Tasks
1. see El Boyfriend off! He’s headed to Vancouver, BC for a week-long conference
2. perform a wee but of bike maintenance
3. celebrate my first day fully off from work with a long leisurely bike ride around town
Trappings
jeans — Loft, thrifted and refashioned blouse — vintage (handmade linen!) scarf — gifted by Jessie
Tales
I had a nice, relaxing day today, which is something I really needed. As much as I loved my gig teaching over the last month, it really wore me out, and it feels nice to get back into my old patterns. So today was all about the kind of aimless and unfettered wanderings that a summer day and a trusty bike can bring.
Her name is Poppy and she’s my boon companion
It’s also the last weekend of the Let’s Go Ride a Bike 2011 Summer Games challenge, so I was just in time to capture some bike riding events and be a part of the fun and games. My trusty bike, Poppy, needed a little loving, too, so I did the traditional chain-oiling, seat-adjusting, tire-inflating preparations…
Then I went on a bit of an adventure. I started out going my usual morning commute route, almost by instinct. I didn’t have a route in mind, so I was just aimlessly pedaling, letting Poppy tell me where to go. By chance, I noticed something I must have passed hundreds of times but never noticed:
Who is that I see?
Oh, you know: just R2D2.
How have I never realized that my favorite droid has been waving to me all summer long as I biked to and from work? I honestly couldn’t be happier to have met this new friend. Isn’t it just the summeriest, happiest thing, to have droid along your ride?
After a while, I found my way to a bike path I’ve never tried before. My little city is really bike friendly and well known for having great trails, which means that I have my favorite paths and comfortable routes and that I have neglected exploring beyond those particular trails. But this one was a newbie for me, so I decided to see where it would take me.
Turns out, it ended in a big, fat nowhere, but that was never really the goal. And along the way, I found a magical new spot:
This tunnel was so low that my head almost touched the roof when I went under, but it was like entering a secret world! I was more than a little convinced I would meet some talking woodland animals who would entangle me into an epic battle against an evil witch for control of their magical land. And it would be sad and it would be dramatic but it would also be all PG and in the end I would get to ride away with as a princess or something. Instead, I came out the other end, back into the sunlight, but I was okay with that, too.
If you were going on a bike ride, where would you head to?
R2D2 fire hydrant! Say whaaaaaat?! That is awesome!
Such a cute bike! I live in Boulder,CO…so many fun trails here too. Have fun w/ r2d2 ^_^