Monday, June 7, 2010

My Saturday in Saint Joseph

NOTE: I apologize for the posting delay. Blogger was unfortunately experiencing some technical difficulties over which I had no control. 

At this time of year, Saturday mornings in Saint Joseph are a beautiful thing. The lake town hustle-bustle kicks into full gear bright and early as people gather picnic essentials and slather on sunscreen before heading to their boats or the beach in search of freshwater waves and sun, sun, sun. This Saturday, however, the skies above the lake were a bit hazy. Will the sun come out? Will it rain? You couldn't tell, but it certainly didn't keep people inside. Including me.

I mounted Jamis (my bike) for a 13-mile journey that took me out past the grocery store, around a few rural blocks, past yet another grocery store, after which I ended up downtown at the local Farmer's Market. It was the first Market of the year and I just had to go, so I planned my route accordingly. More on the Market later.

As you know, I am in training (and I use that phrase lightly) for the L.A.T.E. Ride in Chicago on July 10. I don't have much cycling experience, save for the around-the-block adventures on my purple Ewok bike when I was little—Purple Ewok bike? Not sure, think my parents made that call. I wasn't much of a "Star Wars" fan, though I loved that bike dearly. I promise to find pictures, but until then, let's get back to the point—Every push of the pedal these days is a new adventure for me, but Jamis (not purple) and I seem to be getting along quite nicely. Perhaps it's all the running because I go further and further with each ride. And I'm really only riding once, maybe twice a week.

How frequently do you ride your bike? (If it sits in your garage all day every day, I urge you to dust it off!) When Jamis and I are out, I find myself forgetting about the fact that I'm actually working out. I wonder if you have (or would have) this same experience. The sights I see from behind Jetta's wheel look totally and completely new atop Jamis. I get caught up in that. Plus, I've already found a few neighborhoods that I didn't even know existed. My only complaint—bugs in the face totally gross me out. And on that note, I'll show you some pics of the Market where nothing seemed to gross me out.


I love that the market is on the bluff, which overlooks the lake (to the right). Lots of plants this time of year, though I know that will only change as the season progresses.


Juicy fresh strawberries. Just about the only fresh produce at this time. Can't wait for the Michigan cherries!


Events on the bluff tend to bring out the dogs, most especially the Farmer's Market. FuzzyButz Pet Bakery sets up a booth and sells pretzel and French fry biscuits. I'd want one if I had a fuzzy butt, wouldn't you?


I'd probably want one of these if I had a fuzzy butt, too. But these cookies were for humans, not dogs. In fact, I'm not sure how I managed to walk away without buying one. Don't they look mouth-wateringly divine?

2 comments:

Tammy said...

I smiled and giggled my way through this post. Thanks for a nice workout of the "happy" muscles we can forget to flex.

Unknown said...

It's sad that I don't ride my bike more often. The problem is that I don't like to go at it alone...feels a bit unsafe. However, a few weeks ago I rode with the Florida Freewheelers. We did 27 miles through an area of Central Florida that was completely foreign to me. I saw a beautiful lake, many cows, and a trail through nature that was gorgeous! If it were easier to ride in the middle of the day I'd do it much more often. 6 AM on a Saturday just seems a little insane to me. :) Therefore, I'll stick with spinning for most of my pedaling!

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