Today was an excellent day for being outside. I worked in the garden this morning. When I get a chance, I spade up a section of the vegetable garden. The garden is divided into six equal sections by fence posts. I try to do 1/6 of the garden at a time. Any more spading than that in a single day is too hard on my back. Today I finished section 4. The chickens were glad to be outside too. They follow me around the yard. As I spaded the garden, the chickens hopped into one of my compost piles. They seemed very busy. Earlier in the week I had moved one section of the pile on top. I went to investigate what the chickens were pecking at. Had they found some tasty bugs to snack on? They were so intent on their pecking they didn't notice me approach. Sometimes chickens are not so smart. They were pecking at the color red; not left over apples or tomatoes or strawberries. I had laid an old metal sign down to keep the apple tree roots from infiltrating my compost. The chickens were pecking at the red letters on the sign. They continued to peck at the metal sign the rest of the time I worked in the garden. I finished that chore and got an invitation to go for a bike ride. I went out to the chickens with a handful of sunflower seeds in my hand. I told the girls I had a treat and threw the seeds into the coop. The chickens piled into the coop as fast as they could. I shut the door knowing they would be safe while I was gone. I picked up my friend in Coon Rapids. We headed east through Blaine, Lino Lakes, Centerville, Hugo and Stillwater. As we rode along scenic Highway 96, a group of four crotch rockets were behind us. I was in front. I was the leader of the pack! Highway 96 is beautiful but the right tire track is crap, absolute crap. We stopped for a break along the St. Croix River. We enjoyed the scenery and were serenaded by a loon. We headed north to Marine on the St. Croix. We turned west on County Road 4. This road is one of the prettiest roads I have ever seen. Trees form a canopy over the road. The road climbs out of the river valley and twists and turns back and forth. A short tunnel leads us under a railroad. We went back on Main Street again. My friend told me to look carefully at Centerville Lake. She said she saw an ice house out there. So I looked. Sure enough, there was an ice house way out on the lake, near a fishing boat. No ice on the lake; how could there be an ice house out there? Was it sitting atop a sandbar? Was it a two story ice house and we were only seeing the top story? Was it a floating ice house? I could have gotten a better look if I was in a car. This ice house remains a mystery. We figured we traveled 75 miles from her house so that puts me over 100 miles today. Nice ride.