Overcast and cloudy

I posted that to my bike log and discovered that I had posted that exact thing once earlier this month.  And exactly as on that occasion it was cool enough but too humid.  Overcast seems like it should ordinarily produce acceptable riding conditions but as I noted to some tri guy who loomed up next to me at Hamline and 36 my breathing apparatus does not process these conditions as well as it used to.

Overall though, based on the fact that I took a ride, it must have been nice enough for a ride.

I can't ride south, the Fair, I can't ride north, Shoreview has graveled all of its streets.  I went looking for a path to the north which didn't veer west to Arden Hills and which didn't have to cross any part of Shoreview.

It is a pretty tough task but with only a few instances of backtracking I found myself having ridden only streets in Roseville but still I was out on Rice Street only a mile or so south of Lake Vadnais.  This used to be an A&W but if I can make it to there I can almost certainly make it to Lake Vadnais.

Most years I ride A LOT to Lake Vadnais.  The situation in Shoreview has meant that this year I haven't been there very much at all.  As a result I have completely missed out on this.

That previously was a heavily wooded lot at the intersection with some structures hidden back in the woods.  A former plant mate once pointed out to me that the resident out there strung lights in the trees at Christmas time.

Clearly something has happened, the trees have all been cut down, there is stuff visible from the street which has never been seen from that vantage point before.

For example, that largish brown house at left center of the frame?  I didn't even know it was there.  I was aware of the white garage structure in front of it an the other bits off  to that building's right.  That big house back there, apparently on the lake?  I did not know.

I have been following the news in the Outdoor sections of the local newspapers about the deer hunting season for this year.  Apparently the last couple of winters have been extremely hard on the deer herd in the more northern portions of the state, the area of the state where traditionally most of the "hunt" occurs.  The DNR has closed the antlerless (another way of saying female) hunt for this year.  The idea is that any of the herd which might actually produce offspring (another way of saying female) should not be shot with rifles, they should be allowed to complete the reproductive cycle.  The more deer born the more likely it is that the overall population will rebound.

This is clearly not a problem for the Lake Owasso herd.

I came across two groups of vermin within less than a block.

This first group is mama and two babies, two quite recent babies.  They are tiny and are SO NEW that they still are sporting the characteristic fawn spotty hide.

I edged closer but mama is an urban deer and feared me not.  She started up into the underbrush, which by the way is not actual woods, it is just some brush leading up towards the undeveloped but not particularly wild railroad property above the tracks.  She was NOT spooked by me and she isn't teaching the children to be spooked by me either.

The fawns are tiny.

I went around the corner and came upon another mother and another fawn, although a fawn at least several inches and lots of pounds larger than those babies by the tracks.  These two were standing pretty calmly in a front yard.  I was in a full coast at speed when I breezed past them, no photo was available.

I made it home.

Aretha Franklin is performing tonight at the Fair.  TOPWLH will be home later.