Like any good Minnesota spring, this one has been sheepish. In all of March I biked the 17 mile round trip to work only 5 times. I was finally able to shed the studded tires of my winter bike, "I.N.D.Y." (It's Not Dead Yet), and mount my summer commuter ride, the "Italian Stallion". Last week provided three fantastic days for the bike commute. The conditions were perfect: ~30 degrees for the morning ride, cool enough to spare me the need to shower at work -- and 50+ degrees for the ride home, allowing me to soak in the spring sun that is pulling at those tree buds. In fact the conditions were so fine that I did my first trip home along the Mississippi River for 2009. This is a 15 mile route that quickly leaves the bustle of downtown St. Paul streets and takes you to the quiet of the Mississippi River Gorge. Granted, another sign of sp
ring was the occasional section of trail that was under 4 inches of water (as pictured above). The Italian Stallion did not flinch.
Earlier last week I was finally able to take a day off from work to hang out with Theo, Henry, and Hillary. Thirsting for spring we put Henry in the Moby Wrap (a fantastic baby carrier for busing and walking) and caught a bus to Macy's in downtown Minneapolis to see their annual spring flower show. Theo had a blast spotting big buildings, excavators, and Bobcats from the bus and pigeons on Nicollet Mall. Henry snoozed away, his brief appearance outside the Moby earning as much attention as the blooming flowers on display. Now all we need are some Minnesota spring wildflowers to complete the picture!
