<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/kurtsj00/">kurtsj00</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurtsj00/54393274420/" title="2006_Horsey_Hundred 104 both ways tandem"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54393274420_e8b9442ce4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="2006_Horsey_Hundred 104 both ways tandem" /></a></p> <p>This is the Mic Wic Delta tandem recumbent. Probably a lot of fun.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/kurtsj00/">kurtsj00</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurtsj00/54392903561/" title="2006_Horsey_Hundred 103 both ways tandem"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54392903561_975006f6bf_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="2006_Horsey_Hundred 103 both ways tandem" /></a></p> <p>This is the Mic Wic Delta tandem recumbent. Probably a lot of fun.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/27047646@N00/">whymcycles</a> posted a video:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/27047646@N00/54374208391/" title="Delivering Bedframe Across Town"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/54374208391_83d46a133f_m.jpg" width="135" height="240" alt="Delivering Bedframe Across Town" /></a></p> <p>Free IKEA? frame needed a move, & a bike ride was warranted, so why not combine the pleasure on a fine Spring day?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/georgeneat/">George Neat Road Trip Photography</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/georgeneat/54325359655/" title="Recumbent Lee"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54325359655_0da52c904c_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Recumbent Lee" /></a></p> <p>0920-85-24<br /> <br /> Recumbent Lee<br /> <br /> University Chapel (formerly Lee Chapel) of Washington and Lee University is a National Historic Landmark in Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was constructed during 1867–68 at the request of Robert E. Lee, who was president of the school (then known as Washington College), and after whom the university is, in part, named. The Victorian brick architectural design was probably the work of Lee's son, George Washington Custis Lee, with details contributed by Col. Thomas Williamson, an architect and professor of engineering at the neighboring Virginia Military Institute. Upon completion and during Robert E. Lee's lifetime it was known as the College Chapel. Lee was buried beneath the chapel in 1870. <br /> <br /> The centerpiece of the apse of the chapel—in the place where an altar is located in the traditional plan of a Christian church—is a statue of Lee, in his uniform, asleep on an unnamed Civil War battlefield. The "Recumbent Lee" is by sculptor Edward Valentine whose statue of Lee, formerly displayed as one of Virginia's representatives in National Statuary Hall, was removed from the U.S. Capitol, and whose statues of Jefferson Davis were removed from Richmond, Virginia's Monument Avenue and New Orleans.<br /> <br /> The recumbent statue was unveiled and dedicated as the main feature of the chapel on June 28, 1883. The keynote speaker, John W. Daniel, soon to be a U.S. senator from Virginia, and filling in for the absent Jefferson Davis, said of Robert E. Lee's decision to lead the armed forces of Virginia at the outset of the Civil War, "Since the Son of Man stood upon the Mount, and saw 'all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory thereof' stretched before him, and turned away from them to the agony and bloody sweat of Gethsemane, and to the Cross of Calvary beyond, no follower of the meek and lowly Saviour can have undergone more trying ordeal [than Lee]. Thus, with as chaste a heart as ever plighted its faith until death, for better or for worse, [Lee] came to do, to suffer, and to die for us."<br /> <br /> In the basement a crypt (added after Lee's burial) contains the remains of much of Lee's direct family: Lee himself, his wife Mary Anna Custis Lee, his seven children—George Washington Custis Lee, Mary Custis Lee, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, Anne Carter Lee, Robert E. Lee Jr., Eleanor Agnes Lee, and Mildred Childe Lee, and his parents—Revolutionary War Major-General Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, and Anne Hill Carter Lee. Lee's favorite horse, Traveller, is buried just outside the Chapel, where many visitors leave coins, apples, and other tributes. In the basement of the Chapel is a museum that illuminates the history of the families of George Washington and Robert E. Lee as well as that of the university itself. Lee's office has been meticulously preserved almost exactly as it was when he died.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/bondagoo/">treeegrass</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bondagoo/54303080308/" title="Bracketed Illuminati"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54303080308_20e0e429b0_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bracketed Illuminati" /></a></p> <p>Anyone who drives a Tesla aka Swasticar aka Wankpanzer is supporting Nazi fascism of Elon Musk.