Spring in Vancouver has been an adventure
so far! One thing I really appreciate about this city is that there are four
distinct seasons. With the change of seasons come some changes in routine. For
example, I’ve survived 24 days on a bike in Vancouver! Because I’m not
registered for enough credits in Spring, I don’t have a bus pass for the months
of May & June. How incredible that my friend who is away for the Summer,
offered to lend me her bike! It has special memories - her mom used to ride it
when she was about our age J It has a basket in front, and I’ve added a colourful bell that I’ve
named Sunshine. Sometimes I chat to Sunshine; other times Sunshine has
witnessed me laugh with glee as I speed downhill. I always used to say I enjoy cycling…
downhill! Conversely, the up-hills have become an enemy to conquer. I notice the
rise in difficulty with even the slightest incline. And then when I get home I somehow have to get
back up the stairs…What really helped was the day I discovered the gears! On
Wednesday I decided to go grocery shopping by bike. I got home alive, although
I would not go so far as to say safely. Note to self: remember a backpack next
time! It will save you from overloading the front basket and endangering the
steering. That’s a slightly exaggerated peek into life on a bike. I am truly
grateful for it, for the fresh air, and the exercise.
Speaking of fresh air, I’ve spent a lot of
time in our garden lately. I used to feel like a day of gardening would be such
a waste of a day (which is why my mom was so surprised when she heard what I’d
been doing.) I have a new appreciation of creation and matter and physical
things since taking a few classes at Regent. These things matter! I actually
really enjoyed a whole day outside. Most of it was weeding with one of my house
mates. I’ve found that with this new-found appreciation of gardening comes a
new evil: dandelions! Pretty and fun to blow - yes, but they will infest any
patch of ground, and they’re so difficult to get rid of. If I ever decide to chop
their heads off again before they open, I’ll take care to chuck them away
carefully… I didn’t last time, and they opened anyway!
One more delight in this season is that it’s
light out late. The sky eventually darkens just after 9pm. There is something
poetic about summer days stretching on endlessly. There’s room to breathe
deeply and sigh with content. It throws my bedtime a bit, making for very short
“evenings,” but why not? I’ll take every minute of daylight nature offers.
No comments:
Post a Comment