Tulips, Bananas and Wind

Yes, I rode to work today.

I rode to work all but one day this month. I find that remarkable.

It was a very unusual February. There are daffodils blooming and the tulips on the grounds of 1010 Market are up and pushing toward the sky.

I'm sitting here listening to the wind blow. It is gusting to near 45mph(72km/h). Since it was warm today many folk commented to me on what a wonderful day to ride it was. And, it was. Still, I can't say that windy is my favorite riding condition. Days like today when there are large swings between the gusts and the ambient wind speed bring a special challenge. In an urban setting the wind seems to be magnified by the large buildings--almost like riding in a wind tunnel. It is great when the wind is to ones back, but the crosswinds are enough to make even me lean.... lean into the wind.

This evening I was greeted in the parking area by the sight of two bananas on Deputy D's Fly-150. I'm guessing he didn't ride home with them there...too, windy.

• 58F/14C , clear and the wind mostly to my back for the ride to work.
• 63F/17C with a few clouds and crazy wind for the ride home.

Relieved

Yes, I rode to work today.

I see her nearly every morning on my way to work. She is difficult to miss. She wears the traditional garb of the country she apparently moved here from. She walks a good distance behind the two young boys she follows to the bus stop. I can't tell if is she is the mother or the grandmother. I can tell I wouldn't want to mess with those two boys.

I've mentioned her to Goldilocks and last Thursday all things came together in such a way I could inconspicuously take her photo. I didn't take it to post on this blog or on Twists and Leanings. I just wanted to show it to Goldilocks. Just as I took the photo the woman turned around. I was a good half block or more from her, but I sensed she was aware I took her picture. As, I rode past her, she was watching me. It was the first time in all the months I've been watching her that we made eye contact. It was not comfortable.

Friday morning she was not there. And.....

I wondered if it was a coincidence.

Monday morning she was not there. And.....

I feared it was not a coincidence.

This morning she was there. And.....

I was very much relieved.

• 36F/2C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 59F/15C and mostly cloudy for the ride home.

Capped

Yes, I rode to work today.

It was another wonderful spring-ish day capped by an interesting sunset.

• 39F/4C and a few clouds for the ride to work.
• 48F/9C with a few more clouds than in the morning for the ride home.

Oh Well

Yes, I rode to work today.

Saw this today parked Downtown.

I believe it is a Jeep STR8. A sport Jeep? I guess it is a Jeep thing, because I don't understand. Of course, and I mean no offense to those who own them, I still can't wrap my mind around a pickup branded as a Cadillac. Oh well.

Have a great weekend!

• 39F/4C and cloudy with a fine mist for the ride to work.
• 43F/6C and partly cloudy for the ride home.

Cloudy

Yes, I rode to work today.....

Me, and everybody else. There were a lot of bikes out this morning, and even more by afternoon. It was really warm here.  I not only wore the motoX helmet, but even the Fog eVader got to stay home.

The day started with clouds.

And, the day ended with clouds.

In between, there were more clouds.

And, there was lunch.

Yesterday, I commented there was something missing from my menu. Today I rectified the problem. Can you see the missing component? Just three were enough.

• 44F/7C and cloudy for the ride into work.
• 66F/19C and cloudy for the ride home.

Stunning

Yes, I rode to work today.

This morning the sky was filled with big white fluffy clouds. It was stunning. But, by lunchtime it was overcast.

For lunch, I went back to the Pita Pit. One of the things I didn't like yesterday was the container the pita and hummus came in. It was one of those Styrofoam numbers. It was probably 6"x10". It seem wasteful and was definitely not recyclable. Today I asked if I could just have the pita wrapped in paper and if they would just give me the two containers of hummus to carry to my table. They were happy to oblige. Bonus: The little containers the hummus came in can be recycled. I brought those home in the container I brought the carrots in. They'll be in our recycling before the night is out.

 I think I have a winner here. I do think there is something missing. I hope to remedy that tomorrow.

I've been walking past this building for a long while and never noticed the dragons before.

So much for being a keen observer.

After work, I stopped by the Cavilia tent.

It is all stretched out now. They say it is the biggest tent in North America. I can believe it.

Goldilocks asked if I would get her a lone lime on the way home. I go right by the Schnuck's grocery store on the Hill. It was overcast when I went into the store, but when I came out maybe ten minutes later there was a surprise awaiting me.

40F/4C and a sky full of beautiful clouds for the ride to work.
59F/15C and filled with surprise for the ride home.

A Feast

Yes, I rode to work today.

Yesterday was President's Day and the Courts were closed. I had expected to have lunch with Goldilocks, but her work schedule didn't allow it. Oh well.

Today I discovered I can get a whole wheat pita loaf toasted on the grill and hummus at the Pita Pit for $2.13 including tax.  There really was more hummus than I needed for the bread. I'm thinking if I brought my own carrots I'd have a feast!

