Ride 53: A Morning Jaunt
Aug. 11th, 2011 03:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
judifilksign Got up this morning to get the trash out to the curb, and discovered that it was still in the sixties. I took the opportunity to hop on my bike and pedal down the path.
It was so strange to have the golden sunlight come from behind me as I pedaled down the trail, instead of watching the sun go down. Everything looked very different with the sunlight on the opposite side!
It rained last night again, and there were puddles alongside the path, and in the ditch next to it. This morning, I heard little chirps, almost, but not quite like crickets. I looked over, and saw a little frog in the ditch water, happy as can be. I'm not sure whether the frog was chirping, or if the sounds were actually crickets, but I was so happy to see a new creature on my way.
The grasshoppers were everywhere along the path. Big ones, small ones, brown ones, green ones. The sparrows were flocking up and down the path, trying to catch them. Sometimes, when one of the grasshoppers flew away in a blur of yellow and brown, it looked bigger than the bird hopping along hunting it.
I rode across the first road and over the bridge, and seeing and hearing water burble along the stream below made me feel cooler.
The melons are getting slowly eaten away by the ants. There are little golf ball divots all along the insides, pebbling the smooth fruit flesh. Still no ant crossings over the trail.
My hands must have reacted to something in the garbage, because they were getting puffy, and I was alarmed at how my right ring finger was swollen, where I couldn't even twist my ring around on my finger. I rode with my right hand in the air, like an eager student keeping her hand up for the teacher to call on her.
Across the first road, I noted that both hands were swollen, and pedaled no-handed, both arms up in the air above my head. I hoped that this would reduce swelling, and it did. I impressed myself by biking an entire mile no-handed. Core balance is improving!
A "real" biker on a gorgeous racing bike, all uniformed, helmeted, goggled and speedy, passed me from behind as I was doing this. "Woo hoo!" he called. "Yeah! It sure is that kind of day, isn't it?"
This got me ready to do my homework from my teacher training class in reading. I'll be sitting down with Sparkle to read with her and see how it goes now that I have my plan ready.
It was so strange to have the golden sunlight come from behind me as I pedaled down the trail, instead of watching the sun go down. Everything looked very different with the sunlight on the opposite side!
It rained last night again, and there were puddles alongside the path, and in the ditch next to it. This morning, I heard little chirps, almost, but not quite like crickets. I looked over, and saw a little frog in the ditch water, happy as can be. I'm not sure whether the frog was chirping, or if the sounds were actually crickets, but I was so happy to see a new creature on my way.
The grasshoppers were everywhere along the path. Big ones, small ones, brown ones, green ones. The sparrows were flocking up and down the path, trying to catch them. Sometimes, when one of the grasshoppers flew away in a blur of yellow and brown, it looked bigger than the bird hopping along hunting it.
I rode across the first road and over the bridge, and seeing and hearing water burble along the stream below made me feel cooler.
The melons are getting slowly eaten away by the ants. There are little golf ball divots all along the insides, pebbling the smooth fruit flesh. Still no ant crossings over the trail.
My hands must have reacted to something in the garbage, because they were getting puffy, and I was alarmed at how my right ring finger was swollen, where I couldn't even twist my ring around on my finger. I rode with my right hand in the air, like an eager student keeping her hand up for the teacher to call on her.
Across the first road, I noted that both hands were swollen, and pedaled no-handed, both arms up in the air above my head. I hoped that this would reduce swelling, and it did. I impressed myself by biking an entire mile no-handed. Core balance is improving!
A "real" biker on a gorgeous racing bike, all uniformed, helmeted, goggled and speedy, passed me from behind as I was doing this. "Woo hoo!" he called. "Yeah! It sure is that kind of day, isn't it?"
This got me ready to do my homework from my teacher training class in reading. I'll be sitting down with Sparkle to read with her and see how it goes now that I have my plan ready.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-08-11 08:58 pm (UTC)And you *are* a real biker. You bike every day. It doesn't get any realer than that; the rest is just costuming.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 03:50 am (UTC)But it sure got me out of any self-pity that might have been building up, and back into my usual quirky, amused self.
By making the "real" in quotes, I was trying to emphasize how seriously this really fit guy took his cycling, rather than slamming my own efforts (of which I am actually quite pleased.)
I find myself thinking that if trends continue after my 100 rides, I might end up looking more like that in the future myself, all bike-shorts and color coordinated with a spiffy ride.
Bike cosplay. *Snerk*
no subject
Date: 2011-08-11 10:02 pm (UTC)I had a joke book when I was a kid, full of hundreds of standard old jokes, which I read over and over. And I can't help but think of this one:
Kid, first time around the block: "Look Ma! No hands!"
Kid, second time around the block: "Look Ma! No feet!"
Kid, third time around the block: "Look Ma! No teeth!"
LOL
Date: 2011-08-12 03:52 am (UTC)Gyroscopic forces were my friend, though. At least today.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 04:09 pm (UTC)She was talking to a mom at the daycare center who picked up her kid on a big, made sure he was all helmeted and buckled in, but had no helmet for herself. She asked the mom where her helmet was; the mom said she didn't need one. Soph didn't say anything, but she did give that mom a look like "you are not making a good decision, but I'm not going to say it. I'm just going to look at you like I know better."
no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 04:28 pm (UTC)I went out without my helmet once when I was all distrcted, and Sparkle would not get on the trailer, citing my lack of a helmet.
That mom should know that she is breaking the law; helmets are required for all cyclists in Ohio. Sophie does know better, although I admire her for her growing sense of tact.