Sunday Morning All Trails

Well Sunday Morning was a good ride. I ended up leaving around 8:15 since Darth Jr. was a little late getting up. I packed up and headed out. It was already Hot and Humid, but the light breeze was actually welcome. I rode the RED trail to the RIVER ROAD Trail and took that to the end and back. After coming back down the trail I went to the YELLOW trail and around down the river and by the dam. Coming back up to the main trail intersection I decided to hit the RIVER ROAD TRAIL again and went from the YELLOW intersection to the end and back to that intersection picking up the RED trail again... I then did the Normal RED, BLUE and Out... The trail was actually VERY busy so I was not about to take the paths too fast. On the River Road trail there was a Road Bike group of maybe 10 riders taking a break. All dressed alike. On the gravel parts I probably past around 30 people which is the most I have ever seen at one time. As for my riding it felt great. I noticed that by about the 30 minute mark I was actually in a grove. Again the hills were not a problem and the two paved hills on the BLUE trail were great to PUSH hard up... When I finally got to the hill of doom I was tired, but I pushed hard and speed to the top... Normally I take a breather, but instead I kept pushing it all the way to the top of the hill at the trail exit... FEEL THE BURN... On the way back I decided to ride down Lilly Lake road and then take Wagner so I could get the hill and straight away... Only hit about 24 MPH, but that is more then the posted speed of 20 MPH!!! Getting back to the house I switch the time to the Distance and notice coming up to my driveway I am at an almost PERFECT 20 Miles... I check all the stats then gear down and do a few passes of the house to cool down...

Stats before the 10 minute cool down...

20.02 Miles
12.3 MPH
1:39 Minutes or something...

Next Sunday it is off to Performance for SHOES, PEDALS and CLEATS!!! I am hoping to keep it all under the $125.00 mark. Since these will be my first attempt and I DESTROY shoes it is probably best to spend a little less...

My Uncle, Aunt and Cousins are in town back from Ireland and I was taking to him about biking. He has two custom Road Bike that he built in the 80's. By todays standrds he said they still are pretty darn good. He mentioned the pedals and shoes and how much of a differance he noticed riding that way. Having the double motion was great... He did say to make sure I do not pull up too hard and damage my hamstrings.

I look forward to getting the new equipment and trying that out. I also really hope we can do the 100 mile ride at the end of the summer. I am worried that my 64 mile ride along with my 10-25 mile rides are not enough.

Since April... 735 Miles...

back to work

Yesterday I rode to work to see how it was. Part of Sheridan Rd was closed but I could still get to the path near the Amstedz overpass but if they move their construction I'll be stuck. I was feeling pretty good and fueled up wit a banana on the gforst of the 3 little bridges in roundout. It never got below 90 on my display. Between mile 27 and 30 I guess I started to run out of steam. A lemon poppyseed bar did little to help. I was pretty pain free though. I was really crusing on the inbound paved section near the Lake Bluff train station. Supposedly there is a kayak shop in Lake bluff, but I'm sure between there and Rockford could use some competition if someone were career changing. I know some people in IN who may open a bike shop some day. So hmm...bike and kayak shop...two locations...hmmm.

I made it to work avg 12.8 and 1:40 slow going home as I was feeling washed out. Regardless I wento to Jewel on the way home and switchd vdeos at blockbuster. I carried home 1 gallon of apple juice. I am burned out on imitation crystal light. I like water but sometimes want other things. I started drinking apple juice but cuttingit 50% with water to cut the cals. I also got 2 canalopes and two dark choc bars. It was a hot but good ride to celebrate getting the previous day's flat fixed.
I thought of doing it yself after walking home from the store the day before but was glad I didn't as I doubt I would have found the problem. There is a protective strip that goes around the rim, I guess so spoles don't poke. However, it is initally afixed prior to drilling out the spoke holes and a metal shard had worked into the tube from the inside so I am still puncture free on my newer tires in a way. I had to come back to the shop because while fixing my flat Tim pinched the tube and was then out of tubes until one could be brought from another store. Happens to the best. now I just need 5+ more mph as I felt like speed on the lake bluff section and I was barely at Dirt's avg.. Waltch out for pannier straps getting into the cassette. Sorry I didn't ride with Darth this morning but I didn't fall asleep until 230 AM. I don't sleep well without the wife elbowing me in the ribs a couple times while I saw logs. 3:55:10 for 46.7 miles so avg 11.8 and a max of 24.8 but I love riding the breaks around corners and down hills. Imagine if I was fully recovered...we will see Dr on Monday. I am slow but not to bad. I think I am getting faster up the hills sometimes. Darth I don't think much is on there maybe 8-12 $ but use the points discount when you purchase pedals and shoes. Shoes should be snug but not too tight. I like more room in the toe box and tighter in the heel but that's not possible sometimes. Cleats should come with pedals or performance had them in store for 9.99

