I took this photo on Saturday evening, to sorta prove a point about one of my favorite aspects of this area. It’s 8:10 p.m., and this is looking south-southwest. Because we’re in the Eastern Time Zone, but so far west relative to most of that region, we get long spring and summer days like this.
In a few months it’ll still be bright enough outside to read at about 9:30 p.m. And that’s the nice thing about living 50 miles from the far border of the clocking changing.
It’s one of the best features about the place.
And spring finally showed up this weekend. Fake spring, anyway. We’ve still got another cold snap or two coming our way. Always verify your meteorological impressions, friends, that’s the lesson revisited upon a great many of us this time of year. Anyway, sunny skies and slightly warmer weather — it was in the 50s — meant I put my bike on roads for the first time this year.
First time in 99 days, in fact. December 11th was unnaturally warm, about 62 degrees, so we did some time trialing.
My first ride last year was March 8. So, in the outdoor sense, I am behind. But, because of the smart trainer my lovely bride gave me for Christmas and birthday this year, I was 676 miles ahead of last year’s curve before putting my helmet on. No pictures from the actual ride. I have a tradition of not taking any shots on the first one, because I feel I should concentrate complete. And I have a further tradition of not taking photos while wearing that vest. It has no back pocket, meaning I’d have to wrestle my way under the gilet, to get to the shirt pockets, and who wants to do that, when you can get a kiss at the end of your ride, anyway?
It felt like a nice mid-season ride. I passed seven other bicyclists. Sure, some of them were children, and none of them knew we were racing as such, but these issues are hardly my problem.
Strange sensation, having a tiny little bit of form to start the year. Let’s see how long before I mess that up.
We went on a spontaneous 16-mile ride this evening, because the weather was practically perfect. I think it made us even go a little faster.
The cats are doing great! Except when they are misbehaving. Phoebe, who is almost always a good girl — and we tell her this so as to try to coax her brother into being less of a troublemaker — is seen here being a bad girl.
She knows she’s not supposed to be on this ledge, and she’s just doing it for spite.
Poseidon is doing this for comfort. He’s on one pillow, and under another pillow. It was a challenging day for him.
Something caught their attention outside simultaneously, and I just happened to be in the right spot.
It’s unnerving when they’re both doing the same random thing, except for the times when they’re being cute about it.
