We’ve had a cool somewhat rainy May, but Saturday and especially Sunday turned out be warm and sunny. Accordingly, Clif brought up the bikes from down cellar, and on Sunday, we went for the first bike ride of the season.
A brief backstory: Through last fall and winter, I have been, ahem, a bit sedentary. I do have an excuse—I’ve been extremely busy with Maya and the Book of Everything—but let’s just say that my body has not been impressed with this excuse. Or with the amount of chocolate I like to eat. So the beginning of May, I took the exercise bike by the seat, so to speak. I decided no mater how busy I was—and I continue to be very busy—I was going to ride the exercise bike for at least thirty minutes a day for six days a week. Oh, that road to nowhere is a boring one, but I persevered.
Yesterday, the pay-off was more than evident. We went eight miles, which included a decent hill, and I was neither winded nor exhausted after the ride. We started out at lovely Norcross Point, where families were enjoying the sunny day.
As we biked by the lake, I heard a loon call. A little later, I saw a blue heron fishing by the shore. (Alas, I didn’t get a picture. ) I could smell lilacs and lilies of the valley. People grilling meat. Such a day!
We stopped to take a picture of our friend’s garden. Very fitting for Memorial Day when we honor the men and woman in the military as well as the people who have passed from our lives. Gone, but still remembered.
Here’s a closer look.
When we got home, up came the big green patio table, and we were ready for our first barbecue of the season—turkey burgers.
We settled at the table, enjoying our drinks—beer for Clif and iced green tea and honey for me.
After a leisurely lunch, Clif mowed the lawn, I planted, and we both pronounced Sunday a finest kind of day.
The cherry on the sundae? Later that night, I was listening to the New Yorker Radio Hour before falling asleep, and David Remnick, the incredible editor of the New Yorker, referred to something someone said as a “quotation” rather than the more commonly used “quote.”
I must confess, this is one of my grammar crotchets. Quote is a verb, and quotation is a noun. But, as with many things grammar, this is changing with use, and most people say or write “quote” when they really mean “quotation.” I’ve resigned myself to this. Why fight the inevitable?
But, oh, it made me smile to hear David Remnick use the correct word.
Notes From the Hinterland 
Well done with the bike ride. I’m afraid we all eventually have to concede defeat on language. ‘All of’ is my pet bugbear, but I’m giving up protesting
Sounds like a perfect day.
A beautiful day!
Yay to the first bike ride of the year!! A lovely day!!
Yay and Yay!
A bike ride and barbecue – perfect Memorial Weekend treat. Glad you were able to get back on the bike and enjoy the glory of spring.
Thanks, Beth! So nice.
What a fine day! Hopefully the weather will stay kind and bring you many more days of biking and barbecueing this year ;o)
Yes, yes!
Yay for you, Laurie, for working hard and getting physically stronger. great job!
Thanks, Jodie! Worth all the hard work, that’s for sure.
Good for you, Laurie! I would not be able to do 8 miles! And the whole grammar thing is one of my pet peeves as well. Especially the apostrophe disease! I don’t understand why so many people feel the need to make simple plurals into possessives. Aargh!
At the beginning of May, I wouldn’t have been able to ride eight miles either. It’s amazing what one month on the exercise bike will do. That road to nowhere isn’t much fun, but it certainly builds strength. Many people do seem to suffer from apostrophe confusion đ
Good for you getting out and about – and such pretty country to ride in!
We are lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Yes, indeed!
I would agree…. a pretty fine day!!!!
Yes, yes!
Sunday was a glorious day for a bike ride.
A beauty of a day.
I think traveling at bike speed is just the right speed–fast enough to get a breeze and stay cool but slow enough to catch the sights and smells around you! It does sound like a perfect day. And I totally understand about the grammar pet peeves. The one currently giving me fits is the use of “gifted” when “given” is perfectly satisfactory. “I was gifted a bottle of wine” . . . ugh.
I agree. Bike speed is just the right speed. Perhaps that’s why I love biking so much. Yes, using “gifted” as a verb can certainly make a person sigh. But, that is the way things are with the English language—always changing. We just have to resign ourselves đ
What a lovely day and your iced tea looks so cool and luscious! Well done you for keeping up with all that bike to nowhere training! I have a number of peeves but the main one at present is ‘would of’ and ‘should of’ instead of ‘would have’/’should have’.
Thanks, Claire. I might be wrong about this, but I don’t think “should of” will ever replace “Would have/should have.” But who knows? đ
I am outside a lot and can walk 3-5 miles with no problem. But, if I really want to see how out of shape I am all I have to do is get on my old bike with no speeds and peddle a few blocks. đ Sounds like you had a marvelous day. How different people use words is always interesting but spell check can sure throw you for a loop when it keeps trying to change the word you want to use. đ
Biking is something that must be done gradually. Also, it makes a big difference if a place is hilly or flat. Yes, spell check can be pesky, but for a lousy speller like me, it’s also a blessing đ