20 miles

I'm a bit late in posting today because I went to Mass at St. Ann's in Bonners Ferry today to atone for many sins. After Mass, I directed the car, with my pink mountain bike attached, to the National Bird Refuge. This area northwest of Bonners Ferry is one of my most favorite places on earth for numerous reasons.

First and foremost, it's a huge area to enjoy nature and scenic splendor. While riding a nature trail near Deep Creek, I scared up half a dozen beautiful white swans. The ducks and Canadian honkers are ubiquitous no matter where ya go.

Another reason I love the place is that people are NOT ubiquitous. During my 90-minute ride, both at the refuge and along the farmland to the east, I encountered six cars. Saw two bikers and one jogger with her dog. That was it.

In a nutshell, the area makes for splendid bike riding because it's level and you don't need to be looking over your shoulder wondering when the next car will come zipping by. At the bird refuge, oncoming cars are usually visible a mile away.

After riding about 12 miles in that area, I returned home to find that Bill had gone off geocaching to Blacktail Mountain, southeast of Sandpoint. So, after two slices of cheese, it was off again with the bike to Sunnyside, where I parked at the Oden Grange.

On my 7-plus mile ride, again, I didn't contend with many cars. I figured everyone must be inside doing their Super Bowl festivities. The Sunnyside Road also offers a level ride and more than adequate scenery of the lake with Schweitzer in the background.

So, the old legs got their workout today, and the wrinkled face soaked up the sun. Great day to be outside.