Saturday rainedandsoakedandrainedandsoaked all day long.

Deep Woods spent Friday turning on the water in the lodge,and working out the plumbing kinks. It was the rainy afternoon i road to Shank’s and back.

i spent Saturday touching everything in the lodge and wiping it down and placing it up. and i was blasting my SPIN playlists. and i was digging it.

and then Team Neidens donned our hats and drove to town together for Shank’s Kentucky Derby party. Nick and Sara were there. by the time we left, it was maybe possible that they would ride bikes with me to Double Cabins (i’ve had some fear of going it alone lately)…but kind of unlikely given the current conditions outside (POURING RAIN).

we vowed to keep in touch.

Mother’s Day is such a splendid holiday. Once we fell asleep Saturday night, DW stepped up. Both homies were up with an issue at some point during the night…and i was not the responder. Squawk came in the early 6’s, we had a quick snuggle, then he was whisked away to the “riving oom”. he didn’t escape to return to my room till close to 8. 8! and it was an all out love-lump from there. Crit had been chilling in her room too, the whole time. we got together and it was awesome.

DW pulled it together to whip up his first-ever round of crepes. mine were made special with asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, and swiss. the peeps had banana, peanut butter, and honey…and Squawk actually opted out cause he was pretty sure “they make my cheeks red”.  That little dude…becoming increasingly self-aware and awesomer by the minute!

i took some time in my room. and then i trampolined with the peeps for an hour in the sunshine. ’round 10:00…or later, i texted Sara and Nick that i was going for it to Double Cabins. The day was off-the-hook!

they called. they were in.

they arrived and we quickly-at-a-nice-pace transitioned to ride.

as we wrestled the mud in the driveway and headed out to Double Cabins, i thought about 4 years ago on that very day.

 

 

i was pregnant with Squawk. and Joe and Cza’s had just moved into the Moose Willow. i rode my bike from our cabin out to the Moose Willow for the first time. and i was incredibly happy. Lord Licorice and Katfish and Nick and Sara and Deep Woods and Crit all showed up that afternoon. and we had a great day together at the ranch. it was my first official mother’s day…and it was way rad.

and here i was…4 years later…taking it a little “further” with Nick and Sara. i NEVER ride bikes with other people anymore. if it happens twice a year it seems significant. me and the homies…that’s it.

and we cruised along and chatted and chatted. and i can’t remember a time since i’ve known the two-of-them that we have had the opportunity to chat without the interruption of the needs of my peeps. mother’s day rocks!!! and we got leapfrogged a couple of times before we met up at the wolf-pack feasting grounds for a lovely spread of a picnic. complete with cold beers and chilled Prosecco (which we opted to save until home).

after the quintessential, i -pedalled-all-the-way-out-here mother’s day photo shoot in the valley of magnificence, we hopped back on the bikes to head home for chicken wings and home-made grasshopper ice cream.

time flew by so quickly! it was a real treat to ride bikes with friends. for rizzle.

i also learned at the Kentucky Derby party on Saturday, that Weaver plans to be at the start line in Banff. He’s driving his buddy Carl (or Karl?…we’ve never met….) up to start the race. which means he’s going to drive my bike up, and my gear. which means it doesn’t have to fly. which means holy! shit! another check mark in my favor.

Monday i rode around town with Squawk in the chariot. and we picked Crit up from her morning at the Kindergarten. she sat in the green-seat, but was slightly more reticent to spill-the-beans than she normally is. it was cool to see her recognize the need to process a bit before she wanted to talk about it.

Tuesday i rode up Upper Little Warm Springs and picked the peeps up in the Chariot. we had lunch at Kathy’s.

Today, Wednesday, my plans to ride fell through on every front. know when to fold ’em. and i taught yoga tonight. and that is always nice.

Tomorrow, i’m riding back up Togwotee Pass. Just to the top and back.

and maybe Friday, I’ll go all the way over…but that is too far from now to really have a good guess at…

today, during the lunchtime facetime call, Pa asked “Why did you pick this race? Because of the distance of it?”

and i still don’t have the answer.

i tried to conceal my smile, when i replied “i didn’t choose it, it chose me.” and he laughed the same way Grammy did when she reminded me that you” can’t-bullshit-a-bullshitter…”

why?

ask me anything else, please.