Farm Chores

This week was very busy. Monday was clean the garage day and then later in the evening I was learning fruit tree husbandry, which consisted mostly of picking up “drop apples” and sorting the good from the bad. We also pruned the plum trees and surveyed the pear trees. Marie has made and canned some 16 quarts of applesauce already and there is still another bushel of apples in the basement. Tuesday was gravel day. We had 11 tons of gravel delivered to raise our drive way some and although the truck spread the gravel we needed to shovel and rake a couple of tons to fill in some places that had settled. Nest week we will have another ten tons delivered so we can make a turn around at the end of the drive way. Wednesday was free for riding but just as I finished work a thunderstorm rolled in and watered our thriving garden. Thursday FGB and I moved 20 bales of straw from the barn to our house to prepare for the seeding of our yard. After the straw was moved we helped load half a ton of steel onto the truck so my father-in-law could take it in for scrap at $80 a ton it was a worth while endeavor. Next Saturday there will be more steel roofing to deal with as my father-in-law is taking down several of the old saw mill buildings that are falling apart anyways. Friday I rode over to the farm to help out with some more clean up. This would only have been about a 1.2 mile trip, but since I had inadvertently shoved two left shoes in my saddle bag I had to ride to my house and back for a total of 3.6 miles. Friday’s chores consisted of moving rolled up wooden fence, hefting a 1930’s canvas army baker’s tent up a ladder to the rafters of the barn, shoveling coal, and various other exertions. Saturday was a pretty day for a ride. I didn’t check the wind but it seemed to be blowing from the SW so I headed South and West as usual. I rode mostly South on paved road and was averaging better then 18 MPH. It appeared that averaging 17 MPH on this trip was going to be a breeze. All was right with the world when I happened to glance to my left and noticed a flag blowing in the wind. The wind was from the North West. Oh well! I ended up riding 25.8 miles with an average speed of 17.2 MPH. It’s just good to ride!

Best Time...Almost

Well yesterday when the wife got home I had planned to go do my red trail ride and try to break the 40 minute mark on the Red Trail and back... I ate some power foods, was well hydrated and had the energy. Wife get home the weather is PERFECT... 85 Sunny and almost NO wind. Out to the East there was some bad clouds, but that was past. I start my ride and I am really getting into it. I have a great pace on the road of 16MPH and felling good. I get to the park entrance in 8 minutes. I average about 12 minutes getting there. I am really feeling good and push it flying up the first hill and not slowing at all into the trail. I am rolling at 16 MPH on the flats and pushing hard on the hills. At my next check point I am almost a full 8 minutes ahead... Yes I start pushing harder... The stillness of the air is all of a sudden changed... a little brezze hits me in the woods... I come around the corner to the area with River road and a HUGH gust of wind hits me and almost knocks me OFF my bike... I look to the EAST the clouds are dark and the wind just starts pounding my. I could barely hold my bike up... I get down the path and to the woods again and I could feel the air grows COLD! The rest of the trail for me is in an almost Eastern direction. I could barely keep 8 MPH going and with the GUSTS I felt my bike almost stop! I push hard on my way out of the park seeing the clock rapidly come back to my normal times... Finally I get back to the road and am able to hit maybe 10 MPH while fighting the major gusts. Getting back to the subdivision it begins to RAIN!!! Get home really tired and a bit frustrated that the weather turned like it did.

Final time 44 Minutes!!!!!!

