School run

Spent the day sanding window frames Monday, so when the time came to do the school run I thought I would try it using the Yuba as I was sick of being stuck inside. Since we moved 8 km away three weeks ago, to the big smoke, the school circuit back to the old village takes about 15-20 minutes by car from the new house, or longer if you count the time it takes to park up at the two different school sites. It took 25 mins to get to the first school on the Yuba and it is great to be able to wheel up to the classroom door directly without having to find a parking space and walk. It probably takes about the same time on the Yuba, its probably safer being off the road (witnessed a crash again today), and its probably better for my waistline.
Alot of stay home mums take their car to do the half a mile from their houses on the other side of the village to take and pick their kids up every day, so parking space is at a premium. This in a place where we have over 300 days of sun a year... nuts... and I'm not sure what the "rural" mind set of the village thought of our 2 wheeled green monster and 3 singing kids on the back but I don't really care anyway.
What was nice was shooting past on the cyclepath by all the people sitting in their cars on the 15 minute traffic jam that happens when everyone picks up their kids and/or leaves work at about 5.15, I think I got home faster !

This is the final approach along the river towards our new hood. Flood grassland and a dirt track that leads to the end of our road. Flowers and butterflies etc. Very nice. If you head back the otherway you get to the sea in about 15 km of stand alone cycle path shaded by london plane trees.
Of course it was sunny with no wind when I set out in shorts and a T, but on the way back the sun went in and the wind picked up over the last 4 km pushing me down into 1st gear and about 7km/h... Took 35 minutes on the return journey, no big deal though.
Thats about 60 km in two days with 3 kids plus their stuff on the Yuba. I could feel it in the legs a little this morning. But great, I am going to feel like a rocket next time I go out on my mountain bike !