And that probably does that

The nicer of the two last nice days ended up being today. It was sunny and warm. I started my ride out wearing just a light jacket and even took that off for most of the ride. Tomorrow will still be nice but the cable TV weatherscan channel this morning predicted a Friday high temperature of 24F. For those who care that is about -5C. Cold enough to freeze the water in your water bottle, my hard and fast definition of conditions in which I will not ride.

So today's ride is likely the last. If I am done for the year I will have ridden 101.5 percent of the annual mileage goal, a total for which I award myself an A+.

Yesterday I made a final northern ride and it seemed fitting to me that today's wind direction set up for a final southern ride. I suspect that this is the latest in the year I have ever been to Minnehaha Park on a bicycle. They had something there today that was missing the last couple of times I was there, water in the creek.

True, there is not a lot of water, but there is some and just beyond Hiawatha and Minnehaha there the flow drops over the edge and produces an actual waterfall, a nice sort of amenity for a large regional park.

While standing there (taking off my jacket) I served as a cultural guide for a young family. I hope they were from out of state because when the children asked which one was Hiawatha and which one was Minnehaha the adult of the group had no answer. They spoke English with what seemed to me to be the local accent, maybe they are from Wisconsin or Iowa or something. I knew the answer, of course, who in these cities doesn't?

I do know they were enjoying the park and seemed quite taken with the sculpture.

I rode back on the Saint Paul side. For a change I strayed off the River Road and gradually filtered my way east along the likes of Mount Curve and Berkeley. Berkeley was kind of a revelation, below Cleveland the street is still bricks.

Having gotten far enough east I went by for one final time around our favorite roundabout.

And that probably does that.