The Little Pear Tree That Could!

During my rides I've noticed a lot of apples falling off trees and littering the road. It can be interesting trying to dodge them all. But it also smells wonderful! The weather is getting cooler and fall is upon us. Which also means pear season! Nearly my entire life we have had a pear tree. Every year without fail it would produce so many pears we didn't know what to do with them all! I remember my parents trying to MacGyver a pear catching basket out of a pole and an old coffee tin to reach the pears at the very top. The tree is about 26 years old and still isn't a very big tree. But a few years ago during a bad storm it was hit by lightning and one of the main limbs fell off. After that our little tree didn't look very good and we were worried we might have to take the rest of it down. But nature is an amazing healer so, we left our little tree alone and waited. It tried to grow pears but they never got bigger than your thumb and theyd fall off really early in the season. However, not this year! This year our little pear tree is back in action! Loaded to the brim with healthy giant pears! We've been collecting them and happily smiling at our beautiful tree. I'm glad it made it through. It's a part of our family in more ways than one.

75% Done!

As of today I only have 47.2km left to go! I'm so excited to reach my ride goal! I'm really proud of my improvements this year with my rides. Last year my average daily ride was 7km or 8km but, this year I've been averaging 10km - 12km a day! I'm already thinking about my ride goal for next year if you can believe it. 250km anyone? Everyone in my house is very excited about my challenge this year including our cats! So, join Puff in celebrating 75% completion of my ride goal and wave your hands (or paws) in the air like you just don't care 😆🥳

Time for a Combo Post!

Yesterday I went out for a short ride after the rain cleared up. The road was still pretty wet so I ended up going slower than usual. Last thing I wanted was to take a spill and risk getting injured. So, it ended up being a cautious ride around the village. Today however was the complete opposite story! Sunny skies and very hot! But at least I didn't have to worry about slipping. Anyway my favourite part of today's ride was watching the big popcorn (cumulus) clouds drifting bye. The sky was full of them! I'm sure my Mom will enjoy watching them out the window at work. She's an avid cloud watcher! So, naturally I stopped to take some good cloud pics for her 😉. You probably thought clouds would be the subject of today's picture. But on Tuesday I received my 2025 GCC cycling jersey! Bask in its glory and know that it's thanks to you and the amazing SickKids hospital that I received this ❤. I also got my thank you card from Nori! You can check out her story and cancer journey on the GCC website homepage. She's a real fighter and I'm going to keep on pedaling for her and everyone else fighting cancer!

This One Goes Out to Mary!

On this mornings ride I hade to wear two layers because it's was very windy and a bit cold out. I guess fall is really on its way and summer is coming to a close. I'll miss the beautiful summer days but not the searing heat! I also had some Seagulls decide to join me on my ride and they flew right beside me! It's was so cool! 😆

I was also reading my fellow GCC rider and colleague Mary McNeill's page. I always love reading her posts! Today she posted about her ride being on hold for now because of her sciatica acting up. Then she very generously gave me a shout out! So, I want to shout out back to Mary! One of the most awesome people I have ever met! You can do it Mary!! Did you know she has raised $3000 so far this year for Sickkids? What an amazing impact she's made to help kid's fight cancer. I'll be thinking of you on my rides Mary! Enjoy today's pic of me and the amazing sky! And checkout Mary's page! https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/MaryMcNeill