Bike everywhere week

Instead of the widespread "Bike to Work" event of recent years, there has been a low key "Bike everywhere" week.  Will and I necessarily bike everywhere because our car is in Colorado -- it was left there with the idea that we would pick it up when we returned in the middle of August.  Even electric assist bikes give us some exercise.

Biking to drop off a bag of yard waste was so interesting that the city employee who was collecting the bags took my picture.  (Unfortunately they have stopped accepting garden waste curbside.)   they did not, however, have paper bags to give away as promised on line.  Son Dave brought me some today. 

And biking to pick up mulch for the garden generates interest from those who pass by.  Will biked yesterday to drop off the glass at the recycle bin (since they do not accept glass curbside any more).  And I biked today to the Post Office.

Old fashioned newspaper

Can't deal with digital any longer...... Not easy to scan articles, and to find articles.  I read too much of a few articles and miss the big picture.  I will still have digital subscriptions to the Japan Times and the New York Times and the Washington Post.  And I will even check out the English language paper from Mongolia.  And we may continue listening to NPR's Up First.  But......

It is inefficient to cut down trees for this, and to drive it to my home every day.  But it works for me.

What is going on in the back yard?

Yow!   A new pond is being dug -- aiming for 15 X 15 feet with shallow margins and 3 feet deep at the deepest part.  Who is digging?  Will is digging and hauling, Peg is helping haul the dirt and organize the terraces for receiving the dirt.

What is going on in the garden, part II

Blue and Purple

What is going on in the garden?

Because spring had been cool, the colors are rolling through in a leisurely fashion:

RED

YELLOW

What is going on in the neighborhoods?

Once a week, for my longer run (about 5 miles), I run through the neighborhoods.  In one driveway, I saw a personal trainer working with two adults.  In another driveway, I saw a small pile of gravel and several children's earth mover and dump truck toys.  In the street, I saw a man shoveling a very large pile of gravel -- I suggested that this was his coronavirus exercise program.  I saw a lovely homemade sign thanking the health care professionals, mail carriers, grocery workers, and others who provide essential services. 

Altercations

Altercations -- I don't like this part of the pandemic....

In the grocery store this week --  I arrived by 6:15 am for senior shopping hour.  Giant has one way isles, cashiers behind plexiglass screens, with masks, and often face shields too.  Sounds pretty safe.  And there are only a few shoppers (2 to 4) in the store, and a few staff working on shelving.  So I was at the end of an isle.  The end of the aisle was narrow because of displays in the aisle.  Someone starts towards me to pass at the narrow point. I say "Keep 6 feet away."  Instead of slowing down, she bends over and pushes past me at close distance.  She had a basket of groceries, and maybe even a Giant name tag.

And in the woods today -- remember that I am running in the woods twice a week to avoid the bike trail after altercations there.  I hear someone running up from behind.  I turn around, hold up my hand, and say "wait, I will get out of the way".  I walk maybe 6 feet along the trail, 5 feet off the trail, and face away so he can pass.  This is a man of about 40 years.  As he passes he says, he says "Passive aggressive."  I say, "SAFE."  And I add, "I don't need your snark."

I wish folks could keep their distance in a civil way.

From one batch of whole wheat dough

Old Mill of Guilford, North Carolina shipped me stone ground whole wheat flour.  I mixed up a 6 or 7 cup batch of almost completely whole wheat dough with the no-knead recipe -- made a couple of baguettes, and put the rest in the fridge (where it keeps for 2 weeks).  Then I made whole wheat pitas, then a small round loaf.

Forest bathing in the mountains

Escaped.  We spent a socially distanced weekend with Dave and his family on their land (Wolf Mountain) in the Shenandoah mountains.  We had our own campsite, and cooked and ate on opposite sides of the fire.  Madeline and Dale led us on a 4 mile hike -- including some complex navigating.  They came face to face with a deer, and found a box turtle.  It was really good to get out of Arlington and sleep in a tent!

Souvenir from the trip: Chigger bites!  The chiggers are not active until the temperature gets above 60, and we had a delightful day over 60 degrees -- they had been waiting for us!  The bites itch and last longer than mosquito bites, but they do not carry any diseases. 

Another sunny day in Arlington

We are getting only one very sunny day a week recently.  With this, we can think ahead about what to cook.  Today I did poached salmon (with fennel and leek) and strawberry cobbler (with a cornbread mix).  I also did a potato/carrot/onion mix for potato salad again.  I actually stacked the cobbler on top of the potato mix in the Sun Oven cooker-- cooking both dishes at once.