String broken

Updates from France are available elsewhere on the internet. Be sure to check the Flickr stream labeled Paris 2011.

The string of days each of which was a little bit nicer than the last had to end and today it did. The clouds rolled in shortly before noon and the day stayed mostly clouded over after that. It was only clouds, no precipitation, but cloudy after days of bright sunshine breaks the string. Mind you, I AM NOT COMPLAINING, it was still close to average temperature, not a bad day at all. Just not as nice as yesterday.

I wanted to head down into the city so I started my ride by circling over to the Fairgrounds for a look around. Despite the arrival of spring the snow pile lingers on. It is about eight feet high at that tallest point.Meanwhile, clean up of the site is proceeding. The dirt left over after the snow in the other parts of the pile disappeared has been plowed and swept. This allowed me to get around on the side of the pile opposite from where most of the photos of this particular phenomenon have been taken.

I was turning around to get back on route when these creatures bolted over to the fence to get a good close look at me.I had no intentions of publishing a cow photo but these animals showed such a great interest in me that I ended up taking an interest in them.

Strictly speaking, those are not actually cows. It is certainly correct that those are cattle but a closer examination will reveal that those are fellas.

It isn't Marche Bastille but I did make it to an open air market today. My motivation for heading down into the city was that one of the local bicycle businesses is having a tent and warehouse sale. Here is a NewLOOK at the entrance to the event.I was walking in when the male half of a departing couple spoke directly to me, saying "That's a great shop."

I replied that I agreed that it is a great shop. We weren't talking about the shop holding the sale.

Here is what I was wearing that prompted his remark.I just thought my Paris Cycles Laurent jersey was particularly appropriate today.

Chad for scale.

Today's behavior observation: Today the third different person who I passed regularly while walking outdoors this winter, each of which I eventually exchanged greetings and conversational snippets with, each of which during the winter was smiling and friendly, each of which during the winter was on the way to being one of those not really acquaintances but someone from the neighborhood who you nod to, today the third different one of those declined to make eye contact and instead ignored me when I met the exact same person in the exact same spot where I met that person several times this winter and when I attempted the same sort of greeting towards the individual that I had offered several times this winter.

The difference? In the winter time we were both on foot. Today I was the outlandishly garbed odd sunglasses sporting not riding a nice normal person's comfort bike outsider hunched over on one of those "racing" bicycles.

Same three people, each time in exactly the same spot where we crossed paths during the winter.