TRAVELS – Page 11 – Skelton Sketches

The Pender Islands Tandem Tour

Posted on August 7, 2014April 28, 2017 by lindaskelton

Every summer, in the recent history of our tandem, we like to go for a little Gulf Island tour. The Pender Islands were this year’s destination for a day…

Scenic beaches are the reward for endless steep hills–a feature all the Gulf Islands have in common. (Pender’s hills were the steepest yet; in 32 miles of riding we did 3,847ft of climbing!)

It’s always good to find a beach and sack out for a bit on hot pebbles just above the water’s edge…

And in the resting to find a few souvenirs…

No cycling trip is complete for me without a little walk-about as well…

Islands have such beautiful vistas… Pender’s were no exception.

Essential to every island tour is finding a place to swim… We took a little hike off-road and found Roe Lake—a quiet little gem, though a little murkier than our ideal.

It was just the place for napping (Jim) or sitting and staring into space under dragonfly surveillance…while lily pads, like slow-motion bumper cars, jostled in the light breeze and a fisher bird dived with a splash onto the lake’s placid surface.

And of course, eventually we overlooked the possibility of leaches and slime and scary ‘what if’s’ and took a refreshing and rejuvenating dip!

Then upward and onward to complete our island circuit…

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A 40-minute ferry ride carried us back at day’s end to Vancouver Island…where we grabbed a bite to eat, and drove nearly downtown to park and pedal to the 25th annual Symphony Splash in Victoria’s inner harbor…

It is a sight to see, as daylight wanes and thousands merge to fill the streets and plaza around the water, in which a barge hosts the Victoria symphony for an evening of music.

The 1812 Overture is the grand finale, complete with canon fire and climaxing in fireworks. It is a spectacular event.

The final thrill is to make our way through the dispersing crowds and pedal off into the night at high speeds to our parked van. It is a great thing to have a strong and brave Captain to take me on such adventures!

And because I trust his judgment, I am talked into climbing the Malahat the following day!

Up and over we go! The high-speed ride down doesn’t last nearly long enough to make up for the sweat and muscle power required for the way up! But I can say I’ve done it!

We take the loop by way of the Mill Bay ferry back around and into Victoria the ‘easy’ way…with of course stops for lunch and snacks and water… and even a murky swim! It is a long day.

But because I have a great Captain committed to my well-being, I remain…

A happy stoker,
LS

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. I John 3:1

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Rom.8:32

All things purple…

Posted on July 24, 2014April 29, 2017 by lindaskelton

Ever since I was a brown-haired pigtailed girl I have loved purple. In those days I had a very bright purple stretchy top I wore on select occasions–mostly keeping it in my drawer for just the right day. These days my tastes in purple are more subtle, tending to a conservative plum–or sprinkled with gray paisley to match my wisdom-frosted head…

It would appear that my new daughter-in-law and I have this taste in common…She not only loves my son,

she likes the color purple!

Their June wedding pictures floated through cyber-space to us this week

(All my chillun’s and grands, and my mom too!)

But where was I… yes, the color purple.

No fashion quite compares with the wild and endless beauty of the flowers of the field. Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like these. So getting back to nature…

The view out my front window these days is of hydrangeas putting on their best purple show ever! I bought these flamboyant bushes when they were scarcely a foot tall and just plain old green. But their tag promised they would bloom in my favorite hues. I have not been disappointed.

In the shade of these bushes a volunteer grows sprinkled in bee-inviting purple… and a giant hosta blooms in sensuous loveliness…

Just around the corner of the house in west-facing heat, the oregano is alive with bees!

Tirelessly bumbling, they do not pose for pictures…

A quiet anemone waits at their side for her chance to bloom.

The lavender is nearly spent now. I used it once this summer to flavor lemonade…

A tiny bacopa is not to be missed, I bought her at the store…

…while another tiny purple thing invades our lawn this year for free!

Now we’re on our way to the vegetable garden, seen through a lattice-work or purple:

The sugar peas did pitifully this year, too hot, too persnickety, and just one sweet pea flower bloomed–the purple one of course!

