One weekend back in July I missed a turn on a trail I was exploring but since the trail I found myself on still had a good surface, I decided to keep going and get in my planned distance. All of the sudden I heard plane engines and there in front of me were a line of WWII airplanes taking off from Flying Cloud Airport one after the other. I stopped to watch since with the trike I can sit in comfort no matter where I am. The planes were practicing for an air show and circled the airport in formation several times. It was a beautiful summer day so I was in no rush to move on. Such an unexpected sight! And all due to a missed turn!
Half the fun of cycling is the anticipation of new adventures. When I ride in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area, I take off with a general idea of where I will ride, but it is not uncommon for me to adjust on the fly, to go wherever the trails might lead.
There is nothing that can compare to riding trails along this Mississippi River, my river of dreams. The water that flows past me came from somewhere I do not know to somewhere else I also do not know. The river has flowed for ages, many others have stood on its banks, just as I stand. I do not know them, they were gone long before I arrived, yet I feel their presence, I feel their sorrow. Their way of life was lost in history and I was the beneficiary of their loss. I say a blessing in their memory and mourn their passing – the Native Americans, explorers, pioneers, loggers, railroaders, the reminders of their existence are few, and the reminders of mine will be even fewer. Their spirits flow with the river as will mine one day when I am no more. No other river can compare to my river of dreams. It has captured my imagination for eternity.
December 31, 2015 I woke up to the world spinning around me and soon realized my dreams of being able to bike again were not to be. I had spent the previous months recovering after being hit by a car while out biking that spring and dring those months I had looked at a number of new road bikes. Each time I hesitated to pull the trigger so perhaps I had a premonition.
Adventure of a Lifetime 