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/90250231n0510041136096/">bernawy hugues kossi huo</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/90250231n0510041136096/43507026004/" title="Atlas (mythology)...A common misconception today is that Atlas was forced to hold the Earth... The myth involves obtaining something from the world of the gods, of "crossing over" into the divine realm and borrowing something that is "not of this earth," "><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1866/43507026004_26730472dc_m.jpg" width="164" height="240" alt="Atlas (mythology)...A common misconception today is that Atlas was forced to hold the Earth... The myth involves obtaining something from the world of the gods, of "crossing over" into the divine realm and borrowing something that is "not of this earth," " /></a></p> <p>The general shape of the outline seems to suggest that the ancients did understand the correlation of Atlas with Bootes, particularly as the right (rear) leg of the statue would correspond to the "pointed" side on the left of the constellation outline, while the raised left-leg of the statue (on the right side as we look at Atlas) corresponds to the bent leg of the constellation. The photogarphy above shows how the general shape does seem to correlate to some degree: Yet further support for the identification of Atlas with Boötes comes from the fact that he is clearly described as having daughters, the Hesperides, whose names are given by Apollodorus as Aegle, Erythia, Hesperia, and Arethusa. While the image below is from a modern-era piece of artwork from the well-known trailblazing (and occasionally scandal-generating) artist John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925), it incorporates ancient conventions regarding the depiction of Atlas. His 1925 depiction of the Hesperides as reclining beneath the burdened figure of their father the Titan is significant, in that the constellation Virgo is located in just such a recumbent pose in relationship to Boötes: Notice that the artist has depicted Atlas with one arm extended, and the hand of that single extended arm in a rather curious (albeit graceful) upturned angle -- exactly as if he were aware of the correspondence between Boötes and Atlas, and imagining the "pipe" of the constellation Boötes as the single extended arm of the crouching Atlas in his painting. Below is the now-familiar diagram of Boötes in relationship to Virgo which has been featured in several previous posts including this one and this one, reproduced here in order to show that Virgo in the sky reclines beneath the hulking form of Boötes in exactly the same way that John Singer Sargent has depicted his Hesperides as reclining beneath the burdened form of his Atlas: All of these correspondences, plus the fact that the constellation Hercules itself is located immediately adjacent to Boötes, makes it fairly clear that this is the section of the celestial sphere which is being allegorized in the star myth of Hercules retrieving the golden apples from the Hesperides, with the assistance of the Titan Atlas. Having established this, what does it all mean? Does identifying the players of the famous Eleventh Labor of Hercules as constellations in our night sky (constellations you can go identify this very night) somehow "rob" the myth of its grandeur, its human drama, and its air of reverence for the things of the gods (including the apples which cannot be picked by human hands and which, we are told at the end of the account, cannot remain in the world of men and women but must be taken back to the world of the gods)? While some might see it that way, I would argue the opposite: like the other myths we have examined such as the stealing of the mead of poetry from Gunnlod or the stealing of fire from the Old Man in the tipi (and like the myth of Adam and Eve plucking the forbidden fruit from the tree in the Genesis account which shares so many elements with this labor of Hercules), there are aspects of what we could call "the shamanic" in this myth. The myth involves obtaining something from the world of the gods, of "crossing over" into the divine realm and borrowing something that is "not of this earth," something that elevates Hercules at least for a time into the numinous world of the primordial powers and the gods. He takes the place of Atlas, supporting with his own human back the very axis of the heavens (and in doing so uniting the microcosm and the macrocosm, as well as "ascending" for a time to the very realm of the stars). The fact that Heracles or Hercules has an entire cycle of labors, twelve in number, also should cause us to suspect that he is in fact a figure who embodies the full cycle of the sun's annual course -- a circuit which the ancient myths imbue with spiritual significance relating to our plunge down into this incarnate life (at the fall equinox) and our mission of "raising our awareness of -- and re-integrating with -- the divine, spiritual part" of our being (symbolized by the "great turn" of the year at the low-point of the winter equinox). Thus the Heracles-cycle in general (with its twelve labors) and this story of retrieving the immortal apples of the Hesperides in particular, speak to us (in their celestial language) of the re-connection with the divine realm -- the infinite realm (which Heracles or Hercules actually accomplishes in an almost "literal" fashion in this story, when he himself takes up the burden of supporting the celestial sphere, thereby "bridging" the gap between finite earth and infinite starry sky). There is evidence that the ancient mythologies of cultures around the globe are all built on "star myths" that follow a common system of celestial allegory, and that the original purpose of all these star myths was to convey a shamanic-holographic vision of our universe and humanity's place within it a liberating vision that invites us to cross artificial barriers, and enter the "realm of seeds" to bring back information and make transformations that cannot be achieved in any other way.