I had an idea, oh it just came back to me, for this dispatch. It was an ideas day. I had read in the Alaska Daily News that the winner of the Junior Girl’s Mt. Marathon race in Seward had a short stride, but good balance.

This got me to thinking about motion and balance, the two topics that we’ll be dealing with in Summer at the Park(s) next week. This trigger got me to thinking about how my entire life I have, without thinking about this, made this physical connection as a runner, bicyclist, sea kayaker, and horseback rider.

Movement and balance are integral to all. I further made this connection in teaching riding instruction and in taking tai chi and Feldenkrais classes. The focus here was more on the mind/body relationship.

I have not come full circle physically, but I have come full circle in bringing this to the forefront of Summer in the Park(s). If I could go back a month in time, I might have had balance and motion be our first lesson.

I talked this morning with Kora, Mike, and Christine, the other Summer in the Park(s) staff, and once again, I was like a leaky faucet – I could not stop talking. I suspect they thought that I had drunk a few cups of coffee, but this was not so. It was simply a subject in which I have a great deal of interest.

It was a little soon to be talking about this because today was the first dino day. I did talk in part because these ideas had come to me on an ideas day.

Despite the fact that they suspected that my ideas were somewhat premature, and for this reason were seemingly impatient, I did not feel at all dissuaded. In fact, I continued to advance my ideas by putting theory to practice the rest of the afternoon.

The hook – there has to be a hook, would be the bicycle. Motion, upside down, show how it works, turn the wheel, show the chain turning the gears and the wheel. Then turn it right side up and show how the rider’s balance affects the bicycle’s motion. For the game, come up with something from the brain gym.

Balance – use things on hand – playground equipment, i.e., call it the motion machine – in the center it is easier to keep one’s balance when it is in motion – the slide – give someone a piece of waxed paper and show how reducing friction enables one to go faster. Have children walk on a balance beam, jump on a trampoline, do the Bosu ball, and play Twister. I could do story time, reading a book about crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope.

Maybe have balance before motion.

Just ideas. Others will contribute. Yes, the summer is going by fast and pretty soon we’ll be done with Summer in the Park(s). I don’t know about next summer and doing this again. Thinking also about getting a picnic shelter built in Bugge Park.

No ideas but in things.

Next: 184. 7/7/26: Tyra’s Poop