Oh the joys of cycling!!

Today was the day for the 50+ Adventure Club to take to the road (or cycle lanes) for their annual bike ride. We were told to assemble at Normanton car park on Rutland Water and we would cycle about 11 miles.

So far so good, everything was easy since I invested in my bike rack and though I have to push and shove a bit to lift the whole bike onto the rack it is quite easy, especially if there is a handy man to lift it off at the other end!!

So we set off on a pleasant day to our first stop at Lyndon Nature Reserve Centre where we had a talk about the Ospreys that now nest and breed on the reservoir.


Alas dear readers, I did not shin up a post or climb a tree to get a shot of male bird number 33, they have a webcam set up over the nest and it is screened back to the centre.  This is a photo of the TV picture, which we saw 'live' and the bird flew onto the nest whilst we watched.  Unfortunately he and his mate Maya, got together too late in the season to produce a brood and he is sitting on phantom eggs!!

We cycled on for our lunch stop and then decisions had to be made.  Should we return the way we came or cycle all the way round.  It was a no brainer really as my Garmin said we had already covered 9 miles and the organisers said it would only be about 14 miles all round, so that is what we did.  After a fairly leisurely ride on a good cycle path we came close to the Ospreys nest and saw number 33 flying around.  Very exciting.  We know it was him because they are very territorial and will attack other males who come into their territory.

We eventually got back to the start after having cycled 16.4 miles and was I glad to see the car!! My legs had turned to jelly and I needed a cup of coffee to revive me and I am planning something a little stronger later.

And tomorrow is Orienteering!!!  Luckily I am the organiser so I will sit in the cafe drinking  coffee and reading a book, while the 50+ Adventure Club amble/shamble/walk or break into a trot to find the posts.  Then off to a birthday party in the afternoon for tea and cake!!  Lead me to a darkened room, I can't cope with this dizzy whirl of activity.

BUT my Garmin said I burned off 2,000 calories today so I can eat cake tomorrow, without a guilty conscience.