Good morning all! What a day yesterday. Wendy and I left my house at 6 am and drove to Itaska State Park. We went on the 2nd Annual bike ride that they had. Last year they offered a 50 mile ride which my cousin and I did. This year they had a 25, 50, and 75 mile option. We opted to do the 75. Wendy id such a trooper – it was first long ride and she did fantastic!
It was a great ride – beautiful day but close to 90 degrees out. AND – I have to say it, probably the most hills I have ever experienced on any bike ride I have been on. This picture here is one that we went up last year too and it is right around 55 miles into the ride.
Oof. I think I need a minute after seeing this hill again in the picture. 😉
Then last night Al and I met friends at an annual street dance that happens in Brainerd. It was a good band called The District and it is made up of teachers. Two of my good friends who I used to work with were there and we had a fun time listening to the music.
How crazy is that tan line on my arm?
That was why you did not see me around here yesterday. Today I pack for camp retreat and I leave at 1:00 pm for the North Shore and will not return until Tuesday afternoon. I am prepping a review for later and the Monday, What Are You Reading meme so go forward as always.
Life is a bit too busy right now and I am hoping to take Wednesday off from work upon my return to home so I can catch up on some things here and relax before I start running full speed ahead again.
Book Journey 
I went on a 5.5 mile canoe trip yesterday. Boy am I feeling it.
I love to canoe and kayak! I bet you do feel it but I bet it was a lot of fun 😀
I watched movies and read. You can see a review of one movie at http://laurel-rain-outonalimb.blogspot.com
And my weekly wrap-up is at my Sunday Salon here:
http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/the-sunday-salon-august-22/
Wow, way to go! That tan line is hilarious! The picture of the hill reminds me of the movie Forrest Gump when he took off running. Have a good time at the retreat. I’m hoping to get in some reading today. 🙂
Have fun Jill – I cant wait to have some reading time! 😀 Heidi said she wanted to paint part of my arm brown and then I would look like Neapolitan ice cream.
Nice friend huh? 😛
I love the farmer’s tan! Even looking at that road makes me a bit tired in the leg area I have to say. 🙂
I must get a sleeveless bike shirt for next year Trisha – LOL 😀
That hill would have discouraged me. Get out and walk. I don’t like going down steep hills (this one isn’t too bad). The worst fall I ever had on a bike was on a downhill run. My husband got a bike rack on the car, so now maybe we can strt riding. I haven’t been on a bike in years. Bought my new bike a year ago and haven’t ridden it yet. Truly not safe place to ride. There are some great bike trails and restricted roads not terribly far from here. Once the weather cools off we’ll be able to start. We are close to Cade’s Cove in the Smokey Mountain National Park. It has a loop road that has allowances for bike riders. I have a lot of conditioning to do before I’m ready for that.
Saturday my husband and I went to a Celtic Festival in Big Stone Gap, VA. It is the second year and they are trying to develop it into a bigger regional event. Nice little historic town with a few good museums and historic houses. It is also home to Adriana Trigiani. Drove by her family home.
Had a really great day. My husband got to wear his new Air Force tartan kilt and the whole highland gear. I have to find some fabric to make a skirt and blouse that will match the tartan shoulder scarf. Maybe by the big games next year. There was a short parade with british cars, a pipe band and the French Club from the High school (Brittany was a celtic region). Next year we will have our 1972 Land Rover restored for the parade. The ladies of the Presbyterian Church had Scottish dishes, the haggis was excellent, for a sampling meal. They had several music venues with area musicians. There was a sheepdog herding demonstration at the park. One of the organizers is a Scot who has a show on the local NPR station. He owns a used book store and of course I spent some time and money there. The store and coffee shop take up the entire first floor of their house. The Fox Historic House offered High Tea. It was delightful. In the early evening they had a Ceilidh Dance back at the church. Sort of a jam by most of the musicians from the days performances. Several celtic dances were taught and we danced. It was great fun. It is wonderful small town and we will go back to go through the museums.
