Posts tagged ‘sunset’
#330daysofbiking Days 69 & 70: pedal, paddle, pedal…
beautiful endless stretch of road ... riding with Dillon
Summer days. Sometimes they are so fun-filled and action-packed it feels like we are moving 90-mph in our 35-mph lives … And so I missed posting yesterday, and will have to make this post a double-feature. LOL.
Dillon
Had a great ride with Dillon on Saturday. It was hot; mid-90’s, very humid. I took it easy out there, drinking plenty, taking my sweet time – as always. At this point, all of the boys can really out-ride/out-pace/out-climb me … but they are still nice enough to ride with me, waiting for me to slog my way up the hills. We always have fun – they never fail to make me laugh over something. The day’s fun was getting squirted with his water bottle while I was trying to get a photo … which just happened to feel quite wonderful in the heat.
you cannot tell, but I was being squirted by a water bottle while trying to shoot this...
Today, Mark and I started the day with a quick trip to the river. Finally had the new boat out for a paddle – and it was fantastic! I think this is going to be the perfect boat for me; stable, light, and great deck/storage for easy access to everything from my water bottle to my camera. I think I am also going to be able to haul it easily by bike very soon – getting a small scupper-hole cart/set of wheels, and plan to tow behind the Xtracycle.
very happy with the new boat - can you tell?! 🙂
met another couple out paddling - with their cute pup, Chavelle, on board (please tell me that I don't have to start bringing the goats along?!)
Came home, and Mark headed off to the airport for another week of out-of-town business. After dinner, I headed out for a solo evening ride. It was a peaceful and beautiful ending to a weekend of small adventures, fun.
When I thought about what I wanted to write tonight as I was riding, it kind of occurred to me – what do all of these things mean? The pedaling, the paddling, the pictures … very likely, a whole lot of nothing to anyone else – but so much to me.
I had a conversation with a friend recently – talking about how “to live”. About all of the time we spend maintaining our lives (jobs, school, family, home, daily “stuff”), versus how much time we are actually living … Is there really a difference, or is it just the same thing? I’m not entirely sure, and even though there cannot really be one without the other, I believe there is a difference. I like to think that my boys, my family, won’t look back and remember how many times I washed their dirty socks, or how well I dressed or mowed the lawn … but that they will remember the times we rode together, or skied together, or paddled together, or laughed together, or had our goofy adventures together. To me, these are the times we are living; aware of each other, enjoying each other, being with each other.
It is a good thing – to live. It is even better to be living.
So pedal (or paddle) on……….
tonight's ride ... the road home
glory
#330daysofbiking Day 59: grateful
good night, bike
Once again, the best opportunity to ride was in the evening. The sun was setting over my next door neighbor’s hilly field, and I just ” saw” my bike on the crest.
Today was a very fine day … not so much the biking (although it was lovely), but being embraced by some like-minded friends. Inspiring exchanges with some great people in the cycling community – people who have such a great positive outlook on the cycling lifestyle, sharing the joy, advocating through enthusiasm … all of the stuff I love and admire and strive to be a part of in my own small way.
My friend Darryl at LovingtheBike invited me to be a part of the conversation – with a gracious mention in his June Look Who’s Loving the Bike page today, in the company of some other amazing cyclists and bloggers, including Ryan Van Duzer and his cross-country journey on a 3-speed (this is a must-watch video). 😀
I am especially enthusiastic about what Darryl is doing at LovingtheBike – there is something for everybody, and the content is always delivered in a positive, fun (and sometimes funny) way. One of my favorite posts is The Cyclist’s Wife … it is perfect! Mostly, his site captures his attitude and excitement about cycling, his love of life and his family – and is such a great platform for spreading The Love. I’m a fan – I hope you are too. (And thanks again, Darryl, for letting me join in the fun!)
The other bike-y stuff of my day …. did some initial experimenting with the new boat and the Xtracycle. Have to confess, this is looking a little sketchy. The depth/shape of the hull on the new boat is fairly different from our old beater boat, and although I managed to get it loaded and pedal a short distance, I’m not convinced I have the pedal- and front tire clearance I need to safely take her out on the road. The X can haul virtually anything … and I’m not ready to give it up, but some additional adjustments may be called for.
Oh well. Tomorrow is almost here. Still loving the bike … with or without the kayak on board.
Xtracycle + kayak = bikayak
loving the ... bikayak(?)
#330daysofbiking Day 58: rain and red skies
red skies
Some days I go out and think – “Today, I need a change of scenery …” Not of barns and cows and thistles – something else. And then I end up along the same (beautiful) road and I am rendered speechless by some incredible sight. As if someone was trying to tell me I was completely foolish for wanting to see anything else. And so it was tonight. A crimson sky after a day of rain.
You would think I’d have learned my lesson already, wouldn’t you?
A lot of rain today. No paddling in the new boat. Had to take the boys into town, stopped to say goodbye to friends heading out of town, took my road bike into the shop (having issues with my front derailleur). Late in the day the rain stopped and I headed out on the Xtracycle, riding till the sun disappeared. Last few miles with lights on in the dark. Soft night air, fireflies. Maybe I learned my lesson this time.
rainy day in town
#30daysofbiking Day 14: I get by with a lot of help from my friends
End of a day I am glad to see over with and behind me.
I have four wonderful, inspiring, intelligent, beautiful, amazing sons. If I have left a small mark on the world, it is only through them. When someone takes them for granted, mis-treats them – especially an adult who knows better – well, my fangs come out. And that’s all I am going to say right now.
During the mess that was today, I can only say I got by with a lot of help from my friends. I include my bicycle in that group … the brief ride I managed to take today cleared my head, calmed me down, reminded me to breathe. Anyone who rides knows the sanity-inducing power of pedaling, the simple sensation of moving forward, the meditative act of the inhale and the exhale. The rhythm.
Feeling a little more peaceful as the sun sets. Grateful for friends.
shebicycles 