So yesterday after Earl and I returned from our getaway weekend, the weather turned very warm. We woke up to nearly freezing temperatures, by 3:00 p.m. it was almost 70. It turned out to be a perfect day to get a bike ride in. I ended up riding just shy of 25 miles in about two hours.
I opted to take the “really hilly route”, as I like to think of it. It’d been a while since I’d ridden up a few of the hills I found along my route but it was a good workout for the arms and legs and I felt a good sense of accomplishment after the climbs.
When I go for a bike ride I tend to ride north and/or west, especially at this time of year. Riding up into the small villages of Holland Patent, Barneveld and Remsen seems like a natural for autumn; the leaves are gorgeous as they change to brilliant colors. The scent of fireplaces and wood stoves fill the air and there’s just a feeling of coziness as I ride by the historic, rural houses. It’s the same feeling I had when we lived in our first house together. That house was built in 1854 and had the fireplaces and the type of kitchen that just begged to be filled with the smells of baking cookies. It’s probably odd that one would feel cozy on a long-distance bike ride, but that’s exactly how I felt yesterday.
Yet another reason that this really is my favorite time of year.
