The road conditions have improved allowing me to travel safely at 35 mph. Here are some pretty wild cattle and I was lucky to get my phone out in time to take pictures because you can tell these cattle are not used to seeing people very often. If I was still much into hunting psilocybin mushrooms this would be prime habitat especially under the oak trees. A beautiful place of solitude where you might see another human being twice a day riding around here.
I usually just use Google Earth maps because it is free and you can go down to satellite mode and see some features of the land. But of course the bad part is it often doesn't tell you what road is public and what road is private.
There is a ton of activity in this water and I am wondering what sort of fish are present. It could be hoppalo catfish which are invasive and fairly common and they're pretty useless fish but of course who knows what's in there unless you have a net or a fishing pole? See the black and yellow butterfly in the first picture?
Evidently this is where the VCH mineral Barn is. The gate is locked and there is a no trespassing sign so this looks like the end of my ride... Now I turn around and go back to the van which is a good 10 mi away. At least now I can say that I have been here and I know what is here... Evidently it is the VCH mineral Barn. I did not know that you needed a barn to keep minerals in but you learn something new everyday... Particularly if you go out and look for it. The phone signal seems a bit weak out here. But that's to be expected in the middle of nowhere.
I should have brought a fishing pole and I'm tempted to go swimming but I'm not going to cross this barbed wire fence because of course that would be trespassing. And the water is probably full of Roundup and God knows what else from these orange groves. But it does look terribly inviting.
I have ridden 11 mi South from my van. All dirt road, the VCH Barn is where it evidently turns private. I passed all of one vehicle on my way here. Evidently should you have the temerity to trespass, Cutrale farms promises to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. At least that is what the sign assures me of. Sign, sign.... Everywhere sign... Blocking up the city and clogging my mind... That man Mr Cutrale, evidently is fairly grumpy and doesn't like strangers on his land. So I'm going to not go on his land. I will take some more pictures on the way out because I had my phone put in my saddlebag and there are some pretty spectacular views between here and there.
Me has a sad... It's a little after midnight Thursday morning and this is my Monday morning. Back to work and no play time until next weekend. But I got to make that dollar to put gas in the tank cuz it doesn't run on hopes and dreams!
Wide Open spaces. Sad to think in a hundred years this will probably be a subdivision. I'll be long gone by then and I'm glad I won't be around to see that.
Nice collection of photos. I feel the same way about suburban sprawl. Those boring, cookie cutter McMansions pop up like mushrooms overnight everywhere. I live near the James River in Virginia and my grandfather owned about 1,000 acres of old, wooded land on the James River about 8 miles downstream from where I live now. We had a concrete boat ramp and tire swing over the water and a long, gravel road that I learned to drive on. My friends and I would spend days at a time camping out, target shooting, swimming, fishing etc in the wilderness where there was wood land on either side Now, I drive past that same land and it is littered with hundreds of ugly, cookie-cutter McMansions on 1/2 acre lots so that I don't even know where the old gravel road is anymore. So, all we can do is appreciate what we've got while we've got it and try to save what we can for future generations. Thanks again,
It is true what they say.... You can never go home. The two-story house my brother and mother and grandmother and I grew up in, was situated on three and a half acres in Central Florida. It may not be much land to, but to us boys it was a kingdom size plot. Now of course it is also broken up into little small homes. Getting that dirt bike was probably the best thing I ever did for myself because I see so many areas I would otherwise be unable to see. But of course one must be careful because one can easily mess around and find out on a dirt bike... Got the titanium screws in my ankle to prove it! If I would have broke down at the end of that road today it would have been an awful long walk back to my van, assuming I wasn't fortunate enough to hitch a ride. One man owns probably about 5,000 acres out there, and does lots of agriculture. I would see if I could get a job at one of those farms but it's just so far out in the county to drive everyday and I would probably end up on a tractor spraying chemicals.
