Bike month continues! To help rack up the miles I took a ride to Auburn I have been wanting to do for awhile. It just happened to be Cinco De Mayo, so I dubbed my ride Cyclo De Mayo. At the beginning of the ride a great blue heron took flight from a field very close to where I was and gracefully soared about. To some native Americans the great blue heron is a sign of a successful journey, and I took it as such as well. Continuing on, along Salmon Falls Road, I spotted a vulture atop a telephone pole with it's wings spread. This particular janitor of the animal kingdom was sunning itself, but it's resemblance to the top of a totem pole was uncanny. Riding along I crossed the confluence of the north and middle forks of the American River, where I discovered highway 49 was closed so I would be experiencing increased traffic on my ride up Forrest Hill Road. After pausing for a moment to take in the wonder of the rivers and the sight of Forrest Hill bridge, which is the bridge in the Vin Diesel movie XXX, I began my ascent. Some of the diverted logging trucks came within inches of me but on the plus side they created a temporary  wind tunnel giving me a slight boost up the hill. Just before actually entering Auburn I crossed the bridge that  I had been so far below before. I ended up riding just under 62 miles, which is about 100 kilometers for my metric speaking friends.

NOT my selfie of the week, just a picture of me with the Forrest Hill bridge

     Just because it's bike month though doesn't mean I have been neglecting the other things I like to do. Saturday I started out the day with a 5.1 mile run. In the early afternoon I went hiking at Cronan Ranch with one one of my favorite people in the world and her dog, whose name is Roo. It was quite entertaining to watch Roo have his first encounter with a horse, looking quizzically at it, wondering exactly what is was that he was looking at. We stopped for lunch just above the rapid known as Secret Chute. It was here we saw a deer appear from the trees just before a rider on horseback galloped by on the trail above us. I finished up the day with a nice ride along the scenic back roads close to where I live. Which brings us to this week's selfie! This one was taken at the aforementioned lunch spot, and I have a special guest this week. Roo dog!

Selfie #19

     The Bold Venture saw a lot of action Sunday when me and four of the best crew mates I've ever had the honor to paddle with hit the white water. We rafted from Chili Bar to Salmon Falls, over 21 miles. It was mother's day and, compared to the crowds normally seen on weekends, there was hardly anyone out. We were the first ones on the river and for much of the time had it all to ourselves. I must say this particular crew moved and maneuvered the boat like none other I've ever paddled with, which came in handy whenever I would abruptly change my mind about which way we should go. Near Gorilla Rock we spotted some small turtles basking in the sun atop their rocky perches. Just above Hospital Bar we saw a great blue heron in the air, another sign of how great our journey was and perhaps an indicator of what we saw next: a bald eagle! We saw this majestic bird near Surprise and witnessed it soaring, seeking it's prey. Which in this case appeared to be some baby mallards. Curiously it was a Canadian goose that sounded the alarm and kept watch as the eagle waited nearby. We finished the day off by just floating and relaxing on the boat before takeout. It was a truly amazing day.

WOOHOO!!!

     On a more serious note, I have been really thinking about recent conversations between me and the Commander. One thing that has really stuck in my head is how she pointed out that I tend to go overboard on certain things, something I have posted on this blog previously. I have really been reflecting on this and the fact I need to find balance between paying off my debt and having time to stay sane. I have found that while I have been making good progress on my debt I am going a little stir crazy. I recognize now I need to take vacations every now and then, that I don't need to call them off altogether right now, but that I do need to be careful about how many I take. And of course watch my spending habits. I also have to recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health. Right now, it seems it will be all about finding that balance.

     Until next time my dear readers I hope you are all out there having fun, getting your balance and declaring proudly to the world your own moment of