Yesterday I was at the corner of Joy, literally and metaphorically.
A reader asked “so what happened to your Pilot Butte hikes?” Well it has been very hot in Central Oregon and I had no desire to hike in the heat. Also my knee was bothering me a bit so I thought perhaps I should try something else besides the Monday hikes for a while.
So I decided instead to start riding my bike, on a daily basis, in the early morning, instead of a Monday hike. It has been a year since I have been on my bike and I forgot the joy of bike riding!
I am riding a couple miles each morning up to 7 or more miles. Some days I can only fit in a couple miles but that is still wonderful!
Bike riding is great for my knees and I am feeling a tremendous sense of JOY when I ride my bike.
I am riding in the surrounding neighborhoods and in low traffic areas. Many times, it is like I have the road completely to myself.
A sense of peace washes over me and I would be in a complete meditative state if not needing to carefully watch for cars (as you never know when a car will come out of no where and many drivers do not seem to see cyclists – it is like we are invisible!)
The other morning I was having a glorious bike ride in a newer neighborhood area I had not noticed before and I came across a street called JOY WAY. This street name perfectly described what I was feeling biking on a beautiful morning!
I had to take photo (yes I did dismount from my bike to take the photo) as it made me smile even wider than I was already smiling!
I hope you all find yourself at “the corner of Joy…”, metaphorically that is!
“One of the most important days of my life, was when I learned to ride a bicycle.”
– Michael Palin (English comedian of Monty Python fame)“I’ll tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood.”
– Susan B. Anthony, 1896“Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia.”
– H.G. Wells
Postscript
One of my favorite bicycling memories biking for miles and miles around the rural outskirts of Copenhagen when visiting a friend in Denmark. It was magical!
You medial quadriceps are knee supporter/stabilizers, bike riding is one of the few exercises that isolates and strengthen the medial quads.
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Wow thanks! I appreciate that info 😀 you validate I am doing the right thing for my knees!
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I love the delight you take in unexpected and mundane finds–like a street sign reinforcing your feeling of joy! I attended a workshop last Saturday entitled Embracing the Arts as a Means of Grace, and one of the things we talked about was noticing–really noticing–the gifts that are all around us. Amazing if we will but take it in. Amazing Grace.
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That is awesome Martha!
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Oh, and I love the Susan B Anthony quote! Ride on!
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Sassy is a very lucky dog. So glad the two of you can get out and exercise together.
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Thanks Cindy – you know she has a busy life: managing her humans and writing her schnauzer snips blog 😉
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Love this post! Hey Tierney – I bet you have some good closeups of Sassy? Could you post a link (assuming they’re on your blog somewhere)? If you don’t mind me sketching her, that is. ❤
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You can sketch her that old b awesome! Yes check out my Schnauzer Snips page https://tierneycreates.wordpress.com/schnauzersnips/
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😀 Will do!
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“Would be” I mean, not “old b” 😀
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Thanks for the shout out to Copenhagen! Yay for bicycles, my favorite mode of transportation. The pic with Sassy is so cute – who wouldn’t want to ride like that?!
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Definitely a memory I will never forget, thanks for making it happen!
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I’m ashamed to say I can’t ride a bicycle unless you count those exercise ones at the gym but your excitement is so contagious that I really feel like I need to take up cycling 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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Great blog! I’ve been wanting to get back on the bike too, but I first have to deal with a new intertube. 😦
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Thanks and go get yourself a new innertube 🙂
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LOL Keep saying I’m gonna do just that…it’s the whole time factor!
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I think Sassy looks like a very happy Schnauzer! If I put my Sadie Sue Schnauzer in a backpack, she would surely leap out at every robin and squirrel she sees! Your post has inspired me to dust off my bike and get riding! I agree with Martha, gifts of grace surround us if we take the time to look!
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Thanks GBD! Sadie Sue – what an adorable Schnauzer name! It took Sassy awhile to get used to the backpack but she likes being carried around – she likes her humans to serve her – ha!
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Are you sure she’s not actually a cat?
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