HOUSEDOG

Leo's Yurt Experience - May 2007, May 2009

This is the year of Leo's yurt experience. Last year I read an article about yurts, did a little research and decided a yurt would be perfect for my Land in Northern California in the summer months. I set about researching, designing and aquiring hardware starting the summer of 2006. Work began earlier this year and the pieces were put together Memorial Day Weekend (May 2007). It was pretty amazing ... the damn thing actually worked! The yurt stood all that summer and we put it away in October.

Memorial Day Weekend 2009 we put it up again. This time on a platform so it is up off the ground. There are new pictures.

June 19, 2009 - The yurt fell down :( It seems over two years the wood slates in the walls dried out and became brittle. A strong wind took the yurt down.

July 4, 2009 - Went up to salvage what I could of the yurt and Obi got bit by a rattlesnake. I killed the snake but spent the holiday visiting vet$ all over the state.

Bike Rides

I am now putting up pictures of rides here.

Bob, Mike and Leo's Hamilton, Ontario to PAB, Michigan Bike Trip - July 2009

It was a short one this year - 3 days, 340 miles. No write up, just some pictures. I got a new bike for this trip. Ordered it over the phone in Toronto. Bob and Mike inspected it and picked it up. It was noticably faster than my old touring bike (which is currently unridable due to egg shaped wheels). Average speeds on rides around SF are 1.5 to 2 MPH faster on the new bike.

The route was Hamilton, Port Dover for lunch, along Lake Erie, dumpy motel in St. Thomas with a little down pour in the last 30 minutes and more walking to dinner. Next day we cut across Southern Ontario farmland, caught the ferry at Sombra and rode the Michigan side from Marine City to Port Huron. Too far from a walkable meal we ordered into the motel. Next morning we rode up through the middle of the Thumb on country roads to PAB (just outside of Port Austin). The only hill of note on the whole trip was at the very beginning - The Niagara Escarpment, but when you fly over the route you will be taking and see countless wind farms facing into the direction you will be riding you can expect some head winds. I hate head winds; much more satisfying to ride up a mountain.

Bob, John, Mike and Leo's Salt Lake City to San Francisco Bike Trip - June 2008

Introduction - Who, What, Where, Why and When
Daily Journal - Blogging our way across part of Utah, Nevada and California
Leave A Message - Ask questions, help us with recommendations for routes, restaurants and motels and anything else you can think of.

Leo's Cross Country Bike Trip - July 2005

Introduction - Who, What, Where, Why and When
Daily Journal - Blogging my way across the country, adding entries whenever I can find an Internet connection.
Leave A Message - Ask questions, help me with recommendations for routes, restaurants and motels and anything else you can think of.

Trip Summary

Some quick facts about my trip ...

Start: June 30, 2005 - Toronto, Ontario
Finish: July 26, 2005 - Wells, Nevada
Distance: 2395 miles
Days Riding: 26
Days Off: 1 (July 4th)
Average Miles/Day: 92
Days over 100 miles: 8
Days under 90 miles: 8
Borders crossed: 7
States and Provinces: Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada
Miles in car due to breakdown: 26
Flat tires: 9 - all after 1600 miles
Broken Spokes: 2
Minutes of rain: 40 - 25 minutes of heavy rain in Michigan; 15 minutes of very light rain in Iowa
Days over 100 degrees: quite a few - you don't really notice when you are on the bike