Sun rays near the equinox

First rays hit flower

Since I leave home at the same time every day, and the sun is rising a few minutes later each day, the exact moment that the first sun ray is visible keeps changing in my ride around Millenium Park. 

Soon I'll be riding in the dark.

Allignment of the earth

The first sun rays hit the hillside as I arrive.

Shortening days

Friday

I was passed by two speedy cyclists on the way to, and the way back from work today.   One was a redheaded nurse in green scrubs riding a mountain bike.  She waited patiently at the red light to turn left.  So great to see someone following rules of the road.  Another was a man in his 50's or 60's wearing lycra heading up the hill, turning left at Union.  I still don't know who most of my co-commuters are, but I bet that I will gradually get to know who they are, and recognize others in this enlarging community.

At Millenium park I was greeted by a bounding young doe, and instead of bounding off into the woods, she ran along with me in the general direction of the bike path for 50 yards.  I enjoyed her bounding and lightness.

Getting to Lake Leota, the rays of sunrise peeked over the trees and hills.  The shortening days have interected with my commute hour, and soon I will have to shorten my Millenium ride, or ride in the dark, or ride at noon.  Eventually daylight savings will end and I'll be given an extra hour in the morning again.

This morning was warm, moist from the previous night's rain, and the golden sunrise light infused the landscape with a golden glow.

Asters

College daze, moist mornings

The big change in GR this week has been the start of local colleges.   On Monday I had a chance to ride at noon to pick up something at another site of our hospital systema and had to ride through the campus of GRCC.  The cars were backed up for miles.  I wondered why so few chose to ride their bikes and to wait in mile long lines.

Today I had a chance to ride out to Millenium Park and the Westsider Cafe between meetings. The air was so moist and gentle, yet the shadows were long and the light less intense.  The flowers are changing to fall flowers.

I wonder who is the mystery blonde girl who I see walking in the park.  Once she was carrying a very big backpack, and today she was carrying a folding chair and little dog.  Is she a nature lover, a person escaping an abusive relationship, homeless?  No way to know.  I just greeted and smiled.

Glistening dew

Friday

The mornings are getting darker, so I put both forward and back lights on the bike this morning, and rode the new bike lanes down through the downtown, past the lines of homeless waiting to get into Degage for breakfast, past the construction cranes, by Founders Brewing where men were already up working hard to finish the expansion before ArtPrize, and then on to Millenium Park.  As I made the first right turn to start the outer loop I came upon a field of glistening dewdrops, illuminated from the size, and a layer of haze just above the fields.

Dewdrops on spider web.

 As I continued on around the outer loop, the low angle sunlight lent a golden glow to the whole park, and as far as I could tell, I was the only one there.  An it occurred to me,  what if you discovered there was a beautiful  park in your back yard that you could visit every day?  What if all you had to do was to open your eyes and see it?

Hazy day

A cormorant swims agressively toward a goose

Today was an "air quality action day" which means the air is not fit to breathe.  The recommendation is that everyone ride their bike or walk to reduce air pollution.   I snapped this shot in an area of the park I call Cormorant City, where geese are apparently not welcome.

Morning errand sweetness

I had two hours free between meetings and before starting up clinical hours in the afternoon.   At first I resisted the thought of taking my shirts to the cleaners.  But then I thought, I could carry the shirts on my bike and make a couple of other errands, transforming this from a joyless task into a series of interesting and enjoyable encounters at a slowed pace.

And sure enough, the morning was sprinkled with mini-encounters and other enjoyable moments scattered among 4 businesses.