Dusting off the bike for 2011!

My poor bike hasn't had a good winter.
For a start winter came early, stopping her from feeling the wind in her spokes and THEN some careless person left her outside and it snowed.... and snowed.....and snowed ....AND snowed some more.

Luckily she is a well made bike and a little tlc and grease and shes up and about again.

I've been out 3 times in the last 5 days and GOD have I missed it!

A bit like doing anything that involves effort, I put it off and off until I really DID have to use the bike because I had a job interview.
Of course it doesn't hurt that the last few days have been very spring like, blue skies, light breeze, lots of bird song, weather like this after the horror show of winter can't help but raise the spirits.

The reason I love riding  the bike is because its exercise with a purpose.

I'm not a huge fan of just going for a bike ride, but I do love using two wheels to get somewhere, to run errands or go to work. I feel the same about walking, I need a dog to walk with otherwise I don't see the point.
This is why I can't do anything in the gym.
Cycling or running on the spot? With no purpose?

Some may argue that the purpose is to loose weight or get fit but maybe I just see it as a waste of time. I mean come on... most people drive to the gym, you could style there and back for FREE and not have to go in.

What I love about cycling in real life is the fact that if you reach a hill you have to get to the top. Even if you can't cycle all the way you still HAVE to physically get there, even if you get off and walk, its still exercise. In a gym, on a stationary bike I would give up as soon as I got a bit puffed.

So shoot me, I'm weak.

Also you have to love the fact that every slog up a hill is rewarded with a fee wheel down hill to get your breath back!

This year though I am going to treat myself to a new saddle.
Mine is a fairly bog standard saddle and although I own a ladies bike its not really a ladies saddle. In fact my seat bones sit snugly either side of the saddle... not comfy.
So a nice new WIDE seat is the way forwards I think.

I also want to kit the bike out better for carrying stuff.
I use a backpack but its limiting and makes your back sweat on hot days.
Last year I tried a basket on the front, although it was better it wasn't very stable, only being attached to the handle bars, I really need something like a front parcel rack to keep the basket steady.
Panniers might also be a way to go as well.

Anyway.

Here comes spring :)


         

Why I love Power Off!!

The fire pit!!

Let me tell you a story, a story that started 8 years ago. 

When we up'd sticks from Somerset to Scotland we did the most important thing of our lives. Not the move that is.

We left the TV behind.

I was concerned about Ollie, then 2, about the amount of TV he watched and also the amount I was watching.

It would be fine, I thought. Easy peasy!!

Reader. 

If I had been coming off Smack I think it would have been easier.

I went cold turkey and suffered greatly.

You see, I had grown up in the time where TV started to take a hold of the nation. A time where you had 4 (!!! Count 'em!! 4!!!!) Channels and the box was switched on in the morning and turned off at bedtime.

I had no idea what a huge force it was until it wasn't there anymore.

Suddenly there was no reassuring voices in the room when I was on my own. No distraction, no reason to sit glazed eyed on the sofa in the middle of the afternoon.

I heard noises in the house that had been masked by the constant prattle from the TV, and I was afraid.

Do I do without visual stimuli all together?

Nope. I love a good movie and have a stupid amount of DVD's. But there is a difference.

A movie is (mostly) 1 and 1/2 hrs of concentration time, no adverts, no rubbish. If you have jobs to do a movie will wait or in the case of kids homework/bedtime/whatever can be turned off and watched again the next day.

The point is a DVD does not demand your time and fidelity in the same way as TV.

You are never afraid that you might be missing something.     

You never find yourself working your life around a favourite soap or quiz show.

You never EVER have to have your movie split into two so the news can come on for 1/2 an hour.

You control the medium rather than the medium controlling you.

So.

Power Off Weekend mark II?

Fantastic!

Again!!

Food.

  

Mmmm..Veggie sausages!!

Owen and Alfie "cooking". 

