For my 50th - a bike ride down Route 9

My kids told me I'd become an old man this week, and I told them I intend to stay one for a while.

The last time I rode more than 25 miles, I was 16 years old, and took route 13 down to Dewey. I've always wanted to do that again, but taking Route 9 for the upper half instead. Since Route 9 from New Castle is about 50 miles, I figured I might as well see if I could do at least that much of it, and I've been getting into shape for this for the last couple of months....

I turned 50 on Friday, so I took the day off to crank a mile for every year, and take a slow ride down Delaware's scenic coastal route.

From the mighty peaks of Pike Creek, I coasted down to Delaware Park racetrack:



....through the track onto Churchman's Road and past the Farmers Market into Old New Castle (which should really just be called "Castle", since the "Old" and "New" cancel each other out)...





And then onto Route 9 into Delaware City



Over the canal on the Reedy Point Bridge. There is still some work going on at the main span, which is restricted to alternating one lane traffic. That provides a nice bike lane for now, and not as much of an incline as St. Georges...



....and into the wild wetlands of Delaware's coastal zone...



Port Penn, rush hour...



Taylor's Landing...







Cedar Swamp? Yeah, I cedar swamp. Do you cedar swamp?



Why do people keep calling me "Roger Thornton"?



Coming into bustling downtown Leipsic for lunch....





I stopped at the Leipsic Deli for lunch, and had a fantastic pulled pork sandwich, to go with my pulled muscles, for $4.50.

Little Creek, Delaware - Population: "several"





And then, look, up in the air... it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a C5 of course





And my ride home is here and ready to pick me up:



The museum is actually cooler than you might think. Lots of neat stuff in the hangar, including a B17, a C5 simulator, and a bunch of historic aircraft on the apron. Worth a visit.

Next on the bucket list - a climb of Iron Hill.

50 Miles For 50 Years... A half-tour of Delaware

I turned 50 on Friday, so I took the day off to crank a mile for every year, and take a slow ride down Delaware's scenic coastal route.

Starting at Delaware Park racetrack:



...into historic New Castle, where William Penn first landed in the New World:





South on Route 9 to Delaware City....



Over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the Reedy Point Bridge, and miles of Chesapeake sweet silver corn (if you haven't had our corn, you don't know what you are missing - goes great with blue crabs):



....and into the wild wetlands of Delaware's coastal zone...



Port Penn, rush hour...



Taylor's Landing...







Cedar Swamp? Yeah, I cedar swamp. Do you cedar swamp?



Why do people keep calling me "Roger Thornton"?



Coming into beautiful downtown Leipsic for lunch....





Little Creek, Delaware - Population: "several"





One of the most impressive things to see in central Delaware are the C5 Galaxy transports coming into Dover AFB - nonstop from Kabul:





And my ride home is here and ready to pick me up:

So are the store clerks saying "Eid mubarak" instead of just "Happy holidays" today?

Nukes or drones?

If Hitler, Mussolini or Tojo could have been taken out by a drone, it would have avoided far greater deaths, even if there were some incidental civilian deaths.

Japan Unveils Biggest Warship Since WWII

Source: Voice of America

Japan has unveiled its biggest warship since the Second World War as part of a plan to bolster its defense of territorial claims in disputed waters.



Read more: http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-unveils-biggest-warship-since-ww2/1724301.html