Monday, March 24, 2008

Easter Weekend

Nothing much to report and no boy toy stories to share during a weekend of cycling. However ....



Saturday, The Boyfriend and I biked 44 miles from Sand Hill Road to Canada Road over to Crystal Springs Reservoir and Sawyer Camp Trail in San Mateo County. Photos taken from wikipedia entries.



The trail is mostly flat but often crowded with cyclists, joggers, hikers and other critters.








Sunday, I did my usual 17 mile loop along the Guadalupe River Trail. The trees are still in full bloom -- densely packed bunches of white blossoms, much like enormous cotton balls. I once walked through a field of cotton in Israel. Photo below from a wikipedia entry. When I returned home, I discovered it was Easter. I popped over to Target. The parking lot was empty. I have never seen its parking lot deserted. I thought the Bomb had dropped or the Plague had come back or something. Returning home, there was an Egg Hunt going on in the neighborhood park. For adult women, I want a Man Hunt! Oh The Boyfriend is going to say I'm whining again.



Meanwhile, The Boyfriend is off on a mountain biking trip with other boys, no doubt bonding around the camp fire singing Kumbaya and roasting marshmellows. I told him I wouldn't eat gobs of leftover chocolate bunnies and jelly bellies and lie on the couch watching Dexter; instead, I'd go out each evening to do a bike ride. Yeah, right honey bunny. Oh oh, I don't want to be around when he reads this post upon his return.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Sunday in Ripon



I spent Sunday in Ripon visiting my friend's almond farm. On the way, I drove past The Altamont Pass with its wind turbines. Walking in an orchard in bloom is spectacular -- bees humming, row after row of hundreds and hundreds of trees some with their petals fallen on the ground like snow and with the occasional darker pink tree in the midst (peach or cherry). What's not to love about California grown and farmer's markets.


Saturday, March 8, 2008

Spring Forward



After the rains, comes Spring. I finally fired up the bikes and took a spin last weekend, first with my friend Pat and a few strangers strolling up Highway 9 in Saratoga and along Skyline to Page Mill Road. The next day was spent with The Boyfriend going along Sand Hill Road and Canada Road. He was rather impressed with my speed on Canada after a lame start. Of course, I was slowed down by the many men who said hello to me and to which I felt obliged to respond.



Today, while The Boyfriend is away on a business trip, I returned to my beloved Alviso. More photos available from this webpage. The Guadalupe Trail is mostly complete now. When I arrived in Alviso, a train was passing and the driver blew his horn as he passed me. I went choo choo back to him, like he heard. On my ride, I saw a meadow of yellow flowers and pink ones that dotted the slopes of the river. On the path around the Bay, tiny white birds stood erect along the black sandy shores. On my return into Alviso, I came across a giant lightbulb in the yard of someone's house, at least 4 feet long, I kid you not. This is why I love Alviso -- for its surprises in a sleepy town in the middle of nowhere.