And welcome to 2010. This year began for me with a morning swim with friends at the pool, then I welcomed my father as a guest for lunch in the garden, and went with a friend to see Bright Star followed by a Thai dinner. Now some rest.

And can't you tell I'm a new blogger. First banner picture a bit too big - I will have to learn how to trim these. I like it though - it was taken at the end of a big ride (cycling that is) through the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley to Newcastle. It is colourful, and reminds me of a fun day at the end of nearly two weeks of riding and camping with over 1000 people.

As well as thoroughly enjoying cycling and cycle touring, I also love music. Over the last year I have been working towards a goal to better understand how music works. This started with the purchase of a music theory book. It wasn't long before I learnt that I also needed an instrument to test out the theory, so I bought a keyboard. And I have been working my way through a series of tunes in a Preliminary primer. I love it. I am slowly learning music as if it were another language, and love how the tunes emerge from the page after much tentative striking of the keys. I love how the notes on the keyboard are so clearly laid out and how that makes the patterns in the music clearer. I hope I will slowly improve.

Here on this blog you might read more about my cycle trips, and my adventures with music, and the other adventures that shape my life In many ways each of the things we do, and each step towards a goal or interest is an approximation towards perfection - and as long as there is some movement closer, it is fun taking those steps. I hope you will enjoy hearing about my steps, and the views along the way, too.