Vadnais in reverse order

I rode yesterday and even though the predictors said zero percent chance the sky often seemed pretty uncertain and the air had that maybe its going to rain feeling.  I had watched the Tennis Channel coverage of Serena throwing up so I got kind of a late start.  I guess I didn't feel quite 100 percent myself (can allergies develop later on in the life cycle?) so the combination of all of those factors led to a pretty determined nose to the grindstone ride, no time for frivolities like photography.

One thing I do need to report from that ride though is that there are several streets being repaved along Hamline Avenue North from about B2 all the way down to where Hamline ends at its conjunction with Snelling.  Mind you, Hamline itself is not under construction (it was completely redone only a couple of years ago).  It is the streets that butt into Hamline that are being paved.

What this means is that at nearly every intersection with a side street there is greasy stuff that has been carried out from the paving project onto Hamline.

Lots and lots of stuff sticking to my tires.  We ALL know that I hate that.

So today even though the predictors said about the same as yesterday this time I decided to believe the zero percent chance and take the long ride.  I rode out to Vadnais but had to do it in reverse order.  I ride to Vadnais a lot.  My usual route is out along Hamline and then up across the freeway on Victoria leading to Snail Lake and then Sucker Lake and then down the hill to Vadnais.

See above comment about Hamline.

So I angled away from Hamline almost immediately heading generally northeast towards Rice Street and the corner of the city.  I rode this route a few times last year but it is still not completely set in my mind.  I missed the correct turn only once though, resulting in having to back track for half a block.  Totally acceptable.

And the day was gradually emerging as totally acceptable.  Uphill through Vadnais.

I totally know what to do at this intersection.

Some of the bits coming back seemed quite a bit out of sequence, which of course, they were.  I was riding the route backwards.

The temperature finally made it into the 70s, one of the nicest days any time recently.