During the Tour de France, it is easy to blow the whole morning. Well not the whole morning, just the morning until 10 or 10:30 depending on the length of the stage. Up in Cable, there are lots of choices of things to do.

Yesterday I decided it was about time I try to ride off road some. I haven’t ridden a MTB bike this year. I was pretty sure that my shoulder wasn’t going to be up to it. I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.

The MTB riding up here is wonderful. There are so many options. We rode from Telemark Resort to OO on singletrack the whole time. They just completed the final section from the Firetower base to Bodecker. I didn’t realize how much I missed riding in the woods until I did it again. We rode back from OO on the Chequamegon course up to Cable.

I did have a few problems. My butt hates me right now. It is completely chaffed. Last year, Bill, Catherine and I had to stop in Hayward, after 3 hours, and buy some Vaseline to limp back home. I wish I would have had it yesterday. Bill and I ended up riding about 3 1/2 hours and had to stop because of our butts. Man, are we pussies.

My shoulder didn’t work perfect, but I made due. A couple times, when my rear wheel slipped, while I was climbing off my seat, I ended up with my chest on my handlebars. I don’t have any ability to stop my forward momentum if something unexpected like that happens.

I’ve been swimming a fair amount the last couple days. Yesterday I swam 15 minutes, 3 times, for a total of 45 minutes.. It seems to be pretty good therapy. I love swimming out in the middle of nowhere, alone, under the sun. I say alone because I can’t seem to get Bromont to take a timeout of his time romping in the woods to join me. He always comes back soaking wet, so he obviously is swimming, just not with me.

My friend and orthopedic surgeon, Stacie, has been feeding us at night the last couple days. Grilled salmon, chicken, plus tons of fresh fruit. Since Trudi had to take off to work some, the food supply here is slim pickins.

Watching the finishes of these flat stages of the Tour makes you want them to be over and the mountains to start again. I hate seeing all those guys laying on the ground. Most of them are just trying to stay out of trouble and they end up hitting the pavement. Seems like Kittel has gained a lot of confidence and Cavendish’s number. He pretty much just out drag raced him today.

Alight, guess I’ll head out for a morning swim.

My MTB is a mess. I have one Sram and one Shimano brake. I still have the heated grips I used last winter on.

This is Karl, Stacies husband, who rode with use yesterday.

This is where Bob Dylan was playing a couple nights ago in Duluth. The boats are there for some free listening.

A draw bridge that was going up for an ore ship in Duluth.

Everyday the print a Shipping News saying when each ship is going to come into port.

Dropping Trudi off at the airport, we took a walk and ended up at the new VW dealership. Bromont wanted to chase this guy pretty seriously.