I bought my new bike Tuesday and brought it home.
Biking, Snow, and Wood Ducks
Wednesday morning I took my first ride around the neighborhood. It was cold, but I dressed for the weather. It felt good riding, cold air in my face, wheels turning round and round, sometimes coasting, sometimes pedaling.
It felt a little bit like freedom.
When I was a kid we had only two bikes among the five of us kids. They were just plain bikes, no gears and speeds, no brake cables — two wheels, handlebars, a seat, foot brakes. I loved taking off on the bike, pedaling hard up the gravel road our farm was on. Up, up, up the 1/4 mile long hill I would pedal. And then at the top of the hill I would turn around, pedal for a few feet and then let gravity and the slope bring me down the hill. I felt like I was flying. Freedom!
Truly
I try to be good but sometimes
a person just has to break out and
act like the wild and springy thing
one used to be. It’s impossible not
to remember wild and want it back. So
if someday you can’t find me you might
look into that tree or—of course
it’s possible—under it.”
― A Thousand Mornings
Little steps
Our street forms a circle drive that is about a mile long, and I rode around the circle one time. That was it. It was enough to get me breathing moderately fast. My goal when it gets nicer outside is to take two short daily rides, gradually increasing the distance as I become stronger and fitter.
Unfortunately, as the day went on, after my bike ride I encountered increasing low back pain that had me unable to bend over at all by the afternoon and made almost all movement uncomfortable. I am hoping to figure out what is going on and to be able to actually be able to ride without pain eventually.
I was really discouraged yesterday when the pain kicked up. But I hope that with the help of my chiropractor I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on and a way to ride like I want to ride.
Bringing my Camera on Bike Rides
I’m really excited about the bike rack and case that I bought that attaches to the rack. I am planning to carry my camera along so that I can stop and make photos on my rides.
This morning I woke up from a strange dream in which my camera lens had fallen apart in my hands. The glass was cracked and fell out and then a bunch of tiny pieces fell out and rolled away. It was one of those strange dreams that at first glance made no sense.
Then as I thought about it I realized that I need to add some padding around my camera when I place it in the bike case, so that it doesn’t rattle around and break. Huh! I guess my unconscious is excited about taking the camera along on bike rides too.
Out, out d### snow!
I am so done with snow for the year! But old man winter is fighting hard to hang on just a bit longer. I hope that the mixed weather this week will be the last of the snow and cold. But the weather will be what it will be. My head knows that spring will arrive in her own sweet time. Though my heart is a little bit less certain.
It seems like the weather forecasters keep teasing us with the prospect of a string of warm days “next week” and then when next week arrives, the warm weather does not appear.
Wood Ducks on the Pond
Though the pond still has ice on it, more and more ice is melting. Yesterday morning I saw the first pair of wood ducks of the year. By afternoon there were two pairs of wood ducks gliding through the cold dark water. It’s a sign of spring that my made my heart sing.
Wood ducks are such beautiful birds. I love their shyness, and haunting cries along with their astonishing beauty. And when their babies leave the nest I love the way they take a leap of faith, dropping to the ground they have never walked on before.
A Thousand Mornings
All night my heart makes its way
however it can over the rough ground
of uncertainties, but only until night
meets and then is overwhelmed by
morning, the light deepening, the
wind easing and just waiting, as I
too wait (and when have I ever been
disappointed?) for redbird to sing
― A Thousand Mornings
Today, as every day since the war in Ukraine began, I think about everyone who is suffering there and send prayers of hope their way. Sometimes as I walk through my mundane days, it astonishes me how normal my life is, as I watch from afar the destruction and carnage they are experiencing. I practice gratitude at the same time as I pray for resolution
May you walk in beauty.
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