Hi, readers! I don't usually post about giveaways, but I have one you don't want to miss! Here is the link:

http://www.benfranklinplumbingcharlotte.com/giveaways/

Think of all the bike gear you could buy with that prize!

Your blogger,
Flo

Warmer, Sunnier Skies

After having the temperatures drop below freezing here in South Carolina, now they are moving upwards to around sixty degrees this weekend. It is nice to feel it warming up again outside. Sometimes, when it is cold, I have to warm up for a long time before I ride. My joints will hurt otherwise from the cold. This just proves that a person determined to ride, will ride!

Whilst my dogs and cat huddle next to me at night, they sit out on the porch and absorb the sun by day. I have a little time to ride when I am not job hunting or doing errands. I take my bike along the roads in town and try to ride when there is very little traffic. The skies are beautiful.

Day and night are like two different worlds. The cold evenings can feel isolating and like a slower time. During the day, the birds are out and the plants are still pushing forth, and there is much more energy. It is a great time to get out and ride! I hope you will join me in spirit, reader, and will share your own tales of how wonderful it is to ride a bike!

Flora and Fauna

The temperature in South Carolina has gone from summer-like weather to winter chills in a matter of days. It is a lot to adjust to in the first days of the new year! What the warm weather has caused is a lot of plants starting to bloom like it is spring. It is beautiful to ride about town and to see early signs of spring. The only bad part of this is the blooms will get damaged in the frosts during the weeks to come. I have already ordered sunflower seeds to grow this spring and cannot wait. Winter can be depressing and seems to take a long time to loosen its grip. However, the photo opportunities during bike rides in winter are endless. This is from a beautiful, dead-end road near where I live:

Everything in my surroundings looks more starkly contrasted. It is fun to ride on country roads and capture the sights before the seasons change. There are some beautiful pastures and horse farms not far from town. The horses, in particular, are beautiful and make very nice photographic models. There was a lone horse grazing this week during one of my bike treks on Sweetwater Road. Here is a photograph of a beautiful new friend I met this week:

Always ride free,

Flo