In Which We Ride The Frosty Mornings

Tuesday (above) and Monday (below) views of the pond at Rockwell-Colllins on C Avenue. I was leaving a bit earlier on Tuesday--the sun was not up yet and I had to ride with lights. In the pre-sun cool morning, the water was like a mirror. I like both images, but I guess pre-dawn pond wins.

October is getting beyond its third week, and fall in this part of Iowa is probably at its peak or just beyond it. Some trees still have plenty of leaves, but many have changed colors and dropped leaves, and we’ve had a few freezes, so the lush, green look of summer is only a memory.

More and more trees are bare. After my bike ride home today, I was walking with a 2-year-old grandson to the park, and he remarked repeatedly how leaves were “everywhere.”

Still, this time of year, when I have wear a jacket and gloves for the morning rides and have to run with lights on if I get out of the house on time is probably my favorite biking time of year. There are just a lot fewer insects—no annoying cloud of gnats, no reason to apply the lemon-pie perfume of summer insect repellant.

And the still, frosty mornings are very pretty to see from the seat of a bicycle.

On Monday, I arrived at work to find the bike rack buried under 3 feet of leaves. With hands and feet, I briefly became a human rake and cleared one side of the rack.

Clarence in the bike rack Monday at Warde Hall. Raking of pile of leaves so I can get bike to rack done by CR Biker.

I didn’t really mind it. Fall! As long as there is no cold rain falling, it’s a great time of year to be a bicycle commuter.

Another view of Dr. Cross' cool electric-human tricycle. I walked by it Monday and could not resist taking it's picture again.