Our (canceled) plan / Rome to Barcelona
14. februar 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ -13 °C
This was our tentative plan that was canceled near the end of March due to the coronavirus. ☹️
New playhouse lights
8. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Installed some blue LED solar light on the playhouse. 😀
Iowa Gravel
9. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Pat McKay Rode with us. We sported our buffs while riding. The I included some adventurous B-roads and cold beers in Pat’s backyard at the end.
Mother’s Day
11. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
We had a relaxing Mother’s day at home. Sebastian turned 17 on April 25th. We planted the Redbud tree in the background the year he was born.
Smoked Pork
14. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
I used my electric smoker to make some smoked pork and smoked salmon. lisa caught the salmon in the fall in Michigan while fishing with her brother Adam.
Trees and Landscaping
15. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
We replaced the 45 year old tree that was wrongfully cut down in 2018 while we were touring in France with a Miyabe Maple. We also planted a Norwegian Weeping Spruce and did some landscaping aroundLes mer
Firepit
17. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
We enjoy having fires in the backyard, and Sebastian is at the age when he enjoys having friends over for a fire. This is one socially distancing thing he can enjoy with friends. We built a new fireLes mer
Brown Cafe
18. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Drink our favorite U.S. beer out of some of our favorite Belgian glasses. 🇺🇸🇧🇪 Brown cafe = an establishment where the dishware and silverware may not match and your beer may or may not beLes mer
Moby Dick
20. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
In 1931 my grandpa, Erwin Cochran read Moby Dick. I decided with so much time at home with social isolation I would try to conquer this read. I am finding my vocabulary level quite below Melville’s.Les mer
German Marble in Dresden
24. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Last year (2019) we bought this marble at a flea market in Dresden, Germany. Today, I found you can text a picture to an expert and he’ll identify the marble for you. It’ a Germany stripedLes mer
Iphone se & New App
25. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
I finally upgraded my iPhone 6s and was testing my new camera with a plant identification app.
Postel Abbey & Mol, Belgium
25. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Drinking a beer out of my favorite Belgian glass. Postel Abbey is near Mol, Belgium, one of our favorite places in the world. If you ever go, stay with Kristein & Peter at B&B Molmento! We drove outLes mer
A Look Back at the 2019 Tour
26. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
I use the winter months to plan our tours extensively. I use a combination of mapping sites. Warmsowers.org, Airbnb, Couchsurfing, etc. I plan our routes and line up lodging. I then write outLes mer
More LED Projects
26. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Lisa hung some new lights in the screened-in-porch and we both worked on getting some blue ones near the firepit.
Arrowhead Hunting
27. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
It had been awhile since I got out walking the fields of Iowa. I found one nice hide scraper and a bunch of flakes.
Westmalle Dubbel
28. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
Enjoying one of the best beers in the world on our screened in porch. We fell in love with this Trappist ale in Belgium and have been to the abbey to enjoy it locally too. A delightful taste if youLes mer
Kitchen Remodel Begins
30. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Money saved from our canceled trip is being spent on house renovation. Starting with new countertops. What a mess! 😏
More Gravel Adventures
31. mai 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Pat, Lisa, and I did a nice gravel loop through Downey, Iowa. We end with beers in our backyard.
COVID-19
2. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A reminder of what is going on in the world as I ride my go-to-20 mile-loop, a “res loop. My “res loop” is a scenic 20 mile loop over the Coralville Reservoir (part of the Iowa River.)
100 Miles to See Mom
4. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
I left at 7am to ride mainly gravel to my hometown (Marshalltown) to visit my mom. Lisa drove over to give me a lift home ❤️. A beautiful ride which involved avoiding a thunderstorm, a “HaystackLes mer
1 Year and a Day (Ingolstadt)
5. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Last year we met Meike and Herbert as the hosted us at their flat in Ingolstadt, DE. Unfortunately, they had to cut their 2019-2020 bicycle tour from Vancouver to the tip of South America short. TheLes mer
Protesting / BLM / Weird Beer
5. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
George Floyd’s wrongful death has caused protesting and riots around the U.S. and world. Sebastian has joined the peaceful protesting. I enjoyed some free parking and strange beer, and am in supportLes mer
Strawberry Moon
5. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
We drove out to the country to look at the Strawberry Moon (full moon of June) and stars with Sebastian. A very calm and enjoying evening together.
Sutliff Bridge Ride
6. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Pat, Lisa, and I did one of our favorite rides to Sutliff, Iowa. It is a 45 mile ride of mainly gravel, with a beer and food stop at the historic Sutliff Bridge. We met Doug at the pub and enjoyedLes mer
Backyard BBQ & fun!
7. juni 2020, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We had the McKays and their girls over for a BBQ and games and a fire in the backyard. Bummed I didn’t snap any photos. We’ll do it again soon and I’ll add photos. Pat and Lisa defeated Jim andLes mer
ReisendeI guess you have your plan ready for next year 😉