Gorgeous Saturday Commute

Finally, it was a nice day with no threatening thunderstorms, and nothing to do after work immediately.  Onwards, Penelope!

My ride to work was glorious.. it started a little chilly, I biked 11.1 miles at an average of 10.7mph. 

I stopped to look at a bunny that hopped in front of me and sat for a moment.  Very sweet.

The morning is just my favorite time.  There is no one else on the bike path, it isn't too hot, and it's just a great way to start the day.

It was nice to get a ride in for Midsommar - tomorrow's weather for actual Midsommar looks to be rainy with thunderstorms.  Not so nice.

Certainly today's ride made up for it.

The afternoon ride was not as nice.  It was a lot warmer, and I foolishly decided to take a different route home, down a much busier street.  It was crowded and a little scary - way too many cars on way too narrow a street.

On top of that, there was a wine festival at the waterfront.  If I had taken my normal route, I would have skipped the whole crowd.  I really dislike bike path traffic jams.  There's construction at the beginning of the bike path off the waterfront, and the path is really narrow and unpleasant.

This is why I prefer the morning for riding.

Still, it was a great ride home.  The route I took was a little shorter - only 10 miles instead of 10.7(ish), and I averaged 10.2 mph.

A morning ride to the lake

Thursday morning, I was tired, so I didn't do my full ride to the causeway, but the sky was beautiful, and I wanted to see the lake.  I took a shorter, 6 mile round trip ride down to the beginning of the bike path, right where it overlooks the lake.

It was a lovely morning.  The afternoon forecast was for scattered thunderstorms, so I couldn't ride to work.  I was happy to get a ride in.

A Few Missed Rides

After the last ride I posted, there was some rainy weather and other circumstances that made it so that I couldn't ride for a few days.  But, I have gotten some good rides in!

First, on June 3, I took a fabulous ride to the bay in the morning.  The sunrise is migrating, so if I want to see it, I have to go to the bay instead of the causeway.. I don't like the ride as much, but the payoff is pretty nice.

 

It was steamy morning, and the sky was incredible.

All the way to the lake, and then back... the morning ride was about 4 miles.  A much shorter ride than to the causeway, if I just go to the boat access,

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On June 5th, I rode out to the causeway in the morning.  Though the sun is no longer rising over the causeway, it is still a beautiful ride.  I like getting in 7 1/2 miles before work.

And, I love being surrounded by the lake.

The Colchester bog that runs along the side of the path is also lovely.  I saw some wood ducks there a few weeks ago, though I was unable to get a picture of them.
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I did ride to work and back on June 6th. 

It took me just about exactly an hour to get to work.  The ride is so pretty, it just always sets me up for a great day at work.

I adore riding in the morning before the path gets busy.  This road in the afternoon is a bustle with cars.

 

I rode through the University Green again, and I think this will be my permanent route.  So much prettier.

For the ride home, I have been having some troubles with my Strava app.. I start it, and it has (more than once) cut out at some point during my ride.  It recorded my ride home as 2 miles less than my ride to work, and I know I took the same route, so that's just not possible.  I can't bend space.  Anyhow, the ride home was quite lovely as well!

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After that ride to work, we had a yard work day at the house on Sunday, and then several days of hard rain and thunderstorms... no rides for a bit.  But, on Wednesday I got a beautiful morning ride out to the causeway, dodging puddles on the way.

The sky was really pretty that morning, and well worth the ride.

I just love a good morning ride.

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Finally, yesterday morning, I rode to the bay again for my morning ride.  Just to the boating access - I was tired, and didn't get out in time to ride more.

I tend to get to the end of the driveway and decide which way to go, depending on how the sky looks in either direction.  Yesterday morning, the sky was pink.  Hard to capture in pictures...

... But simply glorious.

And this morning?  This morning, I decided to have a cup of coffee and update my blog, instead of going out for a ride.. I had thought about riding to work, but the afternoon forecast calls for thunderstorms, and I don't want to get caught in that.  Riding to work more will come, though!  The kids are out of school now, so my schedule is a little less rigid.  I look forward to more rides to come...

Oh, Deer! A Morning Ride to the Causeway

If I am going to be able to catch the sunrise, I'm going to have to get up earlier... the sun was already up by 5 AM, and the colors were beautiful.

I headed to the causeway, and saw a pair of deer on the way there!

Overall, it was just a gorgeous ride.  7.2 miles, 11.3 mph.  Glorious morning.

