Like I mentioned yesterday, I pushed myself to get all my chores done so that today was totally free. I had an appointment with CCAC to have my picc line insertion cleaned and the picc line cleared and make sure it's working properly. I awoke this morning feeling very tired but I was really looking forward to going for a ride on the back of my hubby's Honda Goldwing. It was a comfortable, moderate temperature today with an absolutely blue, cloudless sky with lots of sun. There's no way that I was NOT going out on the bike.
So I suggested to hubby that we ride the bike to my appointment and then continue on for the rest of the day. The only other stop I wanted to make was to drop off some music related materials to one of my former students. She is a very special student with such a gift of music. Her interpretation of the written music is magical to witness. She is developing the talent of composition as well. So I really wanted her to have some of the material that I was looking to pass on. What a wonderful visit I had with her and her family. And....she surprised me with a beautiful work of art that she has hand drawn. I carefully placed it in the saddle bag of the bike and then hopped on behind hubby and we were off.
I love riding along the shores of Lake Ontario. The sight of the water is very soothing and today it was a grey-green kind of colour. I saw swans, Canada Geese (of course), ducks and other waterfowl. I love feel of the wind whistling through the vents in my helmet. I love being able to tilt my head back and see the blue sky above me. At one point, I even wanted to extend both arms straight out from my side and yell "I'm alive!!!". I didn't do that because, with my luck, my arm would get caught up with a car going by us. It was a glorious day for a ride. We stopped at a little rest area on the shores of Lake Ontario to have a bite of lunch which included fig bars, Welch's fruit snacks, juice boxes and a Raspberry Iced Tea for me. I was very content to just sit at the picnic table beside the water and listen/watch the waves lap against the shore. The rhythmic lapping sound is very soothing to me. The stone/pebble beach reminded me of when my father taught me to skip stones as a little girl. We used to drive to Kaufmann Flats near Kitchener, ON where he would teach us to skip stones. Today, I really wanted to pick up some stones and skip them but I am also aware that my white blood cells are low and I don't need to take the unnecessary risk of picking up some bacteria to introduce an infection to myself (such as salmonella or e-coli). So I was content to just relax, enjoy the scenery and listen to the sounds of the water slapping the pebble shore. Eventually it was time to climb back on the bike and continue our adventure of the day.
We continued to ride along the shores of Lake Ontario and then we turned to head towards Hay Bay. We took the South Shore Road and as I continued to look around and enjoy the scenery, I looked up and saw a big Osprey on a limb of a tree holding a fish in its talons. The tail of the fish was drooping downwards and as I watched, the Osprey took a big rip out of the fish and ate it. It was like watching through slow motion. This is why I like riding on the back of the bike. I see so much more than when I'm in a car! You can look directly up at the beautiful sky and at the same time see an unexpected sight like the Osprey. I made a mental note to tell my hubby about this when next we stopped. As we continued riding along, not much further along, I saw the Osprey's nest. He/she must have been hunting/feeding as there was a baby peeking out of the top of the nest. When I looked back at the road in front of us, I saw a yellow finch fly across the road ahead of us. What a glorious day!!!! I felt so free and alive!
Hubby continued to navigate the South Shore Road and then we turned left. Then left again and now we were on County Road 9 which runs along the north shore of Hay Bay. As I was looking around during the ride, I saw a trailer park on our left. Oh no!!!! There was the shell of a burnt out trailer. It looked like someone may have been having a campfire at one point this summer and a spark must have started the trailer fire. The owners look like they lost everything. However, thank goodness the rest of the trailers around it were not affected. Sad.......
Hubby's meandering ride took us eventually to Napanee. I needed to stop to take some of my pills. I mentioned to my hubby that there was The Waterfront River Pub & Terrace. I've heard they have good food. Did he want to stop for a break, drink and bite to eat? So into the parking lot he weaves the bike and finds a space to park. We awaited our turn to be seated. We really lucked out!!! We got a table on the patio right beside the boardwalk and Napanee River! What a peaceful and beautiful view we had! On top of that, there was a live band playing big band and swing music. A beautiful venue for a break. We ordered our drinks and food. While we were chatting, I saw movement from the corner of my left eye. I looked over and I see a volunteer who I used to work with at the hospital. What a nice surprise!!! She had seen me walk in with my hubby while she was having lunch with her daughter. We enjoyed a hug and too brief a chat. Running into her helped make my day even more special.
After finishing up our little snack and then me taking my pills, we climbed back on the Goldwing and meandered our way back home. That meandering took us back to the shores of Lake Ontario where I had to stop and eat a yogurt to help my stomach process one of my pills I had to take an hour earlier. Eventually we made our way back home.
I'm really tired tonight but in such a good way. I really believe that I need to celebrate each day that I feel well. What was going through my mind today was the phrase "Seize the day!" So that's what I'll be doing on my good days.....seize the day, wring the most out of it and fully enjoy my day. Maybe I'll sleep better tonight.
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