Santa Barbara, and the French Festival...

Realizing only too late that the rack and basket (one of those quick attaching kind that clamps to a seat post of adequate diameter) would not work with any of our three road bikes, I improvised and turned my messenger bag into a small-dog carrier. Fortunately miniature doxies are smaller than small, otherwise we might have been in trouble. Truth be known, she did better in this than in her basket, seemingly more content. I don't think I would have tried this at home - all that black would turn the bag into an oven, but on this particular day we were riding at Santa Barbara and it was foggy (at least part of the time) and refreshingly cool.

Ready to roll

Storke Tower and Plaza

love this spot on the bike path, leaving the university, Goleta Slough, bluffs, the beach, and ocean beyond

Like last year, this ride came on Bastille Day weekend. I am far from any kind of French historian, but Bastille Day roughly corresponds to our own Independence Day; interestingly Bastille Day is apparently what us war-mongering English speaking people call the day, thinking all the while that it commemorates the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution, which took place on July 14. To the French, the day is called Fete de la Federation, but you can read all about that on Wikipedia, if you'd like.

Riding in the Santa Barbara area is pretty fantastic any time of the year, and one of these weeks I am going to have to get back up there to document my old route between Carpinteria and UCSB for the Velo course. For this day our route did not deviate from last year's ride - just a short one between the city and the U. After the ride it was on to the French Festival at Oak Park - lots of accordions, singing, dancing, poodles, crepes, le hot dogs, berets, etc. It was also quite cool to see so many bikes locked up around the place; other than walking, there was no easier way in and out of the neighborhood around the park.

the Eiffel Tower recreation, proudly topped by the French tricolor

Leia got to model a fancy French beret...

as did her new cousin, Paisley

At this point you are probably wondering, what the heck man, more critters in hats? First squirrels, then ducks, now dogs? I only post them as I see them.