One good thing about 2020? Bike pathways were not closed!

One good thing about 2020? Bike pathways were not closed!
We are grateful for time spent outdoors - for the physical and mental benefits of time spent in nature. And after months of preparing every meal at home, a new kitchen appliance is cause to celebrate!
I have a bit of a thing for notebooks and have several on my desk at all times, a variety of spiral bound, sewn, glued, stapled, small, large, soft-covered, hard-covered, lined and unlined where I jot down ideas, make lists, take notes on things I read or find interesting and do my best to keep organized. But I didn’t photograph any of my current set of notebooks for this post. Read on to learn why...
The summit stretch of HIghwood Pass is closed to vehicle traffic from Dec 15 through June 14 each year. Depending on snow pack and spring temperatures, that means there's a short window each spring when it's possible to ride from the locked winter gates to the summit of HIghwood Pass. We made our first attempt in 2016 (successful) on mountain bikes and have returned each spring since, usually on our cyclocross wheels which make for an easier ride. Highlights from our 2020 ride include spotting a couple of white-tailed deer, riding into strong and gusting headwinds on the descent and seeing a grizzly bear on the drive out. At the date of publication, there are two more weekends to ride Highwood Pass before it re-opens to vehicle traffic on June 15, 2020.
Calgary and area went directly from winter to summer this month. We took full advantage. Some days we worked outside, gardening, sealing the driveway, repairing the garage floor, repairing and painting deck railings or draining, repairing and refilling the hot tub. But we also made plenty of time for outdoor enjoyment, by cycling, walking, bird-watching and geocaching.