Nov. 6-12

It's been a great week for biking. It was a really lousy October this year but it's been a great November. I think if we'd known in advance we'd have a fabulous summer, September, and November, and a lousy October, we could have handled October better. But that's usually a fabulous month and it caught us all off guard.

Anyway, last Friday, Nov. 6. I thought I was going to meet someone at Watertown so I drove to the gym. Fortunately I had an afternoon appointment so I still got to ride my bike. The temperature was 62 F at 1:30 pm! Winds were 21 gusting to 28 from the SSE. It was still windy for my trip home at 4 pm. Then I had another thing in the evening that would have been an easy bike ride but my bike was still without lights after Wed.'s vandalism.

On Saturday and Sunday I drove the you-know-what to Chicago--both days! I'll have to do a lot of biking to make up for that. Oh, Sat. afternoon when I got home, I biked to Olbrich to meet Marilyn.

Monday morning, Nov. 9, the temperature was 57 F at 6:53 am! warm! Winds were 11 mph from the NNW. They died down a bit for my ride home at 9:30 am. Ye olde start of the bike path:

Tuesday I was out from 8 am to 11 pm. It was warm in the middle but cold on the ends. I mistakenly dressed for the middle. The temperature was 40 F at 7:53 am, winds 5 mph from the north. My gloves were too thin for this. The start of the bike path:

After yoga I went to campus. temperature was 54 F, winds 6 mph from the NE. okay, this is nice. Here's Monona Bay:

After campus, I went to the bike shop for my final maintenance class. The temperature quickly dropped to 41 F, winds calm at 7 pm. Then we went to Harmony bar and I left about 10:30 pm. Temperature was 31 F. My hands froze!

Wednesday morning, temperature was 30 F at 7:53 am, and I wasn't dressed quite warm enough because of the forecast for a high of 58 F. Winds were calm, which contributed to the cold temperature (radiation cooling). the start of the bike path:

I haven't taken a picture of the Yahara river in a while:

Looking the other direction:

After yoga, I went to campus, and fortunately had to leave at 3:30 pm to go to another meeting. I say fortunately because this allowed me to bike in the waning daylight. The sun was setting when I got home. Here's Monona terrace and the lake. Temperature was 51 F, winds 5 mph from the SSW.

Today, I left at 6:53 am, and the sun was just rising. It was beautiful but I'm sad to think that soon I will be riding in the dark again. I don't mind riding in the dark in the evenings, but I really prefer daylight in the mornings. The temperature was 26 F at 6:53 am, winds calm. Here's the bikepath in the beautiful morning light.

There's the sun in the other direction:

another picture of the nice morning light.

After class I went to church to get my haircut and then arrived home at noon. Temperature was up to 48 F now with winds 15 mph from the south.