Blue Sky

Yes, I rode to work today.

The storms last evening weren't a very big deal where I live. This morning there were storms in the surrounding areas, but again, none where I live. During the day although the sky looked very threatening Downtown there was no rain. I was expecting to ride home in rain, heavy rain. Instead this is what welcomed me after work.

Blue sky to the East...

And blue sky to the West.

The first two years I rode I wouldn't have ridden three of the four days this week. Now, it is a different story. Now, I know the weather story is much more open ended.

As I write this I notice on the radar there are storms brewing on the horizon. I suspect later tonight the weather well may be the weather I expected last night, but we'll see. In the Heartland, when it comes to the weather, we always have to wait and see...

• 69F/21C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 80F/27C with lots of blue sky peeking out from the clouds for the home ride.

Not Being Important

Yes, I rode to work today.

There are storms brewing in the West. I think it will be another stormy night in the Heartland. After work I rode through a light rain shower, but by the time I reached the condo the streets were dry. Shortly thereafter it poured.

Some of my co-workers were astounded that I rode. Apparently, there was much talk of bad storms coming in. Since it was cloudy this morning I guess many thought the storms were imminent. Then again, I'm learning there are more than a few folks who seem to delight in scaring themselves. For these, sprinkles mean monsoons and severe storms mean Armageddon.

Since I've been commuting I've learned here in the Midwest if I watch the radar and use my head, with the distances I'm traveling, I can wait and ride between storms. The key is not to be in a hurry. I'm glad I have a life seldom so important that I need be anywhere. Heck, even if I'm late for work it only means taking vacation time. Yes, there is much to be said for not being important.

• 76F/24C and mostly cloudy for the ride to work.
• 83F/28C with a little rain in the middle of the home ride.

A Little More Ride Home

Yes, I rode to work today.

And after work I rode out into the County to attend a class. This meant Isabelle got to go to work today.

On our way to class we rode through the Grove neighborhood. I've mentioned this neighborhood before. There is a real and very visible effort going on to create something special in one of the "seen better days" area of the City. One of the ways this manifests itself is in the murals showing up on the side of buildings.

I don't know if this one is recent or not. I do know I hadn't noticed it before. I like it.

As one leaves the Grove there is a bridge on a major cross street. There is one particular view I am drawn to. I haven't been sure why. There is something about the lines that appeal to me and looked familiar somehow.

I think perhaps I figured out at least some of why I like this bridge. Last weekend Heather and I went hiking at Castlewood State Park. I spied this guy on the trail.

Look familiar?

• 72F/22C with some clouds for the ride to work.
• 86F/30C and both bright and cloudy for the ride West.

Monday on a Tuesday

Yes, I rode to work today.

0700CDT

The day started out cloudy. There were times of rain and times of shine. Most importantly there were two times of dry.

• 72F/22C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 84F/29C and cloudy for the home ride.

Beautiful

Yes, I rode to work today.

Today the ride was beautiful. It was one of those rare days when both in my going and returning I wasn't the rider. Today both ways, not just in the morning nor in the afternoon, but both ways there was just the ride. At every stop the foot didn't just go down to balance the bike, rather it caressed the street. There was no hurry nor was there ease, rather it was all ride, all flow.

And...

As these things go, I didn't realize it until it was past. I'm sure if I had, I'd have mucked it up by trying to ride even more beautifully, more better. I know am quite capable of doing such a thing.

There is something that isn't me that sometimes shows up when I ride. I can't describe it. Perhaps it is just the ride experiencing itself. Yes, maybe that's it. Or, maybe not. All I know is, when it happens it is beautiful.

I hope you have a truly great weekend. And no matter whether you are riding or not, may you experience the beautiful in some activity you enjoy. May you find yourself having an experience of life experiencing life.

• 50F/10C and sunny for the ride to work.
• 67F/19C and a few clouds, but lots of sunshine for the home ride.

Ripples

Yes, I rode to work today.

Some forecasters were calling for rain today and it certainly was cloudy for the ride in.

