like i said in my last post, the weather’s been just glorious here. between the blue, blue skies and balmy temperatures, it’s been easy to give in to the lure of the outdoors, if even just for a quick photo op.
yesterday i went to visit my friends kris, helena, and jeff for the afternoon. it was a perfect spring day for a photo shoot at their farm
kris is working at getting the gardens cleaned up and ready for planting, while the three-legged cat indulges in some strenuous napping, being perfectly shaped for lounging on her bad side in the sun
i’m not really a cat person (ok, i’m not a cat person at all), but i do appreciate the spirit in which this one throws herself into her work, heh.
helena graciously helped me out by modeling the pine and ivy shawls for an hour or so before our sewing lesson began. helena, who is aiming for a career in fashion, is already an accomplished stylist (she loves combing through thrift stores) and has begun a serious study in sewing (she’s going to be great). we meet every two or three weeks for a lesson and then she works on her own in between. over the winter, she made the gray wool lined skirt she is wearing in the photos (more to come for the pattern release)—isn’t it lovely? it fits perfectly. yesterday she worked on mastering darts; she’s making a dress that has eight of them (so there was lots of practice) and was delighted to be able to measure her improvement as she sewed each one.
we had our choice of interesting spots to work in, including kris’s kitchen garden, inside the big barn, and at the top of the hill to the lower pastures. everyone wanted to be outside, enjoying the sun and we had some visitors that insisted on being included in the blog photos.
jeff’s bees are waking up and discovering the world again after a long winter—though still a little sleepy, i think, and not very interested in lace.
here’s a piece of beeswax from the top-bar hive in which they are raised
looks like a few greedy flies got caught in there forever.
all in all, a beautiful day.
you might be suspecting that i don’t have any knitting to show you today—and you’d be right. i’m working the toe of that french quarter sock and got a few rows in on my littlest pine and ivy and have done some more swatches, but no new project underway yet—i’ll have to work on that over the weekend (along with some cooking; we could use a couple of new and interesting dishes in our lives).
that’s what happens when i get spring fever—i get distracted by more active tasks around the place and focus on bringing new ideas to life, so that less project knitting gets done.
then there’s bike riding—all winter i used the eventual change in weather as incentive for climbing onto my exercise bike for an hour or so. for the past two weeks, i’ve been released to ride out in the sun and fresh air most days.
this is a creek the runs between two nearby neighborhoods; in order to ride through, i have to cross over it on a little bridge—i always go out of my way to use the bridge, even though i could stay on the streets by riding around.
when david and i ride together several evenings a week, we take our “serious” (but somewhat fussy) road bikes out for some fast biking on a straight shot out to the country and back. we love this kind of trip, which requires special shoes and padded pants, because we can ride hard in a synchronized way and keep each other challenged. if we flat out or have mechanical difficulties, it’s nice to have the other person there, too.
but if i want to ride in the morning, i have to go out alone, so i prefer to take my “town” bike for a more twisty-turny sojourn through the various neighborhoods that link our house to areas north of here. the upright position of my bianchi allows me to enjoy some sightseeing, keep up with neighborhood changes, or even run errands if i have any. and i really don’t have to worry about mechanicals or special clothes. david doesn’t enjoy this kind of riding so much; he thinks it isn’t challenging enough, but i find i can still get the same miles in at almost the same speed and it makes me happy. and it is not without its challenges
(just look at the blue of that sky! how can anyone resist smiling at that?)
ohio is not by any means mountainous, but it IS hilly. repetitive, rolling little hills that will kill you, i swear (i once read, in a story about a west-to-east cross country bike trip, that the rockies were great training for the hills of ohio). this hill is not long, but it’s steep. at this time of year, when i’m just starting my outdoor rides, it feels more like this
i use this hill throughout the summer to gauge my fitness (or maybe it’s tolerance) for hill riding—if i can ride up without gearing all the way down to “1”, i’m having a good day (or it’s not windy, or it’s below 90 degrees).
now this hill is different; i’m always glad to see this one—we live at the bottom and i can let go here and ride as fast as i want all the way to our door.
and now, it’s another grand day and i think it would be a good idea to go for a ride—you never know in spring when a rainy day is around the corner. it’s good to take advantage of the nice ones when you can.
i hope your weekend includes some of that too!
25 thoughts on “the great outdoors”
That looks like some wonderful riding! I know Rick’s been dying to get out on his bike more often as the days get sunnier and longer, and I’ve been hitting the trails every chance I get. It’s that time of year!
Helena’s skirt is great … but her boots are greater! Where are they from – I want some!!!
We’re going to see the low 60’s this weekend, so rose pruning and bike riding are on the agenda (oh, and fishbone gansey knitting too!). Enjoy your sunny weekend!
