Cooler Weather, Walking Downtown

It wasn't hot today, that was nice.  We were able to get up, eat and drive out to the trailhead without feeling like we would shortly be incinerated.  Very nice, very relaxed.  Last Wednesday was still hot, but we did linger at the park long enough to take this lovely picture of geese on the lake.  It was weird, there was an organized ride, complete with trail marking on the pavement, on part of the trail.  There was also a large group of people riding together that did go out to the lake.  Organized rides are generally on the weekend.

We're seeing more and more electric bikes.  I don't know how I feel about this.  We had an old guy pass us the other day on a hill on an electric, he felt like he just had to point out that we were working harder than he was.  Then he followed up with when we were old, we'd have electrics as well.  We commented that we are old, but no, he's 80, so he wins.  Guy was kind of a jerk, and I don't think he was 80.  Anyway, we're seeing people who are decades younger than we are riding them.  What's the point?  They are not working much, it's not exercise.  I get it if you're 80, but not if you're in your 50's.  A person needs to exercise, elevate the heart rate, and all of that.  I strongly suspect that they will end up de-conditioned from just sitting on that bike, slowly rotating their feet.  I also get it if you're commuting on an electric.  I rode to work a few times and the whole cleaning up issue was difficult due to sweating on the hills.  

After riding, and it had reached a balmy 95F, we decided that we wanted to finish a yard work project we'd started the day before.  So it was off to Home Depot for 200 pounds of pond rocks and landscape fabric.  We've got an area that grows moss and the red and green weeds that leap from the earth.  We're tired of pulling them out.  So, rocks it is.  They have worked well for weed suppression in the other planting area that we covered up, so we're hoping this will also become no maintenance.

Yesterday we went into downtown Spokane and walked around.  It was very windy but not hot, which was good.  This is the interior of the Riverfront Mall.  It's nice, they have a Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma and like that.  We did not stay inside long, because we were masked and it was annoying that no one else was.

Then it was on to the Riverfront Park.  There used to be a Great Northern train station and rail yard and a bunch of industry along the river.  When the railroad left the area, a miracle occurred and the city got the land.  No condos were built.  It's an enormous park, with a skate loop, carousel, and multiple playgrounds.  The railroad left the clock tower, it's a beautiful structure.

While we were walking around we saw a little girl on a balance bike (no pedals) wearing a full face helmet and pink body armor.  She's able to pick up her feet now and ride down a slope in the park.  She did fall, but did not cry or fuss.  I guess she's three, she speaks in full sentences, but childrens' ages are a mystery to me.  I wish I could have sneaked a picture of her.  Her Dad is full time parenting and home schooling. 

These are some of the falls.  The water level is down, since it's late summer.

A new highway is being built.  This is the bridge that's part of the project.

Now, I ask you.  Why do people throw rental bikes into bodies of water?  It's just rude.

This is from this morning, it was a gorgeous day.

I have two cool things from twitter.  Here is a cool photo.

This is an adorable dance routine done by little kids.  They're part of a group, Masaka Kids Africana.  If you scroll down in the comments there is a translation of the song that's being sung.  The link to the video is here, and it's totally and completely worth watching.  There's a lot of talent here.

So, other than Kansas voting to save abortion rights in their state, I have nothing much to impart.  OK, well there was the Hungarian dictator Orban receiving a standing ovation at CPAC, after he declared that inter-racial marriage would be the death of America.