Sometimes it’s the ride you least expect.
On Wednesday, the ride began as the weather turned from warm to a chill wind. Clouds gathered and spit cold drops. Yet a group of 13 Divas met and took off from the Abbott Loop Community Park, bolstered by a tailwind and camaraderie, along paths and streets, into the wooded parks.
Detours made the route more interesting as sprinkles kept falling. We took turns leading.
After deciding at the turnaround point what our return trip would be, we headed south through Russian Jack Springs Park.
At a corner, a movement off the trail caught my eye. Though we’d passed through this section not 15 minutes before, we hadn’t seen the wildlife standing, feeding and resting in a wetland.
Two sandhill cranes. And a ride that was already better than expected turned magically rewarding. I've never seen cranes in this park. They were just across the street and trail from some apartments. Imagine waking in the morning to their calls...
I'm reminded to keep my eyes open. To slow down. To look around. To make sure I ride with my friends because you don't always know where the trail will lead or what sights you may see.
posted by Rose
Divas who wanted to become more comfortable with leading rides and brush up on their singletrack skills gathered at Service High on a beautiful spring (summer?) evening. 
There were some naturals at track stand.
Wendy practiced her front wheel loft on the goal frame.
Rose demonstrated the technique for the rear wheel loft.
Elizabeth was empowered by the skid.
We forgot to cover how to manuever around this obstacle that I encountered on my way home.
