Today I present something short and sweet. I am mulling over the idea of using this format as a series of stories, reminiscent of a diary entry but with a dash of creative writing. Is it a recipe for success? Only time will tell.

Today, I made the trip to Whitby, Ontario, where my parent’s sailboat is currently sitting on the hard, eagerly awaiting it’s launch date. It was a beautiful Saturday and despite the lack of sleep last night (working on a website for hours on end the day before will do that to a person’s sleep cycle) I wanted to get out and enjoy the day. So, I made myself a cup of tea – Earl Grey from DAVIDsTea, grabbed some homemade pizza from the fridge, some leftover kale salad from the night before, loaded up my bike onto the back of my car and headed towards the water.

I do love the water. I am more of a water baby than a fire baby, despite what my zodiac sign would have you believe. And while I wasn’t on the water today, I got close. I may not be a mountain person but looking out over the calm of Lake Ontario, craziness of the world aside, gave me such a sense of peace and I have never felt more at home. I’m really going to enjoy spending more time by the lake this summer.

I broke out my bike upon arrival at the marina, taking it for a spin along the waterfront. I paused at the Kiwanis Heydenshore Park to snap a few pictures of the water and surroundings, which I share with you now. This seemed like a good place to turn around – I didn’t want to overdo my time spent in the sun and I know my legs will be sore tomorrow. I haven’t been as active in the last 8 weeks, going from a walking uphill commute to work every day to now having to climb a few stairs to my kitchen from my basement bedroom, scrounging for something in the refrigerator.

Fun side story: I bought my bike last August with some bonus cash from work. I was very excited to take it out on the trails in Banff, the mountains be damned (because it sucks to bike uphill). A week later, I joined some friends at the Rec Centre for some roller skating. And fell on my tailbone. Twice. Now, I figure skated for eight years and therefore I thought I was familiar with falling down. Turns out, I was wrong. My bruised tailbone still twinges every now and then, more than six months later. You can well imagine that with a bruised tailbone, getting back on my new bike would be a challenge. I managed one other ride last fall before storing my bike away for the winter.

This summer I am determined to use my bike as often as possible, both around my hometown as well as down at the boat, my parents’ home away from home. Never having found my stride at a gym or particularly enjoying organized sports, biking is one of my preferred exercise activities. That and swimming. This warm weather has got me hyped and I’m grateful for my health and the unexpected and abundant free time I find myself with, which enables me to enjoy the great outdoors right now.

What do you love about being outside? What is your preferred summer activity?