on the trail again...

hi everyone! how are things going? karen went out with some friends from regent tonight, so that means jeremiah, mac, and i got to have some "guy time."

jeremiah and mac had been inside all day long, so i thought it would be fun if we spent our time together on a little bike ride. this has become one of our favorite pass-times of late, so we have the routine down pat--i ask jeremiah if he wants to go on a bike ride and he responds with an ear-piercing "yaaaa!", mac begins spinning in circles because he knows that scream could only mean it's bike-riding time, i throw jeremiah in his seat on the back of my bike, put mac on his leash, fasten our helmets tight, and start peddling.

just like every other ride we’d been on, jeremiah sat back, relaxed, and soaked in the scenery. he often informed me when an airplane or helicopter flew over head ("airblane!" or "copkey!"), and also kept a close watch on the local dog population ("doooggg!" or "woof!").

each ride inevitably leads us to the same place--the pacific spirit regional park--and tonight was no exception. only ten blocks from our house, this park comprises over 1880 acres of forest and shoreline! it seems to have an endless number of never-ending trails, on which jeremiah and i have gotten lost now and then.

we rode through the woods for about 1.5 hours tonight. that time was certainly full of a lot of peddling, but it also had its fair share of pit-stops--i often stop the bike in order to let jeremiah interact with the creation around him. tonight he was able to hold an assortment of sticks (which mac subsequently took from him and chewed up), a couple of pine cones (which once again were a hit with mac), and a rock (which was by far his favorite--"rock!"). we also stopped on a couple occasions to just stare 200-300 feet straight up and watch the wind push the monstrous douglas firs back and forth. in those moments, the sound of the wind in the trees and an occasional bird chirp were the only things we could hear.

well, the ride ended as many others have, with jeremiah asleep behind me and mac faithfully trotting along side as i steer us home. when we arrived, i quietly unbuckled his helmet and seat restraints, took off the sandals from his little feet, and gently picked him up to carry him to bed. right before i laid him down he woke up so i decided to rock with him for a few minutes. in that time, he just sat in my arms half asleep, with his blanket in one hand and his thumb in his mouth. there his thumb stayed except for a few brief moments when he leaned forward to give me an occasional kiss. within a few minutes he was out and in bed.

how was karen's night out? she just walked in so i couldn't tell you. one thing’s for sure: it probably can't top mine.

one of the many winding trails of pacific spirit park