When I get home I check the weather on my computer...46 mPH Gusts, Temp Drop 20 Degrees and wind at 16-20 MPH!!!

I would have easily broken the 40 minute mark!!!

D'OH!

On a Roll

Today I rollerbladed^TM for about the 3rd time in 5 years. I went from the office in Mountain View to the Palo Alto Baylands and back for a round trip of about 7 miles. The wind was brisk but not ridiculous. At first, the path had a few patches: The tar was spread over cracks in the asphalt as if icing were drizzled over a cake to hide its imperfections. This coupled with the headwind made the initial going a little slow. After the first couple miles, I got used to the wind and the path smoothed out a bit.

As I got to the baylands, the trail got a bit more uneven. It's kind of an odd feeling coasting along with one foot several inches higher than the other. I made it out to this frontage road to the freeway, and the trail continued (all the way to Ikea, I think), but I figured I should get back to the office.

On the way back, I took a slightly different route and found a nice smooth part of the trail. Not super smooth like I remember this one part of the quad at U of I (or the linoleum in the dorm basements there), but smooth enough. I made the final turn to return to the office and had a couple miles where the wind was directly at my back. This was the payoff for the earlier workout-- skating effortlessly, zipping along, and actually looking like I know what I'm doing.

new milage for old course

As you may remember, new path connects old sections toward singing hills so going all the way to 176 both ways and all spurs both ways got me 17.2 miles in1:26:35 for a avg of 11.8. Pokey by dirt standards but ok for me. I am pretty sure I'll be confirming what I suspect, that not much can be done/ not much wrong/ long recovery. However to ease the minds of friends and love ones I have a 230 appt at my orthopedic hip Dr. Monday. Just x-rays run over $500 but to him thats just an escalade payment I guess. Can't put a price on health I guess. Things always come all at once though don't they. Pulled muscles take a long time for me, probably some PT will be perscribed. If I had a hands on offspring I wouldn't discourage them from going into therapy practioning. It is over $150 an hour. I feel so slow and ache, but at least I was rolling.

New Bike

Most of you know that I picked up a cyclecross bike. Monday was my maiden voyage. Just the highlights. The bike is fast and strong. I did 29.1 miles in an hour and forty-eight minutes with an average speed of 16.2 miles per hour. The first four miles was on gravel roads with seventy plus pounds of apples in my panniers. I took that first four miles slow as I didn't know what the new rims could handle. After dropping off the apples I road into the wind which was blowing at about 13 MPH. Against the wind on the gravel roads I was able to keep the speed over 14 MPH and at around 18 MPH on the paved roads. Riding back with the wind was a different story altogether on the paved roads I looked down at the computer and regularly saw speeds of 20-23 MPH on the road and 16-18 MPH on the gravel. All in all the bike performed very well on both terrains. The bike climbed the hills very nimbly. On one of the steepest and longest hills I really pushed it to see how fast I could go up hill and was able to crest the top of the hill still doing 17 MPH. The only "complaint" was the lack of front suspension ;>) All in all it was a good first ride! The next ride will be minus the apples and I will shoot for an average speed of 17 MPH. I hope to ride with all of you soon! Oh and yaqataq we found a book titled canoeing and kayaking Indiana! A new sport for this new hoosier may be on the horizon.

