WEEK 4 FEBRUARY RIDES & PHOTOS #33-36

#33 February 23, 2021

The Cookie Caper...

Cindy and I went back and forth many times by email trying to outthink or outwit the weather. Finally I said I am on my way — to her house to pick up the cookies I had ordered from her Granddaughter, and to do take a little bike ride together. After procuring and securing the goods we saddled up for our ride.

The sun stayed with us most of the time but we watched as dark clouds loomed not far from us, seemingly on the move in our direction. Undaunted we continued our ride around some neighborhoods we have not explored before, and ended up on a great little unpaved trail that unexpectedly took us to the paved Interurban trail. 

We stopped at this little picnic area and recalled what a good year we have had — for such a tough year! Virtual riding together then meeting with our tea for some chatting time, and eventually actually riding together (see post from June 2020 for a bit of that story). This little park was one of the first where we met for some tea time.

We feel thankful for each other, for our bikes, for staying healthy, for being active throughout the year. We each said that we don’t know anyone else who would have so consistently, and with such delight, done this progression of riding together. Even if sometimes the ‘together’ was ‘apart’. 

Weather stayed good as we went on our separate ways to return to our homes, and the little rain that I got within about 15 minutes of home was light and of no consequence. Another perfect riding day.

#34 February 24, 2021

The sun was out. The clouds were high and light. The sky was (mostly) blue. The air on my cheeks, the only exposed part of my body, felt crisp, invigorating and fresh.

Proof of sun:  Me and my shadow.

If one heart is good, then...

I got out somewhat earlier at 9:00 to be sure to be home for our friend Kathy’s arrival. Kathy was bringing lunch for all of us to enjoy on our front porch. What a delight to arrive home to the porch already set up by Susan.

Heaters were placed at each end and chairs were spaced around for our masked and distanced porch lunch and socializing ;’-).

Taco Fixin’s are being readied for us.

Life is good. Even in these trying times we are in, there is a lot to be grateful for. 

#35 February 27, 2021

Fortunately I don’t go with my first instinct these days to lighten up on my wear by taking away a layer! It is still cold out there at 41 degrees, and today the promised sun did not come through until near the end of my ride this morning. 

I had thought of riding all the way into Everett, but once out doors and feeling the cold, I changed my route to stay a little closer to home. On my way to connect with Casino Road for my trip back home, I pass this cute little reminder off children playing.

This route takes me through Boeing and Paine Field Airport, as many of my routes do. Though the the sun was elusive during my ride, it did peek out through a few rips in the clouds, and helped make for a fine riding day.

#36 February 28, 2021

Damp and feeling ‘raw’ out there on my ride today. I had not planned to do a very long ride, but made it even shorter as it was not bringing me enough joy to be on my bike.

That does not mean that I was not happy to be riding, but not enjoying the cold dampness enough to want to ride long. 

FEBRUARY 

Not a lot of sun, and quite a bit of wet weather with temps staying in the mid 30s at the start of the month. Middle of the month brought us snow and temps dropping to the mid and lower 20s before starting on the rise again. The daylight hours were at least lengthening and Susan and I were able to get both our vaccine shots, so the month was not a total bust. Plus, I was able to get in 14 bike rides ;’-).

WEEK 3 FEBRUARY RIDES AND PHOTOS #31-32

#31 February 19, 2021

A week. A FULL week. A WHOLE entire week without a ride. I think that could be some kind of record 🤔.

Snow, frozen rain, slush, one fatigue post-vax day, and heavy rain are the reasons for not riding for that long. But today would NOT be another day off my bike. Cloudy, dry, 42 degrees with bone dry roads all made for a rather enjoyable day on the saddle.

Though I didn’t require much push, my needed errand to stop by the bank is always a help to get me out the door. Once at the bank I kept going and did my Shawna route with adding some of my usual loops at the end. 

I love this spot with the pond, the wooden fence, and this mossy tree.

Ahhhh. So nice to be back in the saddle.

#32 February 20, 2021

My ride with Cindy today started with a little sun and ended with more sun. There were clouds in the middle but no rain ;’-). An uneventful and delightful scamander around Mill Creek with tea and croissant stop in Town Center for our reward. 

Had to get a photo of the bear family either helping each other up the tree or stepping on each other to get up the tree first.