It’s snowing like crazy here–no riding for me. Love the photos.
I dunno, it looks pretty flat to me! But those gradual hills can be challenging too. I gauge my fitness the same way, over time. For now, it’s walking weather but not quite biking weather (40’s in the morning). And I’m sure we’ve got at least one good snowstorm left, so I’m not getting my hopes up for Spring quite yet!
Have you actually finished all the wonderful greens from the freezer already?
JelliDonut must live in Canada, eh? Love the Spring pics Anne! Erin in California
Point #1. That picture of Helena is absolutely gorgeous. What a great shot of her!!!
Point #2. Max is slightly offended that you’re not a cat person, even though he performed his best tricks for you. Heh. 🙂
Aw…seeing those brick streets makes me so homesick for Ohio. At least I have hills where I live, aren’t they great?
I agree with Kim…photo of Helena is stunning. It is absolutely glorious today in Tampa after some crazy and unusually cold weather…finally normal temps so I will probably go for an evening run and leave the biking to hubby (and you and David).
I cannot wait for you to release the Pine & Ivy pattern! It is just so lovely! 🙂
The weather has been beautiful here as well…I was out with my camera for a while today, and we went to the park for a walk this afternoon. Planning to put some onions and an early planting of spinach in tomorrow. I’m thinking positive thoughts in hopes that spring truly is here to stay!
you are inspiring me to landscape my glorious balcony in my new apartment. this weekend i am going to do all my research and get planter boxes etc.
and of course cannot wait to get my hands on the pattern for the shawl.
have a great weekend.
What a glorious Tudor-like house that is on the corner in the last picture — I’m getting a little homesick for Ohio too! Thanks for this dynamic spring-themed post, including the bike-scape.
it’s so spring here it’s not even funny. sadly, i work this weekend and when finally off we’re getting a cold snap. ah well. just means more knitting inside.
i have a hill similar to that on my ride home from work. sadly, it’s on the way down when heading there and UP when heading home.
I am struggling with jealousy at the moment…it’s gorgeous here in Indy, too, but I’m closeted with a horrible cold. (I haven’t been this sick in ages!!) And the rain and colder, cloudy weather returns tomorrow night (Sat.) which kind of helps my Spring angst to ease a bit. At least I’m getting some knitting done. 😉
We’re sending a few chilly days your way, from Chicago, starting tomorrow evening. (At least, if the Chicago-to-Ohio weather transition pattern that we chat about with my in-laws holds true.) Enjoy your burst of spring all the more! (And yes, I agree on the terrain. I grew up around a “kettle moraine” type of area. It may not be mountains, but it is plenty tough for bike riders!)
People are always surprised when I say that I don’t know how to ride a bike. Then I tell them that I grew up in San Francisco and they all say, “Oh, no wonder.” Plenty of people ride bikes in the city but they tend to avoid the hills like mine.
Your biking route looks lovely! I took my first ride yesterday – borrowed my son’s new bike and actually made it up hills that I had to walk up in the past! We are having the most amazing March in OH that I can remember. Reading Evelyn’s comment, though, we’re in for a chill. We usually get Chicago weather a day later!
Beautiful pictures! We here in Ohio endured much this winter, and I think this (so far!) fabulous spring is greatly deserved! 🙂
what lovely photos. I envy anyone who can sew. I have two sewing machines can’t use either one. Perhaps one day.
Eastern Iowa is surprisingly hilly, too. I didn’t appreciate nice flat central Illinois (where I grew up) for bike riding!
Today I cleaned my garage and that was a big accomplishment! Tomorrow I’m taking my bike for it’s first spin of the season! I’m sure even the littlest incline will feel like I’m pedaling up a mountain!
Biking here is mostly flat, but I love it, and I’m thrilled that it was springy enough for me to ride to/from work all this week.
The three-legged calico is a beautiful girl. You may not be a cat person, Anne, but if you met my pair I bet you’d like them. Their personalities are more canine than feline!
How wonderful that a sister bee sat upon my tranquilo. 🙂
Your pictures today are beeutiful!!
Ohio has such beautiful countryside. I love to drive around in it.
Oklahoma is once again under snow. Sigh. I’m so sick of it. It’s going to melt today and be in the 40s, 60s tomorrow, but then I’ll have sevearl days of mud before I can walk in the wilderness area again. I’ll have to make do with sidewalks.
I can’t wait for that shawl pattern! 😉
The shawl that Helena was modelling is beautiful! What a gorgeous day for pictures and for being outside. I too love to head out for bike rides and your basket you have on your bike caught my attention. I’d greatly appreciate if you could let me know what the product name of the basket is, and where did you purchase it?
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