Time and Distance

One of the things I noticed when I first visited Minnesota, was the way that billboards on the roads would measure distances in time. Like, "McDonald's with indoor playground...31 minutes away", or "Menards, 23 minutes away" and so on and so forth. I thought to myself, well now why don't they just say it's like "30 miles up the road" or "23 miles ahead"? I still don't know. But it's how it is out here.

So today, I went local. I brought a watch, and didn't look at the odometer once. I rode my bike outside in the sunshine for 4.5 hours or so. I have no idea how far I went and I don't care. I was "4.5 hours up the road." For sure I had a smile on my face. Two days indoors on the trainer will do that to you once you finally make it outside. It wasn't really warm (51F), and the wind was there (after all it is southwest Minnesota), but it sure was a nice day.

I stopped by the Silver Dollar in Ghent, after winding my way through Green Valley...and from Ghent I headed down County Road 5 towards Lynd. The farmer's were out a plenty, plowing and doing whatever they do this time of year. I entertained myself noticing all the black soil, green prairie growth, and the birds. Imagine my surprise, when a real life 21st century pterodactyl flies up right next to me in the field as I was passing. All right. So it couldn't have really been a prehistoric bird. I don't know what it was (Dave T.---any clues? a heron maybe?). The wing span was certainly more than 5 feet though. No exaggeration. And it flew past me like something from Jurassic Park or the Flintstone's...yup, right out of bedrock. Of course my camera was put away and by the time I booted it up the bird had high-tailed it. Rats! Anyway, as I pedaled into Lynd, some tamer wildlife was on display...

This yard (in Lynd) is chock full of animals and ornaments...it's also some kind of dog kennel for shitzu's, poddle's and other smaller than Syd hounds. It's called "Diddleedee's" or "Duddleedoo's" Kennels, or something like that.

And then from Lynd, I entered into the Camden State Park via the rear entrance. It's like magic in Camden...there's no wind. Today it was warm and still...very nice and quiet.

I had so much fun in Camden that I rode through it again (it's a "small" treasure of a park...) then headed to Russell out on Buffalo Ridge---the highest elevation point in the state (I believe)...nice!

What I remembered, is that it is only recently that I started clocking my miles. I'd always just gone for the time, devil may care about how far I went. Even as a runner, I always ran for time...not distance, and not that I was fast either. It's nice that way. And while I don't guess I plan on hanging up my odometer (in fact, the reality is that I am bugging Mike to install one on all my bikes!), some days it's just nice to not care about the distance, and to just enjoy the time. Minnesota-Time. Like today. Welcome back sunshine and warmer days!