Weekend cyclocross action-Norfolk, NE

with state cross country over with last friday in Kearney, the bikes were all loaded, ready to go & we were off to Norfolk after the xc run to race some more for Lane in his first cyclocross race of the season

he raced the junior division which was run with the category 4 men's so it was stacked about 28 racers at the start

one of the first major obstacles was this giant pinwheel of death

Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey of the legendary "D Street Hotel" in Lincoln handled the dreaded pinwheel with ease in the Cat 1,2,3 class

he played it cool to go on for a 4th place finish

a sweet ride to haul bikes around with!

Lane negotiating the downhill chute through the trees

HUP, HUP, HUP...over the hurdles

through the dreaded pinwheel of death

powering through the sandtrap, earning him a first place, now load the bikes & head back southeast to Lincoln for day two of cyclocross racing...stay tuned!

Fall gathering-Potter's pasture

with Lane's Jeep loaded, the bikes racked & Tate riding guard it was time to get away & decompress for the weekend at...

...Potter's Pasture

fresh water at this campsite was NOT a problem!

accommodations for the night was my folks early 90's Eureka tent & my retro early 80's Camp Trails sleeping bag & with an all night drizzle I was warm & dry

thanks to Gordon we had a delightful Octoberfest tasting before we went...

...AROUND THE WORLD!

once a pot of beer simmered brats was consumed it was time to gear up & head out...

...to watch the sun set & the moon crest over the communications tower to the west

then turn on the lights & hit the trail for an AWESOME night ride

what a great time & to see eight sets of lights bouncing down the trail like fireflies dancing through the canyon at night is a sight to behold

the landmark windmill on the hill at Potter's is always a welcome sight after a long week of the "real world" what a great way to spend a weekend!

Campout omelets 101

I wouldn't have believed this if I hadn't of seen it myself but my new friend Gordon showed me how to do this over a weekend campout & I was amazed!

first you start by washing your hands like any good chef & it helps to have a camp sink with a foot pump & copper faucet, but if you don't have that just use any water/soap source.

it also helps to have an elaborate "omelet bar" like this but I think you could get by with a rock by the river or a log in the woods for a table

start by breaking/beating 2 eggs up then add your favorite ingredients, in this case we used green & red peppers, two kinds of onions, diced ham, cheese, salt/pepper & onion salt & mix thoroughly in a pint sized ziploc bag, squeeze all the air out, seal up tightly & if you have a bunch in camp with different tastes make sure to write your name on the bag with a sharpie so they don't get mixed up.

drop your omelet bag into a boiling pot of water, put the lid on & forget about it for 12-15 minutes, then pull it out, open the bag &...

...the PERFECT campsite omelet! These were a little salsa or hot sauce away from the perfect omelet but how simple & delicious & think of the options for toppings & what you like, how about bacon & mushrooms. I think you could wrap these up in a tortilla to eat if you were on the go, such a simple & neat idea, thanks for this treat today Gordon, was great sharing a camp with you & learning something new.

Pedal to end Polio

Last Saturday was the inagural "Pedal to end Polio ride" put on by the North Platte Sunrise Rotary Club which Jessie is now a member of & she did the ground work for this, her first fundraising event for the club.

Was a beautiful fall day for a ride around Lake Maloney & there was a shorter distance ride for kids & those who didn't want to go the long route. I hadn't rode this route in maybe 2-3 years & kind of enjoyed being out on the skinny- tired bike riding hills & playing in traffic with others. The cost was $15/person & they had 25 show up & that got them a t-shirt, lunch & a door prize (everyone got something) so was a nice event going to a good cause, helping eradicate polio around the world.

Look for this to go down again next year if you missed it, hopefully it will grow in size & become an annual event.