New bike lane!

 Wednesday

It was another beautiful end of summer ride before work, with a pair of deer crossing my path in Millenium park.  But I had to cut it short to get to work a little early.

On the way home I decided to check out the new Thursday evening farmer's market downtown.  To my surprise, Heffron Farms will be there so I can buy organic, hormone free meat.  It's going to be so convenient for shopping on my way home.

Heading back across Division I was surprised to see new bike lanes on Cherry Street .

It looks like it will be much easier to bike than to drive to work from the looks of this photo.

Foggy morning

Tuesday

The warm afternoon followed by the night time clear skies and coolness was perfect for creating fog along the river in the morning.   The fog hugged the low land areas along Wealthy Street, and then blanketed all of Millenium Park.  The sun began to break through in areas.

Millenium park - sun breaks through the fog. 

Eastern /Cherry intersection was now open which helped to normalize some of the traffic flows and make people a little less testy.

Nature watch:  The Virginia creeper and sumac are the first leaves to turn red.   The goldenrod is about 1/3 in bloom.   Tree leaves are losing their dark green coloring in preparation for fall.

Bluest blue sky

With the morning off, I rode down to the library and to the Lantern Coffee Shop at Oakes & Commerce where I chatted with a friend in an easy chair.  Once again the day was cool and clear, with the bluest possible sky.  I stopped by the Blue Bridge which is being repainted in preparation for Art Prize.  Even when on a bike I had trouble finding a route to the library, but managed to hop some curbs, walk through some sand and traverse the mass of barriers.

With a little extra time, I decide to tackle the horribly skipping rear derailleur on my commute bike.  After 5 minutes of studying the manual, I was again familiarized with the process of tuning the derailleur, and within 15- 20 minutes it was working smoothly again.

After lunch I rode down to work.  The return was marked by masses of cars all trying to go around endless detours.  Fortunately, I could safely slide by in the right lane and proceed home without impediment.

The dog days....I mean chilly days of August

Millenium Park

It's a cool morning, cool enough to need a jacket, and maybe gloves.   Though the construction seems to be building to a September finale, I wound my way to Millenium Park where the sun was rising and the lakes were still.   I encountered few cyclists or runners, even the birds were rather quiet.  All seems to be waiting.

Rainy day

A steady shower today, so took a little shorter park ride before work.  The rain poncho and new rear blinker worked well so I stayed dry and alive.

I switched out my pedals from Shimano clipless to regular rat-trap type pedal.  This allowed me to wear a regular shoe which was water proof. Nice not to have wet feet getting to work.

After work I rode over to Frank's Meat market and picked up some Italian sweet sausage to use in making a pasta dish with fresh veggies from the neighborhood market.

Long shadows and cobwebs.

Thursday

I was a little behind getting out the door, so had to shorten my ride a bit today.  The air was cool, sky blue, and both the city and the park were as beautiful as a gem.

Riding along Grandville Ave, the low angled morning light made the old engine house even more beautiful

As I wound around the park, I came upon a duck family perched on a perfect family sized island in the lagoon.

 

Later in the day I had to use the car to go to the airport.  A cobweb had been constructed between the mirror and the body.  The car had been sitting for several days without use.   Everyone laughed to see the cobwebs on my little used car. 

Morning shower freshness

Wednesday

My morning ride with a friend was cancelled due to an early morning thundershower, but as mid-morning approached the sky lightened, so I jumped on the bike and had a pleasant, fresh ride around Reeds Lake and to Michigan Ave.

Reeds Lake Ave.

Later,  I jumped on the bike again with work clothes and rode down to work.  Now the wind was shifting, had become humid, and was coming from the West.   But the little ride had me feeling fresh and energized for a day in the clinic.  Afterwards, a quick ride to a restaurant for a light supper and home.  The last Blues on the Mall was playing at Rosa Parks Circle.  The steam was rolling out of the pool and children playing around it fascinated, as always.  Another beautiful day.