<br /> <br /> In Greek mythology, Atlas (/ˈætləs/; Greek: Ἄτλας, Átlas) was a Titan condemned to hold up the sky for eternity after the Titanomachy. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa (modern-day Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). Atlas was the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Asia or Clymene. He had many children, mostly daughters, the Hesperides, the Hyades, the Pleiades, and the nymph Calypso who lived on the island Ogygia. According to the ancient Greek poet Hesiod, Atlas stood at the ends of the earth towards the west. Atlas is the Monad, the intellectual axis of the world and the solar fire, whose body symbolizes an alchemical equation. The three sisters, daughter of Atlas, who guarded the garden where the tree with golden fruits grew. By analogy, it is the symbol of Alchemy, whose garden is the pharmacopoeia. The Atlas cedar or Atlantic cedar grows as its name indicates in the... But it is even more, because of its natural properties, a symbol... or purple-black, gold speckled color in the alchemy of the Cauldron. Coin, metal, objects, symbol William Calin, Jean Arrouye, Pierre Jonin, Marie ... 106 pivot of the World, or better still like this axis of Atlas sung by Virgil. <br /> <br /> The ancient myths of the world provide an inexhaustible supply of additional examples of the heavenly and celestial foundation of nearly every ancient scripture and sacred story. One memorable Greek myth worthy of explication to further illustrate the undeniable stellar basis of the ancient sacred corpus comes from the Twelve Labors of Heracles (Roman Hercules): the mission to retrieve the golden apples of the Hesperides (the Eleventh Labor of Heracles).<br /> <br /> The Greek scholar Apollodorus of Athens (born around 180 BC and lived until some time after 120 BC) gives us a good version to examine, which can be found in its entirety online here, as translated by James George Frazer (1921). Below is an extended quotation of some of the pertinent details of the Eleventh Labor, which actually involved numerous other encounters by Heracles with other beings and demigods along the way (not all of which will be examined, although each could provide rich material for study and celestial unraveling). Since Frazer chooses to use the Roman form of the hero's name, we too will refer to him as Hercules for the rest of this particular discussion:<br /> <br /> When the labours had been performed in eight years and a month, Eurystheus ordered Hercules, as an eleventh labour, to fetch golden apples from the Hesperides, for he did not acknowledge the labour of the cattle of Augeas nor that of the hydra. These apples were not, as some have said, in Libya, but on Atlas among the Hyperboreans. They were presented to Zeus after his marriage with Hera, and guarded by an immortal dragon with a hundred heads, offspring of Typhon and Echidna, which spoke with many divers sorts of voices. With it the Hepserides also were on guard, to wit, Aegle, Erythia, Hesperia, and Arethusa. [. . .][Various adventures ensue, primarily with Heracles defeating different sons of Poseidon][. . .] <br /> <br /> And traversing Asia he put in to Thermydrae, the harbor of the Lindians. And having loosed one of the bullocks from the cart of a cowherd, he sacrificed it and feasted. But the cowherd, unable to protect himself, stood on a certain mountain and cursed. Wherefore to this day, when they sacrifice to Hercules, they do it with curses.<br /> <br /> And passing by Arabia he slew Emathion, son of Tithonius, and journeying through Libya to the outer sea he received the goblet from the Sun. And having crossed to the opposite mainland he shot on the Caucasus the eagle, offspring of Echidna and Typhon, that was devouring the liver of Prometheus, and he released Prometheus, after choosing for himself the bond of olive, and to Zeus he presented Chiron, who, though immortal, consented to die in his stead.<br /> <br /> Now Prometheus had told Hercules not to go himself after the apples but to send Atlas, first relieving him of the burden of the sphere; so when he was come to Atlas in the land of the Hyperboreans, he took the advice and relieved Atlas. But when Atlas had received three apples from the Hesperides, he came to Hercules, and not wishing to support the sphere he said that he would himself carry the apples to Eurystheus, and bade Hercules hold up the sky in his stead. Hercules promised to do so, but succeeded by craft in putting it on Atlas instead. For at the advice of Prometheus he begged Atlas to hold up the sky till he should put a pad on his head. When Atlas heard that, he laid the apples down on the ground and took the sphere from Hercules. And so Hercules picked up the apples and departed. But some say that he did not get them from Atlas, but that he plucked the apples himself after killing the guardian snake. And having brought the apples he gave them to Eurystheus. But he, on receiving them, bestowed them on Hercules, from whom Athena got them and conveyed them back again; for it was not lawful that they should be laid down anywhere.