Good year for corn

The standard training schedule for bicyclists at the start of the season is to increase mileage by no more than ten percent above previous longest ride. As I thought might happen, GRider was highly motivated by yesterday's stork photos and today wanted to try the more than ten percent longer than her previous longest ride trip to Lake Vadnais.

With apologies to our dafter's English friend, she was a bit knackered but made it without complaint.

And, as usual, the crown jewel of the northern lakes did not disappoint.We had a close encounter with a great blue. One was perched on a branch behind some trees at the edge of the right side lake just a couple of feet off the pavement. I caught a glimpse and we stopped within about 10 feet of the bird. It hesitated briefly but then took flight, first out over the lake and then back across the road and almost directly above us to the lake on the other side.

GRider pronounced it to be "huge". Compared to the other birds in Minnesota it is every bit of that.

Here is my best stork picture. The photo lacks the elements of a good photograph, no framing, no context, but of the pictures I have it shows the stork most clearly.We estimate that there are about three dozen storks, at least a dozen great blue herons and a smaller number of white herons currently on the lake. Most years there are geese but there are not very many this year. There are plenty of ducks, mostly green heads, and some other blackish birds that I think are cormorants. Here's perspective on the storks.It was a mighty fine day. As we neared home we paused for the highly traditional "Where's Waldo in the corn field?" picture.You can see her hand fairly well.

GRider spun off at this point, headed for the barn. I rode on a bit and in an event of interest only to those who have actually lived on our street, I was accosted at the corner of Roselawn and Tatum by Baby Kyle and his entire family, mother, grandmother, brother and sister. They paused, rolled down the windows of the giant SUV and we engaged in a quite pleasant exchange.

Nice day, nice ride.