Spring Bike Date

65 F, Sunny, Spring is here

Sometimes the stars, or in this instance - kids' birthday parties - align simultaneously to allow my husband and me to go for a ride. I call them bike dates. It's funny how we've come to call them dates, but with children it becomes a necessity if you want free time as a couple. Simply Bike expands upon this idea.

We headed out for a 17 mile loop, primarily to check Colchester's flooding. At the mouth of the Winooski River, houses were under several feet of water and sadly the occupants have evacuated. City officials monitor the homes, allowing only the owners to return by way of ramps from the bike path.

My bike date.

We were stopped by water in the Colchester neighborhood.

Sign is under three feet of water.

The Winooski River entirely flooded a fishing access parking lot and spilled over onto the road and designated bike path.

Annie in the foreground.

A sign detoured us to circle around the closed section, but still we got a bit wet. Nearby, houses were sandbagged. Pumps were rumbling around the clock at some homes. A neighborhood sign warned automobiles "Your wake is our worry". And aptly so. The water is high enough without adding more!

The rest of the ride was a pleasant mix of listening to birds, looking for garage sales, checking out a campground for a summer family bike adventure, and stopping at a softball game to chat with an acquaintance. When I realized how late it was we hammered the pedals to arrive to pick up one son - amazingly only 1 minute late. Bike date or not, it's a reminder that my husband and I can still pour on the speed when we have to.