<br /> <br /> This story is full of fascinating detail, as well as a certain amount of humor. First, it is fascinating to note that the story involves plucking fruit from a tree . . . plucking fruit from a tree . . . now where have we heard something about that before . . . ? (It sounds familiar somehow). <br /> <br /> Prometheus warns Hercules that it is somehow dangerous (possibly fatal) for Hercules to pluck the apples himself (this also seems vaguely familiar for some reason . . . plucking fruit might cause one to "surely die" . . . hmmm). There is also a guardian serpent -- in this case, a dragon -- which again seems to be something I remember from another myth about fatal fruit.<br /> <br /> Perhaps the most memorable aspect of this particular myth-sequence is the battle of wits between Hercules and Atlas. Atlas was the Titan condemned for eternity to uphold the entire sphere of the sky upon his shoulders. This was a punishment for having sided against the Olympians in the primordial battle between the Titans and the new gods. <br /> <br /> Hercules gets himself into a tight spot when he agrees to hold up the sky while Atlas retrieves the dangerous apples: when Atlas returns, the Titan decides he kind of enjoys his newfound freedom, and announces to Hercules that the hero seems to be doing such a good job that Atlas will be taking a permanent vacation and leaving the task of holding up the sky to Hercules from now on.<br /> <br /> Hercules slyly agrees (in the version from Apollodorus cited above), but asks for a moment in order to cut a pad for his shoulders before he gets down to the task of supporting the sphere for the rest of eternity. Atlas agrees, and relieves Hercules for a moment, at which point the hero takes the apples and departs, leaving the hapless Atlas back where he began, supporting the sky. <br /> In some versions (at least in the wonderfully-illustrated version of the Labors of Hercules presented in the Sullivan Programmed Reading workbooks I had the pleasure of reading in elementary school during the 1970s), Hercules actually prepares to shoulder the sky again after cutting the pads for his shoulders, before Athena helpfully reminds the hero not to fall for his own trick, and advises him not to take the burden of the heavens back from Atlas now that he has the Titan back where he belongs.<br /> <br /> In footnote number three from Frazer's 1921 translation, we see the kind of analysis found among conventional scholars, who resolutely refuse to interpret the ancient myths of the world as celestial allegory. There, we read some scholarly discussion as to where on earth these gardens of the Hesperides might be located -- along with some consternation that Apollodorus seems to have located them in "the far north" rather than in the "far west" as the name "Hesperides" would seem to imply (the word has connections to the evening star or Venus when appearing in the west, rather than when appearing in the morning in the east). <br /> <br /> The details of the story, however, make it clear that we are dealing again with celestial allegory. The Titan who is holding up the vault of the sky in this case is none other than the hulking constellation of Boötes -- a constellation whose form is fairly close to the North Celestial Pole as well as to the Big Dipper which circles it. The fact that the constellation of Hercules is very close to Boötes (and is also located close to the North Celestial Pole around which the entire heavens revolve) and that Hercules in the story temporarily takes over the task of supporting the sky-sphere from Atlas should be enough to identify the two main actors in the myth with these two northern constellations.<br /> <br /> The diagram below, a screenshot from the delightful browser-based Neave Planetarium program created by programmer-developer Paul Neave, shows the two constellations in relationship to one another: Note that the myth as presented by Apollodorus contains several clues which aid in the conclusion that we are dealing with the northern section of sky around which the entire celestial sphere revolves. First, of course, is the very nature of the punishment of Atlas: he is condemned to hold up what Apollodorus refers to as "the sphere" and "the sky." The best explanation for this punishment is that Atlas must be holding up the inside of the celestial sphere -- he is holding up the dome of the sky that we see when we look up into the heavens at night, a dome which revolves around a central point at the north celestial pole. Thus, he must be a constellation fairly close to the north celestial pole, and Böotes certainly qualifies. Secondly, we note that the apples in this myth are guarded by a dragon -- and there is clearly a dragon which winds its way around the north celestial pole, in the form of the constellation Draco, the Dragon. The diagram below includes the north celestial pole, and the sinuous form of Draco: I have only added the outline to Hercules in the above image: the outlines of Draco, the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper are easy enough to see using the outlines included in the Neave Planetarium online app.<br /> <br /> There is some reason to believe that the "tree" from which the Titan plucks the apples must be the invisible axis of the sky itself, the central "pole" around which the entire heavens turn. I present arguments in my first book, The Mathisen Corollary, that ancient myth and sacred tradition envisioned this central axis as a tall tree, which in many myths (such as the Gilgamesh epic) is cut down or otherwise unhinged to begin the motion of precession. Other evidence for this identification is presented in Hamlet's Mill.