Errandonnee 2017

I will again this year participate in the challenge. I love "self-imposed" challenges, and I love doing errands by bike. So what better reason to join Mary's Errandonnee challenge. There are (a bunch of) rules, the main one being that you must do 12 errands (by bike) within 12 days. You can (thankfully for us out here in the wet) do any number in a day.

One of the other rules is to include a photo of my errandonnee-ing bike.

My errandonnee bike -- and my touring bike-- and my daily ride bike -- and my anything else I do on a bike bike

At the end of the post I will put a summary of the errands I have done to meet the category rules.

PERSONAL CARE: (1)

Bike Ride with Cindy

It is always a delight to ride with Cindy. What I learned on the ride is how much a bike ride can lift my spirits. Another thing learned is our lunch stop at MOD Pizza where I have not been before.

PERSONAL BUSINESS: (2)

Mailbox deposit

 

A bit of sun for this one ;'-)

I don't normally take a "selfie" so learned on this one that I actually can!

A bit of sun for this one ;'-)

 

Banking

Not much for me to learn on this errand. Maybe that I need to do less spending!

COMMUNITY SRVICE (or call it Volunteering?) (2)

Donation of goods for someone else's needs.

 

I learned that there are more donations stations not too far from home.

Old Meds taken for destroying rather than dumping down the drain.

 

Not much learned except that they will accept meds in the bottle or bagged all together.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

The Library for DVD.

I learned that Susan and I are not the only "Murder She Wrote" junkies! We were on the wait list for this DVD and had to get the later season before this season was available. Who knew!?

STORE:

Safeway for some groceries.

 

I learned to choose to believe the app that has the best forecast ;'-). I rode with little to no rain.

Bartell for a couple of things

 

I learned to not waste a trip. Since I was already in the store to buy the floss, I might just as well get the snickers bar!

Social Call -- Breakfast with my friend

 

I learned about a class she is taking at the Senior Center that I want to take if and when it is offered next year. A problem might be that it takes a twelve (that's 12) week commitment!

NON-STORE:

Little Library

 

I learned how full of books this little kiosk is!

Post Office

 

I learned I could get LOVE stamps ;'-)

WILD CARD:

Reward at Henry's Donuts

 

What can I say about what I learned?? How tasty a donut can be?

 

And so it goes! I have completed my goal and the challenge and had lots of fun doing it. I logged more than the minimum of 30 total miles as I did somewhere around 60.

The categories, Seven of Which Must be Satisfied, no more than two in each category"

• Personal Care -- 1 done (Bike Ride with Cindy)
• Personal Business -- 2 done (Mailbox, Bank)
• You carried WHAT on your bike (or back)?!
• Arts and Entertainment -- 1 done (Library for DVD)
• Non-Store Errand -- 2 done (Little Library; Post Office)
• Social Call (includes restaurants, coffee, and other social activities) --1 done (meet B-A for breakfast)
• Work or Volunteering (or Community Service!) -- 2 done (Donation Station; Old meds to PD)
• Store -- 2 done (Safeway, Bartell)
• Wild Card (surprise me!) -- 1 done ----- REWARD for self (Henry's Donuts

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Second Wettest February on Record

(This is also my cyber report for my pen pals)

Rain, snow, fog, wind, ice, clouds, sun. We had it all this month. Amazingly I did get in some rather nice activities indoors as well as outdoors. And I did a lot of reading!

The class I had signed up for at Creative Retirement Institute (CRI), offered through Edmonds Community College, got me out of the house and held my interest for the first few weeks of the month. It was about the Korean War: The Forgotten War. The instructor was very good and the information was well presented. I knew little about this war and learned quite a bit.

Actually the very beginnng of February had a couple of sun days to give us and I took advantage to go on some bike ride with friends. Cindy and Bette-Ann drove over to Redmond to start a ride and at first we were disappointed with traffic on the route. We pursued enough though to enjoy more remote riding and had a highlight of coming across the Red Brick Road ;'-).

 

Picturesque bridge takes us through part of a park

 

We came to a paved trail with a canal running through it

 

My bike likes this trail

 

B-A and Cindy like the trail also

 

I like the trail so much I take another photo

 

Quite a few years ago I rode on this road for the first, and I think only, time before this ride. It was nice to "discover" it with my friends again today.

 

 

 

I have posted in a separate entry the Alphabet letters that I uncovered through search by bike and a few by foot. That was a great self imposed challenge that helped me through a rather dreary month.

Then there was snow.

 

Getting out our door for a morning snow walk

 

 

The road in front of our house

 

Snow people that someone else built

 

A walk on the trail very near our house

 

We earned lunch at the Thai restaurant. It started snowing again while we were eating lunch.

Speaking of lunch, and breakfast for that matter. Meeting friends for movies, lunch and breakfast is always a great treat for me. My monthly movie/lunch date with Pat became lunch only as there was no good movie for us to see this month. We met at a new spot for us and had lunch at Scott's which had good choices of food and a fine place for us to catch up with each other. Pat and I had chosen the movie Hidden Figures last month and I had wanted to also see La La Land -- because of all the hype. My friend Bill showed interest as well so he and I and a friend of his met for that movie and dinner afterward. Though I was glad to see the movie, I was a bit underwhelmed given all the hype it had been given.

The weather actually allowed for several rides and walks during the month -- one had to be diligent about watching the forecast and determining whether to heed it. They are so wrong so often.

 

A walk along the Edmonds waterfront with Bill & Susan. Working fishing people down there.

 

A ride to the Snohomish Bakery and this baker showed up ;'-)

 

Intense on her work

 

Indication of our wet and windy weather.

More than one of our days were quite chilly! But we bundled into our finest to brave the weather.

 

Brenda dug out her snow suit and found that it kept her bum quite warm

 

The little gnome home on this ride

Another sunnier day brought us onto the north Centennial Trail.

 

 

Bette-Ann gives her hand at the xylophone

 

We enjoy several murals along the way.

 

Nakashimi Barn is our destination at the end of the trail

 

The barn is part of the farm owned by Japanese Americans who were forcd into those miserable internment camps during WWII. Sad story for this large hard working family to lose their land during this time.

Another indoor activity I got to do was to play trains with my friend John. I must try to get a photo the next time we do this. John is train hobbyist and has taught me so much about the workings of the railroad. His club has an extensive layout of track with scenery, towns and working yards. He sets up a work scenario for me and (with his help) I figure out how to accomplish the job at hand. It is most fun!

Susan and I drove up to the Mountain Loop Highway for an attempt at snowshoeing with the ranger who would be leading a group from the Verlot Ranger Station. We got close -- but the snowy driving got to be too much for us so we aborted that thought. We drove down to where there was no snow (only rain!) and did a little walk/hike around the falls of Granite Falls.

 

 

 

Add precious and fun times with some of the grands and this was indeed a full month! No photos of them this time but we shared some valuable times with them, including having some of them (one at a time) have a slumber party here with us. ;'-).

Here we go into March now -- and weather is not so good here at its beginning.

 

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