Living a quarter of a mile from a biking/walking trail affords us ample opportunities to be active. We are on the trail every day during summer, and at least 4-5 times per week the rest of the year. Today was one of those days where we biked part of the trail.
My son, Chip, has only ridden for five years, and yet, he is an incredibly adventurous rider; at least, I think so. Part of "our" trail has dirt paths, which Chip prefers to ride. I personally like riding the concrete, safe trails, but I hate to look like a chicken in front of my son, so I ride the dirt with him. He pushes me to challenge myself and my own riding abilities when we take those dirt trails.
We've seen some lovely flowers and unusual plants because we ride dirt, and we've had adventures in terms of crossing small parts of the creek or riding in mud because the foliage is so dense, the mud can't dry out. Sometimes we get separated, or Chip chooses a different path than I want to ride, but the nicest part of this trail is we can reconnect at some point.
I like to think of myself as independent, tough, formidable, so when I have 'girly' moments on the trail, it's tough. Today as we rode, I wasn't paying enough attention, and what I thought was a stick was, in fact, a snake. Not a dangerous snake, but a snake nonetheless. As it reared up when I got too close to it, I screamed a girly scream, "a snake! a snake!" knowing full well it wouldn't hurt me. Yuck, though. I don't particularly care for snakes, and when I see one on the trail, it's a bit freaky for me. Chip thought I was pulling his leg.
On our trail adventures, we've seen coyotes, herons, snakes, different types of birds, prairie dogs, and we've met all sorts of friendly people and their dogs. Although our trail adventures feel like we're away from the city and in the wilderness, the city isn't far; in fact, it surrounds us. The best part of our trail rides, other than time together, is the fact we can witness the beauty of nature, its changeability.
I like our adventures; I like the fact that I have to push myself to keep up with my son.