<br /> <br /> Based upon this reading of the celestial aspects of the myth, it is possible that the golden apples themselves can be identified with the circlet of stars that make up the Corona Borealis, or Northern Crown. This constellation, allegorized in other myths as a necklace of jewels, can be seen to be located directly between the constellations of Hercules and Boötes in the first diagrams shown above. The stars of the Northern Crown certainly sparkle like golden jewels, and other myths make it clear that these golden apples were coveted by the goddesses, and we can see in the text of the myth as described by Apollodorus that these apples somehow originated from Hera but as a gift that was given away -- just as the stars of the Northern Crown are now located apart from the form of the constellation Virgo, located below Boötes. Other details in the myth as related by Apollodorus include the fact that the apples are found among the Hyperboreans (a word which means "far north" or "above north"), as well as the fact that in the supplemental adventures of Hercules, he is described as encountering a "cowherd" (the constellation Boötes is known as the Herdsman) who drives a "cart" or wagon (the Big Dipper was often described in myth as a wagon, a cart, or a "wain," as well as being allegorized in other myth as a plow). It was, in fact, almost certainly the billy-goat cart of Thor, who is associated with Jupiter (note that Thor's-day and Jove's-day are the same day: our modern Thursday), and remember that in the myth above as described by Apollodorus we have Hera giving the apples as a gift to Zeus (who is Jove and Jupiter). When Hercules sacrifices one of the oxen from this cart, the Herdsman can only curse -- and we have seen that in myths around the world, the relationship between Böotes and his cart is somehow associated with off-color speech or antics (see the discussion of the lewd dance of Uzume in the Japanese myth of Amaterasu, or the behavior of Loki when he is trying to coax a smile out of the jotun maiden Skade, both of which are described in this previous post). The outlines of both the constellation Böotes and the constellation Hercules can be envisioned as large men crouching down to support the burden of the very peak of the vault of heaven (located at the north celestial pole, which is located above both of their backs). The ancient art depicting the mighty Titan Atlas bending down to support the ponderous burden of the entire sphere often depicts him as having one knee out forward, in a manner somewhat reminiscent of the shape of Boötes, who also has a prominent crooked knee on his one leg. Below is an image of the famous "Farnese Atlas," with an outline of Boötes for comparison:<br /> <br /> According to Robert Graves's The Greek Myths, the Pelasgians believed the creator goddess Eurynome assigned Atlas and Phoebe to govern the moon.<br /> <br /> Hyginus emphasises the primordial nature of Atlas by making him the son of Aether and Gaia.<br /> <br /> "Atlantic Ocean" means "Sea of Atlas", while "Atlantis" means "island of Atlas".<br /> <br /> The etymology of the name Atlas is uncertain. Virgil took pleasure in translating etymologies of Greek names by combining them with adjectives that explained them: for Atlas his adjective is durus, "hard, enduring",[8] which suggested to George Doig that Virgil was aware of the Greek τλῆναι "to endure"; Doig offers the further possibility that Virgil was aware of Strabo's remark that the native North African name for this mountain was Douris. Since the Atlas mountains rise in the region inhabited by Berbers, it has been suggested that the name might be taken from one of the Berber, specifically ádrār 'mountain'.<br /> <br /> Traditionally historical linguists etymologize the Ancient Greek word Ἄτλας (genitive: Ἄτλαντος) as comprised from copulative α- and the Proto-Indo-European root *telh₂- 'to uphold, support' (whence also τλῆναι), and which was later reshaped to an nt-stem. However, Robert Beekes argues that it cannot be expected that this ancient Titan carries an Indo-European name, and that the word is of Pre-Greek origin, and such words often end in -ant.<br /> <br /> Atlas and his brother Menoetius sided with the Titans in their war against the Olympians, the Titanomachy. When the Titans were defeated, many of them (including Menoetius) were confined to Tartarus, but Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the western edge of Gaia (the Earth) and hold up the sky on his shoulders. Thus, he was Atlas Telamon, "enduring Atlas," and became a doublet of Coeus, the embodiment of the celestial axis around which the heavens revolve.<br /> <br /> A common misconception today is that Atlas was forced to hold the Earth on his shoulders, but Classical art shows Atlas holding the celestial spheres, not a globe; the solidity of the marble globe borne by the renowned Farnese Atlas may have aided the conflation, reinforced in the 16th century by the developing usage of atlas to describe a corpus of terrestrial maps.<br /> <br /> <br /> Atlas and the Hesperides by Singer Sargent, John (1925)<br /> In a late story, a giant named Atlas tried to drive a wandering Perseus from the place where the Atlas mountains now stand. In Ovid's telling, Perseus revealed Medusa's head, turning Atlas to stone (those very mountains) when Atlas tried to drive him away, because Perseus, who went there accidentally and asked Atlas for hospitality, named himself a son of Zeus and a prophecy said that a son of Zeus would steal the golden apples from Atlas' orchard. As is not uncommon in myth, this account cannot be reconciled with the far more common stories of Atlas' dealings with Heracles, another son of Zeus, who was Perseus' great-grandson and who sought for the golden apples.