The Vulcan rides in the rain and the Yamaha is new to the lot. I don't even know who rides it. I do know the Harleys don't do rain. Again, the forecast according to the Harleys was for dry pavement. And they were mostly right. There were a few little rain showers, but not very much. And what showers there were, were very spotty.

One of the things I love about riding is the things I wouldn't notice if I was in my car. An example of this happened on my ride home tonight.

As I was waiting at a light I saw this small area of broken pavement.

I zoomed in to try and give you an idea of what I saw. Can you see the ripples of the water standing in the little pool left from the earlier rains? I hope you can make it out. Every time a car passed over it the water would dance. It was really quite delightful. I have no doubt I wouldn't have noticed it if I was driving.

I know some riders ride to travel and see the world. I enjoy reading their blogs as they ride all over the planet. I, too, ride to see the world, but it is the world which pulses and ripples all around me day after day after day...everyday.

• 62F/17C and mostly cloudy for the ride to work.
• 64F/18C with a sprinkle or two for the home ride.

Clouds

Yes, I rode to work today.

Everyone was expecting it to rain today. I'm not sure why. There wasn't anything on radar and the forecast only had a 30% chance of rain. I am thinking perhaps it was the clouds. Today was a grand sky watching day.

Lunchtime.

On the way to class after work.

And on the way home after class.

• 72F/22C and partly cloudy for the ride to work.
• 74F/23C and partly cloudy for the ride to class.
• 68F/20C and a little cloudier for the home ride.

A Full and Wonderful Day

Yes, I rode to work today.

Last night was a stormy night, but no sirens went off. It was a good old Midwestern night full of thunder and lightning.

The morning dawned bright.

The forecasters were still calling for storms later in the day, some possibly severe, but I wasn't the only one riding.

My friend Maggie and I had exchanged messages this morning and had both decided to ride. When I got to work and saw a particular Harley in the motorcycle parking area I figured I was safe. This bike doesn't do rain.

And the Harley rider was right. Not only did I ride to work in the sun and home in the dry, I rode Isabelle over to Stone Spiral to listen to my friend Will do a set of songs in open tuning, some his own composition and some by others, and all of them to honor the memory of Richie Havens.

It gave me an opportunity to catch three of my favorite people in one photo. Shlomo was photographing Will during Will's solo set and Heather was working, but not for long. She soon put the work up and we ate, drank, and made merry. A full and wonderful day.

• 65F/18C with some clouds, but some sun, too, for the ride to work.
• 78F/26C and overcast for the ride homeward.

Light Rain

Yes, I rode to work today.

I rode to work in some light rain, but it was dry most of the rest of the day. Our possibility for severe weather comes later this evening and overnight.

I lived in Oklahoma for a number of years and I still have friends there. My heart bleeds over the devastation. I know it is part of living in the Midwest still one never gets used to it. My daughter lives in Norfolk VA now. She likes being able to watch her possible devastating storms approach and be able to flee if need be. I'm grateful for having a basement now. Most of the homes where I lived in Oklahoma didn't have basements. Some had storm shelters, but we didn't. We huddled in a closet in the middle of the house and waited and hoped.

On another note, the hole beside the Courthouse where I work has been repaired...sort of.

You can see how the pressure from the water buckled up the street next to the curb. I suspect they'll be back. Until they return at least no more hole covered with plywood.

• 65F/ with a light rain for the ride to work.
• 78F/ and overcast for the home ride.

Again There Were Rumors

Yes, I rode to work today.

Again there were rumors of rain in the air, but no rain. It was pretty cloudy for the ride to work.

This old building has been boarded up for a long time. I don't know what it once was. The Scientologists were remodeling it, but shortly after Tom Cruz got divorced all worked stopped, the signs came down, and the doors were boarded back up. Perhaps this was merely a coincidence.

Changing the subject, back when I was self-employed I set my own hours. It seemed I worked everyday, but I also had the flexibility to meet friends for long lunches or at other times. Now, I work 8 to 5 and lunch is a rush and the time after work fills up really fast. It has been very difficult to keep up with some of my friends and I miss that. Fortunately I really like my job and the structure it gives me is just what I need. Another very nice thing about working Monday through Friday is it makes Friday really special.