Only two rides in the third week of February, but for a while I was not sure I would get any rides that week 🤨. So I’m happy that I was not “skunked”.

SNOW, VALENTINE’S DAY AND VACCINE

The snow was beautiful for two days.

Watching the snow falling outside our living room window ;’-). We Felt like we were in a snow globe.

My “snow bike” gathered more snow over the two days.

Happy Bush in our front yard photo that our neighbor took.

Susan and I had a wonderful snow walk on Valentine’s Day. Our afterthought was that wearing our snow shoes would have been a good idea for the deepish snow we trudged through. We snow walked 3 miles round trip to Mukilteo Cafe, picked up our Valentine’s Day breakfast/brunch and brought it home to enjoy at our leisure. Yes, our food got cold, but it heated up well.

On Tuesday (tomorrow) we will drive to get vaccine #2. We are so pleased that that will happened, but will remain vigilant about wearing our masks and keeping distance from everyone. 🤨. But at least as one of my friends said, it will help us to not feel quite so paranoid about getting sick!

Sigh, and now the snow melt begins. Frozen rain, black ice, slush, sludge, downed tree limbs, flooding areas due to amount of snow (10 inches at our house), grit in the bike lanes, and THEN continued rain. This does not bode well for more bike riding in February 🥺😫😠.

WEEK 2 FEBRUARY RIDES AND PHOTOS #26-30

#26 February 8, 2021

They say we will be (may be) getting snow later this week. They have been saying that off and on for about a month. We never know when they might be right! Snow/ice will keep me off the bike, so I gotta store up some riding 😊.

I met Cindy near the Interurban Trail for a ride into South Everett and a search for chocolate.  Chocolate is one of the items on my Bike and Seek list this month, and Cindy selflessly volunteered to help me with the search 🤗.

An outdoor table under the eaves kept use dry — we were not expecting the rain we got a little of! Chocolate Brownie was oh so delicious.

As soon as we started on our way after our chocolate treat ... we were riding in falling snow/graupel, oh my! We were definitely not expecting snow! 

We WERE expecting sun, but never did get that.

This morning’s weather person said winter weather is on the move with the coldest temps we have had this season and it “starts today’. I had taken extra time to put on even MORE warmth to start out in 36 degrees that would not climb much beyond that for the day. Cindy and I had quite the adventure riding in the snow, but neither of us got cold. Says a lot for our good winter riding gear ;’-) 🤗

#27 February 9, 2021

As I have mentioned numerous times, Susan mainly likes to ride if she has an actual destination. She would never do what I do with repetitious rides around the neighborhood 😏. The destination for today was a ride to check out where we will be getting our second Covid 19 shot next week. The location has been changed from where we had gotten shot #1. The move is not far from where it was, but is now indoors rather than the drive-up at Paine Field. 

We found the Boeing Recreation Building with no problem.

Now we know where Step 1 is...

The ride is not far nor difficult and we would love to bike there for our shot, but we don’t know if we might have a ‘reaction’ to it, so must drive there to be on the safe side.

We would even have the opportunity to pump up tires if need be.

On the way back through Boeing we again had the experience of the small line of trains crossing — this time the caboose was “leading”, and we got to wave to the ‘caboose-men’.

Total sun for the day but without cloud cover, the temp did not rise above 36 degrees. I tacked on a few more miles as Susan turned off to go directly home. It was too nice to stop now ;’-). And snow is on the way (they say).

#28 February 10, 2021

I can now say that I have ridden my bike in ‘freezing temps’, and was quite comfortable in the 31 degrees ;’-). Being warm throughout my 15 mile ride validates that the money I have spent on all my foul weather riding gear has not been wasted ;’-). I wasn’t sure I would ride before temps got ABOVE freezing, but it was taking too long to warm up so off I went on this mid morning in slightly below freezing weather. 

So — as long as there is no wind, no precipitation (the day of or the night before), and sunshine — I know I can ride in 31 degrees! Awesome I say.

#29 February 11, 2021

Same temp as yesterday (31) but a dampness in the air, and without the sun it felt colder. One of my regular routes with a return to try to get a better photo of that sea chant was fine for today’s ride. But the photo is not much better than the one from last week. I looked around at the trail nearby and though I did not ride down the hill, I noted it for a potential future exploration. 

