Floating holiday

It just occurred to me that I didn't get my usual floating holiday this year as the date on which I customarily exercise the floating holiday option fell on a weekend this year.  Since I don't work on weekends I was already not working that day and didn't need the floater.

But today . . .

Wait.

Possible confusion.  Give me a few minutes and I am sure I will get this figured out.

It feels like the seasons are starting to run pretty rapidly downhill.  After a prolonged period of mostly southerly winds the more usual northerlies seem to be pretty firmly reestablished.  Have I mentioned that a north wind is a cold wind?  But a north wind means that after lots and lots of days circling around trying to find a way down into the big city today I was circling around trying to find a way out to the northern lakes without having to ride through the oil and gravel project which consumed southern Shoreview this summer.

Actually, I have now done this ride enough that I have it memorized.

Follow the usual route to the north, deviate over to Lexington, further east on County Road B, eventually finding a route across 36 on Victoria, over to Dale, right on County Road B2, down into the neighborhood at the first available left, right on Transit, left on Western, right on Iona Lane, left on Galtier, right on Maple Lane, left on Woodbridge, over to Rice Street, north to Lake Vadnais.

What was striking about Vadnais today was the deep almost cobalt blue color presented by the lake itself.

The scaup were not around today but at the north end of the lake I paused to photograph this.  The focus is poor but it should be obvious that there are two big white things out there in the water.

Swans.

If the weather holds I will be able to get out there at least a few more times and it seems quite likely that eventually the swans will be closer to this side of the lake.

Swans.

Maybe the pelicans will also show up.

The vermin cull season at the northern lakes natural areas begins very soon.

I rode on up through Sucker Lake all the way to Highway 96 again.  Lots of the yellows are gone but the red oaks and lots of late maple oranges are still out there with a surprising to me amount of still slightly green.

Riding to Vadnais with the northeasterly winds that we had today is pretty much ideal.  The ride out there is all about getting north and getting east, on the new route that is accomplished usually in fairly small increments of each at any one time.  You kind of weave your way out there.

When you turn back every direction is a tail wind.

Here's an update on the formerly heavily wooded intersection of South Owasso Boulevard and Western.  My guess is that the property was owned by an eccentric old dude who has now leveled up to former eccentric old dude.  His property was too valuable to allow for the family to do anything but sell to avoid probate issues like taxes (and probably sell is what they wanted to do anyway).  So now it is going to be something called Owasso Shores.

Five lots, will build to suit, prices in the 700s.

*sigh*

This one is very nearby, only about a mile from home.

Beauty of a tree, fabulous blue sky.

Our ash tree is bare, clearly it is late fall and yet lots of these trees seem to be just getting started in putting on their show.

I got it now.  I don't actually have a job anymore, that's why I didn't get a floating holiday.

See, I told you I would figure it out.