Dodging the rain drops

Even though it is relentlessly summer the run of weather we have experienced recently has been tough on this bicycle enthusiast.  Too much rain at completely the wrong time of day a couple of times, just too hot and steamy a couple of times, relentlessly summer but not good bicycling weather.

Yesterday TOPWLH was enthusiastically promoting the idea of an outing.  The local newspapers and TV outlets (and the generally same sources when viewed on the inter tubes) promised warm and mostly sunny for the day time hours followed by the likelihood of developing thunder boomers as night approached.  We don't generally ride as night approaches so an outing seemed completely reasonable.

I checked the current radar, however, and could not help but notice a large mass of greens and dark greens just off to our west and moving in our direction.  Who knows?  Maybe it will divide along that center line and blow past on both sides of us.

I agreed to the idea of a ride but said to myself, "Self, we are okay as long as the sun stays out."  It did, in fact, seem like a pretty nice middle of the day.

Within about a half hour of starting out the sun had disappeared.  Wind conditions had indicated a Stone Arch Bridge ride but when we reached the point of no return I cut the whole thing off.  When she pretty quickly figured out that we were on the way BACK towards where we live she inquired if perhaps we were "just riding around", she even called it JRA.  Indeed we were, I asked her if she wanted to be 10 miles from home when it started to rain.  She gave the correct answer, "no" and I didn't want to be there either.

I still thought we might get some miles on a loop closer to home but a little over two miles from home she announced that she was feeling some bits of moisture.  Within about six pedal strokes I felt it too.

Wetness in the air is highly motivating and we made excellent time home from two miles out.  With about a mile to go (Snelling and Roselawn) the mostly misty droplets began to gather some heft.  Still, we made it into the driveway and under the overhang of the garage before what could properly be called rain began.  The driveway was dry as I punched in the code to open the garage door but when I turned away from the opening door to look the precipitation was beginning to form tiny wet spots as the droplets encountered concrete.

We in the bicycle community call that really good timing.  Really fortuitous timing.

So we did get in at least a little riding finishing with just under *cough* *cough* 14 miles.  She got her total rounded up, I got left with a little more work to do today.

Today was a tiny bit too warm and a tiny bit too steamy, we had to utilize the air conditioning. The ride was just fine as long as I was moving but when I got home and lost the bicyclist's advantage of evaporative cooling I burst, positively burst, into profuse perspiration.

Lots of sweat is fun once in a while but it does create various inconveniences.

Like you can't sit on any of your furniture, just for example.

But eventually I cooled off.

The ride itself featured a trip out to the beaver dam. I admit it, I am overly intrigued by the goings on out there.

Today the larger brained species has turned the corner and the battle will soon enough be over. We will win.

Yet another opening has been created in the beaver construction.

The devil is in the details, as usual. Look closely.

Sometimes the larger brained species just has to advance ourselves beyond the basic lizard in us all and actually use our brains.

Watch out beavers, it is a trap.

I have been avoiding riding on my favorite north south route, Hamline Avenue due to construction. Having to avoid Hamline just creates entirely too much disruption in my normal routine, I am vexed.

For example, today my ride to Lake Vadnais involved pretty much riding the route in reverse. I therefore ended up at the end of the ride on what is usually the beginning of my route, Hamline Avenue.

GOOD NEWS!!!!

I was able to determine that what the construction project is about is new pavement, might I add, badly need new pavement, between County Roads B and C. I approached the construction zone today riding up to County Road C from the north.

GOOD NEWS!!

Note, only two exclamation marks this time.

There is brand new pavement on Hamline from the corner of County Road C extending towards the south. The paint stripes have not yet been put back but the pavement is down.

Why only two, you ask?

Here is the view from just south of County Road B2.

Doesn't look done does it?

Perhaps you can see that over there across the intersection and halfway up the hill there is new pavement. Probably you can see that right it front of me it is still that ground down to old pavement mess that is the half way mark of new pavement projects.

I had to ride on the sidewalk.

I hasten to add that the sidewalk I had to ride on was not by even the most wild stretch of the imagination a sort of bike path multi-use trail.

It was a sidewalk.