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Beardy Guy Musings

Living and working in a tiny house the woods. I freelance as Beardy Guy Creative where I design and create websites, newsletters, annual reports and and all manner of graphics and documents. I experiment with ways to live a low impact life and write about the climate emergency, Apple and the iPad. Lately I've also been posting often about Israel's genocide against the Palestinians. Living on the traditional territory of: - O-ga-xpa Ma-zhoⁿ (O-ga-xpa) (Quapaw) - Očhéthi Šakówiŋ - Kaskaskia - Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo)

Cycling

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    I've been enjoying my time on the trails this past week. So much color and the fragrance of autumn is overwhelming at times. Fantastic. These woods are home.

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree in the woods. To the right is a leaf covered dry creek. The leaves in the trees are mostly yellow.
    A leaf covered woodland trail passes under trees one of which is dominated by bright yellow leaves. Most of the other trees in the image have brown leaves in their branches.
    A fat tire bike leans against a tree in the woods. The leaves in the trees are a mix of green and yellow.
    A large cream colored fungi grows from the side of a fallen tree. The image is taken from directly over the fungi and it has a half moon shape. The texture of the fungi is highlighted by light orangish-brown that faintly extends as barely definable concentric rings from the center connection at the tree to the outer edge. The center stem connection is more solidly orange-brown. Below and around the fungi and tree are brown and orange leaves on the forest floor.
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    From Saturday's morning trail ride. 🚵‍♂️

    A fat tire bike leaves against a tree near a leaf-covered trail under a canopy of bright yellow and green leaves against a bright blue sky.
    A fat tire bike leaves against a tree near a leaf-covered trail under a canopy of bright yellow and green leaves against a bright blue sky.
    Looking straight up into bright yellow tree leaves. Blue sky and the sun are poking through a couple of small spots between the leaves
    A fat tire bike leaves against a tree near a leaf-covered trail under a canopy of bright yellow, red and green leaves against a bright blue sky.
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    I needed some images for a project and while searching photos from 2020 I came across these. Taken when I was able to get out on longer gravel rides on the back roads. Taken on an early morning ride when there was still a bit of fog in the low lying areas.

    The golden sun is rising through early morning fog and trees.

    An early morning foggy sunrise over a field with two small horses

    A foggy morning sunrise over a distant hill beyond a mostly open field with scattered trees

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    From today's trail ride.

    Ramaria caulifloriformis, coral fungi

    A pale yellow fungi that looks like a coral or califlower growing in the woods

    A fat back leaning against a very large tree near a creek in the woods

    Cortinarius distans or Laccaria, not sure!

    A orange-brown mushroom grows out of decomposing leaves in the forest
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    After breakfast this morning I had about 90 minutes before the rain was scheduled to come in so I got out for a walk with the dogs.

    There was a lot of bird song so I took the binoculars and went slow. They were deep in the woods, so I didn't see many but they were all around me: blue-winged warbler, Wilson's warbler, white-eyed vireo, red-eyed vireo, summer tanager, ovenbird, Carolina chickadee.

    Birds that I did get to see were: indigo bunting, chipping sparrow and a gray catbird

    Got back just in time to take a quick ride down to the creek. A peaceful twenty minutes before the storm listening to the birds and the light rain dripping through the forest.

    A few hours later an unexpected visit from a friend who I've not seen in awhile (Hi Bill!). We spent some time catching up on the porch and listening to the bird song. He has an uncanny ability to identify birds by their song and it's always a delight to visit with him. While we chatted another welcome visitor stopped by, a bright red summer tanager landed on a branch not too far away.

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    From the trail ride today: Polystichum acrostichoides, Christmas fern Tradescantia, Spiderwort

    A vibrant purple flower with 3 petals and bright yellow anthers

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree next to a trail in the woods

    A green fern photographed from above. The plant consists of six stems of leaves and the ground around it is a mix of decomposing leaves, soil, sticks.