Don't know if I'll get a ride in tomorrow - the promised thunderstorms look to be arriving then.

Riding instead of Driving: Vocal lessons

My daughter has vocal lessons, and they are about 5 miles away.  Because it was a lovely afternoon, I suggested we ride.  She agreed.

Halfway there, she said that she couldn't possibly go home, too.  I told her there was no choice.

I may have bribed her with a creemee on the way home (that's soft-serve for all you non-Vermonters).

We saw a pileated woodpecker digging by the base of a tree trunk on the way home.  That was pretty cool.

It was another almost 10 miles for the day, and I didn't have to drive my car at all on my day off.  Lovely.

Ride to Sunrise over the Bay

I woke up early this morning.  It's my day off, and I was about to go back to bed, or grab my book... until I looked out of the window and saw the colors starting in the sky. 

I can take a nap later in the day.  I can read my book later in the day... but these colors won't last.

I was about to head to the causeway, but the sky in that direction was solid grey clouds.  While I am sure that the sunrise would have been pretty in that direction, I've been wanting to try a ride in the other direction, to the bay.  It's about the same distance.

The ride is not as pretty, because it is on roads the whole way instead of on a pretty causeway or wooded path.  However, I think the pay off was worth it.

I stopped at a boat access on the way, because the colors were just glorious.

I wish that I had brought a coffee to drink while watching this sky... maybe next time.

The humidity is high today, and it might be rainy later, so I am glad that I got a ride in early.  I may go out for another ride later, but the sunrise... oh, the sunrise is worth getting up early for.

I was not fast this morning (pre-coffee!  And, I stopped often).  I biked 7.2 miles in about 45 minutes, which is 9.7 mph average. 

Riding in the Morning to Avoid the Muggy Heat of the Day

I woke up this morning, and I didn't feel too badly after yesterday's crazy long ride.  I knew that the day was looking to shape up to be hot (almost 90!) and humid - my least favorite kind of weather.  Therefore, I got up and hopped on Penelope, and headed out to the causeway for sunrise.

I think the clouds were prettier about 10 minutes before I left, but I was busy making the kids' lunches, so I couldn't leave when I saw all of the pinks and oranges happening out of my window... that was a shame.  Note to self: You'll get a better bike ride in if you make and blog lunches the night before!

Overall, the ride was very pretty.  It was 7.4 miles, and I was slightly slower than what has become normal, but that would be understandable considering how much I worked my legs yesterday.

I hope that the thunderstorms hold off, and that I get some more morning rides in this week.  The next few days are looking also to be muggy and unpleasantly hot... so here's for hoping!

Memorial Day Ride to Work - and an After Work Trip on the Bike Ferry to My Mom's House!

The weather forecast for Memorial Day said 40% chance of afternoon rain.  Ever the optimist, I decided that meant 60% chance of not rain.   So - I rode to work!

Promise, there's a fox up there.

Can you see the fox?

The morning ride was lovely.  I saw a fox on the bike path.  Trust me, though this picture doesn't really show it, the fox was there, crossing the path calmly in front of me.  Lovely.  This is a reason I ride!

I got to work in 58 minutes, with 11 mph average speed.

 I took a nice change of route (same distance) through the university campus.  I will take this route again.  It went through less traffic, and it was just beautiful.

One of the nice things about biking to work so early is that I skip a lot of the traffic.  This route is easy first thing in the morning, but after work, I am stuck in traffic for 5 minutes at least, waiting on cars and lights..... that's a whole lot of no fun.  I'll take morning, any time!

My mother asked if we could go out for dinner.  The Hubby had the day off, so I asked him to meet me there with his truck, and after work, instead of biking home, I biked down to the end of the causeway, and hopped onto the just-opened-for-the-season bike ferry, into my home town.  From there, it was another 5 miles or so to my mom's house.

I got rained on only very briefly.  A couple rain drops was pretty good for 19.1 miles, 40% chance of rain.  It took me 1 hour and 42 minutes (moving time) to get there from work - it was a long ride, but so satisfying to have done it!  I can't say this will be a regular ride, but it was one that I have been wanting to do ever since I heard about the bike ferry.

On the other side of the ferry!

A beach I grew up near

Colorful bird houses ... and a dinosaur?

The rest of the week looks to be unsettled, weather-wise.  I'm hoping for some more rides, but likely this is the big one!

Finally there!