Also,  today the winter gear got to stay home...again.

• 46F/8C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 53F/12C mostly cloudy for the ride home.

Life Cooperates

Yes, I rode to work today.

It was significantly colder this morning than yesterday morning, There was some patchy fog, but the sun shined brightly through the trees and glistened off the frost on the cars and grass. It was a beautiful ride...like riding in a fairy land. Alas, it was over much too quickly.

I love it when Life cooperates. Yesterday I posted about a bumper sticker and look what I walk by at lunchtime:

I couldn't have planned it better if I tried.

And, now for the obligatory pre-Mardi Gras photo:

A number of the folks at the Courthouse were already wearing beads. Mardi Gras is not my thing, but it is certainly a big thing here in St. Louis.

This is more my thing:

All that blue sky and wispy clouds, but one lone little puffy cloud soldiers on. Noticing this sort of thing is more my thing.

Yesterday I was hoping the temperature would hit 50F/10C, but it didn't. Today it did and then some. And, whereas yesterday's sunset was a surprise tonight's wasn't.


Have a great weekend! That's my plan.

• 29F/-2C with patchy fog for the ride to work.
• 56F/13C and enough clouds to make a wonderful sunset for the ride home.

Ironic

Yes, I rode to work today.

Sometimes bumper stickers are funny because they are meant to be funny. Other times bumper stickers are simply ironic. I remember once seeing a WWJD* bumper sticker on a Hummer. I thought that was ironic. This morning I encountered another example of this second kind of bumper sticker. I was riding to work and a car pulled out of street parking right into the path of the car in front of me. The street had a turning lane in the center and the car in front of me laid on the horn and swerved around him. I had plenty of time to slow down and was not in any danger from his move. Shortly after our stunt driver's maneuver I found myself next to him at a light. He had a cigarette and a sweet roll in the hand he had on the steering wheel. In the other hand he had a clear plastic cup filled with what looked like soda. And, what bumper sticker did he have on his bumper? "Hang Up And Drive".

This morning as I was leaving Goldilocks noticed I had my motoX helmet. "Are you expecting it to be warm?" She asked. "Yep," I said and added, "I'm hoping for at least fifty degrees."

It only made it to 48F/9C, but I ain't complaining.

• 43F/6C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 48F/9C and clear for the ride home.

*What Would Jesus Do.

A Nice Surprise

Yes, I rode to work today.

When I looked out the window this morning there was very little evidence that it snowed yesterday.

It was a dry ride in, but it began raining shortly after I got to work. It rained more off than on all day, but even when it wasn't raining there was a mist in the air.  One of the rainy times came when it was time for me to leave for home. I'd checked the radar before I shut down the computer and it looked like it was going to be a wet ride. I told myself that at least it wasn't a thunderstorm.

But, there was a surprise wanting for me.....

a nice surprise.



I didn't ride all the way home in the rain after all. The sun which was supposed to set behind the clouds obviously had other plans. I'm glad it did.

• 39F/4C and overcast for the ride into work.
• 47F/8C with rain and a sunset for the ride home.

There Is Talk

No, I didn't ride to work today.

There was snow and the ground.

And on my car.

It was a wet snow. It was 34F/1C at 0650CST. It was perfect snowman and snowball weather. As I cleaned off my car I had one of those "Eureka!" moments. If I would have had Gore-Tex gloves when I was a kid I might never have gone back inside when the snow was like it was this morning. I remembered how with the gloves I wore as a kid after the third snowball my hands would be already wet and cold. This morning I pushed the snow off my car with my waterproof Gore-Tex gloves. I didn't even bother with the srcapper. My hands stayed dry and warm. It was wonderful.

The temperatures were forecast to rise to 40F/4C by afternoon. I could see no reason to doubt it. Once out the the neighborhood I suspected the roads would be wet and soaked with chemicals.

And, they were.

By evening I suspected they would be as dry as a bone.

And, they were.

There was absolutely no reason for me not to ride to work this morning, but something just didn't feel right. I trusted that feeling. Miss Billie got the day off.

No one else rode today. The parking area was empty.

By lunchtime the sun was shinning.

It was still clear this evening, but there is talk of thunderstorms tomorrow.

• 34F/1C and overcast for the morning drive to work.
• 40F/4C with a few clouds for the drive home.

Lincoln's Birthday

No, I didn't ride to work today.

Today the Court was closed for the observance of Lincoln's Birthday. But, I probably wouldn't have ridden anyway.

It is actually trying to look like winter.

While I didn't have to work, Goldilocks did. Do you remember what that means? Yes, House of Indian for lunch.

Lovely

Yes, I rode to work today.

