All photos taken on August 18, 2022.
In the middle of a hot spell, we pondered what to do to get out and about. It would be too hot and sunny in the late morning/early afternoon to walk or cycle far, but, we couldn’t just sit around all day, avoiding this spell of good weather.
We thought about loading the E-bikes into the car and driving into Edmonton for a river valley view. Then we thought how hot it would be trying to load them back into the car after our ride. Typically Edmonton temps are about 2 degrees C hotter than Beaumont.
In the end, we opted for an early morning extended bike ride on the multi use trails that abound in our little city. It proved to be the right choice and we still had time for our exercise routine and mowing the lawn before lunch. Retirement is just full of options.
Our trusty steeds are ready for adventure.
At 7:50 AM, the morning shadows were pretty long, but at 15 C (59 F) and with a slight breeze, we knew we had made the right choice.
We started off on our usual route which included trails…
…and streets. Sharing the road with gravel trucks was not our idea of the perfect balance.
We nipped into our usual Northwest pond loop…
…and paused to watch the ongoing housing development construction.
On around to the 2nd pond…
…where we spotted the City applying herbicide. Hmm, time to move along
…after pausing to watch the morning birdlife. In addition to the usual array of ducks, we spotted a Lesser Yellowlegs (4th slide).
Just across Rue Montalet, we paused again. Yup, herbicide smell here too.
At this time of day, the pond was calm and great for reflecting.
The trail here was quite secluded, with houses on the left and trees and canal on the right. Coming to our usual turn, we opted to go straight on.
The trail continued on past more houses and more storm ponds….
…until we arrive at Four Seasons Park and Don Sparrow Lake, where it seemed everyone was out walking their dogs.
We call this spruce “the Cat in the Hat Tree” for obvious reasons. Looks like the fear of drought caused an abundance of cones to form, adding to the load on the tree top.
The bright morning sun made it difficult to get a good photos of the lake.
Back on the trails surrounding the park, until, we arrived at…
…the new artificial turf sports field. The long grass by the fence was wet with dew and allowed us to clean our bike tires.
More trails and ponds across 50th Street, heading East.
Another area, another subdivision under construction. Can you imagine living in a home near this dust cloud for the next 3 years?
One last look at the pond…
…and we moved on further North and East, along the winding trails between subdivisions.
At this pond, there is a wooden lookout platform. We again paused to reflect.
We rode on a bit more to the East, before…
…turning around and retracing our route.
Back on the streets at 32nd Avenue and 50th Street.
A slightly different route back at this point…
…before getting back on track.
These ladies were still out for a swim
One last turn through the grounds of École Dansereau/Académie Saint André combined Public/Separate school…
…and we arrived home after 19.7 km ( miles) and 1 hour and 20 minutes. We arrived home Calm, cool and connected. What’s your favourite in town bike ride in your community?
PHOTO DROP 
A nice bike ride in beautiful places! The purchase of your electric bikes was a really good idea 🚴♂️🚴♀️
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Thanks Luisa. We did get out and about a lot more this year. Thanks for reading. Allan
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Thanks a lot for replying 🙏🚴♂️🙏
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Looks a great place to cycle beside the canal.
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We are amazed at how many new trails have opened up in our small city and it was a picture perfect day. Thanks for reading Marion. Allan
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I don’t suppose you’d do that route today? A bit snowier? Nice to reminisce about warmer days.
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I asked Patty if she wanted to go for a bike ride and I got the look. Nope, -13 with a wind and fresh snow is indoor weather. Thanks for reading Anneli. Allan
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We only had +1 and a bitter wind. I don’t even want to step outside onto my deck.
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We would have to use snowshoes or skis. No bikes right now! 😉 Thanks for the great summer tour, Allan. It might be buried in snow, but we know it’s there!
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Yup. Although the fat tires on the new bikes would help, I might freeze before I got very far. That was a beautiful summer day and I’m gonna keep shoveling until I find one just like it. Thanks for reading Lynette. Allan
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Good for you for still getting outdoors even though it was sweltering hot outside. The mornings are always your best bet to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and having more shade. I love the “Cat in the Hat Tree”.
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What I would give for those warm days now. -18C this morning and -23 tomorrow with -34 windchill. Give us a break already. No bike riding these days. Hoping for a walk tomorrow, but will have to see if we are brave enough. Thanks for reading and commenting Linda. Allan
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It looks as if you had a lovely ride, despite the weather. Sadly, we don’t get the chance to ride in our community. There is a nice bike trail a few miles away, but I haven’t used it yet.
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These bike rides saved us. While the exercise level is lower on an E-bike they did get us outdoors often and we saw some stuff. Since June, I put 822 km (511 miles) on my E-bike. The purchase was well worth it. They are stored away now until April/May. Thanks for reading Ann. Hope you and your family are all well. Allan
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