quick update home again

We left two sundays ago for Arkansas then Monday was wife's birthday and the next day she tore neck muscles and couldn't move her neck, next day availed her of Arkansas urgent care center and she got some muscle relaxer and pain killer...somewhat better, I went Tuesday to only bike shop in phone book (gearhead outfitters) and rented a confort mountain bike (specialized) from the place. He doesn't really rent but was willing to I guess because I obviously wanted to ride 40 $ for 3 days ok but only rode one day because soon wife reinjured neck and saturday Morning we were in Glasgow KY emergency room. Hopefully tomorrow she will get into see her PC Physican and get better different drugs and phys therapy referral. I am still recovering but not 100%, I admit if $$ were no object I'd probably go to get refereal for some Physical therapy but I am slowly getting better. The thing is if I'm near walls or by my self I walk pretty good. Spasms are less frequent and less severe. A full recovery may take weeks more but I just want to get the wife better and that is stressful to me. Your thoughts are appreciated. AS stated I did do one ride of almost 22 miles in pure rolling hills probably not too much less than Dirt's hill ride (less but not too much) I unclipped my right ( hood side and ended up going really slow. You might want to check out a topographic map. I was on a feature called crowleys ridge near jonesboro AR. 30 miles either way flat, but not there. If I wasn't on 26" wheeels and MTB gearing I probably would not make it.
I actually paid $50 because I asked him to put a computer on. I had first tried to fix up a cousins Next brand bike (walmart) unused for 5+ years under pig dirt rusted. Needed new cassete as it kept slipping on hills and a new chain at least but it was a 90$ bike new I think. I wasn't going to risk slipping that bad for a real ride. Everyone in the family was agaist me riding as people drive very fast and many blind hills and turns but I found traffic light and mostly nice. I would like to travel there with friends who bike, very good workout. I will hoe for a trailer hitch and future hitch rack as I never want to go to such a nice place and not have my bike. At 100+ degrees and super humidity 21+ miles was a solid workout.

No Ride For Me...

Well this weekend was rather busy. Friday Night Yaqatak and I were at an ice breaker for our reunion. We got back around 1:30am and that was really late for me. Well Darth II woke up twice and then was up for the day at just before 6:00am. I had a bunch of house stuff to do and then we went to our Reunion Saturday Night. Since Mrs Darth was driving I had a FEW drinks.. (Few is more then 1 less then MANY) While I was talking to a few people the bartender kept refilling my drink... I actually have NO idea exactly how many I had. Somewhere arounf 10.. with most in the last hour and a half... Went to bed at 3:30am...

Sunday Yaqatak headed out. The family and I drove over to Moraine Hills and we WALKED the Blue trail and played in the park. Was really nice to be out with the family, however since I have been riding a lot more I noticed my walking legs a little weak...

That Is All... (smiles)

WONKEMTEL

WONKEMTEL
On Saturday I went to Cuba Marsh with my frend Bernard. We went around the loops to Ela road and back 3 times for 6.4 miles for a warmup ride for Sunday. Bernard is just getting back into riding so I asm taking it slow with him. He soesn't want to push himself to hard yet. It is like me two years ago when 6 to 10 miles was to hard. I was cruising and he was trying to keep up. So every time we made it to Ela from the parking lot we would stop before we stary back. On Sunday or today we went down the Des Plaines River trail from half day forest preserve to about Rte. 176 and back for 12.5 miles. Again we took it slow and easy making a few stops up and back. I felt great and would of went fartther but Bernard wanted to get back because he thought he would not make it back. Over all we went for a two day ride of about 19 miles, while seeing a deer running across our path on the Des Plaines River trai. It was cool to see it, it startled me at first and it continued to cross the path with no interference. All in all but days felt good to get back on the bike.

Monday Recovery Ride and a Mansion.

Just a short update. I rode for the third day in a row in the heat. It was a simple 18.5 mile ride in about an hour and twenty minutes. The wind was from the SW at 15 MPH so of course I road into the wind for 50 minutes and then turned around and rode with the wind back to my house. The highlight of the ride was passing an honest to goodness mansion. Set in amongst the corn fields is a sprawling manicured estate. An ornamental red brick wall surrounds the perimeter of the estate. The "mansion" itself, I was told later, has indoor and outdoor swimming pools tennis courts game rooms etc... As it turns out the mansion is owned by a steel tycoon in the area and my wife went to school with one of the children. It was truly strange to ride past an old farm house with a coon dog laying on the porch and then not more then a half mile later to ride past this sprawling estate. Country Life is interesting and riding these different routes every trip has added a sense of adventure to my rides.

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday was hot! But I guess you knew that. I bought my son, FGB some new grips for his MTB and of course he had to try them out. We headed South on our gravel road and about 4 miles into the ride FGB started talking about turning back. I asked if he wanted to try one more mile and he said sure. As I figured he had just hit the wall and after another mile he was raring to go for more. We rode to the Hurshtown Reservoir paid the fifty cents per bike to get in and rode the three mile trail around the reservoir. After that FGB decided he was ready to head home. After a shower we took the route in the car so FGB would know how far he had ridden. Twenty and a half miles was the grand total in about an hour and forty-five minutes, not bad for his first ride on the gravel roads.

