Thursday, June 20, 2013

rain, rain, go away...

Riding in the rain is quickly becoming my normal routine. The day typically starts like this...
Monday morning as I start my ride

 or like this...


 
Thursday morning -- arrival at the museum




and ends with me donning my rain gear and pedaling like mad back to the car, in an effort to beat the really heavy downpour or the imminent thunderstorm. 

I don't mind the rain, but some sunshine would be nice sometime soon, especially since tomorrow is the first day of summer.

Just as a little rain doesn't stop me from riding my bike, it also doesn't stop these rose bushes from blooming...

This (left and below) is where I start and end each ride. I can't complain!

Yesterday was our last day of regular classes for this session -- today we had a field trip to the Royal Alberta Museum -- and my students surprised me with a gift card to Mountain Equipment Co-op and some of the nicest speeches imaginable. I was moved to tears as they told me how much they enjoy my classes and as they spoke of friends who don't like their English teachers. Of course I am glad they like my class, but I am sure that I like my students more than they could possibly like me. I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world and have the best job in the world.

I rode my bike to the museum today, down into McKinnon Ravine and up to the Glenora area. This was the first time I'd tried this route. It was a pretty steep uphill climb, but I made it without difficulty. I think I came out at the wrong place, however; I thought I'd end up closer to the museum, but I had to ride east along 102 Avenue for several blocks. 

Our field trip was a success; the students all seemed to have a good time. 
Afterwards I went with the students from my afternoon class to a coffee shop, where we enjoyed excellent coffee and some conversation.


roses in bloom
Now I have a week off, in which to relax and enjoy myself (once I get the dental appointment out of the way.) The forecast is lousy, but the optimist in me still hopes for some nice long bike rides. We'll see...

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