A tale of three cities

It turns out that yesterday's high temperature was 64, a temperature which fails to trigger Pollari's first 65 degrees of the spring gin and tonic party but a temperature which does establish a new record high for Pi day. Today looks to be topping out around 60, still an enormous 21 degrees above average. I rode my bicycle.

Yesterday was Prologue and today was Stage 1. Followers of professional bicycle racing will know that Stage 1 is longer than the Prologue and probably a little bit harder. There is one and one way only to regain fitness: Do the work. Today I did the work. I went a little bit farther and worked a little bit harder.

I rode all the way out to and through the northern boundary of Roseville. Pictured here is the turn around point at Carlton and Tiller in Arden Hills. Those familiar with the street signs of the near in northern suburbs (and THAT'S a small group) will recognize the Arden Hills symbol on the street sign.What makes this picture significant, and in fact, what makes today's ride stand out may not be obvious but it is clearly visible. Arden Hills has begun sweeping the streets. The corner of Carlton and Tiller is cleaned up and ready to begin the next season.

Roseville hasn't done this yet and I intended to go with "A tale of two cities" as a post title to emphasize this difference. My plan went awry but I was quite pleased anyway when on the return leg I discovered sweepers out and about in Falcon Heights.

I often provide a view of one of the many north suburban lakes. Today I passed near a lake but the view was obscured and the sun angle was wrong. Instead I settled on a photo of this pond, Arona pond I believe is what it is generally called.Wireless has played a lot of softball on that far bank as it is the former site of Arona school and the Arona school fields. The school had ceased being a school and was the home of the city recreation department for several years. The building's maintenance costs eventually became onerous and the city bailed. The fields and the building are gone and in their place are these cheesy condos.

Be careful what you wish for. A neighborhood consortium were I live is currently in a controversy with the school district over the district's plan to build a new softball field near us. The neighbors want less structure, not more, they do not want the softball field, they want things to stay the way they are. If the district doesn't put in the softball field this year however, I suspect they will be back in a couple of years with another plan. The plan that time would almost certainly feature cheesy condos. I personally am sorta for the new softball field.