Biking in the sunshine

Yesterday it finally felt like summer around here. Warm and blue and blooming flowers everywhere. We took advantage of the brief respite from grey and headed out on our bikes, driving first to Matthews Beach Park and then switching wheels and getting on the Burke-Gilman Trail into Seattle. Of course, this is us, so things didn’t go smoothly. We got started an hour (or two) later than we’d thought, bike helmets were forgotten or broken, we switched cars and bike carriers after getting everything loaded and then deciding it wasn’t secure. But we did eventually get pedaling.

From the trail we road into the U District for the street fair. I was underwhelmed by the offerings – I remember a lot more funky artists in previous fairs, and less mass-produced imports – but we got to eat street food and watch violin playing unicyclists and a rather frightening woman dressed entirely in grocery bags, so it was a success. J was ecstatic to eat a hot dog on a stick (corn dog) once we taught him to eat from the side, rather than jamming the pointy end deep into his mouth to bite off more.

J melted a bit in the heat, and we were way past nap time, so on the way back, he fell asleep in his bike seat. Not the most comfortable ride back for either he or Roni, as his limp leg kept slipping out of the foot rest to kick Roni in the back of the knee with each rotation of the pedal. And his poor little head had no where to rest so he was either bent in half or trying to slump onto Roni’s moving backside. It was pretty funny to watch from behind, once I decided it wasn’t likely his neck really would snap. He’s always had a talent for sleeping no matter how much noise or movement is going on, but this was a personal best.

Mom took a scary but recoverable spill when she bumped a curb, and Roni and J were almost wiped out by a right-on-red driver who didn’t slow or look at the crosswalk before whipping around the curve, but other than the near deaths, it was a lovely trip.

We rounded out the day by taking a spaghetti and salad dinner over to Tina’s to admire their new hardwood floors (so much more hardworking than us, they’re installing their own!) J was braver this time and was willing to bounce on the trampoline a little bit. And there is nothing better than his giggle when he’s chasing around with other kids! Melts my heart.

The rest of the weekend I devoted to spinning, continuing in my theme of ugliest-and-brightest-yarn-ever. Exhibit B is shown. (Exhibit A is in a lead lined box buried deep beneath a mountain to avoid it hurting anyone.) B has already been dunked in blue dye to tone it down to something a little less blinding. It is my first effort at long draw spinning, though I was using top rathe than roving so the results were mixed. Lots of underspun spots, and it would have been better navajo plyed to keep some of those colors apart. But I got better with the one handed part with the practice. I also made a calmer skein with my usually short draw method with some wonderful natural cream pygora B & silk top that I got from Paradise Fibers. Amazing stuff, and it smelled pepperminty the entire time due to a small vial of pepperment oil that the producer, Peppermint Pastures, include with the fiber.