Social Isolation and frozen Bird Baths

Winter starts in a couple of days. The shortest day is 4 weeks away. Covid-19 restrictions are biting. Riding has been limited. The bird baths are frozen overnight.

But we are still smiling and covid free!!

The number of new cases in Tasmania is falling with several days reporting “No New Cases”. Beauty !! Restrictions were slightly released on the 18th and we can now have visitors at home. Up to 5 but still with hand washing, sanitiser and strict distancing of course. No overnight stays – this may come in on 15th June if all goes well. The state borders remain closed as do our international borders. So now is not the time to hop on the trike and head anywhere other than local roads.

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Covid-19 thoughts for the week. It’s quite amazing how the Sports segment of the News has continued even though all they are reporting is that there is no sport happening. At least the reporters kept their jobs.

I had the test during last week. A slightly unpleasant experience but I am now able to say my cough is NOT covid and visit the Quack to fix it.

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But this blog is about cycling – and not much has happened recently.

I have been out and about cycling the usual country roads in the area. I am looking forward to being able to put the trike in the car and heading somewhere different. This I can now do.

I have received the second battery and am working out how to carry both on the trike keeping the weight down low. The new battery has been charged and taken on a run and all went well. Now another complication raises its head concerned with resting batteries. I understand the objective is to charge them but not leave them sitting at full charge for any length of time. This is not good for battery health. If they will be unused for a time they should be at a two-thirds to half charged. So I may need a checklist of some sort to remind me which to use when. Bugger. Is nothing simple? A spreadsheet?

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On Sunday afternoon I had a ride. Setting out late(ish) I headed past Woomer’s and along to Chintah Road with the intention of turning at the junction with Powranna Road.

It was an odd sort of day. In the morning the bird baths were frozen, it was frosty and there was cloud cover. While taking frost pictures I spotted an Eastern Spinebill. None seen all summer and here was one on a cold morning. Has the mild Autumn confused it?

At the beginning of the ride the sun was out. Clouds were busy coming back in though and after a while I stopped and assessed the situation. By then the clouds were killing the light making it feel like late afternoon – so I turned before Powranna Road and turned.

You can keep the dirty grey one though.

Going out there had been a bit of very wide farm style units on the road plus a few fast moving Utes. On the return there wasn’t much at all and there was time to pipe dream about rides to do once we are free. So after an easy and idea forming ride back all was well with the world.

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what3words is a app that pinpoints where you are in the world. You all probably know about it but I didn’t until I spotted it in a newspaper article. Apparently someone was lost and was found by downloading the app. The app provided her with 3 seemingly meaningless words which the rescuers were able to use to find her.

“Looks useful” I thought and downloaded it. On an earlier ride along Bishopsbourne Road I fired it up and it told me I was in a 3 square metre box at cleans.node.escaped. Given the slight inaccuracy with GPS, I see I am thought to be in a field off the road. Hopefully I won’t have to use this in a “situation” and, if I do, the local search and rescue have also downloaded the app. It would be easier than trying to remember where on Bishopsbourne Road I was and then relaying the information “I’m on Bishopsbourne Road heading to Carrick approx 2 kilometers past the rail crossing” while herding a flock of sheep off the road.

Hopefully there will be some more significant riding soon. See you later.