Back in the Saddle

There are cyclists, I'm told, who ride year-round, even in Wisconsin; intrepid souls, who fear neither rain nor snow nor wintry blast. I am not one of them. Ten years ago I'd occasionally ride in near-freezing temperatures, as long as the sun was shining. Nowadays, softie that I am, it takes a minimum of 50 degrees Fahrenheit - wind chill included - to tempt me into the saddle.

Given these constraints, and the exceeding storminess of March, the Micawber cycling season did not begin until early April this year - two weeks ago to be exact.

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April 3: The day is grey and gloomy, with threats of rain, but temps are in the mid-50s with a moderate south wind. Not idyllic weather, but good enough for a short and easy after-work ride with Mr. M.

We stop at the first bridge for a photo of Iris the bike, with a snowmelt-swollen stream in the background:

A mile or two later, the sky darkens to charcoal and we're pelted with scattered raindrops. On our way back into town, we take a short detour to the local lake to see the migrating pelicans. Here's one of them, looking comically solemn:

Then it's home for supper. Winter's back is finally broken, and the cycling season has begun.

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April 9: Easter Sunday is warm, windy, and hazy. In the afternoon, Tallulah and I take off for a short out-and-back ride with a bit of climbing thrown in. The countryside is still mostly brown, under a carpet of dried grass and last fall's leaves:

Our turnaround point is another local lake, where we stop to watch the wavelets rolling into shore:

Tallulah climbs onto a rock to look out over the water...

...but is nearly blown away by a gust of wind. She decides it will be safer to explore the tiny new growth under the nearby trees:

Our way home leads past a pond guarded by a pair of Canada geese:

A good, if gusty, Easter ride.

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April 11: The weather has turned most un-April-like: today the forecast high is 82, perfect for the first bike commute of the year. The air is very dry when I take off in the morning; frogs are singing madly and gladly in every bit of water, and trees are starting to look hazy with incipient leaves.

I nearly catch a train on the way in, but by the time I reach the tracks it has passed.

On the way home, I stop near a marsh to snap some fuzzy catkins; it's good to see a bit of green amid the prevailing buff and brown:

At home, I find a bit more green; the chives near our door have reached nearly-pickable height:

Can violets be far behind?

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April 13: Continuing hot weather means another bike commute. Today the air is softer, the sky a bit bluer, and a steady headwind is blowing.

A favorite tree stands solo in a field edged with freshly-harrowed soil:

The farmer is across the road, working another field:

All the local rivers are in flood; from the river trail, I see trees up to their waists in water:

Due to the high temps and wind, we're also under a fire watch. It seems odd when there's so much water about, but we really do need some rain to keep all the dry grasses from going up like tinder.

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The next morning, before breakfast, I visit the little clump of scilla out back for some photos of Spring in action:

Then stop at the planter for the first handful of homegrown herbs to glorify my breakfast egg.

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The balmy weather lasted through Saturday, when earth and trees turned suddenly green with thick grass and baby leaves. On Sunday, temperatures plummeted into the 30s, and it snowed all day. Monday we woke to a white world that looked as if Spring had never been. Although most of the snow melted off by late afternoon, it's much too cold (for me) to ride.

Rain is forecast for much of the coming week, so I don't know when I'll get out on Iris again. But I'm glad to have had a taste of warm weather, and some good rides to start the season.

How's April treating you?

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