If there’s a bicycle education program to emulate in the Sacramento region, it’s Project Ride Smart for 5th graders in the North Natomas Transportation Management District. For those of you familiar with Rio Linda, this area is just west of the E Levee Road, sort of the backyard of where I grew up on W 6th St, now it’s all subdivision housing, but they do have some very cool things happening. Regency Park School is part of NNTMA and the only school in Twin Rivers USD to benefit from this excellent program. It was developed and promoted by Mellissa Meng about 5 years ago. Here, she stepped in on Day 1 to introduce the course. Every 5th grader had the opportunity to participate. Bicycles were provided. There was about 3 hours of classroom instruction, 3 hours of blacktop drills, 3 hours of on-street riding, and 1-hour follow-up/debriefing. This is an intense course and one reason why blogging gaps happen to me. 
L-R: Matthew and Elle. Elle is my co-LCI lead teaching partner this time. This is her website http://www.tinyhelmetsbigbikes.com/ 
Matthew is working toward achieving his LCI status by practice teaching with us. Matthew’s story is incredible. He was struck from behind in 2011 while riding his bike on Elkhorn Blvd. He generously shares his story to encourage everyone to wear a helmet. His brain injury left him without emotions and without the sense of taste.
Monthly Archives: May 2014
Memorial Day
This is the official holiday. And extra day for play? At Justin’s, it an extra day for work.
Hello, neighbor.
From the Sewing Cave
In between everything else, I’ve managed to complete a few projects. A handbag/backpack for Thais’ birthday on the 17th
using Carolyn Friedlander’s Architextures and Botanics fabrics.
A few zippered pouches from the scraps.
And a baby quilt for Mike (Dick’s son) and Nicole in Colorado who are expecting their first baby in June. The center panel is Alexander Henry’s ABC With Me. Thais helped pick out the coordinating fabrics, I came up with the quilt design.
Rice farming in E Nicolaus
The planting season is coming to an end. This crop duster was planting one of the last fields very close to Justin’s house. 
Standing in Justin’s driveway.
Once seeded, the sprout must reach above the surface within 3 days, so the water isn’t very deep right now, maybe 1-3 inches. As the rice grows, water is added to the field.
Sacramento Valley Equestrian Patrol
Many events take place at the Dry Creek Ranch House. Today, the first gathering of the season for the Sacramento Valley Equestrian Patrol. Center is event organizer Barbara Longo, right is Candace Taylor. Far left, so sorry, this reporter did not get your name.
After a 2-hour ride, the next step was to check your poker hand
then have a good meal.
Deadheading roses
Today I learned that I merely deadhead roses at the Dry Creek Ranch House – I remove the dead or nearly-faded blossoms. Someone else on the team is the artist. I think it’s Emmie, surely it’s not me. 
Kellen’s 7th birthday
CBET at Del Paso
Another school program has come to an end. At Del Paso, we were lucky to have four countries represented: Mexico, Panama, Laos, and Pakistan. I learned that when you sneeze three times in Panama, the words to call out are: “Salud!”/Health, “Dinero!”/Money, “Amor!”/Love. A blonde person in Spanish is “rubia”, in Hmong it’s “blauhaus” (I guessed at the phonetic spelling).
Receiving gifts at the end of a job is always so unexpected and sweet. Maria cross-stitched the picture, the handbag from Deisy. The flowers were from the LGA Bike Club.
LGA Bike Club final meeting
As the school year neared its end, we met for a final time and instead of conducting any business, we hopped on our bikes and rode the shortest distance to Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream.
L-R: LaTraye (eating TWO triple-scoops in waffle cones!), Julian, Adam, Jack.
The “sword” Jack is wielding is actually a skateboard and LaTraye’s ice cream is almost gone. Youthful ice cream appetite!
Coaching the LGA Bike Club was so much fun this year. I can’t wait to do it again next year. WALKSacramento is looking for ways to expand bicycle education into middle and high schools. I think our club is the only one of its kind in the region and was deemed a huge success this year. Working for and with Monika and Miha at WALKSacramento has been a dream, they were supportive and encouraging and gave me a lot of creative freedom. Megan McManus, the club advisor, was equally supportive and encouraging and I compliment her on all the volunteer hours she put in to host every club meeting and to go on every Saturday ride.
Mother’s Day
Everyone got together at Thais and Lenin’s house.
It’s not easy these days to bring everyone together, so this was a very special day. Thanks to all my kids for being there and Thais for hosting at her house.
arletelouise 