You had lovely warmish weather for your ride yesterday! It was 64 or so at my house in Hyattsville. Great idea that you had to take advantage of the weather! :) :) If you ever are in want of a bike travel companion, let me know, be it a trip near or far. You and I have similar biking styles - - to stop and take pictures and take in whatever scenery is before you. :)

Very nice!

They used to have a bike shop in Frederick, which I bought my hybrid bike. They shut it down a year ago and said they were going to do a mobile bike business. :)

Your new bike is looking good and happy to be out on a little tour. :)

Oh heck yeah. He could really pound it out.

Shots like this can be helpful to the reader, to relate to who is actually writing the blog.

This is the drum played by Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu of Lilo and Stitch fame. I think the Hawaiians have a variety of gourd based instruments. Mark really has rhythm - I bet this guy did too.

I've not noticed any outhouses but it would not surprise me to learn that some did, back in the day.

"Not only would it be cold camping, dark comes early, and the nights are very long."

Yep that was another thing I was mildly concerned about. I have no trouble going to bed early and sleeping, but I'm generally an early riser so I'd have trouble in the mornings.

Do any of those old houses have out houses? For many years my favorite thing to photograph was out houses. My daughter said people would think I had a physical problem. She even gave me an out house calendar one year! Now that I think about it - I haven't seen/photographed an out house in a very long time. I will have to find something else to focus on. In the west, I like windmills. The kind that draw water for the stock tank.

Not only would it be cold camping, dark comes early, and the nights are very long. You made a good choice!

Thanks Janice. For winter rides, even on mild days such as today, "easy" is definitely a virtue, along with "relatively short".

Time was that I'd bundle up and go out for a forty miler in 25 degree weather. Now a 25 miler in 40 degree weather is more than I want.

It's a great big country! The huge houses I have seen out west serve a different purpose than 1%er's in your area. I definitely agree that what popped into my mind wouldn't be the common thought.

Wayne Estes' 2022 Brigham Young's Promised Land tour journal gives a polite, but informative look at the lifestyle.

I didn't know about those, but I doubt that's what this one will be. I could be wrong of course...

Perhaps I shouldn't say it, but looking of this photo reminds me of the polygamist houses in the Colorado City area . . . .

Good to see you back in the saddle Keith. I like the easy casual affairs.

Could be. These were in yards around my brother's house and not out in the desert, so they're almost certainly deliberately-selected and placed plants not anything indigenous.