Unusual

Yes, I rode to work today.

There was a fine mist in the air this morning...fine in both senses of the word. I would really of liked to just keep on going this morning. When I mentioned this earlier today one friend, another everyday rider, said she had the same experience. Another friend commented he once went to the local grocery store and ended up in New Mexico.

I didn't head off to anywhere exotic, but it was a day of unusual sights.

Well, I guess seeing a horse drawn carriage in Downtown St. Louis isn't that unusual, still every time I see one I feel the kid in me stir and a shiver of  excitement rides my spine.

But, I do think seeing a couple out for a stroll in Tower Grove Park on their stilts definitely qualifies as unusual.

It's Friday again. Be safe.

• 57F/14C with a fine mist for the ride to work.
• 69F/21C and mostly cloudy for the home ride.

Setting Up

Yes, I rode to work today.

It was a cloudy, gray and moist day, but not wet.

The reddish building is City Hall. The building with the green roof is the Peabody Opera House. And, tucked between them is the old Municipal Court Building.

This weekend is the Taste of St. Louis. A few weeks ago, after I'd finished taking a photo of the Eagleton Courthouse, a stranger said to me, "If you go around the corner there is a great shot of the Arch." I assured him I knew that. I told him I often took photos on my lunch hour. He admitted he was a first time visitor to the City. He was here for business and was so impressed with the City he was thinking of coming back with his family for the Taste of St. Louis. He asked me what I thought of his plan. I told him I'd never been, but the "Taste" had become a really big deal. Today as I noticed the workers setting up for the festivities I thought of him. I wonder if he is going to be here this weekend. If hope so, the weather is supposed to be spectacular.

• 67F/19C and overcast with almost a mist, but not quite for the ride to work.
• 70F/21C and all most a mirror image of the mornings weather for the home ride.

No, I didn't ride to work today.

Today I took a vacation day. It is Yom Kippur today. And, I spent the day fasting, making music, sifting memories, and praying for peace.

I'm the empty chair.

Rabbi and oud player.

Tomorrow I plan to be back on the road, eating, making memories, and still praying for peace.

Not Even

Yes, I rode to work today.

When I went to bed the forecaster were saying 80% chance of rain today. By the time I woke up the chance was down to 50%. The radar looked clear as I started to gear up, but I didn't trust the look of the sky.

Since the temperature was in the low 60's Fahrenheit/mid-teens Celsius, it was a no brainer. I put on the rain gear. And, I didn't get rained on.

By the time I got to work the sun was trying to break through the clouds.

It did rain a little Downtown later in the morning.

When I left work in the middle of the afternoon. The rain was moving back into the area. The question: Would it stay to the north? It looked like it would. The sky looked okay, but I didn't trust the radar. I put the rain gear on again even though now the temperature was near 80F/27C. Needless to say, it was a toasty ride home.

Heather thinks I should replace the seat cover. I think it is just getting character.

And, I didn't get rained on...again.

But, shortly after I got home a thunderstorm went through, but since I was striped down cooling off, I wasn't dressed to even stand before the window to take a photo of the storm...nor was I willing to take a photo of myself proving my state of undress...not even a photo of my bare feet.

• 62F/17C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 79F/26C and mostly cloudy with rain in the area for the home ride.

Autumn

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it was the first official autumn commute.

And, it was a beautiful autumn day, cool crisp morning with a nice warm afternoon.

This is the weekly 7am photo. I'm just getting ready to head Downtown. Yes, the sun is getting intense. Perhaps it will be raining tomorrow and I won't be able to complain about the sun being in my eyes. If so, not to worry, I'll find something else to complain about.

• 43F/6C and clear for the ride to work.
• 73F/23C with a white sky for the home ride.

Peekaboo

Yes, I rode to today.

And, the sky put on a show.

First, this in the morning...



And then, this in the evening...

I rode part way home on wet pavement, but experienced no rain.

It's Friday again. Be safe and have a wonderful weekend.

• 62F/17C and overcast, but with the sun playing peekaboo for the ride to work.
• 82F/28C with lots of clouds, but no rain for me during the home ride.

Big Drops

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it rained a little on the ride in.

