April 26: A Day of Gratitude

With the left side of my face still swollen, hot, and sore from oral surgery two days ago, I decided to keep today’s ride simple. Armed with antibiotics and ibuprofen, I headed south to the Creswell Bakery to stock up on bread.

Happy to feel the wind on my face and the rumble of the road beneath me, I breathed in the cool morning air as I rode past orchards, farmlands, garden nurseries, and meadows. Thick fog blanketed the rolling hills of the Santiam Wilderness to the east, covering the lush undulating waves of thick green grass and forests of evergreen trees with a fine, grainy, white mist.

Neat rows of fruit and nut trees lined the fields to the west, standing like sentries on display, their bright white trunks and leaf covered branches bearing witness to the advent of Spring. Pops of blue peeked through the cloud-covered sky above them, a sign of warmer clearer weather coming later in the day.

Sticking to the main roads to give my body a rest, I reflected on how much I had to be grateful for. Although the last couple days have been physically trying, I am so fortunate to be a throat cancer survivor and to be living life so fully. I am blessed with three beautiful children whom I adore, friends who have been faithful for decades, two satisfying full-time jobs, and a meaningful ministry.

With Adventure Baby on his way to Melbourne via Singapore, I’m hopeful that this summer’s adventure will be adventurous, inspiring, and restorative.

Stopping at the bakery to load up on bread for my freezer back home, I looked longingly at the baked goods, reminding myself there would be time in the future to enjoy the delicacies once my mouth has had time to heal. After chugging a protein drink for lunch, I headed back north, stopping near Springfield to admire the velvety green waters of the Willamette, winding its way around the thick deciduous trees on its banks. Another great day on the bike!