Global Worming 3

I have continued doing much red wiggler vermicomposting since the last post more than a year ago. I dabbled with trenches again, but we have had a miserably rainy spring/summer for 2010, so having a garden at all was a bit of a stretch for me, nevermind trying to dig around and get conditions right for an outdoor worm colony.

Currently on my mind is whether there is a "best" way to bring my colony(? what is the right word for a group of worms, anyhow?) inside for the winter. They've been in my garage so far down to an outdoor temperature of about -5 degrees Celcius, which is what I've read is their limit. They were pretty sluggish when I brought them in for the evening last night. The current container is not really house friendly - no screen or anything to keep fruit flies in (because they've had free run of the place outside) - and larger than I'd prefer.

I'm thinking that I will separate the worms from the castings and compost, literally wash them off to ensure minimal fly transfer, and start them in a screened ice cream pail with fresh egg carton, potting soil, and clean vegetable matter. Typically I would include some of the castings, but I am concerned about what other life may come in with it. Having discovered my daughter's long-forgotten lunch in a hanging backpack that had been radiating what must have been hundreds of fruit flies spurred a challenging enough battle with the little suckers (thanks, Mik for the cider vinegar and dish soap trap suggestion - it's a beauty: current visible death toll is 94+). Perhaps sterilizing the castings in the oven may be a solution. But, even dampened, will that be friendly material for the worms post-sterilization?

Bikecicle Day 3

Biking my dog out for a run in the snow-filled park at ten in the evening wouldn't normally be at the top of my to do (or "want" to do) list, but "surprise" - one part goading myself into taking the daily ride I left until two hours before midnight to do and two parts being "open to the possibilities" and Mokey and I are both much happier.

Total trips: 1
Weather: calm and cool perfection, -5 deg Celsius
Distance cycled: around and around, across and around again(?)
Bikecicles spotted: I don't remember seeing a single cyclist today, but it was beautiful out so there must have many.
Sheepdogs played out: 0.5

Bikecicle Day 2

This evening's ride felt fresh and reminiscent of my university days. All that was missing was a pair of headphones playing unusual late night CBC or CFCR offerings.
A quick recycling drop off near Broadway coincided with another rider doing the same. Snapped a photo and had a great conversation about trailers, studded tires, and the skills unique to rolling on ice. I hope I see him out for Saskatoon Cycles events in the future.

A spin up Broadway to the same named theatre found me face to face with Jordan, out for his first snowy ride of the season. Again with the photos and conversation and off to S'Elev for a mint Aero bar.


Total trips: 1
Weather: frozen slushy snow, -6 deg Celcius with no wind
Distance cycled: ~13 blocks
Bikecicles spotted: 2

A New GOAL! (or "Who Needs Snowshoes?")

It's snowing!

I always head into fall with a mixed bag of feelings. Strange, given that I don't really have any bad memories of winter. Narrowly avoiding broken bones as I sail off the edge of the ski slope directly between two large trees (due to end-of-day refrozen ice-crust and far too little actual skiing experience), barely sleeping in my best friend's makeshift log cabin built into the sandy side of a riverbank with nothing to heat the whole place but a small propane heater and my three-season sleeping bag (winter isn't one of the three, BTW), spinning 360 through oncoming highway traffic (between two vehicles, in fact)and ending up in the opposite ditch until help can arrive: all of these and more simply became great stories and aren't even what I think of when I start hating on winter. What do I actually dislike about winter?

Cold wind blowing icy shards into cold ears. Scraping car windows inside the fifteen minutes that already isn't long enough to get where I'm going. Guiltily idling a frozen car to a fog-free temperature. Sliding towards the intersection and just barely stopping short of the bumper in front of me while wondering if the car behind me will fare as well.

This year I have something exciting to distract me from the things I don't like: a new goal!

I am going to attempt to cycle every day from first snow to spring thaw. That means less of all that stuff above as I try to cycle more often than I drive. I thought about distance, but with the snow and ice, that might be tricky, so I'm going to track my success mostly in terms of number of trips. Of course, I'll be learning and tweaking as I go. Other things I hope to incorporate into this project:

Regular blog posts including one photo per day (maybe even per trip).
Comments on and conversations with other winter cyclists I encounter.
Description of the tips, tricks, and gear I find useful for biking in the snow, as well as an evolving list of items I've tried or would like to (like welder's gauntlets).
Building my own anticipation for Ice Cycle 2011.


Today's trip was a short (~6.5 blocks) errand to Calories restaurant for my bi-weekly compost pickup, and back.

I thought things went swimmingly, despite not yet having installed my studded tire.


Total trips: 1
Weather: mushy snow, -1 deg Celcius with cold wind (-9ish?)
Distance cycled: ~13 blocks
Bikecicles spotted: 3








Another stalwart cyclist.










And proof that










the others










are somewhere out here...