Alfie cooked his bread :)

Power Off soup! This soup was potato and cauliflower and was "blended" using a potato ricer.

Home made Mango chutney. A pack of frozen mango pieces meant a "Arrrgghh!! What do I do with these!?" moment. Hence mango chutney!

Power Off Bread, made in the dutch oven on top of the log burner.

By using baking paper it was possible to flip the bread over in the dutch oven and therefore brown both sides.

Entertainment.

This time we were better prepared!

Junior monopoly. A cut throat power game in the hands of my children.

Picnic up the top of the hill over the road to us. Beautiful sunny day.

Run my doggies! Run!

Merle and Jenny mushing on!

Some beautiful trees up the hill.

Life as usual.

Washing still has to be done when there are five of you in the house!

Even boiled up some skanky rags, or was that dinner?? Hmmm....

The more expensive candles I brought this time (rather than the cheap Tesco ones!) Threw out enough light to read more than comfortably in.

The log burner. It really is the heart of the home and worked like a trooper for all out heat, hot water and cooking needs.

So will we do it again?

Is a bear in the woods Catholic??

The next Power Off Weekend is in June, so this time we will need to have a long think about refrigeration. We *just* got away with it this time, but any warmer and we would have struggled. So I will need to prepare more for that.

Any of you guys do Power Off this time?

Let me know how you got on and share your ups and downs.

Also, if anyone has any ideas how to keep fod cool in summer let me know!

EEK! Where did the week go???

Here we are..Monday ...and its been a week since I last posted and I have no meatless Monday for you!!
I should fire myself from this job :P

Anyway my crimes are due to the very enjoyable few days we have spent entertaining my sister and her husband to be.


I hope I can speak for them when I say that although the trip was too short (!!) I think we had a really good time.
Some of this is definitely down to the bikes and general none use of the car.

After flying in to Edinburgh they hired a car to get to us and arrived at lunch time. After lunch and a bit of dithering I thought what the hell and said we should all cycle up to the art gallery.
So 6 off us on various bike set off down the road.
This was also the first time I had really tried out the tag along as well, and as its a nice straight run I really got into a good rhythm and found it easy enough.
An added advantage of the tag along is the incessant prattle of Alfie behind me (although the conversation tends to be one sided, my contributions running along the lines of "Stop pedaling!" and "Stop wiggling!").
As well as a first for the tag a long it was also the first time I had taken 6 year old Owen out on his bike, he having been out with his Dad before that, so when I wasn't yelling at Alfie I was yelling at Owen( "Keep left!!" and "Stay by the verge!" and "Car coming stay straight!" and "SLOW DOWN!!" and often after breaks have been applied "SPEED UP!!")

**sigh** Stressful times!

Reminds me of going for a walk with toddlers...walking so slow you seem to put weight ON rather than burn calories.

Anyway....

It was lovely to get out with our visitors and slowly wind our way up the country lanes to a waiting bit of culture at the end, so much nicer than driving there!

The next day was another really lovely warm autumnal day and while Kim and my soon to be BIL took the kids for a walk, I unhitched the tag along (FREEDOM!!!) and took my sister down to town to pick up the Sunday papers.
Because the weather was so nice we went home the long and scenic way, a way I haven't been home before.
This longer way has a steeeeeeep hill straight out of town, but this temporary inconvenience is well worth it when you reach the top and realise you have @ 2 miles of beautiful countryside lanes, with views all across Bennachie and the Cairngorns AND that it is now 90% DOWNHILL or flat!! **YAYYYYY!!!*
A really lovely ride for the sake of riding, lots of chatting and just admiring the beautiful leaves and patchwork fields that make autumn so special.

Today we went for a walk, 5 1/2 miles in total, up onto Bennachie and a drop down to the Brindy and across fields back to the village.