<br /> <br /> According to Plato, the first king of Atlantis was also named Atlas, but that Atlas was a son of Poseidon and the mortal woman Cleito. A euhemerist origin for Atlas was as a legendary Atlas, king of Mauretania, an expert astronomer.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_</a>(mythology)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/oregondot/">OregonDOT</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregondot/53712546639/" title="Refreshments after the ride"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53712546639_59e49f08d6_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Refreshments after the ride" /></a></p> <p>Middle school students from Stephens Middle School helped kicked off Salem-Keizer's first ever Bike Bus event.</p>
Very sunny with clear skies for New Years Day in Tokyo, and many people outside going to the Jinja shrines for Hatsumode, the first visit to the shrines to wish for a good year. A nice view to see for the first time in a few years since COVID kept people indoors this past few New Years. Unfortunately, the Noto region was hit with a big earthquake in the evening o New Years Day, with some major damage in the area. Praying for the people in the region. <img alt="240101fuji.jpg" src="http://cycle-tokyo.cycling.jp/weblog/240101fuji.jpg" width="720" height="480" />
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53198921597/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53198921597_1258f9f5bc_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53199609543/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53199609543_4bbd2ac6fb_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53199721920/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53199721920_4bc3f57873_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53198921197/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53198921197_bc8b0432dc_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53198921062/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53198921062_8826799391_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53199609083/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53199609083_8e58932e79_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53199189179/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53199189179_17988c4178_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53199721265/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53199721265_728babbd43_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53198920537/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53198920537_b0dccb21e3_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53199381826/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53199381826_71c7952070_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/21495793@N00/">Exczar</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21495793@N00/53198920362/" title="Cycle Oregon 2023"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53198920362_3d6f2b1ac6_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Cycle Oregon 2023" /></a></p> <p>I joined a cycle tour which took me and 1200 others through western Oregon in September, 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/travelbakercounty/">TravelBakerCounty</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelbakercounty/51285478202/" title="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66054"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51285478202_aaf203e8e6_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66054" /></a></p> <p>Racing Reflections at the Baker City Cycling Classic <br /> <br /> Second day and stage 3 of the Baker City Cycling Classic, the Downtown Baker City Crit.<br /> <br /> Baker County Oregon is a bicyclists paradise with three Oregon Scenic Byways, lots of scenic backroads and great biking events including Baker County’s signature cycling event the <br /> Baker City Cycling Classic, a 3-day, 4-stage bicycle race in and around the Elkhorn Mountains located in Baker County, Oregon. The race is headquartered at Baker High School in Baker City, making for racer-friendly logistics. The scenic road stages are challenging and allow for strategic racing, but a no-time-cut policy means that newer riders can focus on finishing. The spectator-friendly time trial and criterion create an exciting atmosphere for participants, teams, and family with quality fields from all over the Western US and Canada.<br /> <br /> The Baker City Cycling Classic was named the Oregon Festival and Events Association’s Best Sporting Event in Oregon in 2012 <br /> <br /> For more information about the Baker City Cycling Classic including race routes, and registration, visit <a href="http://www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com</a><br /> <br /> For more information about other bicycling routes and events in Baker County visit the Baker County tourism website at <a href="http://www.travelbakercounty.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.travelbakercounty.com</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/travelbakercounty/">TravelBakerCounty</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelbakercounty/51287240695/" title="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66055"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51287240695_7ee2e454ef_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66055" /></a></p> <p>Racing Reflections at the Baker City Cycling Classic <br /> <br /> Second day and stage 3 of the Baker City Cycling Classic, the Downtown Baker City Crit.