Headed back out on the ice.

I took the day off to make up for working over the weekend and our youngest and I went to Holmes Lake for another try at ice fishing. I got a decent sun fish and he caught a rainbow trout! We're really starting to like ice fishing and it beat the heck out of sitting in the office all day.

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Our 1st try at ice fishing.

I haven't ice fished since I was a kid, but our youngest has been begging for several years to go. I didn't have much desire to freeze to death sitting on a 5 gallon bucket and to top it off, we didn't have any of the equipment.

Well, this year for Christmas I caved and decided we'd get him set up with everything he'd need to start ice fishing.

My grandpa, his great grandfather, built these two ice sleds that can haul equipment out, then be tipped on end to serve as a shelter to sit in. He made them 25 years ago. I knew they were still around, so I hunted them down, gave them a fresh coat of paint, and rigged up a tarp to go between them to stop the wind and hold the heat in. On Christmas our youngest got the 2 ice shacks, an ice auger, pole, lures and a heater.

Today was the first time we tried them. They worked pretty well. We caught a handful of small fish and really had a great time. We stayed toasty with the heater and were out on the ice at Holmes Lake still catching fish well past dark. I admit, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. We talked about using plywood instead of a tarp so they could be used independently or hooked together, but for now the tarp worked fine.

It's neat to see the ice shacks being used again for the first time in 20 years. And he's proud to be using something his great grandpa built.

A cutie on the bike path at Holmes Lake!

The misses and I went for an evening spin on the path around the lake, it's a great night for it and there is no one I'd rather bike with. Plus, having biking on her mind can't hurt when she goes to pick out an anniversary gift for me later this month. I want her thinking about bikes rather than neck ties or socks! I'm stepping up the sweetness and leaving bike catalogs strung around the house. Let's hope it pays off. Lol!

All added up today I got 28.3 miles.

Just floating through life.

We took the canoe out for a cruise this evening on Holmes Lake. It was peaceful and relaxing. I even got my grandma and Doc out on the water.

Water seems to be the underlying theme lately.

I beat the rain on the way into work, but it still wasn't quite done by the time I rode home.

After work I took the canoe to Holmes Lake for Brent to use. I hauled the bike there and rode around a bit before riding home. Afterward I rode back to the lake to take the pick-up and canoe home.

Our canoe is available if you'd like to take the kids for a ride, have a romantic cruise or get out to that hot fishing hole in the middle of the lake. Just let me know if you'd ever like to borrow it.

Today I ended up with 26.4 miles.

Rains changed today's plans.

The gravel we were planning to ride this morning got postponed because of heavy rain.

Later we took a walk around Holmes Lake to find it flooded over parts of the path leaving this shoreline bench far into the water.

The Lincoln Kayak Polo club were out enjoying the afternoon as well as Game and Parks officials and LPD officers who were checking anglers for permits and other violations.

Had the canoe out at Holmes Lake.

Yesterday's Firecracker 50 ride in Seward got rained out, but we did get to play outside a little today when we took the canoe out for a ride at Holmes Lake.

Waterfest 2010

Our youngest and I hopped on our bikes and headed over to Holmes Lake this evening for Waterfest. Geeze, I didn't realize how big this event would be! It was all free, food, music, booths, demonstrations, fishing, canoe rides, and more. He brought home a bag of free loot, some new knowledge about water conservation and some memories of a few hours of fun on the banks of Holmes Lake.

Including all three rides today I racked up 37.4 miles total.

Pack up the kids for Waterfest on Saturday at Holmes Lake.

This'll be a great event for the family and it's free! Food, live music, and lots of water. Click here and here to find out all the details.

Biking with Brent.

I met up tonight with Brent for the first time this year for a spin. We started at Holmes Lake, took the Billy Wolfe to Wal-Mart on Hwy 2, then the 84th St. Trail to South St before returning and finishing with a lap around Holmes Lake to check out the walkers, those fishing and other bikers.

Tonight's ride added on another 16.6 miles bringing today's total to 36.3 miles.

Promoting the NSFW ride on the way home from work.

Daylight savings time made getting up and going on time tuff today. The trails greeted me with a stiff headwind on the ride across town to work.

But, this afternoons tailwind more than made up for it! Going South was fast and fun. I detoured to Joyride, Bike Pedalers, The Bike Rack & Cycle Works 70th St store to leave off flyers about the April 21st NSFW ride. Be sure to stop in and pick one up and take a look around. And while you are there, thank them for sponsoring the NSFW ride.

