pets 'n pedaling

 What to do with all the random pet pictures but combine them with a couple mountain biking adventures! Pets go purrrrfectly with pedaling (not peddling as I misspelled initially when titling this post - ha!). ;) 

But seriously, doesn't this fat lump look like he could use some exercise on a bike? One of the boys plopped him down in that chair and he stayed long enough to look annoyed and then look directly at me so I could get a few pictures before we let him get off. Trouncer is so long-suffering, as evidenced by what I'm sure is a heart shaped white bit of fur on his lower belly.

Demon kitty! Okay perhaps he's not so loving.

A couple Sundays ago on November 12th, the beautiful weather was calling me outside. I decided to finally take Noah out for a ride on M Hill. I've gone with him a couple times to Skyline (and Terry's taken him a couple times at M too) and he always has such a great time he wants to go more. And then I never take him. But this day I did! Here we are just about to embark at Founder's Park. 

Here Noah is walking up a steep, more technical section towards the beginning of the trail. I didn't make it up that this time but the time before for the boys' Adventure Day I did!

Which reminds me... How have I not posted about the Adventure Day ride we had on September 28?!  Derp. Well, Noah is good buddies with our friend Paul and Jana's son Jack and she has organized an Adventure Day for the two of them and a few other friends on Wednesdays. She takes all these boys on outings all over the city just so they have some quality and fun time together. It is awesome. The boys just LOVE it. Anyway, that day Jana had another friend, Paula, and I take the boys mounting biking on M Hill. It was great fun. That's Jack, Noah, and Asher.

Silhouetted in the sun.

And one final picture from up above after the boys went back down to Paula. It was just gorgeous. 

Okay, now back to me and Noah. Here we are halfway up Sunclimb, which is what Denise and I always ride, but is much more difficult for Noah (hey it's hard for me too). We went pretty slowly and Noah walked over most of the technical stuff.

Here we had reached the front top of the hill but now were heading west towards the higher part. 

Pausing on some rocks with the tower behind him. How cool are those sun rays?!

We finally made it to the top! We walked over to the edge of this ravine and admired the cliffs. The last time I had done that was shortly after I got my current bike a year and a half ago. 

Selfie at the tippy top! 

I knew this trail was above what Noah could handle but I also knew that if we could get over the top, he would have the most amazing time racing down the western back side. It's so incredibly fun because there's no rock and the grade isn't crazy steep so you can just fly along the trail. We had a great time.

We took a side trail and rode back south to the M part of the hill that looks over the gap. There's Dinosaur Park and the Skyline trails opposite us. It's cool seeing it from here since when I'm over there I always photograph the M!  

This is the M that the Tech students white wash anew every year for homecoming. 

Noah said he was "punching the M." Take that! 

So that's the end of pedaling and now we're back to pets! Luna's turn. We had washed her on a Monday night before we had students over for bible study and since she's over vigorous in her greeting of any and everyone, she had to get put in her kennel before she could be brushed out and fluffified like usual. The result was the surprisingly pleasant form of curliness that I thought I didn't like! 

She's so cute!! Like a little stuffed curly bear, a Steiff bear as my mom said.  

Every school day we usually have quiet time, which is when Ezra (and sometimes Samuel) nap and we all have some time alone to ourselves to do whatever we want. Trouncer spends his every quiet time napping at Evie's feet. Unfortunately I had just woke him up here.

I was getting ready for church a couple weeks ago when Trouncer decided to visit me, and then that the sink was the ideal place for him to chill out. 

What...? 

Ah yes, one more biking expedition took place in the last couple months. Just a few days before Jazmin went to South Africa for an extended mission trip, she, Denise, and I muscled up to ride in the clouds and drippyness and ride the Storm Mountain Technical Loop. The first time I had done that was in March when Terry was in Denver for D2S. I did way better this time and had so much fun with these ladies!

Back to Trouncer. Again, one of the boys put him on his back like that on top of the marble shelf and he just laid there for a while...

...until he rolled off. Ha! 

Trouncer gets baths every couple weeks to keep down the dander (trying to prevent our house from becoming an allergen nightmare). He looked like a monster when I tried to get his picture this night. 

When he was all dry, he was so sleek and shiny and soft and playful. 

"I MUST EAT THIS GIRL'S HAIR!" 

Having conquered her hair, Trouncer sat in victory on the back of his play thing Evie.