<br /> <br /> Baker County Oregon is a bicyclists paradise with three Oregon Scenic Byways, lots of scenic backroads and great biking events including Baker County’s signature cycling event the <br /> Baker City Cycling Classic, a 3-day, 4-stage bicycle race in and around the Elkhorn Mountains located in Baker County, Oregon. The race is headquartered at Baker High School in Baker City, making for racer-friendly logistics. The scenic road stages are challenging and allow for strategic racing, but a no-time-cut policy means that newer riders can focus on finishing. The spectator-friendly time trial and criterion create an exciting atmosphere for participants, teams, and family with quality fields from all over the Western US and Canada.<br /> <br /> The Baker City Cycling Classic was named the Oregon Festival and Events Association’s Best Sporting Event in Oregon in 2012 <br /> <br /> For more information about the Baker City Cycling Classic including race routes, and registration, visit <a href="http://www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com</a><br /> <br /> For more information about other bicycling routes and events in Baker County visit the Baker County tourism website at <a href="http://www.travelbakercounty.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.travelbakercounty.com</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/travelbakercounty/">TravelBakerCounty</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelbakercounty/51285478827/" title="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66056"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51285478827_8ee3f67811_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66056" /></a></p> <p>Racing Reflections at the Baker City Cycling Classic <br /> <br /> Second day and stage 3 of the Baker City Cycling Classic, the Downtown Baker City Crit.<br /> <br /> Baker County Oregon is a bicyclists paradise with three Oregon Scenic Byways, lots of scenic backroads and great biking events including Baker County’s signature cycling event the <br /> Baker City Cycling Classic, a 3-day, 4-stage bicycle race in and around the Elkhorn Mountains located in Baker County, Oregon. The race is headquartered at Baker High School in Baker City, making for racer-friendly logistics. The scenic road stages are challenging and allow for strategic racing, but a no-time-cut policy means that newer riders can focus on finishing. The spectator-friendly time trial and criterion create an exciting atmosphere for participants, teams, and family with quality fields from all over the Western US and Canada.<br /> <br /> The Baker City Cycling Classic was named the Oregon Festival and Events Association’s Best Sporting Event in Oregon in 2012 <br /> <br /> For more information about the Baker City Cycling Classic including race routes, and registration, visit <a href="http://www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com</a><br /> <br /> For more information about other bicycling routes and events in Baker County visit the Baker County tourism website at <a href="http://www.travelbakercounty.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.travelbakercounty.com</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/travelbakercounty/">TravelBakerCounty</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelbakercounty/51286616239/" title="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66050"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51286616239_9876154644_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66050" /></a></p> <p>Baker City Cycling Classic <br /> <br /> Second day and stage 3 of the Baker City Cycling Classic, the Downtown Baker City Crit.<br /> <br /> Baker County Oregon is a bicyclists paradise with three Oregon Scenic Byways, lots of scenic backroads and great biking events including Baker County’s signature cycling event the <br /> Baker City Cycling Classic, a 3-day, 4-stage bicycle race in and around the Elkhorn Mountains located in Baker County, Oregon. The race is headquartered at Baker High School in Baker City, making for racer-friendly logistics. The scenic road stages are challenging and allow for strategic racing, but a no-time-cut policy means that newer riders can focus on finishing. The spectator-friendly time trial and criterion create an exciting atmosphere for participants, teams, and family with quality fields from all over the Western US and Canada.<br /> <br /> The Baker City Cycling Classic was named the Oregon Festival and Events Association’s Best Sporting Event in Oregon in 2012 <br /> <br /> For more information about the Baker City Cycling Classic including race routes, and registration, visit <a href="http://www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com</a><br /> <br /> For more information about other bicycling routes and events in Baker County visit the Baker County tourism website at <a href="http://www.travelbakercounty.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.travelbakercounty.com</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/travelbakercounty/">TravelBakerCounty</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelbakercounty/51285900401/" title="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66052"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51285900401_ac30b0e1a1_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66052" /></a></p> <p>Baker City Cycling Classic <br /> <br /> Second day and stage 3 of the Baker City Cycling Classic, the Downtown Baker City Crit.