I can ride! I can ride!
THE CHALLENGE: Pick a number; take that many rides during the year; post a bike photo for each of those rides.
Being late in the year, having just recently rediscovered this challenge, and having been off my bike for over a week with poor AQ due to wildfire smoke, I have set my goal at 15 rides for this year. I plan to finish out 2-3 weeks and then post the rides I did for that month. I will be riding more than 15 rides through the remainder of the year, but 15 will be the number I will post for this challenge. I may end up posting more than 15, but feel that is a very doable goal for now.
RIDES/PHOTOS #1-5
1/15 SEPTEMBER 19, 2020
I ride this same route a lot, but there will be lots of different things to take a photo of each time I ride it. Today is my second ride in twelve days. That for someone who rides almost every day of the week! Our wildfire smoke finally lifted and this was the first day the AQ is healthy for outdoor activity.
I rode to Cindy’s house as we had some “goods” to exchange: jigsaw puzzles, baked bread, chocolate covered almonds, and steak & peppers dinner!!!! I started my ride from home in a mist that cleared up within about 10 minutes. After some (distanced) chatting time with Cindy on her front porch, I started home in mist. This mist never did stop, and in fact became light rain that stayed with me the whole way home. I had brought a rain jacket with me ‘just in case’ but I didn’t mind the rain as it was not cold, and ..... I was on my bike!! I don’t need no stinkin’ rain jacket 😏😊. Welcome rain to clear out even more from our air.
“Flying High Espresso” with the giant tea cup (maybe that’s coffee cup) on its roof has always intrigued me. This was a good time to get a photo as no one was in the drive through or in the parking lot, I had no time constraint so could make a photo stop, and the rain had abated for a moment. The kiosk is located just at the outskirts of the Paine Field Airport, thus the name and logo on the cup.
2/15 SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
A while ago I posted something about meeting Shawna driving her Grandpa’s old car with the big white wall tires. I had done that loop many times, but now I have named it the “Shawna Loop” and added a couple of short roads to it. This would be my route today.
I started in mist again, at 8:45 this morning so to get home in time for the Storm game scheduled for noon. Turned out that the game got cancelled because there were ‘inconclusive’ Covid test results for a few players. We can only hope that all turns out well, and we know that cancelling today’s game until more information is available, is the right thing to do. (After note — all clear and everyone is fine on the Storm team.)
Back to the misty morning. Today’s mist lasted longer than it had yesterday, and it was a bit colder, I suppose due to the overnight rain. I did stop to put on my ‘portable’ rain jacket this time and that warmed me up right away. Within about 45 minutes there was no trace of rain, but the clouds stayed where they were even though the sun tried its best to part them. Filtered sun followed me home, but never really parted the clouds until well into the afternoon.
This old truck has been sitting in this spot for as long as I have been riding around. It is another item that was begging me to take a photo. So, today I did.
3/15 SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
Today was a ride with Cindy out in the countryside — Schwartzmiller Road. A ride we have done a few times, but it has been a long time since the last time ;’-). There is only one small area that presents some challenge, and that fortunately is short. On the return trip we must turn onto what at times can be a busy road with fast moving traffic, with —— no shoulder. And impatient drivers. It really does not feel safe if there is a group of us riding, which there has been in the past. With just the two of us we figured we could easily walk on the roadside, clear of traffic, if need be. On today’s ride — there was not one car driving on it while we rode. YES!
It was a treat to be riding in the country side. First along the trail where we see these asses all the time ;’-). Today they needed a photo.
It is always fun to show someone something they have not seen or noticed before. This historic marker is a teensy bit off the trail that we all do all the time, but Cindy had not ever noticed it. I have known about it long enough to know that the old, deteriorating sign has been renewed. Thank you Troop 43. You can read a lot about the railroad here...
Once out in the country we enjoyed these views.
This guy kept looking from me to Cindy and back and forth kind of wondering what we were doing or going to be doing.
I don’t know what this sign really means, but found it interesting.
View of the farm in the valley.
It was cloudy again, and colder than we had expected as the forecast was for some sun and a high of 71. It never got to either of those, but did warm up a bit by the time we got to our picnic lunch spot of Machias Station. The beginning and the ending of our route was along the Centennial Trail. As this is a Rails to Trails.
Wikipedia says...
The trail is built on the old Burlington-Northern railroad line. Development of the trail began in 1989 during the state's centennial, hence the name, Centennial Trail.
The trailhead and rest stop in the town of Machias is a replica of the Machias Station railroad depot built in the late 1890s which served the rail line which today is the Centennial Trail. The Machias Trailhead facility is available for rent. Contact park reservations at 425-388-6600 for details.
More than 400,000 citizens utilize the trail each year as a recreational trail and non-motorized commuter corridor. This 30-mile linear park has become one of the most valued and well-used assets in our 10,800-acre system.
It is for rent, but now sits empty for what I think has been years. My experience over the many years I have ridden this trail is that it has been a coffee shop, a gift shop, and a bicycle article shop (no bikes). With so many users of the trail, I don’t understand why something has not been successful.
We ate our lunch at the picnic tables that were devoid of any other picnickers, had a wonderful visit and chat before we were soon on our bikes for the return trip. We did make one stop at the bike shop, conveniently located at the side of the trail, for Cindy to purchase a new bike lock. The day was a little chilly and we did not get any of the promised sun, but had a great time together and a wonderful ride.
My photo for the day.
4/15 SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
I don’t plan on counting my errands by bike in this challenge, but today’s was different. Susan and I rode to Lynnwood to get our flu shots at Kaiser Permanente which made for a longer ride than a ‘usual’ errand ride.
This day would, by forecast, be our last dry day until after the weekend (this was Tuesday), so I was very determined that I would ride somewhere, and was glad that Susan wanted to ride with me for our shots.
Near home, Susan took the most direct route via the highway and I added a few more miles with one more errand stop to make our deposit at the bank. I love going to the bank by bike, and have been doing it for so long that the tellers at the drive through know me. I need not show ID anymore, I put the check in the drawer, and they wish me a safe ride and have a great day ;’-). Feels almost as if I live in a small village ;’-). I know I am the only one who banks by bike, so they have little reason to not know me. ;’-)
I was not sure if I could find a photo for this day, but then we passed by this.
5/15 SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
After four days of rain, it has finally given way to a dry day today, with promise for a beautiful sunny week ahead with temps in the mid to high 70s. My early morning ride this day started out on the cold side and I was glad I chose to layer more than I have been recently. It soon warmed up at least a little, but here was the low lying fog that blanketed the bay/sound between me and Whidbey Island.
There was frost lingering on the golf course.
I rode my ETAL (Every Turn And Loop) ride on this day and found there are a few people beginning to put out their Halloween decorations. I loop into and around every cul de sac, through a few industrial lots, and down some dead ends which gives me a nice number of miles over flat to rolling terrain. This being Sunday, and it being so early in the day, there was little to no traffic, and only a few people out in their yard or walking their dog. A most delightful time of day.
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