Well, as is usually the case, the blog has been quiet in January. It’s been mostly cold and/or rainy, and I haven’t been doing anything other than short rides. I did pedal the kayak about four miles last Saturday, crappie fishing on the Brazos River above Lake Whitney. The fishing was slow, but I did take a couple of photos of fossils in a huge boulder. If I ever manage to retire, I want to add fossil hunting as another hobby.

Finally, today was a warmer day with sunshine, so I waited until almost noon for things to warm up and dry out, then took off on the Corsa. I hadn’t ridden the Corsa in a couple of months. Today was warm enough that I didn’t feel I needed the fairing on the Xstream, and today’s ride reminded me of why the Corsa is still my favorite bike ever.

I rode out to Purtis Creek State Park, then on into Van Zandt County, doing a loop out to SH 19 and back. The northwest wind was a tailwind for most of the ride out, but made the ride back a chore. I ended up with 51 miles even.

Most of the rock containing the Brazos fossils.

Closeup of the fossils.

With the weather threatening today, I decided to stay closer to home, and just ride out to Purtis Creek State Park. It’s just 12 miles from home, and the destination of most of my 25 mile weekday rides. But, I usually just get there, then turn around. Today, I figured I would explore some of the park roads. It really is a pretty place, and if a downpour came, I’d never be further than 12 and a half miles from home.

Halfway to Purtis Creek, it started to rain, and I stopped under a tree when I could see it really pouring down in front of me. Checking weather radar on my phone, what hadn’t even been a blip on the radar when I left home, had built into a major rain storm right where I was, wouldn’t you know it? But, it was headed east away from me, so after a few minutes stopped, the rain was gone and I continued on.

Once I reached Purtis Creek, I explored all the roads. It really is a pretty state park. There are canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats for rent. You can get kayak lessons or go on a kayak tour of the lake (I keep threatening to join that tour in my pedal kayak). There is a large campground, plus primitive camping, mountain bike trails, and hiking trails.

By the time I got near home, it was getting dark and threatening, but not raining yet, so I rode a couple of 2 mile loops near Cedar Creek Lake. Cedar Creek Lake is a 32,000 acre lake just a half mile from home. It’s a great crappie lake, part of the reason I’m hoping to retire here. I got in a couple of loops before the thunder from the dark clouds approaching from the west started getting close. It was starting to sprinkle rain as I pulled into my driveway, so I decided to call it a day on the bike. I ended up with 40.7 miles.

They rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats at Purtis Creek.

You can keep crappie and catfish, but bass fishing at Purtis Creek Lake is strictly catch and release.

The boat ramp.

Riding across the dam.

View from near the west end of the dam. It really is a pretty lake.

Below the dam, lots of dead-looking trees from the fire that raced through here a couple of months ago.

There are lots of really nice campsites like this one.

Someone is roughing it.

After becoming regulars on the Tuesday FWBA Rusty Chain Gang Ramble club ride, Rose and I had missed it the last two weeks, with doctor appointments and a job interview. Yesterday, we rode to the start and did the ride again. This time, we rode a longer version of the route, staying with the other riders until breaking it off to take a shortcut home at the end. We ended up with 50 miles even, our longest ride yet on the Screamer tandem.

Today, my COE annual pass got a workout. First, Rose and I took off and rode to Rocky Creek Park at Lake Benbrook on the Screamer, an easy pace recovery ride. We did a loop around the park, then rode back home. After I got back home, I hauled my boat back to Rocky Creek Park, and launched it there, to visit a few Benbrook crappie.

FWBA Rusty Chain Gang Ramble route.

At Benbrook Lake with the Screamer tandem.

Later in the day, with one of Benbrook’s nice crappie.

I was at Benbrook this morning, but only pedaled a couple of miles.

Like my other recumbents, it has pedals and a reclining seat. I haven’t found the wheels, though.

It’s a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 Propel. The Propel pedal drive is actually built by Shimano. It is, of course, single speed. You can also pedal backwards for reverse.

Should I go with Bebops or SPD’s? Do you suppose this model is already on bikejournal’s list of recumbents to choose from?

It transports on a different rack than my other recumbents.

I bought it used from a guy who lives near Austin. It was a blast researching in the kayak forums. Can you believe a lot of these idiots end up with half a dozen kayaks, one for every purpose, and parts everywhere, cluttering their house and garage? I’m glad we recumbent riders never do anything like that.

My toes quit hurting by the weekend before last, and I finally started feeling better that Sunday evening. The best I can describe those 5 days I felt so bad is that I was so exhausted that I felt ill from it.

I didn’t ride again until last Saturday, when I did 25 miles. I felt some of the same “so exhausted I felt ill” feeling afterward. I rode 25 miles Monday, and didn’t feel bad afterward. I wanted to ride another afternoon or two this week, but the wind has just been more than I’ve been willing to battle.

My third round starts tomorrow. I’ve already decided not to ride for a week afterwards, to see if that helps keep the exhaustion away.

I’ve also done more research on adjuvant chemotherapy, trying to find out more about why some doctors use three rounds, and some four. It looks to me like, after three rounds, the toxicity of the drugs start to outweigh the benefit, so I’ve already decided to bail after three rounds. That means one 6 hour IV tomorrow, and one 2 hour IV next Friday, and I’m done.

Lung cancer chemo drugs, in the amount they’re given for lung cancer, are the most toxic of all; I’ve earned a whole new respect for those who survive 6 or more rounds. I’m not sure I would.