Greetings fellow exercise enthusiast bikers,
How many miles have you walked, run or ridden today? This is the question. These actiities will make you feel like WOW! You should try it, today, no, now. Get up. Go around in a circle, go somewhere, ride down to the next mailbox, look for a bird, turtle, dog, cat, zebra? Say hi to your neighbor, do something, go somewhere, make your blood run thru your body! Wash those veins out of toxins and tarter, and gunky junk! You will feel better! Do it for YOU!
Seriously, it is for you. Love yourself that much!
This morning I rode 15 miles. At the end of my route, I had to go around the block to kick it up to 15miles after my normal route. [(I wanted to end on a whole number not a half point. Crazy I know.) I am funny like that.] Anyway, it was an exhilerating ride. I had to beat the rain before it came in. It was a wonderfully relaxing, yet vigorous ride. I saw a lot of wildlife.

On my bike ride I saw a long-legged yellow-feet Snowy Egret. Continuing, I glanced left to catch a quick view of several white ibises with orange-red bills, face, and legs looking for insects to eat. I startled two adult and one baby Mallard hens swimming as I peddled by, then they were flying away from me. I saw a few duck-like American coots, so cute and sound funny. Zooming by at fifteen miles an hour, I caught a glimpse of a couple Muscovy ducks who with red on their faces, were rocking back and forth under a big oak tree; oh, are they so ugly. I saw a large red-headed Sandhill Crane. I interrupted several foraging Tri-colored Herons with blue, gray, and white colors, one seemed like it had very rare colors of gray black and white. Not today, but several days ago, I ran up on what I thought was a small funny looking snake, but, it in fact it was a long earthworm looking kinda lizard thing about a foot long that is actually called a Florida worm-Lizard. I have seen two of them in the last month, and they are kinda slimy, creepy looking. I did not know whither to stop and touch it or run, I mean ride faster away from it.
Peddling next to the water, I saw a good many turtles poking their head and nose out, some swirling and whirling under the water when I startled them going by. On the path between the grass, there were many lily pads in the water and beautiful whitish flowers on some of them. I love to see these lilies, they are magnificently brilliant and beautiful.
On the trail by the water, I saw about a three-foot alligator sunnin' himself on top of some roots in the water. But when I came back through on the way home, he was gone from that spot. A little apprehensive, I was waiting for him to come chasing me out of the bushes, weeds, or brush, and grab my foot, but, I got away without an attack, thank goodness. Leaving the trail just before crossing the road by the big wooden fence, I smelled a wonderful addictive smell, something like honeysuckle or gardenia. Wow! That should be put into a perfume or a candle! I love that smell, I just took a great big whiff of that yummy smell! Aahhh!
Off the trail and continuing on my ride today on the road around the block closer to home now, I saw a friendly, quiet, large, dark green, blackish, Gopher Tortoise, just sitting in the the edge of his burrow, minding his own business and avoiding the heat of the morning. On the next street, I went by some common Southwest Florida seagrapes or same as Buckwheat trees with rounded leaves. By the way, the fruit on a seagrape tree is edible, in its raw state, and it can be made into juice, jelly or wine. Try some next time you are in Florida, if you are brave.
I could spend a lot of time taking pictures of all this, if I only had a good working camera right about now, which I don't. On a students salary, it is not so easy. Wait, students don't work, they go to school. But, I will just have to resign to take all this beauty in for myself today, and enjoy each little new thing I see, and smell, tucking it into my memory.
It was a wonderful day for an early morning bike ride in Southwest Florida! Let the sun shine in and on! :)