New path markings 
Old path markings
It was time.
(A well-travelled bike path next to the road along the east bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis close to the University of Minnesota main campus.)
The thing that always seems weird to me is how the pavement actually deteriorates where the old markings were. Somehow as the paint wears away, the road surface there wears more than the surrounding unpainted surface. It’s just eroded pits now where the old markings were.
Some sort of corrosive chemical in the paint?
One wonders…
I might have thought that the surface that’s covered with paint would be protected/preserved while the surrounding area would wear away (sort of like the caprock on a mesa).
My current theory is that the paint holds together small bits of the asphalt material, so that as wear occurs, stuck-together-by-paint bits come away in larger chunks, causing the painted spots to erode faster than the rest of the trail surface. And then, with more of the top layer of sealant having been removed, the erosion there would go even deeper, even faster. I imagine.
I imagine corrosive chemicals as you suggest could play a part too. It seems like it’s a constant experiment out there!
There was a while when it appeared they were using some kind of adhesive tape to make the line markings, and that would loosen and the whole piece eventually just peel off, pulling away chunks of the asphalt with it. And then lie in a messy bundle by the side of the trail. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t keep on with using that method.
It must be an interesting and frustrating challenge to develop effective roadway-marking materials.
Yay, biking!
So, do you take pics while you’re actually riding/pedaling? How do you keep the camera handy, and how do you make sure you don’t drop it? I’ve been meaning to ask if people here use/recommend some kind of security strap or lanyard for their phone?
This is what I kludged together the other day and I’m actually pretty happy with it for now…
Rubber bands, and an elastic draw cord that used to be in the bottom hem of a fleece pullover.
I put the cord over my head, around my neck. I also have a small zippered bag (purse) on a long strap that I wear cross-body, that I’d been keeping the phone in so it’s handy while I’m on the bike, and I can just drop the phone into the bag while leaving the security strap in place around my neck. Also, the eyeglasses that I need in order to use the phone (but don’t need while I’m riding) go in the small purse too. Handier than keeping phone/glasses tucked away in the pannier. But so far I’ve always stopped riding when I want to take a picture.
The rubber bands are somewhat in the way of swiping and of seeing what’s on the screen, but compared to the state of the world it’s not that bad…and I think this goofy setup will help me to figure out what I actually DO want/need…
I hold it in one hand while steering awkwardly with the other, and trying to get one finger onto the button to shoot when I can’t really see the screen.
No Ansel Adams, me.
ETA to actually answer @zfirphdn’s question. I keep my phone in this bag, which was worth every penny. I can see the screen in case someone tries to call or text, and the bag holds snacks and such. It has a little cover to keep rain out.
You are braver than I, lol 
Thank you for the bag recommendation! Looks like my phone is too big for that one in particular, but now I know what to look for. Thank you again!
Out for a trail run this morning. Aside from the spider webs across my face, these critters were nearby:
Deer, very very recently:
And other deer, less recently
Then raccoon tracks, which I didn’t get a snap of.
Ha, no. What’s the context? It looks like limestone with fossils.
Well, the second one is obviously from an ancient civilization. Any remnants like this?
I can’t remember if it was here, the gardening thread, or the crafting thread, but I posted a while ago about making some homemade insect repellant from catnip. @anon23281680 , I think you were interested?
I just field tested it in a very buggy situation over 4 days in MA, and it was quite effective. I highly recommend it.
Unfortunately, there were no kitties around, so I don’t know how they’d react.
@anon33932455 , if this is a potential derail, let me know and I’ll move it. I started here bc we’re all spending time outdoors.
I once convinced a bunch of young Cub Scouts that the bicycle tire tracks on the trail we were hiking were the mark of the elusive treadbellied snake.
It seems like you responded to @Wayward’s post about the Smithsonian article:
Was that it?
That was the one! Thanks!
(And apologies for the false call out, @anon23281680 !)
Off I go!
Oh but I’m interested too!
Shell Beach Corpus Christi, Texas
I didn’t take many photos. I just didn’t want all that sand in my phone. Beach was nice, not too hot out in the wind. We could only find the little tiny clam shells and plenty of live little tiny clams. Plus an abundance of surf hermit crabs, Isocheles wurdemanni. I probably picked up at least 30 shells from under the waves and every single one of them was occupied. I only found two snails.
