On a hill, you FEEL that weight in your heart and soul! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flitterkill July 1, 2012 Share Flitterkill GC Board Member July 1, 2012 Craigslist is your friend for good used bikes. Also Goof just might be older than me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lousiest July 1, 2012 Share lousiest Member July 1, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggs July 1, 2012 Share Biggs GC Alumni July 1, 2012 The slideshow worked fine for me! Great stuff, goof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus July 1, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member July 1, 2012 (edited) It was easy for me to find the time; I just started doing all the local errand stuff that I used to do by car, with my bike. When I go to the store at 6:00 am, I practically have the place to myself, and since I'm not wasting gas, I can go every day or so for 2-4 bags, instead of letting the list grow. All that, and I'm bashing my cholesterol back into normal range! Including the grocery trip afterward, that trip to/on the Great Confluence trail took from 5:45am to 8:00am, and was only 15 miles round trip, with half that just getting TO the trail. Edited July 1, 2012 by Goofus Maximus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggs July 2, 2012 Share Biggs GC Alumni July 2, 2012 Just be glad you didn't have to ford the river. Could've lost a lot of oxen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLaw July 3, 2012 Share TheLaw Member July 3, 2012 Wow those are some nice pics. There is lots to ride around here in the middle of nowhere in Texas, although not sure the scenery is as nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus July 3, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member July 3, 2012 I bet a Texas desert sunrise would be great! The real ride spot is the Sam Vadalabene Great River Road trail that takes off through the bluffs along the river, and goes up through Elsah and Grafton IL. Especially during Fall, at the peak of color change. More annoyingly, my bike fell over while I was cleaning it today, and I had to readjust the derailleurs. Up and down the street in 100 degree temps, with stops to do barrel adjustments, low stop, high stop and b tension adjuster, then slightly rotate the front derailleur and adjust high stop, and do barrel adjustments on it. I literally finished up only an hour ago. Derailleur adjustment is a BLACK ART, I tell you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Slaughterâ„¢-TopBrass July 3, 2012 Share Sgt. Slaughterâ„¢-TopBrass Member July 3, 2012 Congrants on getting back into biking! I too have been biking a lot more this year. I'm preparing for the MS-150 that takes place over 2 days in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueless July 4, 2012 Share Clueless GC Alumni July 4, 2012 Good to see ya Goofus, glad you are doing well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storekeeper July 4, 2012 Share Storekeeper Member July 4, 2012 Nice pics Goofus. After when you get done with your pics I have alot of slides from the 70's. I will pay ya $2.50 an hour to do mine. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samurai nightling July 4, 2012 Share samurai nightling Member July 4, 2012 Nice pics Goofus. After when you get done with your pics I have alot of slides from the 70's. I will pay ya $2.50 an hour to do mine. LOL 70's prices too eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus July 4, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member July 4, 2012 (edited) Sorry! No can do! I don't have a slide scanner, and my flatbed, at it's max 600dpi, isn't going to do justice to your slides! Edited July 7, 2012 by Goofus Maximus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingCat July 8, 2012 Share walkingCat Member July 8, 2012 Very informative and interesting post. I'm glad you are back to our little online pew-pew-pew hobby! I need to tune up my bike and hit the road too:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus July 11, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member July 11, 2012 I've updated my folder to arrange the pics so that they show in the proper order without fiddling, and I've added pics from my trip today where I went south, toward Hartford, IL, to see the Confluence Tower, using my newly acquired Canon Powershot A590IS. I'm going to love that camera, which allows you to set the camera in just about any way you want, right down to focusing manually. It even has a total manual mode, so that you set it all yourself, just like a metered SLR. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus August 11, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member August 11, 2012 (edited) Whee! I've almost crossed the Clark Bridge in Alton, and I've added another bike path to my "I can get to it from here" list. The MCT Watershed trail has it all over the Confluence trail. It's shady, and connects up to the Goshen trail, which connects to just about every trail in Madison County. It's only drawback is that, to get to it by bicycle, I have to haul... bike... up a honking huge hill (Kendall Hill) in my lowest slowest gear setting. Well, it's good excercise, anyhow. Edit: I missed two! Edited August 11, 2012 by Goofus Maximus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lousiest August 11, 2012 Share lousiest Member August 11, 2012 in the words of Borat, very nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus August 13, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member August 13, 2012 Whee! 18 miles! My personal best! I achieved many milestones on the ride this morning! I crossed the Mighty Mississippi by bicycle, I crossed State lines, I was pedalling no more than two feet away from the flowing water of the Mississippi at one point, and I got to observe a vulture up close and personal! Missouri welcomes me! A view back from whence I came. WHAT!?!? Lincoln was in a DUEL?!?!? with SWORDS!?!?!? Maybe he WAS a vampire slayer... The Mighty Mississippi from the observation tower of the Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, MO. Not two seconds after I took this photo, a honking huge VULTURE flew in and perched on the guard rail not THREE FEET to the left of me. I could make out the fine details of the skin on his/her bald head. I wish I'd taken a pic instead of saying "Hello!", which made him take off and leave in a huff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lousiest August 13, 2012 Share lousiest Member August 13, 2012 do you have a vid camera with you Goof? wish i could follow you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus August 13, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member August 13, 2012 (edited) My Powershot will do standard def vids, but I'd have to install a handlebar mount, and buy a larger SDHC card. I can't afford one of those superfancy GoPro Hero II cameras that seem so popular... Ugh. Stitching this composite photo together was a pain in the patootie, but I love the results too much to stop! Edited August 13, 2012 by Goofus Maximus 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggs August 14, 2012 Share Biggs GC Alumni August 14, 2012 You seem happy with the fruits of your labor, this is good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline August 16, 2012 Share skyline Member August 16, 2012 Nice pictures Goofus!!! Glad to hear you had fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goofus Maximus August 17, 2012 Author Share Goofus Maximus Member August 17, 2012 HOLY CRAWDADS!!!! I only just realized that that stupid vulture is IN THAT PICTURE! I thought it was just a piece of driftwood! BEHOLD! THE CULPRIT!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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