We did however make it to the cache location in our sneakers and replaced the box.
I guess a warm rainfall is needed to melt away the last of the lingering snow... but I'm not wishing for that. We're having way too much fun on our bikes right now to give up a day for rain!
She took care of my bullets and helped me load each in to the gun and extract the casing afterwards (I honest to Pete had no idea how to do that at first).
Fino of course was in his glory along with several other dads. I was not the only female on the range (my friend Sarah, a former 4-H shooting club member, was there too) but I was the only one who needed assistance from their child.
L. relished her time as the expert and explained to me that the bullet block is set up like the target. Each bullet is shot towards it's corresponding target.
And I realized quickly that even with a scope, it is not so easy to hit each target. I completely missed four black circles on my target and only managed to hit two anywhere near the center (the closest was the second ring out). But it was actually more fun to shoot than I thought it would be even if I'm not very good at it.
L., on the other hand, was asked to shoot with a different gun yesterday because hers was needed for a smaller boy who had come to the open house. But she was a good sport about it and had Fino beaming with pride once he saw her target after she shot with that larger, heavier gun.
It looks like shooting sports will be in L.'s future for some time. For me, I'm glad I gave it a whirl but I'll leave the weekly trips to the gun club next fall to Fino.
In this respect, she is her father's daughter.
L. teaching her mom about target shooting
2. We had girls 6- to 12-years-old in our group yesterday and no one had a hard time peddling the length (2.7 miles one way) of this trail.
3. There are plenty of scenic spots to stop for a water break.
4. There are only a couple of hills on the path and the larger one tops out over a bridge that the kids think is cool.
5. After biking nearly three miles, your kids will declare that they are not too tired to run around and play on the church playground's round-about. And that will force you to spend some time coaxing them to sit down and eat their lunch.
6. A porta-potty at both ends of the trail make the necessary breaks with kids very convenient.
7. You can feel OK about each biker setting their own pace and not getting lost on the trail.
8. The boat launch can be a fun spot to cool off after five miles of bike riding but the kids in my group will warn you that the river in mid-April is icy cold.
9. You can be silly by waving and yelling to your friend's grandma who lives across the river and not care that she can't hear or see you.
10. You can find a hidden treasure (aka a geocache) after a tricky hike through the woods (that could have been simpler if you started off at the mill parking lot instead of Water Street) about a half mile beyond the trail head.
11. You can spend four hours with six girls, bike more than six miles then hike another half mile and think you could have stayed longer.
TRAIL REVIEW
Trail: Androscoggin River Bike Path
Length: 2.6 miles one way
Terrain: Paved
Towns: Brunswick, Topsham
Trail head: Main trail head and parking is located at the end of Water Street in Brunswick. There is an entrance at the end of Grover Lane (near Cook's Corner) as well as a connection to Topsham via the Coastal Connector Bridge.
Bathroom: There is and outhouse approximately 1/4 mile from the trail head (on Water Street) and the other about 1/2 mile from the end (near Cook's Corner).
Dog-friendly: No
Kid Rating: Both girls gave this trail 5 stars (on a scale of 1-the worst to 5-the best).
12-year-old: "The path is nice and smooth. I liked the roundabout at the playground at the end of the trail."
10-year-old: "I liked the roundabout at the playground. It was fun. I liked stopping for a picnic on the trail. I liked the bridge too and going down the hill."
* I cook A LOT with Adobo seasoning. It's a blend of garlic, oregano, tumeric and black pepper with a subtle lemon tang. It's great on chicken but makes this roasted potato recipe particularly tasty.
The yard might not be clear of snow yet, but the roads are.
It became obvious to us yesterday that it will take a while to get our "bike legs" back when we had to take an earlier than usual water break during our trip.
Since the soft serve ice cream machine hasn't been turned on for the season at our local convenience store, the girls chose another frozen treat from the freezer. Some sort of frozen chocolate pie slice. It was finger-licking good.
We are psyched another bike riding season has started. We biked four miles round trip yesterday and were all tired but excited to get back to enjoying the outdoors on two wheels.
We are planning to explore more bike trails this year so if you have a favorite place to ride (that has generous shoulders on the road or is a bike path), tell us about it.
... and smash every foam cluster you can find because it's fun.
You can examine broken lobster traps while also admiring the basalt dikes of Odiorne Point and use the lobster bait bag to carry your new sea shells home.
The crevice in the rock was filled with volcanic magma (also known as basalt) during the Triassic Period, which was about 200 million years ago.
You can see the largest known glacial erratic in New England and be inspired to take some 'trick' photography shots.
"Jumping off the boulder"
"Strongest 10-year-old on Earth"
And you can simply enjoy the fact that it is a great time to be outdoors to appreciate the early days of a new (and warmer) season.
