The Golden Gate Welcomes Us!

Hello All Those Near & Dear!

Yesterday we awoke to a nice, crisp, sunny day. Everyones spirits were high & we were ready to conquer the 40 miles ahead, which included the '7 Sisters' climb. The views were stunning (as one would hope them to be at 5000 feet elevation) & muscles were definitely burning. After a long day of riding, Group 1 & 2 reunited in San Francisco at Kathy Rose's house for our official Bike Tour kick off party!

Today we were lucky enough to be able to sleep in a bit. At 10:30am we all met up at 'Sports Basement' for a bike maintenance clinic. Jeff was our humorous and knowledgable host, who we were all happy to see again.
Half our day was spent at 'Sports Basement' purchasing gear and tuning our bikes. 'Sports Basement' has always provided us with such great service & continues to help us out in any way possible.

We wrapped up the day polishing our workshops at Kathy Rose's mission apartment. The tour officially starts tomorrow, with a visit to the Claire Lilienthal School & to Episcopal Community Services. Fifty miles later we will be in Los Altos staying at Foothills Congregational Church.

A big thanks to Kathy, Nikki, Madison, Drew Fink, Dave Seamans, & Nicole for accommodating us the past two nights. And one last 'Thank You' shout out to Sports Basement & The Recyclery Bike Shop!!!

Signed Your Happy Cyclist,

Marguerite : )

Of the West

Hello Devoted Readers! We kicked off the Bike Tour in high style on Thursday night with a stay at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, an intentional community and ecological education program in Sonoma County. Aside from luxurious hot tub and sauna, the real opportunity was found in the meandering gardens that grace the land. The following morning began with a tour and a work project, and it was remarkable how much food the garden was still producing. At a time when many gardens are winding down for the winter, this was an excellent reminder that the mild climate along the California coast is great for growing food all year long! OAEC had many examples of cold tolerant vegetables and greens, including tree collards, kale, cabbage, romanesco, and escarole. Our morning project consisted of weeding a bed of kale and then sowing a cover crop of vetch beneath the remaining plants. This was another important lesson because while it may be possible to grow food throughout the year in some locations, we must remember that gardeners are growing healthy soil first and foremost. Vetch, like all legumes, fixes nitrogen into a usable form with the help of symbiotic bacteria, and so helps replenish the soil with nutrients that our fruits and vegetables had previously removed. As we composted the plants that had been pulled and cleaned the tools, our minds drifted back to our own garden on Catalina and the exciting new crop varieties and techniques we might try when we return to the island! Many thanks to Doug and all the members of OAEC!