Sunday was even hotter then Saturday and since it was 2:15 PM when I left my house it wasn't going to get cooler any time soon. The wind was from the South so, per the norm, I decided to ride into the wind for an hour and then turn around and come back. After about a half mile mile I decided to ride to the church we visited in harlan Indiana which I knew was over 15 miles away and would give me a 30 mile ride altogether. The first 8 miles were on loose gravel road. This realy got the sweat pouring. The paved roads were hot and the tar was popping under my tires. It sounded like I was throwing Snap and Pops by the handfuls. I passed several Amish farms along the way one of which was receivng a delivery from East of Chicago Pizza :-) Since I was wearing my Hi-Res yellow jersey and shorts most of the Amish I passed averted their eyes from me. Yes, I passed them; a bike is still faster then a horse drawn buggy. The few that did look my way were friendly enough. The ride took just under 2 hours and was somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-35 miles. Oh and yes the cyclery has sold another bike. I took the plunge and bought a Specialized Tricross Dual Comp (a cyclecross bike); the perfect bike for all the gravel to paved riding I do around here. I will be in IL this Saturday to pick it up but have to return the same day so no test riding with my IL buddies :-(

89 Degrees, Heat Index of 95 Humidity 54%

Well I got up a little late this Sunday Morning since I was going to be riding alone and for a shorter distance. I SLEPT IN!!! 8:00am.. Extra 2 hours!!! Well since CK is in the Deep South and the heat was going to be really bad I thought a quick ride alone was called for... I did slow it down a little and only rode at 11.5 MPH average... This includes a couple stops for a question from a walker and two bikes on the side of the trail... The heat is brutal mixed woth the humidity... As you breath in your lungs fill with a THICK heavy air... The ride was nice and there were actually more people on the trail then I though would be there.

As I ride into the park and up the big hill I already notice how hot it is. Coming around a bend and down the first hill there is an older guy walking his dog... As I pass he asked about my bike... So I stopped and chattd for a moment. He has a TREK road bike that he has not ridden in years because of the position...So I give a some info on the Hybrid... Off again... As I get to the split section at the River Road trail I decide to take the paved trail to the end and back. About half way down there were two road bikes stopped...FLAT... Second FLAT! I stopped to offer help, but they had someone getting the van from the parking lot... I rode down the trail and it was getting HOT!! I did the turn around and came back to the red trail... Hitting the hill of doom I went up quickly, however the air was HEAVY! Finished up the trail and headed home... Rode down the one 20 MPH road and broke the speed limit again... :-) 22 in a 20...LOL

Over all it was good to get out, but wow was it hot...

Red Trail, 42 Minutes a Big Beetle and Biting Flies

Well after a messed up late afternoon I was able to ride out to MH and hit the Red Trail. 82 Degrees out Humid and a bit windy. My ride there was extra quick and I was able to get into the park from my house in 10 minutes which beats typical time of around 12 minutes. As I ride I also notice I am in the middle gears only and have yet to use my granny gears.... that lasted until the hill just past the river road trail merge. That hill always makes me granny gear it... Start cruising along now and notice my pace is around 15 on the flats... Wow I am moving compared to what I did when I first started riding the Red Trail... I get to what I think is the North side of the lake and the wind kick up... I have to struggle to get 12 MPH... Well the hill of dome is closing in and I feel a bit tired... Hit the hill and struggle a little more then I have, but make it up... BREATH, BREATH... The little remaining uphill section is coming up and then home free... I get to the crest of the paved section and I feel a THUD on my helmet... I thought at first it was a branch, acorn or something until it started grabbing at my head in a desperate attempt to hang on... I SLAM on the breaks (Not doing an Endo) unclasp my helmet and shake it... A beetle/junebug/whatever the size of a Quarter goes tumbling into the brush... Before I can put my helmet back on I realize I am standing in a LARGE Swarm of BITING FLIES!!! Slap my helmet on and start riding quickly swatting at all the little Vampires as they begin to bite me... I one hand CLIP my helmet and RACE down the hill... I head on home and try to push it,, but I am hot and a little tired...

