In Which I Reflect On the Morning Ride Reflections

View of creek beside Cedar River Trail this morning.

It was a bit cloudy this morning, but I took the slightly longer trail route in to work. The Cedar River Trail parallels a creek for much of the way. I was thinking about how water in morning light pleasantly reflects the sky and trees— how pretty that can be, but how hard to capture via a photo.

A photo freezes an instant of time. But part of the pleasure of seeing water as you ride is movement—the water’s and yours. And there is sound. Of course the hum of traffic on nearby I-380, but also the various voices of birds declaring  their territories in the morning light. And the quiet sounds of the bicycle itself, the little squeaks of the pedals, clicks of shifting gears, the mild rumble of tire against asphalt.

On this morning’s ride, one unfamiliar pretty bird darted in front of me. It was red and brown and white with an interesting double V shape to its wings, and I couldn't tell what it was, and then it was gone.

For some reason, a mama duck amused me as she sat in a puddle of a tire rut beside the trail. There’s a creek nearby, dear, and there you won’t have bikes practically on top of you.

Lady Duck in puddle by the trail.

The afternoon ride was not quite so pleasant—it had started to rain, and it was a cool, penetrating, cooling rain.

It must have motivated me to peddle faster. I was home in 25 minutes, and the 4-miles to Mount Mercy usually take me closer to 30 minutes. I guess a faster bike ride is one way to try to stay warm!