Thanksgiving Tradition

For several years, I have gone for a Thanksgiving ride as part of my own little holiday tradition.

Today, I pulled out my mountain bike, which I use for winter commuting, to make sure it is in working order for the season. (I have been having a lot of anxiety-ridden dreams, no longer taking the form of math tests, but now involving insufficiently inflated tires on this bike!)

The bigger tires came in handy for handling slush and some deeper snow patches on the shady trail to Fort Snelling State Park. I am so grateful that I can ride into a state park from my house in Minneapolis.

I saw a bunch of turkeys followed by a treasure trove of raccoon, turkey, and deer tracks. If you, dear reader, know what little creature was galloping along the left side of the raccoon, please let me know. I am having a hard time matching both the track and the gait and don't have a track book at home.

We had a nice holiday dinner with our friend Jen, and cooked up the giblets for the dog. It was a nice low key holiday.

Recalculating Route

Well, this is not what I expected. But I will navigate it as best I can, and work to ensure that people are treated equitably and respectfully, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, and religion, and to protect our environment as best I can.

In the meantime, I found myself very earnestly and genuinely reaching out to friends, family, and colleagues today to let them know that I care about them. 

Let me know if you need a hug. I'm giving them away for free. It is not a limited-time offer.

Contentment

I have been needing some time in the woods, so I made plans to visit the half of my parents who, several years ago, tore down their old rustic cabin and built a new lake home. The cabin always was a place of comfort, and is even more so now that there's insulation and reliable heat.

This truly is my favorite place. The natural beauty is, well, beautiful, regardless of season. The light, the sounds, the smells always amaze me. And like when I used to visit my Grandma G., my brain knows this is a place to shut up. I actually sleep, even if there are noises.

Piper and I walked down by our lake yesterday, checking out the many bald eagles and exploring the new rock dock built, in large part, by my sister-in-law in August. I later went out with my parents for an authentic Wisconsin fish fry (perch, yum), and then walked in the dark - until I got freaked out about bears - to check out the stars.

This morning, when it was 34 degrees, my mom, our family friend Beth, and Piper and I went for a walk to the other side of a small river where we used to play as kids on an old earthen dam. I took a bonus selfie of me looking like Cyrus, the villain from a book I had as a kid.

After eating leftover perch for lunch, I took Piper for a walk on my favorite trail. I didn't take my phone for photos because I knew it would be beautiful and that I needed to enjoy it and absorb it in real life, not through a lens.

I have been thinking of all the great biking I could be doing here this weekend, but am glad to enjoy the scenery by foot, with my trusty canine companion. I'm looking forward to squeezing in some more of it before heading home tomorrow.