I made my way home past Holmes Lake. I can't wait to get the canoe out and do some fishing, it won't be long! Today's miles = 33.4

Couch Sledding at Holmes Lake

Our 17yr old and his friends took an abandoned couch they found on a curb and put old snow skies on it to use as a sled. It was a lot of fun and very fast. It got a lot of attention from the other sledders at the park today. Pushing it back up the hill wasn't as easy.

Rain stopped so I got the new Felt out!

I rode late this afternoon at Holmes Lake then went South on the 70th St. Trail to the Old Chenney trail then around the South Point trail then North on the Rock Island and East on the Billy Wolff to home.

love my new Felt, it's so light and nimble and seems so much easier to pedal. Breaking in the new Brooks saddle left me in no pain so far, thanks in part to how little weight is put on the seat compared to my Comfort Series Marin.

Today's ride was perfect totaling 18.5 miles.

The 100 mile Nacho Ride!

Had the day off so I took the long route to Eagle for the Nacho Ride.

I made up some sandwiches and headed into a stiff S.E. wind across Holmes Lake and down the Antelope Creek Trail to Hwy. 2 then East to the Bennet exit.

I went South through Bennet, but needed some water.

Low and behold, about two miles outside of town this hydrant was ready to fill my water bottle and I was good to go.

I pulled into Panama feeling tired of the wind and ready to eat.

Their park was a good place to catch my breath and rest a little.

Downtown Panama.

Got to turn West and cruse into Holland with the wind, lots of nice new homes and acreages.

I needed water again, and sure enough a hydrant at the cemetery outside of Holland was at my beckon call.

I then continued North West into Hickman to find this bait shop on the South side of town.

I was surprised to find that Hickman had a really nice trail system.

I took some time to explore their trails. Their really neat and Hickman should be real proud of them.

An overgrown windmill along the road.

After Hickman I continued West till I got to the Homestead Trail and jumped on it going North back into Lincoln. I took it to the Jamaica North Trail then on the Rock Island Trail to the Zoo, then took the Billy Wolff East. By this point I had about 50 miles, the Nacho Ride from my house is almost 30, so I figured I'd ride a bit more and see if I could get a century in today.

I continued East down the Antelope Creek Trail to Hwy. 2 again, then turned around and took it back toward the house, I threw in a lap around Holmes Lake and then home for about a 1/2 hour break before leaving for the Nacho Ride.

On the Nacho Ride I saw lots of regulars and some 1st timers too. Even several Taco Ride regulars came out of Omaha to Nacho Ride tonight. I met up with my personal trainer / blog photographer as well as my pit crewman. By now, I knew that if I went strait home I'd be about 5 miles short of a century, so my personal trainer / blog photographer suggested we ride the Mopac another 2 1/2 miles East of Eagle after supper at the One Eye'd Dog Saloon to tack on the 5 miles I needed. My pit crewman offered to join us. Lucky for me! Because when we walked out of the OED my front tire was flat. We headed for the aircompress0r at Casey's, patched the tube and were good to go.

By the time I got home it was dark and we were using our lights, but by golly, I did it. This is my 3rd (and FINAL!) century this year. It was a fun, albeit tiring, day.

Today's miles = 100.23

Spending Some of Sunday Spinning.

Our youngest and I had a bit of time before supper, so we rode around Holmes Lake then East to check out what was going on at the dog run.

On the way back we spotted more graffiti by "Dush" (pronounced 'douche' as in: "Graffiti vandals are douche bags!") at least he admits he has "no life". I agree. This is the same guy who has painted his street name on anything that'll hold still long enough on the trail near the zoo.

Today's miles: a leisurely 5.14

Family afternoon at Holmes Lake.

Our youngest biked a couple laps on the trail around the lake with my wife and I while our daughter walked around it with a friend.

This morning's discovery ride and our ride at the lake got me 21.68 miles today.

GPTN Discovery Ride.

I met up with a handful of folks from the Great Plains Trail Network for their discovery ride this morning. We gathered on the banks of Holmes Lake then rode S.E. To Hwy 2 near Wal-Mart and back. It was a very casual ride and a great chance to hob-knob with some of Lincoln's most proactive cyclist.