Maybe a bit less adrenaline

Last Saturday we had five rabbits and a cardinal all in our yard at once. No such wildlife infestation was evident today but TOPWLH does have an interesting story about squirrels that everyone must try and get her to tell.

What I did find in the back yard was another sign of spring, the first sign in our yard of the new growing season, buds on the bush next to the deck.I noticed that my 10 percent post from last year included the description of ice out at Lake Vadnais. I felt sooo good yesterday that I decided to institute another part of the mid season training regimen, the long ride on Saturday. I set off for Lake Vadnais.

Today was several degrees cooler than yesterday and we all know that riding is harder when it is cooler. Then also I may have been a tiny bit pumped yesterday to get out on my nice bike. The long ride was a hard ride. I lost about a half of one of those two mph I was bragging about yesterday. But it also could be related to the fact that I DID get in the longest ride yet this season, hitting 30 miles for the first time.

The ice is completely out at Vadnais so I missed that this year. But I got this photo of some insane pussy willow looking bush in full dress at the edge of the lake.Other information: The A&W on Rice Street is open. Oh, and Rice Street is a state highway. City streets were the first ones swept, followed by county highways, but the state highways are still unswept. Rice Street is a mess.

Nice looked to be the ideal opponents for FC Nantes at this stage of the season. Nice is mid-table and have little to play for in the last six weeks of the season. Nice is well safe from relegation but also now too far off the top seven places to mount a challenge for a finish in the places which enter those teams in prestigious and potentially lucrative European competitions next season. Les Canaris were of course desperate for a victory after slipping into the relegation zone last weekend.

And at this evening's match at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes the home team was able to make the most of their opportunity, winning 2-0. Nantes vaults out of "la zone de relégation" to stand once again 16th of the 20 Ligue 1 teams. Both Caen and Souchaux were losers today and both slipped behind Nantes, Caen assuming the spot in the drop zone.