You're right, you can't turn back time but we can appreciate having the memories and we can enjoy the many blessings we do have. It sounds like you've got lots of places to explore where you live. Do the big land owners care if you ride on their land? After wrecking 4 motorcycles without a helmet, I decided to give them up. I did, however, get into bicycle racing and would average riding about 500 miles per week. On rainy days, I had an old Schwinn "Varsity" that was already heavy and put bricks on the luggage rack, scrap iron strapped to the front and wore ankle weights. Other days, I would average about 100 miles on most days until I had advanced far enough so that I made it to one of the qualifying races for the qualifying race for the Tour de France. A recruiter for the Coors® bicycle racing team asked to meet with me after a criterion race but I messed up my knee (again) and had to cancel. So much for my bicycling racing days. Now, my faithful, old bicycle hangs up in the barn where I keep it, and other things, for sentimental reasons. Meanwhile, I've now got 2 titanium hips that are older than most forum members but I've still got far more blessings than misfortunes. Take care of yourself,
I try to wear my gear but I must admit that I don't wear a helmet much when I go off-road but I'm not trying to ride crazy Motocross style or nothing. But I always wear at least gloves and glasses and Boots. I used to be quite the avid bicyclist and I have done 100 mile days in 12 hours or less six times in my life. I probably never will again and if I was so inclined to travel a hundred miles by bicycle I would pack camp gear and probably go 40 or 60 miles the first day and finish up the next. I'm looking at ordering an 80cc 2-stroke bicycle engine kit. I have a 29-in single speed mountain bike with a steel frame and disc brakes. A pretty solid mid-level bike that was $500 about 9 years ago. No suspension just a fully rigid bike. And 80cc 2-stroke should be able to get a cruising speed of 35 if not a bit more. I'm planning on putting the motor drive sprocket to the back wheel directly to the disc hub so I will lose the back brake but I will still have a front disc brake. Of course I could always put a rim brake on the back if I wanted to. I see so many people motorizing bicycles and they are using a beach cruiser and not even using a front brake, only the rear coaster brake. If your bicycle drive chain derails, goodbye brakes! I think any motorized bicycle should have a front disc brake at the bare minimum. Yes I already have my KLX 230 dual sport but I'm going to motorize the bicycle just to have something fun to play with and easy to load up and just something else to ride besides the dirt bike and the minivan. I know a couple of landowners where I can ride but I would like to make some inroads with some more of them. Everyone's so scared of getting sued nowadays. Sounds like you had quite the bicycling career. I used to be hell on wheels on a mountain bike off road but now I'm getting too old and fat and I prefer a motor. Lol
It sounds like you're still pretty much involved in motorcycling and bicycling. I think that I remember that you used to build recumbent bicycles, Is that right? Anyway, I'm glad that you're still able to get out and ride with plenty of places to explore. That's the thing about bike riding and target shooting these days; there are fewer and fewer places to do either. I'm afraid that cancer that I have from Agent Orange exposure is no longer in remission so, except for some morning exercises and my usual chores, my activities have been reduced to bird feeding and squirrel training. I found out very early that you can not feed the birds without also feeding the squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and deer. It's a "package deal"; you can't have one without the others Since its not only the squirrels that climb on the bird feeder and get on the suet cage, they're the only ones I'm attempting to train to stay off the suet by keeping the garden hose nearby when I'm either reading or eating breakfast and squirting them when they get on the suet. Friends and family members with significantly more blood lust than I have recommended simply shooting them but that seems like cheating. They're amazing little acrobats and quite clever. They're also well mannered. For example, if a bird is on the suet block, the squirrel will wait, patiently, until the bird is finished before jumping on the suet block. Anyway, rather than watching the news while eating breakfast, I watch the different birds come and go while I attempt to train my squirrels. I may not have the best trained squirrels around but I'll bet that they're the cleanest squirrels in the county. I hope that you are doing well and have an enjoyable weekend. Many thanks,
Thanks so much for that excellent video. Maybe it will help convince my wife that I'm not that crazy.... I especially appreciated that none of the obstacles in this video were cruel. I've seen a few that that featured "squirrel catapults" etc that I didn't like. While I don't have all those contraptions in my back yard, I do have 2 simple bird feeders, 1 "squirrel resistant" bird feeder, 3 humming bird feeders, 3 bird baths. Everything needs frequent cleaning and filling but the entertainment value is well worth it. We live in a rural area on 20 acres of land and, over the years have attracted a wide variety of birds, lizards (skinks), chipmunks, box turtles, rabbits, snakes, skunks, opossums, raccoons, deer and, of course, squirrels, some of whom have made a nest over the attic. My "aviary" where I feed the birds and other hungry and thirsty creatures is right off of the back porch within range of the garden hose. I don't immediately squirt the squirrels after they go for the suet (their favorite treat) but first I give them a verbal warning and then squirt the offender which is not as easy as it sounds since some of the regulars have nearly perfected one of several escape routes. They really are clever, little acrobats and, as the video showed, very good at problem solving. The squirrels are welcome to any water or bird food that's on the ground and I only squirt the offending squirrels when they get on the bird feeders or the suet basket. I strongly suspect that on especially hot days, getting squirted was not so much of a deterrent because I was spraying myself to cool off on some of the days we had. Finally, most of the time in my little aviary everyone either eats peacefully together with the usual bird feeder squabbles erupting from time to time but it's all part of a great show and beautiful colors. Thanks, again for the excellent video & enjoy your weekend,
You may remember me posting about chicky chicky.... A gray squirrel I had for a pet for almost a year. I came home one day to my dog barking at an oak tree and there she was about 7 ft from the ground and I walked right up and put my hand up and she climbed right to my hand and I looked around for a nest and didn't see one and it was going to storm so I took her in for the night, she was probably right around 7 or 8 weeks old. I bottle fed her puppy milk for a little bit but she was right on the cusp of being weaned. I kept her in a big cage outside but then I broke my ankle and wasn't able to get out there for a while and my girlfriend would go and feed her once a day and one day she opened the cage and she bolted up an oak tree but I can't blame her. Somewhere on this forum I posted pictures of her probably about 10 months ago. And yes I did used to build recumbent bicycles and I still have mine ride it occasionally. I also made several backwards trikes for special needs folks that came out very well. I would quit my job and build bikes and trikes if I thought I could actually make a living at it but no one around here understands that it takes at least several hundred dollars worth of supplies and several days to fabricate a bike and they think you're supposed to sell it to them for about the money that you have and supplies.... Never mind the fact that that doesn't even take your labor into account or is it buying a new bike would cost about four times as much. so I haven't really built anything in a couple of years because working nights I sleep all day and I don't really have any need or space to store anything else. It sounds like you really enjoy your time with the squirrels. As far as I'm concerned, every gray squirrel I see from now on is possibly chicky chicky !
