Today is your day Boomer! I know, I know....spring officially begins tomorrow and the last thing you want to hear about is more snow! But, Boomers, this is a fun activity in the snow and a big lesson to be learned from Finland. One of the northern Scandinavian countries, Finland-apparently-is embracing winter cycling. Take, for example, the Finnish city of Oulu; it has more than 900 kilometres of separated bike paths. In the winter, the city plows this huge bike network by 6 a.m. every day and will plow multiple times a day if needed. Oulu is not your compact old European town. It is similar to Saskatoon, a sprawling layout and a mid-size population of roughly 210,000. Imagine its carbon footprint and further imagine the fitness level of the city's residents. In fact, 10% of all trips in the winter are made on bikes....so, that means many people are commuting to work on their bikes! One city engineer says this idea is perfect for Canada: "the suburban sprawl in your cities is so huge that you've got so much space that could be used more wisely." Two cities are already considering some winter cycle strategies and they are big cities: Toronto and Edmonton. Boomers, here's to the bright future of leg power in any season. Cheers!
Today is your day Boomer! Relaxing in my hot tub this morning, I had reflections of the 1970 CCR song "Lookin' out my Back Door". Yes, that kind of druggy, but catchy song, about the view of your backyard. Mine is spectacular: colourful sunrises, big ponderosa pines, cheer, apple, fir, and weeping willow trees, two mountains, sheep and chickens next door, two frolicking golden retrievers, beautiful green grass and what seems like a thousand birds...including quail, pheasant, chickadees, woodpeckers, and blue jays. And what else? Well....the quiet, the solitude, and the chance for reflection with no sirens, car noise, yelling people, or neighbours invading your privacy. It was...is...just beautiful, and I am so blessed to live in a rural area in BC's Okanagan Valley. Boomers, what's out your back door? John Fogerty's "tangerines and elephants" or something like my cheeries and coyotes? Check it out and appreciate the little things in life. Cheers...

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