#30 February 12, 2021

Cold at 29 degrees with no sun and upcoming snow forecast! I did not stay out long nor venture very far because of that. I rode as far as City Hall and got a photo of the bike rack that I like so much. That wet looking pavement will soon see snow and then become icy. They say 😉.

And then this happened...

See you in a few days ;’-0.

WEEK 1 FEBRUARY RIDES AND PHOTOS #22-25

STARTING FEBRUARY

Yep, as we thought, the projected forecast is —- rain, and lots of it for much of the first week of this month. Here is what our newspaper had to say...

Happy February. We just had one of the wettest, warmest Januaries ever in the Seattle area, and it looks like we're in for more of the same before a few sun breaks in the week ahead. 

And then we find that today the meteorologist groundhog has predicted six more weeks of winter 🤔.

# 22 February 2, 2021

You see that date? I had to wait four long days for the rain to lessen enough for a comfortable ride!! Four days! 

I had to wait until just about noon for this morning’s heavy rain to stop, and stop it did. I even had a few sunspots while riding, and as the sky seemed to be getting darker as I was on my way home. 

I did the short loops around the neighborhood, but this time I went backwards, or I suppose that would be in the opposite direction from what I normally do. I felt that it could start raining at any moment, so I stayed closer to home as well. But no rain, and I stopped for my photo on the High School campus. The gal and horse are a bit damp, but not soaking.

#23 February 3, 2021

SUN!! And for all day. Yummmmm.

As I thought I would, I got more time on the saddle than I had been getting over the past several days (don’t count the rain days!). I took myself up and around the Boeing Plant via the Mukilteo Blvd and added a few little loops to the route. 

I am drawn to fences, especially wood or stone fences. And here was one that had a little of both. Add bushes and greenery and it is doubly hard to resist a photo.

Across the road from the fence was this cute mailbox. Looks like it took a lot of tender care to build.

The two mile road through the Boeing plant is quite nice as there is usually no traffic, and this is the first time I have had a train cross on the tracks. 

Very short wait for the two engines, two cars, and caboose. Added to my adventure for the day ;’-).

It felt so good to ride in sunshine, and I appreciated every moment of today’s ride. Rain for much of the week coming again, begins tonight.

#24 February 5, 2021

I allowed myself time to bask in the ride I had on February 3rd as the rain kept me indoors the following day. Now — today, I needed time outdoors, and time on my bike. This is what has been keeping me ‘sane’ during this pandemic. And the morning news forecast looked promising with some sun in the day. Quick! Call Cindy 😊. She said ‘yes’ to this last minute request to go for a ride.

I cycled to her house and we did some meandering around neighborhoods of Mill Creek before getting ourselves to Starbucks for some Tea Time ;’-).

On the way to Cindy’s was this sign I could not resist to snap for my photo for the day.

Though the forecast was not totally right, we at least had most of the day without rain — until my last 3-4 miles home when I had light rain getting me wet. Oh well, I did not melt and I did not freeze ;’-). 

#25 February 7, 2021

You would think (I would think) with the sun shining bright, I would be itchin’ to hop on the saddle for a ride. Maybe I am weary of pulling on so many layers of clothes; maybe 35 degrees this morning seemed too cold; maybe I am bored with riding my same loops over and over; maybe I have gotten lazy. Could be any or all of those reasons that had me reluctantly pushing myself out the door for a ride. 

Cindy told me that once I got out there, I would feel the magic 🤔. Guess what — she was right! It took no time at all for me to know I would ride a bit further than I had ‘promised’ myself (bribery) I would do, if myself would just get out there.

Sunshine does make such a difference, and the temp climbing to 40 helped some to give me a great day on my bike. I don’t have a name or title for all my routes (you will recall the “Shawna Route”), but this one I named ETAL (as in et al = everything) and in my case Every Turn And Loop from home and around our area. When riding this route I am probably no further than 3 miles from home, but can make my ride up to 20 miles long. So nice. 

At the end of one of those loops I stopped for a sip and found this a pleasant place. The rock my bike is leaning on has what seems to be a sea chantry. It is a dark plaque and I did not get a very good photo. I will try for a better one next time I am there, but if you enlarge it you can read much of the chantry.