Wow!

What a nice day! The change from summer to fall was too abrupt but it is now fall. Once the fact of fall is accepted a really nice fall day like today reminds me why fall is my favorite season. What a nice day!

It was so nice that I got out in the morning to ride. This brought me into conflict with the largest one day bicycle event in the area, the Saint Paul Classic.Those who know me will know that I do not like to ride in large groups so I did as much as I could to avoid riding with the Classic participants. But I had to cross their route four or five times and on two occasions I had no choice and had to share pavement with the teeming masses. Geography dictates that I need Raymond to cross the railroad tracks on the other side of Dead Man's Curve and I need Pelham to cross the freeway on the other side of University. That same geography put the Classic on those streets.

I walked my bicycle for a bit and got close enough to the main staging area to verify that this thing IS a big event.The one thing I DO like about big events like this is the chance to look around for nice bikes. I didn't note anything particularly nice today but I did see several people on new Schwinn road bikes.

If they ever do end up riding very much they are going to regret that particular buying decision.

After crossing the route yet again on the way home I rode up through the Park and over to the Farm Campus only to discover that apparently the cows rode in the big event too.You wouldn't think that cows that large could ride on bicycles that small, but . . .

I thought for a minute that I had come across early evidence of emerald ash borer damage quite near home.It has been a while since I learned to make this particular species identification but not long enough to unlearn. That isn't an ash tree, it is an elm.

Apparently Dutch elm isn't through here yet either.