Clouds and Peepers

On Thursday it was a double headwind day. A warm wind in my face in the morning; a cool blast in the evening. But oh, the painted heavens! I was treated to this sky just before sunset. Streaks of sunlight back-lit the clouds. And the first peepers of the season serenaded my ride home. Ah, this is the life.

My Entry in the Bike Give Away

Well I did it. I entered  Bicycling's Bike Give Away  contest. I tried my best to limit my word length to less than 150 words. The gist: describe what my bike means to me, describe where it takes me, and why I need a new one. Winner chooses a bike reviewed in the April issue. I'm pining for the lowly Breezer, and I use the term "lowly" tongue-in-cheek, because ironically it happens to be the least expensive bicycle up for grabs. But it's the one I would take, should I miraculously win. Here's my entry:

Thanks for rescuing me from a neighbor’s sale. You gave me purpose, adding fenders, racks, even an orange flower to color my beefy black frame. I’m charmed you wrote your name in gilded Sharpie on my tubing. I know I’m not pretty; I’m buffed that you pedal with your son to his school or take me on dirt roads and Burlington’s waterfront trail. I know you desire curvy handlebars, a sexier finish, and less heft. I can’t compete with the Breezer Uptown. I know it’s your heart’s desire for a plucky yet retro-styled ride. But I’ll remain your soul mate for as long as you’ll have me. I’ll brood and shed tears of dust when I must go, but hope you donate me to Bike Recycle or to a lady that will love me as you have, anything but abandoned to the wreckage of another garage sale.

And shhh, don't tell my Ross what I'm up to. 

With the Guy on a Ride

It's nice to get out with the bearded wonder again. Last weekend our boys were engaged with friends, a nice separation between siblings for a breather from one another. We took advantage of our time as a couple and pedaled a slow pace on the waterfront path, ostensibly to check out a camp that a neighbor is considering buying, but also for my guy to test his commuting legs. His ride to work is much longer than mine and he's an early riser. He leaves our house at 5 a.m. for a short drive before hopping on his bike  at 5:30. I know, in the dark!

Every time I look at photos of  my guy wearing his helmet I realize how much I admire this particular style. It's a Bell Citi which has a commuter/retro look to it. I will need a replacement for a Giro that I've been using for years; part of the bracket that cups the head recently broke. I used to own a yellow Bell—you'll see it in the Around the World photos. I wouldn't mind owning another one of the same color.

My husband's yellow fenders always attract comments. And, it matches his brain bucket. He wouldn't admit that he planned the coordinated color scheme; it just happened. A few years back I bought him a bright yellow rain jacket so he's a highly visible presence on the road in cooler and/or wet weather—exactly what you want in low light riding.

Since this adventure last weekend my husband has started his commute, and he couldn't be happier.

A Quest for Balance

Views from Spear Street overlooking Lake Champlain.

I've have the wonderful pleasure of reconnecting with a friend. We cycled a 35 mile loop on the loveliest of Sundays mornings: a warm southerly breeze and temperatures near 70F. Like the rest of the country Spring has arrived early. Cyclers were out in droves. We even met up with acquaintances at a country store. My lovely friend is always a source of  thoughtful conversation. She is older and wizened and well-connected. And she is a foody like me - also a passionate Italian who teaches cooking classes. Suffice it to say she brought homemade spinach frittata, carrot bread, and dark chocolate in her trunk pack. It's no surprise that she refused my packaged granola bar contribution.

Homes Creek covered bridge in Charlotte. Photo credit: Vermonter.com

I was gone from home longer than I expected. My friendly Italian is not fast, certainly not moving up Vermont's short, steep hills. But my bike has wider tires and between my braking descents (I'm not a fan of screaming downhill) our overall speed was eerily in sync. The route followed a ridge with sweeping views of Lake Champlain then a roller coaster drop to the lake rolling into the cutest covered bridge, mainly because it nearly kisses the rocky shore. A pleasant diversion on a dirt road past an apple orchard (one I've never pedaled on) and a unique pedestrian/bike only access on private land opened my eyes to possible routes to explore at a later date with my husband. This lady is adventurous, especially with her one-inch tires.

Broad-winged hawk. Photo credit: Greg Lasley

Which brings me to the title of this post. I was giddy when I returned home, realizing how much I'd needed her company. Although there is comfort in a regular buddy, the refreshing reconnect and discussion prompted me to tend to a family matter. I've always admired her can-do attitude. I also looked up a bird we'd seen on a wire (unbidden, my friend trudged into a field to flush the hawk off it's perch so I could inspect it's wing shape, inadvertently soaking her biking cleats and new shoe covers). It turns out to be a broad-winged hawk, pretty common east of the Rockies, but I'd never seen one before.

I'm also ready to volunteer in the bike community again. I was on hiatus, delving more into this blog which I will continue, but I miss the comaraderie of like-minded souls. I have a wonderful supportive partner, who also happens to be an admirable parent, filling in on weekends so his antsy wife can get away.

And a reminder to all you scrambling to get outside for earlier than normal bike rides: don't forget the sunscreen. I never expected to come back with a red nose. Jeesh, it's only March 18th.

Serendipity in the Morning

Despite the chaos with children in our household who need prodding to prepare for the day, there are moments of sublime wonder too.

It took my breath away to find my sweetie had already done the grocery shopping—by 6 a.m.. He also left a bar of dark chocolate in the cupboard, which could only be for me.

Smokey contemplates his wheel.

I save a moment for my gerbils. I hand them a bit of cardboard so they are busy for the day. Plus, they take sunflower seed treats. They are cute little creatures that never fail to make me smile.

Geese honking overhead on the commute are glorious. It's a common occurrence these days, morning and evening.

It's like froth on a latte to discover dry dirt road instead of wheel sucking mud for the last mile of my ride—the best way to start the day.

It's true that we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. My son broke a window last week just before heading out the door, but thankfully no one was hurt. Instead, I try to appreciate a smile, a wave, chirping birds, flowers pushing through the soil. The beauty of Spring. What could be better than discovering steam escaping the sugar shacks for a heavenly scented ride?