42:08 Time
12.60 Average Speed
8:98 Distance.

Still a little over 2 minutes from that seemingly elusive under 40:00 minute mark...

Hills, Hills and More Hills

Last Thursday was another blue-sky day in the farm country of Nothern Indiana. I had finished work at 12 noon (a rare exception these days) so I decided to take a ride. The plan was to ride for an hour and then come home get cleaned up and head up to my parents house on the lake to hang out with my brother who's in from Colorado. I checked the wind; it was coming from the North at 8 MPH with gusts up to 16 MPH. Per the normal routine I decided to ride North into the wind and since this took me towards my parents house, I told the lovely wife to go ahead and drive up to the P's. I was going to ride up. I quickly made a copy of my Indiana map and headed out. About 6 miles North I began to encounter hills. As I hammered up and down these first of many hills I began to think, "these hills are getting a little steeper." Sure enough the farther North I got the steeper the hills got and there was no leveling off it was just hill after hill after hill. Thirty-one or thirty-two miles of hills some of them matching or exceeding the height and grade of the hills that nearly claimed CK and HR's life not too long ago. All in all the ride was 37.6 miles long and better then half of this journey was on loose gravel roads as well. The wind was in my face for the entire ride adding to the thigh burning exhilaration. Just shy of three hours after I left my house I pulled into my parents driveway. A beautiful ride, a tough ride, a good ride. Had I known the hills were going to be so relentless I may not have ridden to my parents but when it was done I was glad that I had. Ignorance is bliss! A couple of days later while talking to my father-in-law he informed me that some of the highest hills in Indiana are located in Steuben County. They're part of a range of hills that runs from Hillsdale Michigan down through the Northeast corner of Indiana. The whole trip has me thinking that a Cyclecross bike might be the way to go... thinner tires... road geometry... 1100 to 2000 dollars! Oh well looks like the MTB is the bike of choice for now.

Kayaker's Biathlon Part III

Yep, whitewater and sea kayaking both in one day! Though, I don't know if you'd really call what I did in the morning whitewater since I didn't go down river. And I don't know if you'd call what I did in the evening sea kayaking since I was on a lagoon (granted, with water pumped in from the bay).

I was up in the foothills the morning of the 4th of July and was scheduled to meet friends back in the Bay Area that evening for a barbecue (which turned out to be a sushi-fest, mmmm!). I didn't have time to do a run on the river, but had to get out there anyway. So I picked up another playboat to demo.

Of course, playboats are designed to "play" in river features, surfing in waves and holes, doing all sorts of flips and aerial moves. So the plan was to head to Chili Bar hole for a little park-and-play.

I arrive and find that the water has come down since last week, now about 1600 cfs. I also don't see many people on the river. There's a group of 2 or 3 starting to head down, another guy hanging out, and nobody playing. I wonder why.

I get on the water and ferry across the river to check out the hole. Hmm, looks a little trashy at low flows. I study it a minute; the water look deep enough. So, I figure, what's the worst that can happen? It takes me about 2 strokes to pull out through the current and drop into the hole. The bow of my boat then slides forward into the water that's pouring over the rock that's forming the hole. Next thing I know, the boat-- with me in it-- gets thrown vertically and lands upside-down for a brief instant before getting thrown vertically 2 or 3 more times. I flush out of the hole, roll up, and paddle off to the side, ready to go again.

The guy that was hanging out comes by and says, "Wow. That was impressive. You've got skillz." The funny thing is that he wasn't being sarcastic. The moment reminded me of a Simpsons episode (as most things do) in which Tony Hawk gives Homer a skateboard that automatically does all the tricks in the book and features "the ultimate in poser technology."

Then a teenage kid comes along, drops into the hole, throws some loops, does some cartwheels, and gracefully exits. The other guy comments, "You make that look easy," to which the kid replies, "It is easy!" Punk. The kid then proceeds downriver, followed by his mom.