It didn't rain hard, rather it was a big drop sort of rain, the kind of rain that sounds like someone is pounding on your helmet and wants in.

By the time I got Downtown it had hardly rained.

And, it wasn't quite so dark.

You can tell it was warmer this morning. The rider of this Harley doesn't mind the rain, but doesn't like the cold. I'm not sure, but I think anything under 60F/15C is considered too cold to ride.

By break time the rain had moved East and the Sun reigned.

Lunch. Not really, but I was tempted.

• 64F/18C with some rain for the ride to work.
• 78F/25C with some clouds and lots of sunshine for the home ride.

Relative

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it was a chilly morning. Of course, what is chilly is rather relative. Before long I will look on a day in the 50 degree Fahrenheit range as a warm day.

When those days arrive it will be only the Symba or my Kymco and the Vulcan in the parking area. There is a possibility Deputy D may join us. We will see. He has been a regular rider since last January. I suspect it will depend on what kind of a winter we have. So far this year I've missed only a hand full of days, but it has been quite the unusual year. In the past when it gets really cold the Vulcan stays home leaving my Symba all alone. What about Deputy D? What will be his "stay at home" point?

In the past I've managed the cold pretty well. It is snow and ice that puts me back in a cage and dreaming of a Ural.

• 53F/12C and a few clouds for the ride in.
• 76F/24C and a wee bit cloudy for the home ride.

Light

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it was a gorgeous morning.

The light is changing.

There is a crispness in the air. Today everything seems clear, sharp, and in focus.

• 50F/10C with a few clouds and the sun in my eyes for the ride to work.
• 67F/19C and surrounded by vividness for the home ride.

Peace

No, I didn't ride to work today.

It is Rosh hashanah today. This goy took the day off to pray and make music with his friends at Neve Shalom.

I created this to mark the beginning of the Jewish year 5773

With so much uncertainty and unrest loose in the world now, it is nice to mark a beginning and a hope for a sweeter future. Will it make any difference? Who knows, but it can't hurt.

As my friend often prays: May there be peace, abundant peace, may it flow like a fountain. Amen.

Still Enough

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, I rode in a nearly perfect rain.

It had been raining through out the night, long enough to wash all the oil and gunk off the streets...

but, for the ride to work it was just a nice gentle rain, almost a mist...

Not enough to soak the outer layer of my Gore-Tex jacket, but still enough for the silence that comes with the rain to descend and embrace me.

And, others seemed to be as grateful for the rain as me.

• 59F/15C with light rain for the ride to work.
• 69F/21C and overcast for the home ride.

I Suspect I'll Manage

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, unlike yesterday there were clouds.


It was another gorgeous day here until....


it was time to leave work.

After work, I was supposed to go over to Mike's. The Kymco was going to get its first service and he was going to do an encore of the temporary fix he performed the last time the headlights wouldn't work.

When I got home to trade bikes I noticed Mike had called. Apparently he, too, had been watching the sky. He asked if we could reschedule for Saturday. He thought it looked like rain. While I couldn't argue about the looks of the sky, I suspected it was going to hold, but I agreed. My weekend is starting to get a little complicated. Oh well, too many good things can be stressful in its own way, but I suspect I'll manage.

• 66F/19Cwith lots of clouds and lots of sunshine by the time I got work.
• 77F/25C and cloudy for the home ride.

I Did Both

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, once again the weather was nearly perfect.

Alas, my memory was not so perfect. I left my phone on the charger and my camera next to the computer. I walked out of the condo without either of them. Heather noticed the phone and brought it with her to the cafe. The camera didn't make it.

My new phone has a camera, but I've not played around with it yet. I need to do that, but today wasn't the day. Today was a day to just enjoy the warm temperatures and delight in the beautiful clouds. And, I did both

• 66F/19C with a few clouds for the ride to work.
• 85F/29C with big white fluffy clouds overhead for the home ride.

9/11/2012

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it was difficult to look up at the tall buildings and not remember what happened eleven years ago.

The building on the left is the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse. It is the largest single courthouse in the United States.

On that day I met a friend for coffee. The manager let him use a radio from the kitchen. We sat and listened to the reports. We didn't talk much. He kept saying, "This changes everything." My friend is a writer. He wrote a piece some time later about visiting New York in December 2011. It is a good piece and you can read it by clicking here.

