First Wednesday

After yet another day of pretty significant rainfall it was reassuring to see the sun again this morning. By about noon it was warm enough and dry enough for another try at this whole bicycle thing.

Do they do that Civil Defense siren test on the first Wednesday of the month everywhere? We are all pretty used to having the sirens go off but it was still a bit of a start for me when they went off today as I happened to be quite a bit closer to the siren than I usually am.

I had just turned into the Fairgrounds, the siren is on top of what I have always thought of as the Horticulture Building.At the end of the ride I went cyclocross to ride across some lawn at the Fairview Community Center to circle up to Brimhall to get a shot of the siren that is the one that normally interrupts my first Wednesday nap.Mind you, this first Wednesday nap is going to be a tradition, but the truth is it is a tradition in waiting, I haven't actually got into that habit, at least, not yet.

I have always thought of that Fair building as the Horticulture building but I had a vague thought that it was actually the Horticulture-Agriculture building. It is an octagonal building with an entrance at each of the eight intersections of adjacent sides. Today I took a lap and a half around the building. There is a sign above each of the entrances. Four of the signs say "Horticulture". Four of the signs say "Agriculture". Here's one of the Agriculture signs, at the entrance nearest the SkyRide.Note to family and friends and anyone who might be in the group with me and TOPWLH the next time we go to the Fair: At some point I am going to suggest going by the Horticulture Building. The correct reference which I probably will not use will be Horticulture-Agriculture Building. I hope this alleviates any potential confusion. I know it doesn't for me, but maybe for others . . .

I rode around the grounds to check on the still ongoing post-Fair closure. I think all of the temporary stands have been removed but there are still a couple of the big circus size tents. It is getting close to being back to normal though, there was a horse show starting up at the Coliseum with horses and horse manure again evident in the southwest corner of the grounds.

I also found a to me previous unknown goose refuge, the pool of water in the pasture at the back corner of the farm campus next to the Fair.That's pretty much the same spot where I have photographed real cows a couple of times. Today it belongs to the geese.

Today's ride was only the second ride this week. Usually one of the joys of riding at this time of year is my level of fitness. I have done the work, I am fit, I am strong. And usually after a day or two off I feel really strong. Today didn't quite feel like that though. I felt OK I guess, but clearly there was a little edge missing.

*sigh* The biggest disappointment of Fall is the very clearly felt loss of fitness. I hope this isn't the start of THAT. I've got a couple hundred more miles to go, for sure, this season, and should have a few more instances of days when I feel strong, I feel fast.

I rode through the farm campus to see what the really large cows were doing today.I love those cows. As the pictures show, it was a really, really pretty day today.

I had an on the bicycle social interaction today myself. I had just ridden down the big Saint Anthony hill from Pelham to the river when a young person rode up next to me. He announced that he had seen me last week. He then provided enough details of when and where that had occurred so that I remembered seeing him as well. The previous encounter occurred a week and a half ago when TOPWLH and I almost got caught in the rain after turning around at the Freewheel shop on the Midtown Greenway. When we stopped at the shop I noticed that a person sitting at one of the tables was taking notice of the LOOK. I noticed again that as we left he again took notice of the bicycle. He was openly admiring and it is pretty hard not to notice that.

Today he rode up next to me and we had a chat. Before he rode away (I did say he was young, didn't I? That means he was strong and fast in a way that I just am not.) he made a comment. "Very nice bike," he said.

He was young and strong and fit and riding a pretty nice bike himself. It is always nice when someone admires my bicycle. It is especially nice when the admirer is knowledgeable enough to actually appreciate what it is he is admiring.