Daylight saving time

Conditions outside the house today made it feel for the first time as though DST is appropriate. It is the first weekend of April, the traditional start for DST and the time when most observers of DST make the switch. I dutifully set our clocks forward when the newspaper reported that DST was beginning. But dark and cold just isn't what I associate with DST. Today was warm enough to feel as though spring actually might arrive and it was sunny and bright.

I proclaim DST has arrived.

Ice out on the lakes, on the other hand, does not appear imminent. Here is the farthest south I rode today, the southeast corner of Lake Como.There were lots and lots of recreational users at the lake today. TOPWLH may well have been present at the lake when I took the photo and she reports that there were no parking spots available in the public parking lots.

I rode slowly past the lake and checked to see if I could spot anyone moving at TOPWLH Speed but did not. Full disclosure, I may have ridden slowly past the lake because particularly early in the season, slowly is pretty much the speed I ride.

Here is the farthest north I rode, the southeast corner of Willow Pond. Note the willow tree. Note the lack of alligators.That picture was taken pretty much across the street from the blue thing, which as nearly everyone who might be interested already knows, is now black.Today's milestones: a new longest ride of the year and as reported last time, this was not extremely taxing.

I also rode for a time in the big ring. The early season mantra is to stay in the small ring and spin an easy gear. You want to get your legs used to riding again before you start asking them to do any significant work. You want to stay in the small ring. But today I found myself on a slight downhill with a tailwind. Conditions were promising and I was threatening to spin out the gear I was in so I shifted into the big ring. I confirmed that the front derailer works and I achieved a new highest speed ridden so far this year.

Two rides in three days, it is beginning to look vaguely like bicycling season.