Sadness, happiness and the beauty of spring

First a little on the beauty of spring . . . yesterday riding to work was so amazing that it was hard to stop when I got to work. The wind had blown all the snow onto the trees in just the perfect way for me to have the feeling of riding through a mystical white canopy. It was truly beautiful and it made you want to keep riding forever.

It was a fortunate day for such an awe inspiring bike ride as I found out later that morning that Dave's cousin Mike had passed away. I didn't know Mike nearly as well as I would have liked to but whenever he was at a family function Dave and I would spend the majority of the time talking to him. He was a nordic skier, biker and climber so we had a lot in common. He was also a really fun and super nice person. He was also very interesting to talk to as he was a talented wood worker who had made high end furniture (the kind that ends up featured in fancy magazines) and more recently hand made guitars. Unfortunately he had a climbing accident on April 1st where he was very seriously injured. It really brings home how important it is to not put off the things in life that you really want to do as tomorrow may be too late.

However, the world is also full of happy news and I want to end the blog on an upbeat note so I want to give a huge 'shout out' to an amazing gal, Corie Berrigan. Corie emailed me recently to let me know that she will be on the Team Kenda Tire roster for two USA Cycling National Race Calendar (NRC) Women’s Pro Events, Joe Martin ( Fayetteville AR ) and Tri-Peaks Challenge ( Russellville AR ). There are few people more deserving of this success than Corie. She is an amazing gal who persevered through some tough years and it is great to see that she is now having the success that she truly deserves. I can't wait to hear her stories. It's a good reminder for all us master's gals to keep on following our dreams whatever they may be!