Biking in Florida

Gary found a really nice bicycle for $40 at a garage sale in our neighborhood; he likes to tell everyone he's got his new bike in the garage. They think he means a Harley and then he brings out his bicycle. But we haven't been able to find one for me yet. Hum, I'm kind of left out of the bike rides, darn, still looking though. My arms are strong from working with clay, but since I no longer garden, I need to keep my legs strong with other exercise and biking will help.

There are tons of bike trails here in Florida like the Withlachoochee Trail which goes 46 miles. Since it's a former railroad bed, the inclines and declines are very gradual. There are also many other bike trails in the state. They're improving the road outside our neighborhood and pretty soon we'll be able to ride from here and connect with the Withlachoochee and other trails. Our neighborhood is also a good place to ride. It looks flat, but according to Gary it has a lot of hills. If we get up early and ride before 7 am we can beat the heat.


After I went to the Crystal River Mounds State Park I was inspired to make a primitive looking pot. This bowl is about 5 inches tall and 9 inches in diameter. I got carried away and made it rough, cracked, and very thin. Maybe I should make a few more and do a smoke firing.


I know I've posted many photos of gopher tortoise in our yard, but I'm fascinated with these shy creatures. This is one of the smaller ones about six inches. When they finish walking around and eating, they rest on their shells with their legs splayed out. Next thing you know they almost run and make a beeline for their burrow in the ground. I read they can move up to .3 mph which is fairly fast considering they're carrying the weight of the shell around. Thanks for reading and for your comments.