Best time for bicycles

The best time is about 10am Monday morning.

Where did everybody go? There aren't even very many cars out.

The forecast promised partly cloudy and warming to the 70s, a perfect day. And it has worked out that way. The only complaint is that the time when I was riding was the cloudy part of partly cloudy. It was pretty grey most of the way, but cool and pleasant.

When I first starting riding to the Sucker Lake end of the Snail Lake Regional Park this was a softball field, complete with one of those crushed lime infields and a backstop.I cannot recall ever seeing anyone actually play there but I can recall riding through there shortly after a rain event and noting that the field did not seem to drain well.

Natural processes 1, Softball 0.

GRider was out there with me just last Friday and we always, always check so she can confirm in case anyone doubts, but this is a new appearance.

Guess what? Guess where?The storks are still hanging out at Vadnais. I got a closer look at those black water birds as a flock of a couple of dozen rose from the water at the near shore and scrambled into flight upon my approach. They usually are at rest in the shallows at the far side of the lake so this is as close as I have seen them. I lack credentials as a bird spotter but I am more sure now than previously that they are cormorants. I am currently on the look out for a video of cormorants taking flight. The take off of this morning's flight was distinctive.

The departure of the black flock also spooked a couple of storks so I got to watch those big birds lift off as well.

Here is my best stork photo to date:The exposure is a tiny bit short of ideal but the framing and context are both much improved from previous shots.

I caught only a couple of snippets of "The Price is Right" this morning but I am pretty sure that they gave away a NEW CAR.