Abby finally got the hang of riding a bike this week. For some reason, it’s been a long process for her. It doesn’t help that our house is right next to a busy road, so there isn’t a convenient place to just go outside and ride. The driveway is only big enough for a tight circle and not long enough to get any momentum going and practice your balance. But Kim was determined that this was the year that Abby would learn to ride a bike, and Nana and Papa live in a neighborhood that has a quiet street and sidewalks. So one evening, we took the bike over and encouraged Abby to give it a try.
About a year ago, a friend helped her get comfortable riding, first on one of those balance bikes without pedals, that you just kind of push yourself along on, and then on her regular bike. She was able to ride a bit on that day, but then afterwards she was nervous about us letting go and riding on her own. (There is probably a life lesson in there about learning to let go, but that’s too deep for this newsletter. . .) However, this time around, Kim took her to a nice long straightaway, held Abby up as she started pedaling and in about five minutes Abby was riding up and down the street. It took her a few tries to get used to braking, turning, and going over bumps, but now she just hops on and rides like it was nothing. Mission accomplished. Now it is Maddy’s turn to learn to ride, and then maybe they can come with me on some off-road biking adventures.
It wasn’t a biking adventure, but I did have a little adventure of my own this week. We’ve had a number of requests for bamboo plants but were having a hard time finding any good local growers. So I decided to take a trip across the state to a bamboo farm. When I pulled in, I was greeted by acres and acres of bamboo in all sorts of varieties and sizes. It was a lot of Zen to take in all at once. I got to tour the farm, and I packed the truck to the gills with cool varieties of bamboo.
So if you need to block out a pesky neighbor or are just looking for a little privacy for your backyard retreat, we’ve got you covered. Come check out the beautiful bamboo and see Growing Bamboo – Kerby’s Nursery to make sure your bamboo grows its best.
Also, thanks to those of you who came out last weekend for the Rose Gardening Seminar. If you missed it, we’ve uploaded (most) of it to the Kerby’s Nursery YouTube channel. The seminar went a little longer than anticipated, so it cut off towards the end, but you’ll still get some great information. Have another great week in the garden.
