STARTING TO FEEL LIKE I USED TO

This weekend I ventured down to Folsom with bike path map in hand. I had a busy day planned. I packed up my bike, water bottle and courage to get on the bike paths down there.

It was a little difficult to find where the bike trail I wanted to travel started, but realized at the dog park, which was my first stop, was where the trail began. There was a large sign at the beginning of the trail, which warned of Rattlesnakes on the trail.

It was so much fun and beautiful to meander through all of the apartment complexes, which had beautiful ponds, trees, bushes, flowers, birds, ducks and rattlesnakes. One pond had an information kiosk that said there were supposed to be Egrets, along with other different kinds of birds, but I failed to see any of them.

The path was meticulously kept and there were hardly any people on it. The lack of people didn’t scare me, however, because there were apartments and business buildings throughout the trail. It was strange, however, that the trail kept ending in a few places. I don’t know if they were planning to continue the trail in the future, but I turned back and even that was fun, not knowing where I really was and what I was going to encounter.

I wish I had a really small digital camera to carry in my handlebar bag, but that is my next project. This camera must be very slim and small to put in a small outside pocket of my bag, which has a zipper on it for fast access. There is also another small outside zippered pocket on the other side of my bag, perfect for a cell phone or GPS unit. The large main bag itself is great to keep my ID, money, lunch, lip-gloss and a brush for my hair. I could even carry a change of clothes, if I roll them up tightly. There is also a small zipper pocket on the front of the bag where I keep my keys. My water bottle is in the slanted part of the frame of the bike, which was directly in between my legs, which I find more convenient than where I used to carry it, which was a bottle holder in the middle of my handlebars. My old bike had a pannier rack on the back, which I stuffed a backpack squished in between the rack. It did a good job, but this new front handlebar bag is so much more convenient, looks better, and I can carry so many more things neatly. This new bag even has a clear plastic map holder, which is velcroed to the top of the bag, which zips around the whole main bag itself. You can take the map holder off, but on this day, it came in very handy since I didn’t know where I was going. Everything is surely coming together fine and I’m still hoping to set out with a group on adventures like I had many, many years ago.

My confidence has really grown while riding. I find my balance becoming stronger and my navigation skills running smoother with every turn I take. I’ve even gone a lot faster on down hills and the few up hills I’ve encountered recently have been a bit easier to climb. Of course, I’m still in the granny gears, but as long as I’m having fun, that’s really all that matters.

As I began to return to my van, I got a little off course, so much that I ended up on the bike path that went on a highly traveled street with many cars and the bike path running between two lanes of cars. I found the people in their cars were very courteous and very careful and made me aware they were cautious of my well-being. That in itself built up my confidence. I was again riding as I used to in the streets, paths and just anywhere I wanted to venture.

As I pulled up into my parking space where I live, I ran into my next-door neighbor and we started talking. I knew she was computer literate (a big thing here) because like I’ve mentioned before, many of these people are so old, so incapacitated, they’re just waiting to die. This neighbor is taking a class on how to write a novel. I was really surprised at that. We started talking about photography and she said she was having trouble with her camera and wanted to venture out with me to shoot. I had invited her to go with me this weekend where the Audubon Society is having a birding trip to a lake about an hour away. She thought of it for a second and said she had a hip replacement and didn’t think she could do that kind of an activity, which would last most of the day, getting in and out of the car. Yes, this place indeed is an invalid’s dream place to live, handicapped ramps and all. I realized again, how depressing this place is to live.

I used to tell people I know I’m going to be like that some day, so I shouldn’t knock it, but one day a man on one of the senior hiking trips interrupted me and said, “Maybe not!” I stopped and thought about what he just said and valued those two words ever since and vowed never to become like the people here. So disabled they can’t do anything, go anywhere, can’t drive and are just circling the drain waiting to be sucked down into it.

I hope I go fast. In my sleep perhaps and with my house tidy, dishes done and living room all neat with books, magazines and paperwork all tucked away. I’d also like to have had a shower the night before, washed hair, legs shaved and a pair of my newer Pjs on me when and if they ever find me. That may take many days or weeks. I may be like one of those people whose cat ends up eating them. LOL. How funny we think, as we get older.