<br /> <br /> Baker County Oregon is a bicyclists paradise with three Oregon Scenic Byways, lots of scenic backroads and great biking events including Baker County’s signature cycling event the <br /> Baker City Cycling Classic, a 3-day, 4-stage bicycle race in and around the Elkhorn Mountains located in Baker County, Oregon. The race is headquartered at Baker High School in Baker City, making for racer-friendly logistics. The scenic road stages are challenging and allow for strategic racing, but a no-time-cut policy means that newer riders can focus on finishing. The spectator-friendly time trial and criterion create an exciting atmosphere for participants, teams, and family with quality fields from all over the Western US and Canada.<br /> <br /> The Baker City Cycling Classic was named the Oregon Festival and Events Association’s Best Sporting Event in Oregon in 2012 <br /> <br /> For more information about the Baker City Cycling Classic including race routes, and registration, visit <a href="http://www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com</a><br /> <br /> For more information about other bicycling routes and events in Baker County visit the Baker County tourism website at <a href="http://www.travelbakercounty.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.travelbakercounty.com</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/travelbakercounty/">TravelBakerCounty</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelbakercounty/51285151837/" title="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66053"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51285151837_89e64818dd_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Baker County Tourism – www.travelbakercounty.com 66053" /></a></p> <p>Baker City Cycling Classic <br /> <br /> Second day and stage 3 of the Baker City Cycling Classic, the Downtown Baker City Crit.<br /> <br /> Baker County Oregon is a bicyclists paradise with three Oregon Scenic Byways, lots of scenic backroads and great biking events including Baker County’s signature cycling event the <br /> Baker City Cycling Classic, a 3-day, 4-stage bicycle race in and around the Elkhorn Mountains located in Baker County, Oregon. The race is headquartered at Baker High School in Baker City, making for racer-friendly logistics. The scenic road stages are challenging and allow for strategic racing, but a no-time-cut policy means that newer riders can focus on finishing. The spectator-friendly time trial and criterion create an exciting atmosphere for participants, teams, and family with quality fields from all over the Western US and Canada.<br /> <br /> The Baker City Cycling Classic was named the Oregon Festival and Events Association’s Best Sporting Event in Oregon in 2012 <br /> <br /> For more information about the Baker City Cycling Classic including race routes, and registration, visit <a href="http://www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.bakercitycyclingclassic.com</a><br /> <br /> For more information about other bicycling routes and events in Baker County visit the Baker County tourism website at <a href="http://www.travelbakercounty.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.travelbakercounty.com</a></p>
<img alt="200409stayhometokyo.jpg" src="http://cycle-tokyo.cycling.jp/weblog/archives/images/200409stayhometokyo.jpg" width="420" height="236" /> As a group that usually welcomes everyone to visit and enjoy cycling in Tokyo, this is an unfortunate post. The widespread of the Corona Virus is growing in Tokyo, on the verge of overshoot. On 7 April Prime Minister Abe proclaimed a state of emergency from 8 April to 6 May for Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka. It is strongly suggested that visiting Tokyo be avoided. People already in Tokyo should avoid meeting in groups and visiting places where people gather. Please be conscious about keeping social distance in order to prevent spreading or receiving the virus. You, or the person next to you may be a virus carrier. Many shops and facilities will be closed following the issuing of the State of Emergency. <strong><u>Cycle Tokyo! will postpone all guided rides until it is deemed safe.</u></strong> Your understanding is appreciated. Riding the bike is good to keep fit during this <strong>#stayhome #staysafe</strong> time. Keep cycling around the neighborhood by yourself....NO GROUP RIDING. Again, please stay safe and healthy, and hope we'll be able to ride together around Tokyo again ! <ul> <li><a href="https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en">Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment "Tokyo COVID-19 Information" (EN) - https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/news/alerts.html">JapanGuide.com "Travel Alerts and Disaster Updates" - https://www.japan-guide.com/news/alerts.html </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/liveblogs/news/coronavirus-outbreak-updates/">The Japan Times "COVID-19 news updates" - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/liveblogs/news/coronavirus-outbreak-updates/ </a></li> </ul> <a href="http://cycle-tokyo.cycling.jp/weblog/archives/images/visitor_hotline-2.jpg"><img alt="visitor_hotline-2.jpg" src="http://cycle-tokyo.cycling.jp/weblog/archives/images/visitor_hotline-2.jpg" width="420" height="255" /></a>