One of the things I remember most vividly was the silence following the grounding of all the planes. Nothing was flying except military planes. I had never realized how much the sound of jets and other aircraft had become a part of my surroundings until suddenly they were no longer there. It was eerie.

Today I sat at lunch and looked at the cloudless sky. I didn't like there being no clouds today. Today was a day I wished for clouds to play in the endless clear dead blue of the sky. I looked up and noticed the reflection of the lights inside the restaurant playing on the window and was grateful to see an image of a cloud if not a real one.

What has changed since two planes hit the World Trade Center, another hit the Pentegon, and another crashed in Pennsylvania? There is fear in the Land. And, there is fear's byproduct: Anger. 

I hear talk nearly every morning at the cafe about the many things the speakers believe are destroying the fabric of the American Experience. None of them mentions anger, yet it is my sense anger is the destroyer loose in our midst. On this day it is my hope we can soon get beyond this anger and begin to work together rather than against each other. If we could that, it would change everything.

• 61F/16C , calm and crystal clear for the ride to work.
• 84F/29C with a few clouds, lots of sunshine, and a delightful breeze for the home ride.

A Shaky Start

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, we're off to a shaky start with our Monday morning photo.

I changed vantage points a little. Why? Delivery trucks. And, it should be easier to duplicate week in and week out.

Soon the sun will be directly in my eyes for part of the morning ride. Not fun. There seems to be disagreement on whether it is better to be riding into the sun or having the sun at your back. Personally, if someone is going to have their visibility compromised by the sun being in their eyes, I'd rather it to be me.

I actually turned on the heated grips this morning. I'm becoming such a whimp. Of course, if I didn't have heated grips on the Symba, I would have worn different gloves. Anyway, I love my heated grips.

• 57F/14C and not a cloud in the sky for the ride to work.
• 79F/26C with a few clouds for the home ride.

Of Course

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it was clear and cool for the ride in.

At lunchtime I saw the Weinermobile.



But, once again, as the day moved toward quitting time, the weather changed.

And, this is what the sky looked like when I left work.

At least it wasn't raining...yet.

Still not raining...

Over a third of the way home and it is still not raining.

When I was somewhere near the halfway home mark, it started to rain.

And, it rained pretty hard. There was some lightning to the north of me. I was happy it stayed there.

The rain let up as I neared home. And, of course, it stopped when I pulled into my alley.

• 69F/21C with a few clouds for the ride to work.
• 90F/32C when I started home, but the temperature dropped significantly when it began raining 74F/23C for the home.

Fog Over The River

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, it was quite clear until I got Downtown. There was fog over the River.

Busch Stadium was enveloped in fog.

The Arch was missing from the skyline. And, the Old Courthouse was barely visible.

The fog burned off quickly, but the humidity remained.

Come the afternoon the storm clouds rolled in.

But the rain stayed to the South and the East. Today, once again, I rode home in the dry.

Tomorrow is another day--80% chance of precipitation. Thunderstorms are also likely.

During the long run of days without rain I carried my rain gear. I will have it ready for tomorrow. Who knows I might even need it.

• 73F/23C with a few clouds, but fog over the River for the ride to work.
• 87F/31C , but it felt much warmer; and, the sky was full of clouds for the home ride.

By, By, By, and By...

Yes, I rode to work today.

And, I was very glad to be riding Billie. The sky was beautiful. And, while there was hardly a cloud over head, I was surrounded by them. I wonder if I'd have noticed if I was driving.

By 9am it was hazy and humid. 

By 9:30am the temperature had dropped and a thunderstorm moved through downtown.



 
By lunchtime there were scattered showers in the area. One of these showers was visiting my part of Downtown.

A co-worker told me she got wet walking to get lunch. Me? Because I ride everyday I can, I had my rain gear in my backpack. And, while I didn't have enough sense to stay in out of the rain, I did have the sense to put on my rain jacket.

By the end of lunch, it had stopped raining, the temperature was on the rise, and the clouds were breaking up.

And, by the time I rode home there was plenty of sunshine.

• 76F/24C with clouds all around for the ride to work.
• 85F/29C with a few clouds for the home ride.