Little City of Enderby

Todays ride took us to our old stomping grounds of Enderby, B.C., along quiet backcountry roads. It also gave us a new personal best of 72 kms. We are ever so slowly inching our way closer and closer to that metric century ride.

We lived in the rural community of Ashton Creek near Enderby from 1990 until 2016 after which we made the move to Swan Lake. Enderby is a close knit town where everybody knows everybody. The population is small at around 2,900 people. It was a great place to raise our family.

We stopped in for a quick hello at The Falling Coconut, to see friends April and Pat. Their business is chock-a-block full of beautiful gifts. Good thing we were on the bike. Rob was eyeing up a table.

Next we stopped for lunch at Hungry Jacks on mainstreet. We had a delicious quinoa blackbean wrap and coffee.

Stomaches full it was time to head home. Just as we were leaving Rob bumped into an old friend. As has been a common occurance of late, it took him a second to recognize Rob in his new, slim body.

One of the pleasures, for me at least, travelling by bike in comparison to riding in a car speeding down the highway at 110 kms/h is the carefree, unhurried feel of travel. Slow travel.

My senses are enhanced. I feel the sun on my face. I hear the wind whistling in my ears. I smell the fragrant clover growing in the field and the rotten smell of manure being spread. I see and hear a parliament of magpies gathering in amongst the bushes, branches heavy with ripe berries, cawing their displeasure at each other.

Riding brings me such a joyful feeling.

We had our first minor breakdown on our return. Minor only because we were able to find the bolt, spacers and washers that came flinging off the front brake caliper as we were going down a hill.