Riding my bike on a fine July morning...

A vintage bike waits for the right owner in an antique shop in Walla Walla.

Let me explain...

It was never my intention to have so many years pass between bike rides.

It seemed like I have always owned a bike since learning to ride on a borrowed bike when I was about five years old (that was never the same after my many crashes.)

Some of my fondest summer memories as a kid include long bike rides "over the hills" in West Laramie--that was really a romantic description of zooming up and over high dirt entrances to several homes and businesses.  If we pedaled fast enough we lifted up off the ground for an instant, gleeful in our successful attempts at flying!   

"El Toro," a bike parked in downtown Denver.

I rode a bike as a young mother, strapping my kids into the plastic seat over the rear bumper.  Later, when they were all riding their own bikes, we would take family bike rides, sometimes miscalculating how long it would take us to return home, and often arriving in the dark.

I often rode my bike to work and to do short errands, depending on where we lived.

And then...and I'm not sure exactly why, I stopped riding my bike.  The kids grew up and out, I discovered the joy of walking and my bike was eventually donated during one of our many moves.

A blue bike adds color to a bike rack in Sidney, Australia.

One day, while still living in Ohio, Ken suggested we get bikes.  Sounded like a marvelous idea and so we did--about the same time we got our sweet Golden Retriever, Molly.

Although Molly LOVED to run with us we had varying degrees of successful efforts meant to keep her from darting in front of us or when her attention was snagged by a squirrel going the opposite direction.  

Not wanting to risk injury to any of us we put our bikes aside and focused on walking with her, a joyful outing that began every morning until we said goodbye in March last year.




"Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
                             --Albert Einstein

My bike, complete with basket, helmet and...

While working in the garage early this month, Ken decided to "retrieve" our bikes--tuning, adjusting, adding air to the tires.

"Your bike is ready for you to ride," he announced proudly one afternoon and it was like meeting an old friend after a long absence.

It was simply amazing to feel my feet on the pedals once again as the air brushed against my cheek.

...a most delightful bell!!

We live midway up a rather steep hill and so launching out of the driveway was exhilarating as I simply flew down the street!  

I quickly decided to pedal in a direction on the Poudre River Trail that would enable me to see and explore more than Molly and I had been able to do in our hour walk.

I felt like the Great Explorer as I reached the furthest point Molly and I had reached--and continued east!!!  

What a delight to feel the freedom to roll along, confident that my legs would power me wherever I wanted to go and content to let the world unroll before me!!

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."
                                   --John F. Kennedy