Hooray, hooray, the first of . . .

Ooops.  Missed it.

There was a short burst of rain yesterday at about the time I wanted to ride.  The burst was short but the streets turned wet.

So after a two month build up I failed to ride on May Day.  No parade this year.

*sigh*

But today, well, today was a day full of promise and late returns just now coming in confirm that it was 80 here today.  I cooked outdoors, any time it is 80 and outdoor cooking occurs is an unmistakeably spring day.

I wonder where my lawnmower are.

I fairly often refer to trips into the big city just south of where I live.  Conditions today got me into the really big city just west of the big city to the south.

I crossed the Marshall Avenue bridge and instead of taking the river road MUT I continued down Lake Street for a couple of blocks and veered to the south on 46th Avenue.

I have passed this spot numerous times in the past but spring conditions with the growing season still in its infancy gave me a better look at this sign than what I have had in those times past.

So a community garden on that site for 72 years.  With an origin during WWII that means that this at the time of its founding was one of the victory gardens.

I continued on south and eventually came to what seems to me to be a pretty pleasing confluence of streets representing a number dear to me, 46th and 46th.

There is no 47th and 47th because after this point you stumble, or in the case of a bicyclist, ride, into a major regional park.  As I entered the park I actually had to ride across 46th Street and down to Godfrey Parkway to make any progress.  I turned right on the parkway and from there I had to become a vehicle for a bit, taking the lane for safety purposes in case you must know.  But actually the traffic was so heavy over there today that I had little difficulty justifying my position as a vehicle in the traffic queue by mostly keeping up with the car in front of me.  The car behind me had no cause for complaint.  I rode in the lane on the parkway all the way up to the east end of the park where I took the roundabout (traffic a bit too intense for another photo) and then ducked down the park driveway.  Over the curb and then I had to wait for my turn at the wall to get this photo.

It is just vaguely not describable how many people were there today.

First 80 degree day of the year, Saturday, there were at least a couple of THOUSAND people there with me today.

A fabulous spring day.