Over 120 miles in 5 days

On the home front, Shelley thought it was the perfect time to upgrade her car, given the proposed tariffs and the current economic conditions. She’s got a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek with 125,000 miles, and since she’s retiring in four weeks, she’s planning more road trips. Plus, the new cars are significantly more comfortable and worry-free regarding breakdowns. She typically owns a white or silver car. She had a light brown one for work, but I don’t think that’s her favorite color. I was totally surprised when she told me she bought a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Limited in Burnt Sunburst!

And just like last year, when I came to North Carolina in March, the weather back home was all over the place, with snow and melting snow almost every other day. It’s such a great time to escape Minnesota, and I’ll be back as spring starts, when the weather should be nice for a few months!

My son's dog, LuLu

For most of the trip, I’ve been super busy hanging out with Lulu, my son’s adorable dog! But this week, I finally got to catch a North Carolina vs. Charlotte softball game in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, and I had more time to ride my bicycle. Over the last five days, I’ve ridden a whopping 120 miles! It could have been even more, but the temperature is climbing to almost 80 degrees, and the humidity is just making it unbearable.

I eagerly anticipate watching the Women’s March Madness Final Four games this evening. The Women’s Final Four will be held on Friday and Sunday, while the Men’s Final Four will take place on Saturday and Monday. These games promise to be highly competitive basketball.

Today, I took photos while riding along the American Tobacco Trail. Many spots between mile markers 15 and 22 offer great photo opportunities. I am pleased with the results, but I’m still getting accustomed to my new Nikon Z7II camera. The controls are a bit different, and I often fumble when trying to take pictures. 

The middle images below show two geese fighting. One goose attacked, and I thought one would die in the fight. However, the goose escaped and flew away, so it must have been some territorial issue.

Looking forward to a few weeks away when these trips will no longer be solo!

Carry on my friends, Carry on!