• 67F/ and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 75F/ with rain in the area, but none on my head for the home ride.

Rumors

Yes, I rode to work today.

There were rumors in the air regarding rain.

But, the sky held only clouds, at least where I was. The Airport reported rain and a friend said it sprinkled where she was.

There was some activity around the hole in the street.

By lunch the workers had gone. Everything looked pretty much as it did before they got there.

Across the street the tulips were being dug up.

Anyone who wanted them were welcome to take some bulbs home with them.

By the middle of the afternoon the storms seemed to have cleared out.

There are more rumors of rain for tomorrow. We'll see.

• 71F/ and overcast for the ride home.
• 80F/ with some clouds on the horizon for the home ride.

Oh My!

Yes, I rode to work today.

It was another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Lots of folks were out and about.

Which was a little surprising since it appears we are under attack.

Oh my! What is happening to Downtown. Yesterday holes in the streets and today Godzilla. Oh well, it is what it is.

• 72F/22C and sunny for the ride to work.
• 90F/32F with quite a few clouds but still plenty of sunshine.

Yes, I rode to work today.

Today was a record breaking day. We set a new high temperature mark. Heather told me the old record was 91F/32C. Today it got up to 93F/34C and it was 92F/33C when I left work.

The temperature record wasn't the only thing to break today.

This was the sight that greeted me as I approached the employee entrance at the Courthouse. Apparently a water main had been leaking for sometime and finally broke. The pavement was buckled. It wasn't pretty.

When I went out at lunch the sight of a big hole welcomed me. Obviously, they must have expected something like this might happen. Good thing they had closed the area off. The parking place is a reserved spot. If the employee had been parked there when it caved in I suspect it wouldn't have seemed liked such a great perk. I'm not sure I would have chosen as this young woman did to walk inside the pylons. That's too close to living on the edge for me.

After I got home I went over to Willmore Park and land paddled. I've gotten away from doing this and really want to do more of it. I forgot how much I enjoy it. (click here to learn more about land paddling)

• 60F/16C and clear for the ride to work.
• 92F/33C and if there were any clouds in the sky as I rode home I didn't see them.

Partly Cloudy?

Yes, I rode to work today.

0700 CDT

According to the National Weather Service it was partly cloudy when I left for work this morning,

but these were the only clouds I saw. Does this equal partly cloudy?

• 48F/9C with hardly a cloud in the sky for the ride to work.
• 73F/23C with a few clouds and lots of sunshine for the home ride.

Yes, I rode to work today.

And I'm glad it is Friday. I am grateful to have had Wednesday off this week and got a bunch of things done which will free up time this weekend. That said, having a day off during the week makes for a tiring week. Everyone seemed an half a bubble off. I'm very glad it is Friday and we all have a regular weekend before us and start again Monday.

• 61F/16C and sunny for the ride to work.
• 61F/16C and overcast for the home ride.

Two Mondays

Yes, I rode to work today.

The problem with a holiday in the middle of the week is having to experience two Mondays in the same week. Today was Monday number two. There was way too much drama at work and too much time wasted because of a lack of willingness to take responsibility on the part of certain departments. None of this is new stuff and normally it is simply filed under, "It is what it is", but today the resiliency just wasn't there.

The sky began the day in a dramatic fashion. I guess I should have been warned, oh well.

It rained during lunchtime, but the sun was shining and the sky was clear by the evening commute.

It was nice to see my reflection in Billie's headlight, but the glare took me by surprise a couple of times. I'll get used to it.

On the way home I spied two kings. The blacked out sign they are near used to say "Taste of India", then it said available. Until recently there was a big comericial building for rent sign near where the boys are walking. I'm wondering if something is happening with the site. I hope so.

• 66F/19C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 75F/24C with lots of sunshine for the home ride.

Cleaning

Nope, I didn't ride to work.

But you already knew that. Today Harry Truman had a birthday and since he grew up to become President of the United States of America and because he was from Missouri, I got the day off.

I gave Billie her semi-annual washing.

And she got a new flag.

She is all shiny again.

