A good day to have an excuse to be outside

It wasn't quite average but it was close enough. The temperature came within a couple of degrees of the average high for the day. The average high for a day in May coupled with sunny skies . . . what, oh what, is as nice as a nice day in May? It was a good day to have an excuse to be outside.

I have and regularly exploit just such an excuse.

There was one minor little thing. I know from my life experience but really hammered home over the last few years spending so much time on a bicycle seat that a change of high temperature of more than 20 degrees over a two day span means that the air mass that was too cold has to be replaced by a warmer air mass. Two days is not enough time to heat the cold air. The cold air has to leave to let the warm air arrive. Moving air masses mean wind.

It was quite windy.

But what, oh what, is as nice as a nice day in May?

After my experience the other day with a flat tire I am very reluctant to follow that particular route down into the city. The wind direction required that I head into town but I had to go about it in a not usual manner. I reversed the route that I often ride when I do a Capitol loop and headed out southeast directly towards the State Capitol.

The construction that produced the conditions that led to my flat tire is construction of the new light rail line. One of the local curmudgeonly ink stained wretches has referred to it as "the boys playing train". I rode to the overlook on the heights behind the Capitol in Cass Gilbert Memorial Park and got this picture of the boys playing train quite near to the eastern terminus of the new line in downtown Saint Paul.That's utility and other preparation work on Robert Street. Mostly government buildings in the foreground, First National Bank Building dominating this part of the downtown skyline.

I rode over to the Capitol. I was hanging around the front of the building waiting for someone to do either good or evil (the Legislature is in session). I noticed that there seems to be still MORE work being done to those golden horses. One of the statues out front is Knute Nelson, a very distinguished Minnesotan.Three times a member of Congress, twice Governor, and five times a U.S. Senator with enough time left over for 3 years as a soldier in the Civil War, yes, I think that makes him a pretty distinguished Minnesotan.

And a brave son of Norway.The parking area in front of the Capitol is reserved this time of year for permit parking only. I glanced at a few of the permits on display on the dashboards of the parked vehicles. These three are "Senate", perhaps members, perhaps staff.The Minnesota Senate appears to have a constituency with a strong affinity for big metal, big American metal. Don't these people know that gas is $4?

I rode on up the hill turning before the Cathedral instead of going all the way to the top and rode up Marshall instead of Selby.

This is nice I think, one of those flowering shrubs with tulips for accompaniment.Doesn't May look nice?

I rode back over to Selby though to continue my series of my bicycle at a bicycle shop. This is a new shop next to the bakery I patronize. This is Dan's shop, for those who know Dan.On the way home I came across more construction. This is the spot where I have been crossing University Avenue. Today I found this crossing blocked leaving me to scout around again starting next time for another way across. I had to get off and lift my bicycle to complete the crossing. But I found it interesting that in tearing up the old street to put in the new train line that one of the things that has been unearthed is the old train line, or more correctly, the rails from the old street car line that once served this same street.The more things change the more they stay the same.

I sometimes ride past the place where TOPWLH works, perhaps looking to verify her employment, perhaps hoping to catch her goofing off. Instead today I found flowering shrubs of the second wave of colorization already beginning to appear.A little purple to go with the white.

Drew Hall for scale. That is Drew Hall over there, isn't it?

I found this on the website that I use to gather information about women's hockey. And yes, I am such a women's hockey geek that I check the website in the summer time. This is such good stuff that I think everyone should see it.