Books & Bicycles

C and I had a wonderful weekend of friends, books, and bicycles. We met The Knittin' Kitten and her husband J at the most wonderful used book...complex...The Book Barn. C took some photos for me and I will try to illustrate this experience for you!

  Here is the main barn, on the edge of the road. It was the original barn before the store expanded.

Backing up a bit, you can see Ellis Island from the parking lot (the barn in the previous photo is on the left, outside the photo). Ellis Island is where people take books they want to sell to the Book Barn. Here they are sorted and priced before going on to the other buildings.

A close up of Ellis Island, and a black cat napping under the umbrella on the table. There are many cats that live here (10 or 12?), and a dog or two.

New immigrant books go from the tables into here. Older immigrant books come out of here, where they are distributed to their sections.

This is a photo of the backside of the main barn. The Town Hall has little dioramas to tell you where different subjects are located.

  A kitty statue among flowers. There are lots of gardens here, in between the buildings.

Lunchtime! Another kitty grabs a quick bite on the back porch. The main level of the book barn has art, military history, and rare books. The upstairs has children's books, health, crafts, anthropology, and other topics.

Here is The Underworld. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, too wet when it rains, and horror of all horrors, the books are not organized in any way, shape, or form. It gives me shudders thinking about that. Eventually, books from here are sorted into their subject areas.

They also have a goat pen. There used to be sheep too, but I didn't see any this time.

The black kitty gives us a tour of the lower level of the main barn, which has history, politics, and cultural books.

Fiction & poetry

The Haunted Bookshop, behind the playhouse for kids and a garden. It holds mystery, horror, true crime, and anything scary.

The black kitty is just worn out from this tour! And I don't have a photograph of the Last Page building, which holds books on sports, tourist guides, and pets. C found me my very own copy of  "A Woman's Guide to Cycling" by Susan Weaver here, so don't have to borrow it from the library anymore.

We had a wonderful time with S & J looking at all of the books and trying not to take everything home with us!!! And these photos do not show the downtown location, which has cookbooks, entertainment, nautical history, and more fiction. After this, we went for a bike ride together -- 14 miles! C and I left the camera in the car, so unfortunately I don't have any photos to share of our ride together. Please see The Knittin' Kitten for details.

That ride was a great warmup for Sunday, when C and I did the Folks on Spokes charity ride, which benefits the local mental health agency, Bridges. It was my first official ride, and I signed up for the 40 mile one, to see if I could do it.

Here are the other 40-milers at the start line, as of 8:30am. Shortly after this photo was taken, they left me way behind.

C's bike, with a pretty water view, just after the second rest stop (we never did find the first one). Those headwinds off the water are tough!

But not as tough as this huge hill, which I had only practiced for the first time the previous Saturday.

The second big hill. I almost cried from relief when I got to the top!

The third rest stop, at the top of that second hill. Power bars, bananas, and water. The gentleman in the pink shirt told us we were the last to come through, and to help ourselves.

Finished!!

OK, I was the last one to come back to the start/finish line. The volunteers were cleaning up (though they said they'd be there til 1:30, and it was only 1:05!), there was little left in the way of lunch (C took me out to eat afterwards to celebrate), and the band was playing its last song in the bandstand when I arrived. BUT -- I finished!!!!!!!!!!! The longest ride I've ever done, and with two big hills. I usually ride only about 20 miles per trip, on completely flat rail trails. I'm a little sore today, but so happy to have achieved this goal. Next year, I'm going to work for a century (100 miles)!

Comments

[amanda]

Congrats on finishing such a challenging ride!

[Julie]

All I can say is WOW! What an accomplishment!

[Sarah]

You must not be feeling very sore after the 40 if you are looking ahead to 100! Are you thinking of the one C did near us recently? We're looking forward to our next bike ride with you both.

[Kristen]

Congratulations, you did it! That is fantastic! My legs ache at the thought of those hills. I had not heard of the Book Barn but your virtual tour, complete with books and cats, makes it a place I'd love to visit.

[Pam]

Congratulations on finishing 40 miles! With hills. Hurray for you!

The book barn looks wonderful - wish it were closer.

[Meg]

Congrats on completing the 40 miler!

[wendy g]

Congratulations on your ride! I loved your pictures of the Book Barn. What an interesting place.

[Karen]

Congratulations on finishing your ride! That's great that you are only a little sore. I wouldn't be able to walk.

[Jen]

Look at You!!! Congratulations on your ride! That's awesome. And I'm extremely jealous of your Book Barn trip.

Hey, I've been trying to email you at the address you left in my comments, but they won't go through. Could you email me at jen1nswAThotmailDOTcom and see if I have more luck with a reply?

[Laura]

That book store looks amazing. I want to go shopping there with you.

Congratulations on finishing the bike ride. That's many more miles than I have ever done. (I think the most I biked at once was about 25 miles.)

[Esther]

Oh my gosh!!! What a wonderful trip!!! Kudos to you for finishing that incredible bike ride! I love the photos of the book barn - how fantastic.

[Beth]

Congratulations on your bike ride! What an accomplishment! The Book Barn looks like a very interesting place.

[tiennie]

Thanks for commenting on my blog. I read through yours today and can I say what an awesome life you have?! Great job on the bike ride and your hoodie is looking good!

[Sue]

Congratulations on finishing your race. I am sure that you will remember that for a long time to come. I loved your description of the Book Barn, what a great idea, as I love books, mostly craft ones though now.

[Lynne]

Good for you, Debby!!! Yeah!!!! I want to got to the book barn.

[Rebekah]

That looks like a place I could easily get lost in!

[Deb]

Congratulations on finishing the ride! I know I couldn't have done that.
And the book barn looks amazing. I'd love to spend the weekend:)

[Jenny]

Whooo Hooooo!!!! Congrats on finishing the ride! Also on your beautiful Amazing Lace project. Just beautiful!