A Solid Weekend!

 Saturday we were going to celebrate my folk's 50th Wedding Anniversary by taking family photos and dinner.  I had the morning free to ride.  The wind was coming out of the NW, blowing in the much cooler and drier air.  It felt so good!

Having just ridden parts of my NW loop on Friday I opted to go East a bit before putting in a bunch of miles going North.  Doing so I found some new roads to ride.  Upon leaving I wasn't sure on the distance I would do.  I wasn't really "feeling" a long ride.  But yeah, per normal, the longer I rode the better I felt both physically and mentally.  I ended up not crossing the Mississippi in Little Falls but rather stayed on the East side and took that back.  I've taken it before many times, just not this year yet.  Gravel up and pavement back.

The Ride. I had my Garmin on the map the entire ride.  It wasn't till my neighborhood that I flipped it to the data screen.  100 on da nuts!

We lucked out with weather.  It was a perfect day for outside photos and outside eating.  In the words of Ice Cube, "Today was a good day".

Sunday we didn't have any plans for the most part.  The wind was now out of the SW.  SW winds means a trip to Darwin!  I left a bit earlier than Saturday.  Like Saturday I tried to alter my route some.  I hit a bunch of the same roads but a few new ones (if not totally new to me at least for this year they were) as well.

I've been on this bridge many times but still a favorite and still requires a photo!

I stopped in Darwin to reload on fluids but didn't stop at the ball of twine.  I've met my quota on that for the year.  I try to come into Darwin from the South but this time I came in from the North.  I went a bit further South before heading West.  I started back North before getting too close to Litchfield.  I swear I hit some new roads but the app Wandrer.earth says no, or hasn't picked up on it yet.  Either way it was a much different route from pervious trips.  The wind seemed more out of the South than SW.  Plus it had really picked up, making the last miles into Darwin a bear.  But now it was a sweet tailwind!

The Ride.

The rest of the day was spent mowing, picking up copious amounts of acorns, removing grass and planting shrubs, seeding other areas, and putting down organic fertilizer that I wonder if it does anything.

I hoped to ride my mtb some this morning but we received two rounds of rain last night, into this morning.  Jen has teacher workshops today and the older girls have swimming this afternoon.  I have to leave work a bit early to get home to Harper.  Having only two cars and three drivers makes this week a bit up in the air.  I used to commute year round prior to kids.  Looks like I may need to get back in game.

Happy Week.