Bike To Life

As anyone other than those under rock dwellers that exist out there know, Thursday is "Bike To Work Day". It is a great way to acknowledge those who already do and encourage those who do not to try. Last year I volunteered at my neighborhood commuter station, but this year I have not. I feel vaguely bad about that but I find that my current volunteer efforts are enough and that anymore would burn me out. I will be out on the streets early that day, though, taking pictures and hopefully picking up some keifer grains in the East Bay.

As my profession these days is "housewife", I don't really have a commute any longer. At least not a bike one. It would look strange if I rode the Bat between the living room and the kitchen. But I do ride it for all of my errands and picking up Declan from pre-school. So I will be celebrating Thursday as "Bike To Life Day".

After picking up my new fabulous poster at the post office (I rode over the mountain to get in a little training)

I went to get Declan from school. He usually chooses which path we will take home. We have a pretty good choice of the fast way home (40 minutes) or a path around the lake or the route through Golden Gate Park... there is always something to see. Today he chose the "fast way" along Sunset Blvd. which is lined on either side with trees and grass and houses a number of birds. Today, we found a heron!

When we first stopped to watch him, we thought he was just walking around. Then he plucked a mouse out of the ground and ate it! Super cool!!!!! We decided to just stay and watch for a bit. The heron decided it would stick around and watch us, too.

In the middle of the City, right at the beginning of rush hour, along one of the busiest, high speed transit corridors we have here, a little Wild Kingdom can be found from the saddle of a bike!

We would never have seen this any other way and I am thankful for it. Bike to Life is a pretty good way to go. We should celebrate it!