Use your out-door legs!!

     Last Friday, the plan was to go on another "Critical Mass" ride, like the one I went on a couple months ago.  If you remember, it was hundreds of cyclists riding through downtown Detroit. I'll admit it was a real challenge, and at the time I said "never again".  But they were going to have one final ride of the summer and I thought why not...

     However, that morning the plans fell apart and I wouldn't be going on the the ride after all.  So my Friday night was wide open and I wanted to find another way to entertain myself; but how??

     I could take a bike ride by myself and get some more cool pictures of the awesome flowers in our parks, but I've already taken pictures of most of the parks in this area.

     I know my mom loves flowers, but she doesn't ride a bike.  When it comes to outdoors, my bike has become my legs.  As soon as I walk outside I turn into "the tin man".  Meet my doppleganger!!

          Taking a walk in a park takes me forever if I rely on my legs.  The good news is, my mom wasn't in any hurry; in fact, she loves my pace!!

     But why go to a park where we have to walk a mile just to find flowers, when we can find millions of flowers at the Botanical Gardens!  So that's what we did:)

    Being that this garden wasn't a bike trail, I hadn't been here in forever, so I had forgotten how amazing it was.  We could find scads of flowers without even walking ten feet.  Maybe that's what we would do...

     But as we started sauntering along, we realized between the two of us, we were in absolutely no hurry; if it took all night to make our way through the garden, than so be it.

       I've encountered many bridges on my bike trails, but it's been a while since I walked over one.  But if you saw this view in the distance, wouldn't you make the effort to check it out!?

     And I'm so glad we did; once we got to the bridge it was as if we had crossed over to OZ!

    There's no denying I love my bike rides, but stopping to gaze endlessly at a babbling brook isn't usually something we do on a bike ride.  Though like I said, my mom was in no hurry:)  We even sat and just talked and talked... that was priceless:)

     On our way there we had some concern that we may have missed the summer flowers at their peak; but as you can see, we hit it at a perfect time, because the summer beauty hadn't left, though the fall colors were here as well.

     If I had to spend all evening getting to this point it was well worth the walk.

     And this cute little bunny agreed it was a perfect day for a stroll:)

                                         
                                   Still Summer??
                                          
     I think this is where summer meets fall...

                           And this is fall for sure...

                                           
          I know this is a lot of pictures and you could just scroll down to where I say have a great day... but I can't help myself because these pictures were all free!!  Besides, I'm almost done, so it isn't gonna kill you to look at two more:)

     See, I knew if we held out, we would find those pink flowers!!  Right!?!?

                                        

           I don't know what I enjoyed more; the time with my mom, the flowers, or just revisiting my out-door legs... I think it was all of the above...  It is funny though, my mom said that the evening was so nice and she never tired out.  I reminded her that we also walked at a snail's pace... but then I corrected myself... if we were in a race, I think the snail would have won!! :)  

     I may have captured a lot of awesome pictures that day, but the time with my mom was the real prize:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)