i love bike rides. i’ve always loved riding bikes. when i was a young girl, growing up in the mountains and forests of montana, i would ride my dirt bike on adventures down dirt roads, on bumpy trails, through mucky streams. the woods, fields and hills were full of places to explore. my brother, cousin and i would ride our bikes from dusk until dawn, returning home tired and hungry but filled with stories of adventures and images of the surrounding nature in our minds. i love the feeling of being on a bike. the wind on your face, the cool air in your lungs. there’s a freedom to being on a bike that’s unlike anything else. whenever i get on my bike, it takes me back to my childhood and i always look forward to the adventures awaiting me.

not only am i crazy about bike rides but i’m also pretty smitten about these shoes. my husband got them for me. he knows me so well. they’re stylish, comfortable and they’re my favorite color…can you guess what that might be?

they have a variety of great styles that are unisex…good for guys and girls. we tend to have similar styles and sometimes we leave the house dressed in the same colors and outfits unintentionally. it’s fun to wear the same style shoes and if i’m crazy about a pair of his pf flyers i can usually find the same style for myself. you can find his pf’s here. pf style shoes have been around since 1933. throughout the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s the pf brand was one of the most popular brands in america for work, relaxation and play. women could buy outfits designed to match their pfs, basketball’s first superstar, bob cousy, wore pf, and pf was standard issue in the us army.

my hubby and i take date rides often together. we have such a blast riding together and we never know where we’ll end up. he’s crazy and adventurous and is always daring me to try things i wouldn’t normally try. he’s the yang to my yin. in chinese philosophy yin & yang are concepts used to describe how apparently opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. isn’t that cool? i like to think of myself and my husband as yin and yang – our sum is greater than our assembled parts. he truly does bring out the best and sometimes most hidden parts of me.

we had so much fun this day. we rode up to our local organic market and stopped in to pick up a few items. i came across this incredible looking fruit. what caught my eye most was it’s vibrant pink color and it’s vibrant green off shoots poking through the bright pink. i love it’s color but i love its name even more. dragon fruit. my hubby and i were captivated by this curious fruit and began taking photos of it. the grocer said to me “honey it’s to eat, not to take pictures of”. my response to him was, “but it’s so beautiful why wouldn’t you want to capture its essence”? he looked at me as if he’d never heard this notion before, laughed and said, “i’ve been working in produce for 20 years, a fruit is a fruit”. i hope to never overlook the beauty of this dragon fruit and to always appreciate it for more than just being a fruit. in fact, according to legend, this fruit was created thousands of years ago by fire breathing dragons. during a battle when the dragon breathed fire the last thing to emerge would be the fruit. when the dragon was slain the fruit was collected by the victorious soldiers and presented to the emperor as a coveted treasure.it was believed that those who feasted on the flesh of the dragon fruit would be endowed with the strength and ferocity of the dragon and that they too would be coveted by the emperor. i’m pretty sure i’ll be going back to the market to let my new friend know that dragon fruit is in fact truly not “just a fruit”.

i couldn’t wait to get this dragon fruit home and see what was hidden inside.

i’ve decided i love dragon fruit.

here’s why you should love dragon fruit too

• they’re  loaded with vitamin c. vitamin c supports a healthy immune system
• they’re  a good natural source of anti-oxidants. anti-oxidants help to prevent the dangers of free radicals which can cause cancer and other undesirable health detriments
• the seeds in the fruit contain healthy fat…yes there are fats that are good for you!
• high in dietary fiber which supports healthy digestion

i mean…it’s called dragon fruit, need i say more? beyond it’s name, it’s beautiful to look at on the outside and it’s incredible looking on the inside!

how to slay a dragon fruit

cut it in half length wise (use a sharp knife)

use a spoon to scoop the fruit out by slowly scraping the spoon in between the skin and fruit.

remove the skin completely

slice into medium size pieces

i like to believe that by eating this dragon fruit i acquired a lot of health benefits along with increased strength and ferocity. i should warn you. don’t eat too much of this tasty fruit. did i mention it has a LOT of fiber. too much of a good thing will be not such a good thing for your digestive system.

go for a bike ride. get outside as often as you can. connect with your significant other. love their yin, appreciate their yang. try something new. be adventurous. take pictures of pretty fruit. be strong and ferocious but gentle and loving.

much love, Shawnee