I mentioned the other day how good weather has kept us sane so far. It seems nearly all of Western Washington has joined us in taking advantage of the sunshine. I don’t know when I’ve ever seen so many people consistently spending time outside.

Normally, bike commuters dominate the Sammamish River Trail during late afternoon hours on workdays. But now when I go for a bike ride, I see far more people recreating on trail than usual at that time. Families fill parks we previously found empty or lightly used. People walk or jog by our house far more frequently than before.

The outdoors feels like the last safe haven of sanity and health open to most of us. The clement weather encourages stir-crazy work-at-home parents with bouncing-off-the-walls children to escape into the wider world. We can keep six feet from other people and wash our hands when we get home. It’s a trade-off we’re willing to make right now, although I imagine Washington will follow California in their shelter-in-place requirements immanently.

I’ve ordered a smart trainer for when that day comes. I just hope it arrives at the bike shop before all non-essential stores are shuttered. Until then, I’m going to keep riding outside as long as possible, even if I have to do it alone.

Meanwhile, we get yesterday’s picture, taken during our hour of outside time: