I have been very remiss in not completing this blog until now. I am sitting training for the next bike tour by watching the Tour de France (that works, doesn't it?) and am finishing this journal. No more procrastination!

After months of physiotherapy and massage therapy I was given permission to start riding. I have been back biking since early March, and the first few rides I was nervous. The rest of Canada misplaced their snow this winter and we had several weeks where the darn stuff actually stuck around. When I was cleared by my doctor to start riding there were areas with gravel on the road, left from the efforts to keep drivers who aren't used to driving in the snow from hurting themselves. The gravel spooked me, since that is how I fell, but I kept at it. Within a few days I had moved on from nervous to cautious. There is a difference. Cautious I will remain. That is just smart. I don't tear down hills with the same abandon, as I realize what can happen. But caution hasn't reduced the fun factor, believe me. I have also come a long way from the first ride when I was so slow coming down a long hill I met Keith coming back to look for me. That is pretty bad!

My shoulder is doing well. The orthopaedic surgeon here told me he is thrilled with my result. The shoulder is always a bit cranky, but I have a full range of motion in most directions, and can do almost everything when I do yoga. I find if I neglect to do my stretches for a few days it stiffens and becomes more painful so I try to be consistent. I have finally conceded that it is never going to be the same again, but it will be pretty darn good. It is almost exactly 10 months since the accident so I expect to continue to improve, but even if I don't, I can do almost everything I did before. I did discover recently that I can't get my carry on in the overhead bin unassisted...but I have Keith for that.

The pelvis was never a big problem, and has healed completely. My forehead is still completely numb, but that is just weird, not a problem. The scar from the cut over my eye is impossible to see unless put on my glasses and really look for it. All in all, I would say I am in pretty good shape for the shape I am in!

We did discover, being forced off the bikes and travelling more conventionally, that we really do love bike touring. Slow travel. The accident gave us a marvellous opportunity to knock off some of the big cities, and we loved them, so it was a terrific trip all round, but we have booked our tickets to go back and finish the tour we planned. Keep an eye out for Poking Around Europe 4.0. We leave in late August. In our usual fashion, that is about all the planning we have done.

Summer was a long time coming this year in Victoria but now that it is here, it is brilliant. We rode our bikes to a favourite coffee shop for a visit with the Grampies today, and the four of us talked bike touring until the shop closed and they were packing up the tables and chairs around us. We are stoked.