Satisfied with the thrashings I got, I take off the river after an hour-and-a-half and start back toward the Bay Area where sushi awaits! After dinner and as dark approaches, 3 of us take our boats over to the Foster City Lagoon and paddle out to the middle of it to watch the fireworks. Very impressive! It was neat to see the fireworks reflecting off the water as well as the nearby buildings. Afterward, we headed back, dodging the armada of electric boats that were returning from their once-a-year journey into the open waters of the lagoon.

The behemoth bush moving

DM and I helped a friend named Joe move his bush from one part of his yard to another. Well the journey started before DM and I got to Joes. Joe has been digging out a bush for two weeks and need to remove the bush from it's hole which he dug. He knew DM was coming to visit him this weekend and on his arrival he asked DM for help to remove the bush. DM say sure I always like to help a Christian brother in need. So DM and Joe tried may ways to get the bush out of the hole. The end up taking DM Ford Explorer to the back yard and pulled the bush out of it's plot. The two of them could not move the mammoth bush by there own so DM called me to help move the large bush. We tried a couple different way of moving it. We ended up laying the bush on it side which took all three of us to tip over. This bush with it's ball of earth must have been over a thousand of pounds. So the first thing we did was make sure the ball of earth would not be destroyed by wrapping it in a trap. Then the journey of rolling the behemoth bush up the hill to it's new plot of land. The three of us push and pushed and pushed the monster to where it was going, after may breaks to get it there. Once there we notices much of the soil around the roots had broke apart and laying sporadically over Joes lawn. So we had to dig a new hole for the bush. We completed it faster than it took to push the bush up to it's new location at least it seemed so. So the three of us took turn digging the hole. Once we completed the hole we moved the large bush into place and dropped it into the hole. We missed aimed slightly and had to move the bush into the proper location in the hole. SO of course we tried a few different ways of moving it. On way we tried was to put a 2 by 6 plank under it and lift so we can push it up. So since I was the heaviest anchor I proceeded to push down on the board an broke it in half. Then DM and I Pulled the bush forward as Joe back filled dirt under the bush to level it off. DM and I pulled with all are might and succeed. After that leveling project we finish filling around the bush and now it was back in it's new home. But we had to fill in the hole of the original home of the bush. So the three of us proceeded to fill in the hole.
When we finish we cleaned up and ate dinner and had a time of spiritual fellowship (reading the first chapter of James from the bible of course and sing songs). As the fellowshiping continued around the campfire with brownies for desert and more conversation between BMW family and Joes family and myself. The evening ended when we put the kids to bed and I went home. Everyone was tired from the Monmouth bush. We all say good bye and said see you soon. It was great to see BMW and family dog (timber) in Illinois again.

One large bush

WONKEMTELDM and I help Joe move a large bush across his yard. Before I got there Joe and DM had dug out the bush and pulled it out of the hole dugout by Joe. TO remove the stubborn bush the tried may different way to get it out. DM pulled his Ford Exporer back to the bush, which they proceed to tie the bush to the back of the Explorer and took out the bush. When I got there they need to find a way to get the bush to the other ends of Joes yard. We thought we could move it on a dolly, but we decide it was to big and heavy. Then we decided to lay it down on it's side after we made sure the dirt would not break apart in the yard by tying a tarp around the ball of earth and roots. Then we proceed to rolling the hill. At time we taught this bush was going to get the best of us, but we showed it who was the boss and continued to move the bush to it's new location. Once we got it to the new location we had to quickly dig out a hole to place it back into the ground where it belonged. So the three of us started digging a ten foot circumference of a hole about to feet deep. We got the hole complete fairly quickly, about a hour or so. Them the new challenge is to get the massive bush into the hole. As we man handled the bush where we wanted the bush to drop into the hole, it was slightly in the wrong place. So we tried to move the heavy bush with a two by six board which I proceeded to break in half trying to move the giant bush with all my weight on the board and snap there went the board and the bush went no where. So DM and I pull the bush forward and Joe proceeded to fill the hole leveling the bush to where we taught it should be. As DM and I pulled with all our might and did get it there. Then we finish to fill the hole around the bush. Once we finish that we filled in the original hole that was made. All in all are energy was spend moving the behemoth bush. So it was time to replenish are bodies with dinner and spiritual food. All in all it was a great time visiting DM and family and Joes Family.