But making up for their poor show are the burgundy bush beans–blooming in purple and easy to spot for picking:

[Did you know they turn back to green while cooking? What a disappointment…but not for long. They are delectably tender eating!]

Scattered all throughout my garden is the ubiquitous kale. Once you’ve grown it and let it go to seed in your garden, you will never lack this purply-veined antioxidant–perfect for munching in the form of kale chips! [How-to here]

Well we have meandered now past the zucchini (they are not purple!) and with one hand full of beans and two chubby zucchini tucked in the crook of my arm, it’s getting harder to juggle a camera…

What have I missed?

Ahh, a few late chive blooms…

And way out back the blackberry bramble has a winner for the first-purple-berry contest. (Aren’t blackberries truly purple?) No rush for these. They flag the departure of summer and we’re not in a hurry for that.

And what about this almost purple pear?

Next to her stands the tree whose name is a shade of purple. The plum tree is dreaming of sun-ripened prune plums…But alas, she bears only blushing wanna-be’s today….

And the tour of all things purple is complete. Thanks for joining me–would love to have you here in person ( :

–LS

Purple…fit for a King!

I will extol you my God and King and will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise Your Name forever and ever…. Ps.145:1,2

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Mt.6:28ff

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P.S. Note to faithful readers who, having read: Feeling Brown* are perplexed at this disclosure of my love for purple (My own daughter was surprised!). The child in me still loves purple ( :

*http://dawnskelton.blogspot.ca/2012/09/feeling-brown.html

Amber waves of grain by tandem…

Posted on July 10, 2014April 28, 2017 by lindaskelton

The annual Northwest Tandem Rally was held in Pendleton, Oregon this year.

It was our first time at such a big event. Something like 170 teams turned out for three days of rides past rolling waves of grain. The ‘rollers’ were a challenge in the 90+ degree weather but the perks of good company, good food, and great scenery made it worth the while! We’re already signed up to do it again somewhere else next year!

For the pre-rally warm-up enroute, Jim thought we should try riding up Cypress Mountain in N.Vancouver. I mean why travel with a bike and miss such great opportunities to try it out?!

So up we went to the ski slopes, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics–

It took an hour and fourteen minutes to climb up there, but only 14 minutes to get down! What a hoot it is going 51mph on a bike.

Well, then we hit the road and made our way to Washington (by van!) for the night—and of course had to ride our bike out to eat, logging another 20 some miles but really enjoying dinner, (No eating’s as good as the eating you’ve worked for!) in the quaint little town of LaConner.

We arrived Pendleton, Oregon next afternoon after a rather HOT drive minus air-conditioning but PLUS ICE CUBES! They evaporate wonderfully on hot skin and do a fabulous job in dry climates ( :

We set up our tent right beside the rodeo grounds, within view of the big screen from which we kept track of the Bull-Riding event in the evenings… Homesick bulls serenaded us to sleep at night and bellowed us awake in the morning…

The three days of rides were fabulously scenic, and hot. Here are some highlights from the vantage point of the stoker (me!):

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies, for Amber Waves of Grain….

A welcome rest stop and watering hole!

The final ride was a delightful climb into pine-scented hills to a historic ranch, now owned by Calvary Chapel…

(Note: the ‘special effects’ on this photo are thanks to the sweat accumulating in my jersey pocket! Did I mention this was uphill?!)

Not only did we get lunch here but also a swim in a spring-fed pool…

It was a fine destination for a 95 degree day!

All that remained was to repeat the ride back down through the once-shady canyon, now baking in mid-day sun and out into the blow-dryer head-wind past the hot wheat fields set in endlessly rolling hills—back to our tentsite with the river running by. Here we jumped in and lolled about like happy seals till all the heat was soaked away…

…followed by eating watermelon– Nothing quite abates heat and thirst like watermelon!!!

And a rest!

It was a wonderful rally! We’re so grateful for the strength and health to do these things, and hope you’ve enjoyed the scenery through a stoker’s eyes…

–LS

(local graffiti)

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!
Ps.145:10

[For more views of the rally, don’t miss the parade post…http://lindaskelton.blogspot.com/2014/07/small-town-usa-parade.html]