In Which The Frost Looks Kind of Pretty

In yard near C Avenue bridge over Dry Creek--frosty cottonwood leaf on Saturday morning in sunrise.

Morning gym ride Oct. 11—it frosted finally in my part of Iowa that morning. There was a coating of ice on the car and grey crystals all over the grass. The TV weather talked about a “hard freeze,” but I struggle with calling it that because it only dropped down to 32—I think of a “hard” freeze as in the 20s.

Still, it was a definite frost. It must have stayed at 32 for some hours. Luckily, on my morning bike ride to exercise at the gym, there was little wind, so even with an air temperature just chilly enough to induce a state change in water, I wasn’t frigid.

And the clear morning sun make the ice sparkle, don’t you think?

It's not the same leaf--there are two here--but it is the same lawn.

I was hoping it was a foretaste of rides to come. I actually like cool, icy bike rides—a frosty morning in the 20s, if it’s also dry and not windy, is both pretty and comfortably ideal for a large man like me who is riding on a bicycle.

Alas, this week it was not to be. It started to rain on Sunday, and this is Tuesday night now—and it has not let up. So I drove for the two days of school this week. Now it’s fall break.

I might have heard a small voice. Did it say "we are here?"

If I’m lucky, I may get some break rides in, although I also have work to do because mid-term grades are due right after break. Anyway, my wife and I plan to visit our youngest son in Ames later this week, and we may bring bikes and try out some trails there.

I hope so. After this rain, I feel the need to hit the peddles again. May it be soon.

And may there be more pretty, frosty, sunshine mornings.

Later Saturday. 1-year-old granddaughter. She has lately become an enthusiastic biking buddy, but we spent our time playing in leaves I had raked. Maybe later this week we will go for a ride--I hope so.

In Which The World Is Suddenly Green, Sniff

My bike on the left. Another bike on the right. As the weather warms, maybe there will be more.

Looking north from the bike rack. Beautiful day for a ride. I note that the usually brown hillside I see to the north is now starting to turn green. It won't be many more warm days before the trees leaf out. I'll miss being able to easily see the birds, but I'll still enjoy the bike trails even more when the world turns green.

CR Biker has a cold that came on suddenly after a party Monday, and so I am awake at 3:30 a.m., which is a bit odd. Your correspondent has done a little school work, but feels like being less productive.

Anyway, spring fever is ready to hit. The days are suddenly warm, and the somnolent trees are slowly coming to life. Look at the ash branch that frames my view of the hill beside Warde Hall, when looking north from the bike rack—not only are there a few baby green leaves on that tree, but the wooded hillside in the distance is no longer it’s uniform winter brown—it’s starting to green up, and in a week or so, Iowa will be a very green and shady place.

Well, good. Despite the cold (in my head, the weather is warm), I enjoyed the biking Monday. There was a lady’s bike in the rack in back, so my bike didn’t have its usual lonely day. I took the trail route home, which adds maybe a mile or so to my commute, and saw my sister passing by. She noted on Facebook that she had done just a bit more than 17 miles Monday.

I’m sure I didn’t bike that far, but I’ll claim 10 for the day. I think it’s the start of a very nice biking week. Even being awake at 3 a.m. won’t spoil it—and biking on little sleep is, I suppose, good training for RAGBRAI.