7-Eleven Bicycle

The 7-Eleven racing team was the first U. S. team to race in Europe. In 1985 they were invited to the Giro d'Italia and they stunned the bicycle world with two stage wins. By 1988 Andy Hampsten won the Giro outright. 

Although the bicycles were labeled as Murrays they were actually made by Ben Serotta. After the wins Murray pumped out 100s (1000s?) of tribute bikes in the same livery. This is not one of those.

My friend Dan Lestrud has been aware of this bike for a decade or more. Recently the owner called him. Due to health issues he offered to sell him the bicycle. 

The saddle should be a Cinelli Unicanitor and the brake hoods are cracking and need replacing. Other than that it just need a clean up. I wanted to get "before" photos. 

Garden 9/17/2019

Here are some cellphone shots of the garden taken three days ago. (Before the storm.) The Asiatic Lilies are starting to fade, but the Daylilies are kicking in. The photos of the plantings along and behind the dry stream is already obsolete of course. Recently it is where my energy has been directed. 

Garden Update

Many homeowners want a "low-maintenance" garden. Just for the record, this is not low-maintenance;  it is an extremely high maintenance garden. 

I am the process of adding a dry stream - actually not quite dry. I have to dribble a small amount of water into the system to deal with evaporation, which is surprising in hot weather. The dry stream carries the excess water from the storage tank. All is still in process.

I ripped out some hostas around the water reservoir tank which also houses the pump. I replaced them with a cultivar of Japanese Forest Grass. Native to the mountains of Hokkaido, which also gives us a large number of our Hostas. Apparently zone and pH matches Minnesota. Oh yeah, I also built a handrail, backed with a section of picket fence cut at the same angle.

plants camouflaging the water-feature storage tank

I also got a real deal on a large heavy pot - a great pot! So I was forced, forced! to fill it. My daughter-in-law Nicole and I shopped and agonized over large perennials and shrubs. Eventually I bought a Smoketree. The pot is maybe 20" diameter, 4 feet ground to treetop. It will have to winter in the cool winter Growlery with a pair of potted Krossa Regal hostas. High maintenance, it will require continual pruning.

I had a problem hole between the boulder and the arborvitae. I tried a big hosta which was out of scale with the rock garden plants, then an Astilbe which did not thrive. I got a deal on a grafted Elderberry because it grew horizontal at the graft (which helped me). Not as large as the normal Elderberry, the color is good, and it still should help eventually screen the transition between the rock garden and the lower garden. I may eventually buy another one at an end of season sale.

Sore back, calloused knees, dirt under my fingernails. - Gunnar B.

Warblers At Bancroft Bay Park

We went to Bancroft Bay Park this morning. It was cold and for whatever reason the Warblers were feeding down in the grass rather than in the treetops as they normally would. I have been watching the Spring Warbler migration for over fifty years and I probably have never seen this many Warblers. 

Our birding guests Paul and Carolee have been posting all of the birds and numbers they have logged this week at Bancroft (and Myre Big Island State Park and our yard in Oakwood) to eBird at Cornell University. As of today Bancroft Bay Park was officially designated by eBird as a "Hotspot". 

 Here are some from today (first pic  is a Least Flycatcher):

OakWooD Garden Paths

Warbler migration is still on. Today the American Redstarts arrived in Oakwood from the Caribbean, Central and South America. Some will stay and nest locally, but many just are passing through. This afternoon they were working the brick walkways in the garden. How many? Hard to say, as they were coming and going, I think the most we saw at one time was four or five, both males and females. Redstarts are dainty little things that flit continually spreading  their fan tails as they feed - no seeds for these birds - bugs, bugs and bugs. These photos are all male Redstarts ... and one single male Yellow Warbler who stopped by late to see what the excitement was about.

Ants!

 - Gunnar

Ponds and Puddles of Big Island State Park

We took a hike at Big Island State Park this morning. The sun was warm, grass was green and the skies were blue. These are cellphone shots because I was packing a long lens. There were a few birds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Swallows, Pelicans, usual suspects - nothing of note except the pair of Trumpeter Swans that nest in the Great Marsh. It is still wonderful seeing Trumpeter Swans. If I can stay above the sod long enough maybe I can see them become as dirt common as Eagles or Pelicans.

I will get around to downloading (or is it uploading?) the camera photos eventually. A full plate right now. Be well - G.

Pileated Woodpecker

There was a ree-port of a Pileated Woodpecker ... with some circumstantial evidence about. When questioned the bird denied it was his work. 

An honest bird?

Pileateds have been known to lie. 

Just trying to keep them honest.  - Gunnar B.