"Most of our pleasures come from unexpected sources."
—Herbert Spencer
I’ve been teased by my good friend, James Hunter—or Jimi as he likes to be called—that
my blog site enjoyyourlifenow.net is becoming a biking blog. Perhaps to some degree. It is a free travel and lifestyle blog, but the mode of travel has been limited to two wheels, battery powered for steeper hills. And, due to the coronavirus, my trips are local rather than national or international. That said, I have no complaints. Having inherited my late dad’s sense of curiosity, I am more focused on the journey, rather than the destination. I am seeing more of my community in a whole new way. I am captivated by sights and sounds in nature that are heartening and joyously beautiful.
After reading my blog site that he subscribes to (he doesn’t go on Facebook) Jimi often responds by saying that I have “beginners mind.” It is a Zen phrase that refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just like a beginner would. And, I owe it all to him. I never thought I would ever ride ten, twenty, even up to 30 miles round trip on a bike, not at my age.
Moreover, biking has saved me in so many ways, both physically and mentally. It is one activity that I and many of my fellow cyclists can still enjoy during this pandemic. It was Jimi who got me interested in biking a few years ago. I took to it like a moth to a flame and have never looked back.
With the coronavirus still at large, biking provides fresh air, especially on a stunning day like today, with a cool, gentle breeze at my back. With the gyms, health clubs, workplace closed and so many other activities off the table, biking is the ultimate escape from being cooped up in our homes. Bikes, unite us, even as we are so physically disconnected. We get to engage each other at a safe distance. We greet one another with a nod and a wave that adds a sense of community and connectedness at a time when that human connection is sorely missed.
I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy taking and posting them along the way. Check out the Santa Fe double engine cars that I had never seen before riding miles along the railroad tracks on the way to the percolation pond (photos).
It used to be that I was only riding my bike once a week. But I have upped that to several times a week and enjoy the solitary rides as well as with a friend or two. The silver lining in all this, is the chance to smell the roses, take deep full breaths as the air quality has improved, enjoy the silence while I can as the noise pollution has abated due to a dramatic drop in traffic.
When I returned home, Cecile had prepared homemade pizza with fresh tomato and feta cheese, roasted carrots and broccoli, and a side of Caesar's salad. I enjoyed it with a glass of the Essence of A to Z Oregon Reisling after which we took our final walk of the day on the trails around the lake.
Postscript: While I was on the road biking on Allendale Avenue near the vineyard where we used to live, someone was rolling up in his car along side of me, and it turned out to be Jimi Hunter (photo). It’s funny when that happens. He pulled over and we talked. Call it random if you’d like, but it occurred at the exact moment I was thinking about him. The magic of synchronicity.