It was the first day we have just taken off and goofed off. Was a good break. Now my husband can get back under the house and continue digging out the crawl space so we can have a new heat pump installed. It is hot, dirty work, and he really is getting too old to do that sort of thing. I can get back to digging through all these boxes in the house and storeroom.
The festival sounds so fun Pat! I like those kinds of things! Did you read the post I did on Trisha’s blog yesterday? I think I linked to it on my morning post from yesterday. It is about festivals 😀
Yup, read it. There are so many more festivals coming up. Just found out about a 3 day Highland Games near Williamsburgh, VA in October. We are trying to see if we can work it in. We will just be getting back from a few days in NC and a blacksmithing conference in Ohio. We are going to Orlando in October. Harry Potter here I come. I found a 3 day Native American festival the weekend we will be heading home. We are going to that one. Between now and our trip to NC, there will be a 3 day Celtic Festival here. It is always fun. There is an Apple Festival and The National Story Telling Festival here the same weekend as the games near Williamsburgh.
Pat all that sounds so fun! I love how you travel so much and go to such amazing places! 😀
Congrats on finishing the bike ride, and also congrats to Wendy!! 75 miles is quite an accomplishment for her first long ride!
Hope your trip to the camp retreat is a great one!
Vicki – thanks! Wendy was such a trooper – I think the first time I did a big ride it was 30 miles and I was so impressed with myself…. LOL
I read a *ton* yesterday. And most of the living room got painted around me, as I read! 🙂
Hannah that is two things I would love to have happen one of these days soon – a ton of reading, and my living/dining room areas painted (especially if I am not doing the painting!) 😛
Hope it was a good book!
It’s amazing how much better the house feels with this paint, Sheila! The space isn’t finished yet (not nearly, actually), but this helps so much! My husband paints professionally, so I generally leave that to him once we settle on a color. 😀
It was The Last Christian! 🙂
Oh good! I hope you enjoyed it!
I hope to get a review written of it soon.
I keep coming back to that hill picture. I bought a bike years ago, but then we moved, to a place comprised entirely of hills, and I never rode.
Its not too bad Hannah – the hills…. I mean yeah challenging but it made us feel really good at what we accomplished and we laughed a lot about needing the sag wagon 😛
I envy LibraryPat’s day at the Celtic festival. I haven’t been to one in years. And I think riding a bike around the loop at Cade’s Cove would be heaven.
I have a farmer’s tan, you have a biker’s tan. Me and my Cub Cadet spend entirely too much time together. 😀
When I get back from the North Shore I will be spending a little time with the riding lawn mower myself…. perhaps I can start to stripe my arms…. LOL
You have been busy! I really should get back into bike riding. What with living in the Mid Wales countryside, I’m surrounded by hills so it would certainly do me some good.
I went shopping yesterday. I needed a top for a friend’s hen-do, but came home with a top and a coat! Today I spent time with my little niece 🙂
Nikki-ann – you should do it. I wore my heart monitor yesterday for working out and I burned 3,338 calories on that bike ride.
Oh…. and Nikki-ann….. what’s a hen-do? 😯
😛
I’m glad I’m not the only one with a tan like that. 🙂 Glad I am in good company with you, Sheila.
That hill! OMG, I don’t think I would have made it.
Loved your guest post on Trisha’s blog about the festivals, too.
Melissa – we just about died! LOL I had that hill last year too so I was suspecting it. Wendy was such a trooper!
Wow that is a lot of hills-congrats to you to getting out there and doing it.
Thanks Esme 😀
Wow to be young and in good enough shape to bike a road like that. I am very impressed. I am also very jealous that you will be able to take off work to read Mockingjay. I am so looking forward to reading this book. I am wondering if Collins is feeling any pressure from all this anticipation?
Have a great week.
Great question Jan! I have been so bust lately I have not been foloowing a lot of the hype around the book. I am hoping to have some time to do so on Wednesday! 😀
Holy cow! How long did it take you to ride 75 miles?
We have a break about every 15 miles Kathy – and a lunch break at the 33 mile point. My bike computer clocked us at an overall average of 13.2 miles per hour (darn hills really kill your average!) and we biked about 5 1/2 hours.