Before our adventures in car-less-ness, we would have driven down the road a few miles and taken our walk from one of the visitor car parks dotted around the mountain.
Now though we have made the effort to find routes to these walks directly from out house.
Not only does this save us money in fuel (as well as reducing carbon footprints) but also means we get to walk many routes that are either little used or in some cases forgotten.
A hard slog but worth it when up the top of Towlies we had a 360o vista of Aberdeenshire and could see every major landmark for miles.
From Bennachie, across to the Caingorms, tap'o the North over Rynie way, Dunnydeer towards Insch and the village like a toy town in the valley below.
A view like that makes me wish that more people would get out of their cars and explore the treasures of their locality, the views right under their noses.

So often when we have had visitors we have felt the need to "entertain" them, to take them out and about and show off the area, but this time, by doing everything local, even down to having a meal out in the village pub rather than driving out for a take away, I personally think we had a much better time.

In the three days they stayed with us they took their car out once (BIL to be needed some anti-histamines on a Sunday, although we tried to buy some in the little town they had none, so he had to make a trip into the big town).

Viva La Car-less, Viva La Bike, long may this continue!!

Oh and meatless Monday??
I will get one in for you bloggers one day this week :D xx

Art for kids and the joy of conversation.

Took Ollie to Country frames gallery today.
As most of the art in their exhibition at the moment is horse based he was in his element, two of his favourite things in the world in one!

We spent a good 1/2 looking at the paintings, flicking through the folders, comparing our favourites and de-mystifying the more abstract pieces.

This trip has strengthened his resolve to be an artist, one that he has insisted on since he was 7, and one I fully support.
Me and Kim worked with horses for years and the sad fact is that as a career it goes nowhere. Even the best of the best can still only earn a little over part time shop work. I was always afraid that his love of horses would lead him down that path, but maybe because we HAVE horses and they are already a huge part of his life, he won't feel the need to choose them as a career.

Art has so many more paths to follow.
At the moment he wants to be and artist and art teacher like his teacher Marion Wills, who's work he admired today.
But there are also career paths in advertising, technical design, architecture, the list is endless.

Cycling with Ollie has been a huge eye opener for us both.
Unlike in the car, we actually chat, rarely argue (HUGE for us!!)and get to discuss important issues in a casual manner, rather than a sit-down talk.

Today I broached the subject of him homeschooling when his year goes onto secondary education. As its a alien concept for him I wanted to start talking about it now, this way he should be fully aware of what it all means when the time comes.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our little trip.




This is the steep hill to the gallery..not only impossible to get up but also you have to walk DOWN it! Me and Kim cycled down it last time and our breaks were almost smoking!!




Leslie Castle, one of the many small PINK castles around Aberdeenshire!




I'm pretty sure this fella shouldn't;t be in the stubble..the rest where in another field..had to get Ollie to jump up and down and shout for him to lazily turn his head and smile for the camera ;)

A day of cycling, art and homeschool plans....

Country Frames Art Gallery, Leslie, Insch.


What a beautiful and inspiring day we've had so far.
Me and Kim cycled to Country Frames, an art gallery a couple of miles down the road from us (uphill all the way..ouch).
We've been a couple of times, they framed one of our Glastonbury prints for us beautifully, but this was the first time we had set off to see an exhibition there.
One of the main artists there was Roselyne O'Neil a very talented lady who works in many mediums and produces some fantastic equine art as well as other subjects.

Another local artist is Marion Wills, who incidentally is visiting art teacher at my son's school! She had some striking pieces, mostly staring her own horse, a Fjord called Ffin.

We spent a very happy hour viewing the exhibition and the other art work, we even got a free cup of coffee for cycling to them lol.

I'm taking Ollie up there on Saturday morning, I'm sure the mix of horses and art can only inspire him!

So, me and Kim have talked a lot about homeschooling once the kids hit 11, and the cycle home was a good time to chat about it. There are so many things locally that we had never really thought about that will benefit the kids educationally, the countryside, the art galleries (there are 3 I know of all within cycling distance!) the Archaeolink centre and of course the library in town.
Also the whole social aspect was something we chatted at length about today.
Thinking about it he still has his friends in the village, both Kim and I had many more friends outside school than in it.

