With the start of Monsoon season here in Sierra Vista and the frequent afternoon storms that come with it I have started to see more wildlife on my afternoon rides. When I went for a ride last night I noticed a bunch of deer on the side of the road. I thought "I will just remember the spot and stop on the way down to take a picture". If I was only that good. I stopped but was not quiet enough and spooked them a little farther away. I got a couple of pictures I thought I would share even though they are not as close as I wanted them.

Two more Marines have paid the ultimate price for our country. I hate to see these articles and I can imagine the families are going to have a tough time adjusting to their loss. It is humbling to see the sacrifices made by our troops on our behalf. I pray that this conflict will end soon and they will be able to return to their homes and families.



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,532493,00.html

Found this article online and thought it was very interesting and decided to post it. Iraq may be winding down but Afghanistan is going strong still. Hopefully they will come home without a lot of casualties.

Article

Found a great slide show of Marines in Iraq. Thought it was worth sharing.

Saturday morning was a beautiful day for a ride. Slightly overcast, no wind, it just doesn't get much better than that for a ride. I got up early and got everything together for the Saturday ride and set out to tackle the 63 mile Tombstone loop.
It really is a great ride with a little bit of everything included. A few small climbs, great flats and boot hill just in case you don't make it.
I was having a great ride and my time from Sierra Vista to Tombstone was better than I had planned for. Needless to say I was feeling good and ready to tackle the second half after refilling my water at Circle K. I ate my granola bar and took off for home. There are just those times when everything is going great and then the wheels come off.
I kept watching my average time and speed and was getting really jazzed about how things were going. Only one problem. I did not eat enough at the break in Tombstone and I paid the price. About 6 miles from home I bonked. For the non cyclist bonking is when you just run out of gas and don't have the energy to push hard anymore. I had been so good about eating right on the ride and had not bonked in a long time. Guess I needed a refresher course in planning.
I still beat my last time on the ride and was happy about that but wish I could have finished strong. Next time.

This is one of my favorite rides in the Sierra Vista area so far. It is about a 30 mile round trip from my house to the end of the road in Ramsey Canyon. I have seen a variety of animals while riding up the canyon, all before I got my new camera. I think they are camera shy.
It is a very beautiful ride up the canyon. It is really nice to have places like this close by to ride to instead of cactus and sagebrush dominated landscapes.


This is close to the top when the trees are really getting nice. This is usually the area I start seeing more wildlife.


This is the top of the climb just as you come off from the final slope. The turn around tree is just ahead.

This is the turn around tree at the top of Ramsey Canyon. The tree is in the middle of the road at the end of the canyon. It is a good place to stop and switch the position of your water bottles. It is all down hill from here. I have hit speeds of 38+ mph going back down. There is a great view of Sierra Vista on the way back down. I will have to stop and get some pictures on my next ride.

Unfortunately I was reading the news today and came across another article about 2 Marines and 1 Sailor who died in Iraq today. With all of the economic woes happening here at home it is easy to forget about all that is happening in the War on Terror. Reading news like this helps me keep in touch with all that is going on in the and how good we have it here in America thanks to those who have protected our rights since our country was founded. I hope I never take for granted all that me and my family have been blessed with thanks to those who serve this country.


Marine Article

Since moving to Sierra Vista, AZ I have been looking for new routes for training rides. Last year I had many known routes I had learned in the Mesa area that I had learned from other cyclist. I have not met many cyclist here so I have to do more exploring on my own. This route is going to be my next long weekend ride and I am looking forward to giving it a try. Riding in Sierra Vista has been a nice change. The scenery on the rides I have been doing is great which just adds to training ride.


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Former President Bush declared the war was won but apparently the Taliban did not agree. FoxNews had an article on its website today about the Taliban increasing attacks against "whoever is supporting invaders in our country."
President Obama has vowed to send 21,000 more troops to the region to support the troops that are already there.
Our troops are still out there fighting the War on Terror and still risk everything on our behalf. They still need our support especially if they are injured and have to rehab once they are back.
You can read the article here.

The SanDiego.com website has a great article about the San Diego Enforcers football team that is donating the proceeds from their games to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. The Enforcers are a team made up of law enforcement officers and firefighters that play in the National Public Safety Football League (NPSFL). Each year they select a charity to help and this year it is the IMSFF. It is great to see others helping this great charity that does so much for our Marines who have been injured in the war.

SanDiego.com Article

Here is a link to some great photos taken by the Boston Globe. It is a stark reminder that the war is not over. Our troops still need our support. Even with the economy slowing down and a lingering recession they are still there to defend this great country. And if they come back injured they are not only faced with a recession but have to rehabilitate also.

Boston Globe Photos

It is that time of year again, time to start preparing for The Ride for Semper Fi. This is the second year for the ride and if things go as well as last year it will be great. The Ride benefits the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a non profit organization that was setup by the wives of Marines in 2004 at Camp Pendleton to help with the needs of those returning from combat and their families. They do a fantastic job and 97% of all money raised in 2008 went to help injured Marines. The Ride was established to help raise money and awareness for this great cause. This blog will be about my preparations for the Ride and reasons why I ride. Please help me raise funds for the great American heros who do so much to protect our country and way of life.