And now the other riders can stop asking me, "What's that stuff all over your bike?"

I did ride both bikes today. I rode Billie over to Mike's to prove to him the Boeshield does really come off. And I rode Isabelle to Cyclegear and purchased another "Stay Cool" helmet liner. My other one is now being used in my skating helmet.

I also bought a new medicine ball today.

Leo is delighted with my purchase.

Clearing

Yes, I rode to work today.

And there were still clouds to the east.


But to the west there was blue sky.

By lunchtime there were blue skies over head, but to west it looked like something might be brewing.

Sure enough just before quitting time we had a little shower.


By the time I walked out of the Courthouse it had blown through.

It wasn't clear sailing though. I had to wait for this vehicle to pass. I think its top speed was slightly slower than walking.

I rode home under clearing skies.

When I got home I found it hadn't even rained there. I grabbed my skates and headed for the trail. I did 7mi at a nice easy 9.5mph. I rode to work and got to inline skate. Life is good.

Tomorrow is Harry Truman's Birthday. It is a State of Missouri holiday which means I'm off work. It is one of my favorite holidays because everything even the banks are open. I've got lots of errands planned.

• 60F/16C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 79F/26C and clearing as I rode home.

High Clouds

Yes, I rode to work today.

0700 CDT

And it looked pretty much the same outside all day long.

1800 CDT

Later on the sky seemed to have a few patches of blue, but I think that had more to do with the angle of the sun than any clearing.

It didn't rain. Of course, this isn't a surprise since it is a Monday. This year it seems to only rain on weekends. I remember my Grandpa saying, "If it rains on Easter, it will rain for the next six Sundays." This is the same Grandpa who said he was going to live forever. When I protested that no one lives forever, he winked at me and said, "Maybe not, but so far so good." Sadly, this was the same man who really wanted to die before it was all over. He was confused as to what time he was living in. He couldn't figure out where his horses were. They'd been gone before I was born. He spent much of his day looking for my Grandma who died before he did. It's funny how one memory leads to another isn't it?

• 55F with high clouds for the ride to work.
• 67F with high clouds for the home ride.

Rain

Yes, I rode to work today.

I rode in the rain to work and I rode home in the rain. Western Missouri had some snow. I'm not upset to have missed out on snow in May.

On the way home I actually saw another scooter rider. I followed her for a couple of miles. She was riding a MotoFino 49cc, She wore a three quarter helmet. She raised the visor up at every stoplight, I suspect it was fogging up. Her gear? Jeans; boots, more dressy than work; and a regular jacket, maybe water resistant. Having had a similar experience when I first started riding I suspect I have a pretty good idea of how wet and cold she felt. I sensed she wasn't a new rider. Her helmet and scooter both were covered with stickers that had a certain patina about them. She looked the part of a scooter rider, and more importantly she rode with confidence.

I was grateful to be nice and dry and crispy warm on the inside. I hope the other rider didn't have far to go and was soon sipping a nice hot cappuccino.

It kept raining into the evening.

I suspect it will be raining when I go to bed and that it will rain all night long.

Tomorrow they say could be more of the same. Oh well, it is suppose to clear up for the start of the work week. Isn't that grand?

• 42F/6C with rain for the ride to work.
• 44F/7C with rain for the home ride.

Rain In The Forecast

Yes, I rode to work today.

It was a much different morning than yesterday. The forecasts were for showers in the afternoon, but the sky looked unsettled as I made my way Downtown.

There were a few sprinkles on the way into work, but no rain. I was glad. I had waterproof gear on, but hadn't put my glove covers on. I wasn't keen on finding if leather gloves would be dry by home time.

Possible showers certainly makes a difference in the number of bikes in the parking area.

It did rain not long after I got into the Courthouse. It poured for a good twenty minutes and then it was gone.

It cleared off and was clear until after lunchtime.

By mid-afternoon the clouds were rolling in.

It really started to rain hard just as I was leaving to ride home.

And it rained all during my ride home.

It looks like it could be wet again tomorrow. Really glad to have the gear for it.

• 64F/18C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 59F/15C with a steady rain for the home ride.