Armed with this I decided to make an appointment to see our head teacher today and instead spent 20 minutes chatting about it informally instead, so no need for the formal meeting!
To my surprise she was in total agreement and has promised to help us with any red tape that comes our way!

Anyway, expect more posts on this subject in the near future as we gear up for leaving the school system!

So..how about a giveaway!

Nothing fancy, a post card I picked up from the gallery...A Celtic image of the "Maeshowe Dragon, Orkney" By Roselyne O'Neil.

This can be sent as a post card or mailed to you in an envelope to keep it clean and neat enough to frame?
Very pretty, very Scottish ;)

To be in with a chance please comment on this post...and a real comment please ;)
Lucky winner will be pulled out of a hat next Wednesday!!

I did it!!

That's it!
The first bike ride!

I'm knackerd :P

But actually it was OK.

Nice day, not too hot, minimal wind, traffic was quiet. We cycled about 3 or 4 miles (into town and around about to different shops) and then the same home again.

This has been said in so many places but I now know why. It is SO important to spend the money and get the right bike for you and the job.

The reason I have been semi- putting it off is the memory of the daily cycling I had to do to get to work as a teenager on a bottom range mountain bike. I kept thinking "God, it was so much hard work and I was really fit and light then! How will I haul my fat arse up the hills to town now!?"

Well I can tell you I got up all those hills and didn't have to stop once.
I have 21 gears on my new bike and so it was low geared enough for me to keep peddling, all be it at a sedate speed.

So anyway I want to give a big shout out to my bike dealer Pedal power.
He took me through the bikes, convinced me to take a larger frame size which I was convinced would be too big for me but now I know he was right! He showed us how to check a bike was the right size for you and has been patient with out newbie questions.

Anyway, I only have one problem. Despite the shock absorbers my wrists were playing up at the end of each session. Any tips? I used to get carpal tunnel swelling and it makes my hands numb.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Numb fingers are a problem when I hit the downhill parts and want to brake ;)

Planning the new wave of transport, and other ways to spend money you don't have.

The serious question of how we are going to get around was discussed by husband and me at length last night. This came after he and eldest son (9) took a trip into the nearest town (3 miles, lots of hills).
"He is going to need a new bike." He said grimly.
He got his bike for Xmas last year, its a good one, a rallie, but it only has 6 gears and they are the handle bar rotation type which he finds difficult (stiff) to use.
Consequently up the big hills husband had to reach across and push him because his gear-adge wasn't low enough.
This home truth also meant a serious look at how the littlies (6 and 5) will cope. Middle boy is off his stabilisers and very competent on his bike but won't be strong enough to peddle the hills on his small un-geared bike, and youngest is still on stabilisers and likely to be so for some time.
After sifting through some catalogues and looking online I think we have made a decision on what to do.
For one, eldest will need a better, more sophisticated road bike rather that just s good "toy" which is what he has now.
For the littlies we are going to buy two "Trail Gators", poles that attach their bike to yours so they can still sit and peddle (vital for these hills!) but won't end up too tired or in danger of veering into traffic.





I also think it would be a good idea to invest in a bike trailer, the kind designed for younger children. This could have a myriad of uses. For example if one of the littlies need a (none urgent) trip to the doctor they could be bundled in the back of the tailer and taken into town in comfort. We also have pets who will from time to time need a vet. Due to the new car-less-ness we are changing our vet for one in the nearest town rather than the usual further away one, even so a dog or cat will need to be transported and a child's trailer would be idea for this.






I really want to get out for some longer walks with the dog once the children start back at school and the trailer would mean I can transport my dog to some really beautiful walking areas with a few miles of home.
And of course, a trailer would be invaluable for those times when you want to pick up more than a back packs worth of shopping from town.
Well.....I hope we covered everything....fingers crossed!