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    My photos only show a small area along the trail but this hill is covered in Mayapples. It's quite something.

    A woodland trail through a large patch of Mayapple plants which grow low to the ground and look like small umbrellas. The trail is on a steep hill that slants upward towards the right.

    A woodland trail through a large patch of Mayapple plants which grow low to the ground and look like small umbrellas.

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    Lots of Mayapples on the trail as well as Andersonglossum, wild comfry which has simple, five petaled flowers. Very pretty evening bird song including: summer tanager, northern parula, and red-eyed vireo.

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree in the woods near a trail. To the right of the trail is a group of low growing, large leaved mayapple plants that look like small umbrellas

    A large leaved plant with simple looking flowers that are grouped at the top of a hairy stem. The flowers are blue and have five rounded petals

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree in the woods near a trail.

    A large leaved plant with simple looking flowers that are grouped at the top of a hairy stem. The flowers are blue and have five rounded petals

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    Observed along the trail on the ride this evening: Larkspur, Delphinium tricorne.

    A mostly white Larkspur flower growing in the woods. The top rear portion is purple and aims up and backwards. A stem of four mostly white Larkspur flowers growing in the woods. There are hints of pale purple along the top of some of the flowers. A fat tire bike leans against a tree between a creek and a trail through the woods.

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    With all the rain we've had recently the creek is flowing really well. My favorite place to stop and be still. These are the best moments in my simple, slow life. Learning to be content in a smaller radius and with as little external fossil fuel input as possible.

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree in the woods an near a creek

    The blurred running water of a creek in the woods, a bike leans against a tree on the far left side

    A woodland trail on the left and a bike leaning against a tree. To the right of the bike is a creek.

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    Really nice trail ride today. Lots of wild flowers. Hypoxia hirsuta, common goldstar, one of those that's currently blooming.

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree near a trail through the woods

    A macro image of a yellow, six petaled flower. The petals are pointed giving it a star shape.

    A macro image of a yellow, six petaled flower. The petals are pointed giving it a star shape.

    A macro image of a yellow, six petaled flower. The petals are pointed giving it a star shape.

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    A fat tire bike leans against a tree in the woods, near a creek. The sky is blue and early green leaves are on the trees.

    Some nice trail rides in recent days. Always a treat to observe the woods wake up in the early days of spring.

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    I love early spring rides in the woods. I can feel spring right around the corner! It's the time of year when I can hear the spring peepers and in a couple of weeks the first wildflowers will start to pop!

    A fat tired bike leans against the moss covered remains of a fallen tree. In the background is a creek in a winter woodland.

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    After a few days off the fat bike I finally got out for a nice ride on the still snowy trails.

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree next to a snowy trail in the woods

    A fat tire bike leans against a tree on a snow covered trail in the woods. A creek is behind the bike.

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    Photo from yesterday's trail ride. Taken along the backside creek inflow to the lake. Some pretty grasses in this area.

    A fattire bike leans against a tree next to a trail through tall golden brown grass. A lake is in the background

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    Had a fun ride on the snowy trail yesterday.

    hey fat, tired bike leans against a tree next to a snow covered trail in the woods..
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    Feeling grateful for the green moss and flowing creeks that I get to visit on my trail rides.

    a fat tire bike leans against a tree next to a creek a mosque covered tree branch with a small cedar tree sprig leaning against it a close-up of a green patch of moss set against a flowing creek in the background
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    A rainy day yesterday but there was a break just long enough to enjoy a ride on the trail. A fat tire bike leans against the tree next to a trail

    Creamy colored fungi grow on a tree Creamy colored fungi grow on a tree
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    One of my favorite trail ride sections is a patch of cedar trees with an abundance of moss near the trail providing some winter color. A fat tire bike is leaning against a tree next to a trail

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    Winter fat-biking sunset. The trail is so quiet this time of year, always relaxing.

    A fat bike parked near a lake at sunset  A fat bike leaning against the tree near the onl at sunset 
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