That's a Wrap!

Waking to smokey skies yet again, I decided to head out to another community to ride my bike, hopefully under clear skies. I'm beyond fed up with the smoke this year, and am seriously considering selling my house and moving to Panama if this is going to be the summer normal.

It's very difficult to exercise at all when the smoke is so thick one can hardly breathe, and the stench of smoke permeates the house, along with ash that manages to work it's way inside. I'm guessing that the smoke and lack of oxygen is the reason I was so unmotivated this morning, rather than a low iron count. I made a quick lunch to take with me, along with a couple of bottles of water.

I headed out to the Rotary trail that follows the Vedder River, about a 20 minute drive from my community. Arriving, it was slightly hazy there from the smoke, but nothing nearly as bad as where I live (oh, lucky me). I haven't been to the Rotary Trail for years, mainly due to the fact that it gets super busy. I figured with kids back in school, a weekday before school got out, that it might not be too busy - and I was right!

I didn't take a lot of photos due to the haze, but thoroughly enjoyed my ride through the trees as well as the open areas with vistas of the river and Vedder Mountain on the other side. I followed the trail in a loop, taking the dike part way back, an area I hadn't ridden before.

The dike might not have been a great idea as it was quite hot and I could feel the heat beating on my bare head. Thankfully there was a breeze, but that can be a bit disconcerting sometimes. Thinking that my ride hadn't been long enough, I circled back to the main river trail (with shade), and rode back down the river trail to a bench I'd seen overlooking the river.

Taking my water bottle out of my lunch bag, I realized that one of them had leaked quite severely. Ack! Fortunately, my wrap had not been completely soaked. Munching on it while I surveyed my surroundings, a sandpiper pecked at something in the water. Of course, I'd left my camera in my bike bag and by the time I got it, the sandpiper was gone. Grrr. I know better and I even thought of taking it out while I grabbed my lunch bag.

I've been looking for carbohydrate reduced wraps, as regular wraps are as high in carbs as bread is. I was delighted when I found them the other day, as I really enjoy a wrap. It's an easy way to fill it with a salad, but be able to eat it on the go. Perfect for my lifestyle, and especially great for bike rides. My other go-to's are the Wendy's grilled chicken wraps, but I'm trying to stay away from fast food.

Seagulls circled and called in the river bed while I ate, the water levels exceedingly low. Families with little children dotted the river beds, splashing and playing in the shallow pools. After a significant rest, and downing most of my water from both bottles, I headed back.

I realized how close I was to getting heat stroke when I got back to my car and loaded up my bike. Dizzy, I had to go sit in the car and finish off the rest of the water so I wouldn't pass out.

I did take some photos of a heron on a stump in the middle of a slough, as well as the first red, yellow, orange and green turning maple leaves. It's a bit soon to see the colour, but with the heat we've had, it's no wonder the leaves are turning already.

By the time I headed home, the smoke had almost completely cleared from the valley, and I was more than glad to see the mountains again (obscured this morning).

All in all, a very good day, with plans to ride another rail trail in the near future. Of course, I'll be taking my lunch with me, along with more than two bottles of water.

And... that's a wrap!