Some things still open, some closed

It was cold today. There were a few bits of water in its solid state floating around in the atmosphere this morning. It wasn't actually falling to the ground, but it was the most significant appearance by that substance so far. It was for me the coldest weather that I have ridden in so far this season.

It was 36 when I started out. I have been out at 38 and I thought I could just tweak the 38 costume and be good at 36. I went with a heavier helmet liner, balaclava and stuck a thin knit glove under my bike gloves, covered with the Craft winter bicycling gloves that I have been wearing. The tweaks were successes except for the knit gloves. They actually ended up making my hands colder as I did not have sufficient room to wiggle my fingers. You need a little room to move and I took the room away from myself. My fingers got cold but it was tolerable, I was never extremely uncomfortable.

With 8-12 mph winds from the NNE I headed off towards the northeast, towards Lake Vadnais. Once again I discovered that the park is still open but today for the first time ever I was the only person there. Two or three cars drove through during the time I was off the bike at the picnic area but I was the only human being actually out in the cold. I have been to Vadnais many, many times. Today is the first time I was there alone.

I was the only person there and here is what everyone else missed:

There were some big white birds swimming in the middle of the lake so I tried to get a picture of them.I was having a little difficulty making a positive identification. I thought I knew what they were but I just was not sure. I hoped that they would swim a little closer so I could get a better picture and eventually they did. Even then I wasn't sure, if they were what I thought they were they are a species only very rarely seen by me in the wild. I just wasn't positive but I came home and Googled the species that I suspected and there just is not any doubt.

Swans. Swans don't come to town very often.Eventually I gave up hope of anyone else coming along to share the experience and started on home. It was a little warmer with the wind behind but the sun made only occasional brief appearances and it never got very warm. The Rice Street A&W has a sign saying closed for the season and a thermometer across the street saying 39.

The Roseville par 3 golf course (Cedarholm for those of you who know) is also closed for the season with protective tarps laid out over the greens.

But the absolute oddest thing is this: I have ridden in colder weather than today's in those years when I rode completely through the winter. But today for the very first time ever I went for a bicycle ride and did not see a single other moving bicycle. No road bikes, no mountain bikes, no comfort bikes, no commuters, no kids navigating the neighborhood, no moving bikes period.

I thought it was a fine day for a ride.