I don't remember "chicky chicky" but I think I remember that you lost a dog named Spike. Is that right? I am sorry that you are unable to do what you really like for a living, designing and making "multi cycles" but it sounds like you've got a few years left and life is full of surprises. Good luck,
Yes I did lose Spike a couple or maybe even 3 years ago now, at 10 years of age from a tumor and his nose that kept giving him nose bleeds when he would sneeze and the vet said that eventually he would bleed to death from one of them. When his breathing got labored in the last nosebleed was the worst, it was unfortunately his time. I fabricated him a steel cross from rebar with an engraved steel plate with his name and dates. I also had it powder coated. That cross will outlive me. Today I am going to a real ATV park for the first time. It's called bone valley ATV Park in Polk county 33 miles up the road from here. 200 acres of one-way trails including hill climbs and such. That area i usually go riding in that neighborhood that never happened.... You never know who's out there and the trails are not one way... And of course when you're on a motorcycle you cannot hear the engine of the other motorcycle that might be coming around the same corner you are from the opposite direction... Bone valley ATV Park only charges a $15 entry fee which is very nominal and it is actually operated by Polk county. Got to try to squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep since I got off of work at 6:30 a.m. and off I go.. Was going to go tomorrow but they are closed Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday and open the remainder of the week.
Got 5 more hours to ride because the place closes at 7:00. Look at that a real motocross track. And all manner of one-way trails through the woods from easy to medium to difficult.
I thought that I remembered when you lost Spike because it was clearly upsetting to you. Who doesn't get upset when they loose a close companion? I know that I do. I hope that you had an enjoyable and accident free trail ride at Bone Valley ATV Park. It sounds at least 50% safer than those Two-Way suicide trails and well worth the 33 mile drive to avoid a head-on collision out in the middle of the wilderness. I hope you got enough sleep to enjoy your trail ride. Good luck and please be careful.
Look at that hill to the right of that sign... I almost bit off more than I could chew. I got up near to the top and first gear and then my tire started spinning and so I just instinctively locked on the front brake which of course kept me from sliding back down the hill backwards. Rev the engine a bit and ease out on the clutch and get to the top of it. Now there's washouts on the other side and it's just as steep going down. But at this point there is no turning around..... So I negotiated my way down it and basically stayed on the back brake and slid down while telling myself. DO NOT TOUCH that front brake at all or you will be sliding down it. But I was not injured and fun was had by all. But I will not be trying that hill again
I was planning to go tomorrow but they are only open Friday through Monday. Needless to say I did not get very much sleep at all but I do this almost every weekend so I'll be all right..... Of course then it takes me 2 or 3 Days to recover and catch up on that sleep. My early forties aren't the same as I was 10, 15 years ago lol It's just pushing 3:30 and I may well stay here until they close at 7:00. It turns out that I misread the map and it's actually 41 miles out here but that's okay because I put my bike in the back of my minivan anyways. Probably have to try to get out here at least once a month. Basically all you have to do is sign the waiver and wear a helmet and pay $15 which I was surprised because I thought it would be more like 25 or 30 and I would have gladly paid that. I went down some of these trails marked difficult and none of them were anything like that Hill that I almost bit off more than I could chew on.... Confucius say ride trail slow first time and don't be afraid to walk and look and see first Yeah I miss Spike... 10 years is too soon for a little guy
"The only fault of dogs is that they don't live long enough. Getting into Heaven is based on Grace, not merit. If it was based on merit your dog would get in and you would not." Mark Twain ( as well as I could remember)
