Dan's Blog

  I've joined the sourdough bandwagon, and I'm getting halfway decent at it.   I make one loaf at a time, usually twice a week.   And I also make my pizza dough this way now.   Homemade sourdough does not taste sour.    Sourdough is a weird misnomer  IMHO.   Hands on kitchen time is probably < 30 minutes, but there are lots of 2 minute tasks spread throughout a few days, so I can see why people don't have the patience for it, especially if you're working full time.   This is more a retirement lifestyle thing.   The photos are from a 20% whole wheat recipe loaf I made today using this recipe  https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2020/06/whole-wheat-sourdough-bread/   Main things I've learned.    Feed your starter 1 day before you start baking if you keep it in the fridge.   let it be around 70-75F for a day before you use it.    I tuck my starter jar behind my small beverage fri...

So I think I need to make a few tweaks before I ride the Erie Canal trail from Buffalo to Albany.  But I'm going to shoot for doing it during early September.  eriecanalway.org/explore/cycling/cycling-resources   https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/camping  Jacqui's been helping her folks go to some appts (relatively minor stuff, no worries), so I think I'll time things to drive out while she's already near Albany helping her folks.   So instead of driving home to Mass, she'll ride with me in the truck to Buffalo, we'll stay overnight, then she'll drive the truck back to her folks or her sister's place, she'll leave the truck and drive her car home to Mass, and I'll bike back to the truck just south of Albany.    There's a Hudson River Greenway I can ride to get down to her folks/sister's place from where the Erie trail ends, and it only adds 14 miles and 450ft of climbing, easy peasy (relative to the 360 miles I'll have just do...

  My kingdom for a pair of scissors!   More on that later.   Actually I'm ordering these fiskar ones to keep in my tool bag.     I trust myself with scissors but not a small knife in the middle of nowhere out in the woods.      https://a.co/d/6AycWwH       The trip was fun and a success.   i didn't forget anything (see previous blog packing list); i've just realized having a small pair of scissors would be very useful for trimming tire plugs and opening stubborn dehydrated meal bags. Sunday night I camped in the truck's GFC camper at one of my favorite spots near where my bike trip was going to start.   I wanted to get an early start Monday morning which is easier when you're just a 15 minute drive away vs 3 hours.    And no I'm not posting online where my preferred camping spot is because it's mine, ALL MINE!!!!.    jk, but yeah, on principle it's silly to list your favorite sp...

Going to be a rest day after my 28.9 mile ride yesterday.    Not sore at all, so that's a good sign (fingers crossed).     Even though it's a rest day, I have lots of puttering to do to get ready for Vermont tomorrow.     I'll still have Sunday morning as well to do last minute stuff.   No point leaving before Sunday afternoon because most of the camping spots will still be occupied by the weekend campers.   It's only a 2.5-3 hour drive, no need to rush up. First task done already today.   I loaded my gear on my bike this morning and just pedaled over to the town's cemetery to test ride.    Everything stayed put nicely and I managed the uphills just fine.     I'll have to bike over there again later after adjusting the rear derailleur; I won't bother loading the gear again though.    I haven't been able to get the shifting right, so I think I have to adjust the hi/low set screws and ...

Good ride today.   My plan was to see how 30+ miles would feel on the new i30 rims and the larger 29x2.2 (700x55) teravail sparwood tires.   To spare any suspense, no issues with the new wheelset other than the 2nd largest gear in the back felt ever so slightly crunchy when I used it.    It worked, but it was just annoying enough to make me want to shift into a different gear ASAP.   It did seem to be getting better and not worse as the ride progressed, so maybe there was just a small defect on the new rear cassette and the chain will slowly grind it off. Definitely a ride I'll do again.   It's more enjoyable than riding around the reservoir, way less car traffic, and food options were good in Rutland.   Nothing high end, but good enough for sure.   Parked at the big lot in WestBoylston, north of the Stone Church on the north side of Wachusett Reservoir.    This would be an out and back ride.  ...