going the distance

a friend asked me to go on a bike ride this week. i brought my beach cruising bike to her home, and my friend came out with her much more serious looking mountain bike, helmet, and padded spandex shorts.

my friend suggested we ride to up to a town about 10 miles away. i wasn't so sure that i wanted to ride 20 miles. so, i told her we'll see how i do.

the first mile was terrible. my lungs were on fire, my legs were sore. i was already ready to turn around.

we rode and talked, and by the time that i was finally ready to say i couldn't peddle anymore, we arrived to our destination. i had made it, but the bigger question looming in my mind was could i ride 10 more miles back. and how would i feel the next day?

well, i made it home. and still living to talk about it. 20 miles on my little beach cruiser.

mr. pike was so excited about my accomplishment that he suggested to me, "maybe we should get in to cycling. just for fun, of course." "i don't know," i replied. "what if we got you a cute outfit?" he offered. "you mean a pair of padded bike shorts? when you wear a pair, we'll start cycling."

cycling conversations have ended, at least for now. but, my friend, so happy with our success, has suggested another bike ride for tomorrow. maybe she'll make a biker out of me yet.

somewhere in time on Mackinac Island

large Victorian homes and a quaint country church steeple stand welcoming visitors to Mackinac Island, Michigan as the ferry pulls into port. This picturesque scene turns your mind to the turn of the 19th century -- where time has seemed to stop on the island. Since no cars are allowed on the island, goods and people are moved by horse and carriage or bikes.

mr. pike and i met some of our family on Mackinac Island for a quick weekend retreat. Mackinac Island is surrounded by Lake Huron, close to the point where the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan meet.


we rented bikes for an eight-mile tour of the island. even my pregnant sister, mrs. turner, was up for a ride. (i was so impressed!) she and mr. turner shared a bike built for two. our ride took us around the outer edge of the town, with rocky beaches to our left and towering forests to our right. it was so beautiful and serene. mr. pike and i daydreamed about moving to the island; although we admit it might not be so fun sharing our home with so many tourists.


the beautiful Grand Hotel sits as the jewel of the island. maybe one day mr. pike and i will stay there. until then, we can pretend as we watch somewhere in time (which was filmed there in 1980).


Mackinac Island is also a hot spot for fudge. you've never seen so many fudge shops - Ryba's, Murdicks, JoAnn's, May's. (and many of these stores have multiple locations, so the four blocks of the main street really are full of fudge.) we sampled our fair share and decided to buy a slice of the turtle flavor - chocolate walnut fudge with caramel and walnuts on the top. delicious!

mr. pike photographed our trip. he is creative and has a good eye for composition. he also likes to people watch through the camera. this was mr. pike's favorite person he saw on the island. i like this picture, too; he has a great mustache.

to our mystery tourist friend - welcome to our blog.

casual biking

it's 8:30 pm and the sights, sounds, and feelings of a summer eve are tactile. lampyridae (commonly known as fireflies or lightning bugs) glow in sporadic spurts of lambent grace, and mrs. pike's hair flows in the wind as she rounds the street bend to sunset park on her bike.

yes, mrs. pike has a bike. a beautiful, sparkly dark blue one—with a basket. she got it for her last birthday. and, not wanting her to be alone on her biking adventures, i bought one too.

i received my bike in the mail four weeks ago, and after four weeks of riding together, mrs. pike and i have decided that we love biking—casually.

casual biking is a summer sensation like no other. the wind in our hair, the smell of the summer air, the slow and easy movement of our gastrocnemiuses (calf muscles) up and down, and the steady inhales of fresh air.

every so often, if we're in a competitive mood, we race…but only for about ten seconds. then we slow, laugh, and go on our merry way.