When I went to go online this morning I was greeted with a message telling me the network was down. Oh joy. I have become rather dependent on NOAA and Weather.com to help me decide about whether to ride or not. Fortunately the network came back up and I was able to check the forecasts. It said light drizzle and snow flurries for the morning ride with temperatures well above freezing. Oh dear, what to wear?

I went with the lovely hi-vis yellow rain jacket and the orange lobster claw rain gloves. Probably didn't need them, but making a fashion statement is its own reward.

There is a cold front on its way. This weekend we are looking forward to probably the coldest days of this season.

It was beginning to cool off by the time I left work. It was lightly snowing. It wasn't doing much but enough to leave a calling card on my seat.

On the ride home, the cold front was rolling in from the West. And, while the temperature had dropped to below freezing the roads were still warm enough to keep the threat of black ice at bay.

When I got home I was plenty ready to be there.

I'm looking at a three day weekend which just may include our first real snow. Lovely.

• 37F/ with a light mist and an occasional snowflake for the ride to work.
• 30 F/ with a very fine snow for the ride home.

A Year Ago

Yes, I rode to work today.

A year ago today it was 11F for the morning commute. I didn't ride. I drove. (Click here to read my post of a year ago in Twists and Leanings)

Today it was not nearly as cold and it was overcast.

There was blue sky to the South, but the sun didn't make an appearance Downtown.

At lunchtime, however, I did manage to catch a seam of blue directly overhead.

• 31F/-0.5C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 38F/3C and overcast for the ride home.

Here's A Question

Yes, I rode to work today.

Tonight on my way home I stopped off at the filling station to fill up the Symba. Last night I was there filling up the Yaris. The person at the register said to me, "Looks like your car got to stay home today." She had waited on me last evening as well. I replied, "Yep, and for that I'm grateful."

An update on the Cavilia tent.

To give you an idea of the size of the tent, that is most of a semi-trailer parked to the right with Cavilia written on it.

And, the weather today? No snow or ice on the ground or on the streets, just on the cars. Here's a question: Why don't people clear the snow or frost off their windshields before they take off driving? I must of seen a half dozen cars with people driving near blind with their windshield wipers on...like that is going to any good. Oh well.

• 32F/0C with a flurry or two for the ride into work.
• 34F/1C and overcast for the ride home.

Yep, It's A Big Tent

Yes, I rode to work today.

Why is it some mornings everything just seem to go wrong from the get go? For me, this was one of those mornings. The details are unimportant. I'll just say it was one of those mornings when I couldn't find things I never lose, forgot things that really couldn't be done without, and just seemed to be swimming upstream. 

And, isn't it a wonderful thing, if on such a morning one can ride off into a beautiful sunrise? Yes, it is.

Again today at lunchtime I walked over to check on the Cavilia tent.

On my way I noticed this woman standing near some of the decorative stone work near Keiner Plaza.

I thought it looked like she was standing behind a podium and giving a speech. I had to take her photo, just had to.

On my way, I also walked past Busch Stadium. Soon Spring Training will begin. Yes, I like baseball.

When I neared the tent site, at first glance, it didn't appear that much had changed from the night before.

But from a different angle and looking more closely I could see the workers were raising the side struts. I had the feeling something was about to happen. I hung around as long as I could. Actually, I stayed longer than I should have and got back from lunch a little late.

After work  I was pleased to see the tent had been raised. I was also pleased not to ride home in the rain. I had thought there was a very real possibility my raingear would get a work out.

Tonight we might get some snow. There isn't much accumulation expected, but I did put gasoline in the Yaris just in case.

• 32F/0C with a nice sunrise for the ride to work.
• 39F/4C and overcast for the ride home.

Cavalia

Yes, I rode to work today.

The National Weather Service said there was freezing fog in the area this morning. 

Fortunately, it was just fog in the areas I traveled.

On my way in, I discovered they were putting up the big tent for the production of Cavalia. I ride right by where the show is going to be staged.

I've been seeing billboards advertising this show

At lunchtime I walked over to see how it was coming along.

I've been drawn to the graphics even though I was clueless as to what it was.

The signs proclaimed it would be next door to Busch Stadium. I couldn't figure that one out. At the time I didn't know it was performed in a tent.

Now I know just exactly where it is going to be.

On the way home, I stopped by to see how the tent building was going.

I couldn't see much change from lunchtime.

Closer to home I saw fins.

Definitely not pink, but a Cadillac none the less.

• 31F/-0.5C with fog for the ride to work.
• 46F/8C and fair for the ride home.

Cloud Day

Yes, I rode to work today.

It was another incredible cloud day.

In the morning there was a hint of what was to come.

By lunch time the blue patches had disappeared.

This is what I call overcast.

By homing time, it was fixing to rain.

• 38F/3C with a blue and white sky for the ride to work.
• 53F/12C with light rain for the ride home.