Spring Winds in Fall.

 Saturday I didn't set an alarm or the coffee pot in hopes of sleeping in a bit, you know, to like 6.  Well Toby had other plans and started whimpering at 4:40.  I got up at 4:50.  I hung out with Toby and drank coffee as the sun slowly rose.  It was full on clouds so it seemed even slower for the sun to make an appearance. The good part on waking early is I get out on the bike earlier, putting me back home earlier.  Around 6:30 I started making my way over to the Sherburne Wildlife Refuge.  I hit up the 7 mile wildlife drive loop and did a couple sections off limits to motor vehicles.  Lots of birds and people in Subarus taking pictures of said birds.  It's early yet but in a few weeks the Refuge will be full of Sand Hill Cranes.  I've yet to see it.

The Ride.

Once home we decided to take care of some of the leaves.  There are still tons on the trees but if I wait till the end the job sucks.  It took much longer than I thought it would but the yard looked great for about an hour!

Sunday I got out shy of 7:30.  This time I took the Cutthroat.  I was looking for a smooth ride and this bike provides that.  The winds were ridiculous (again on a Sunday) out of the West.  I managed to piece together a little different route from the previous times I went West this year.  I stumbled upon an abandoned railway.  It appears it's in line to be paved at some point, but for now it was grass and big chucks of granite rocks.  Damn was that fun.

The old railway.  Ride the Line. 

I hadn't planned on riding much as I was really not looking forward to another windy Sunday ride.  While I wasn't moving fast on the way out I was having fun and feeling good.  So a short ride turned into I wish I had more time ride.  Plus the tailwind on the way back was almost cheating.

The Ride.

A lot of homework and planning were happening most of Sunday, so not much going on.  I had a yard waste bag to fill yet so I mowed up some more leaves, did our Target run, made awesome soup, watched the Twins on and off, read, made Harper's lunch, and went to bed.  Damn fine Sunday.

This morning I meeting Ben Weaver near Monticello.  He's biking up from St. Paul and I from St. Cloud.  I'm retrieving water from him that started at the delta of the Mississippi, ending at the mouth.  It's a campaign to bring awareness to do the proposed Line 3 pipe line.  I'll be honest I knew little about it until asked if I'd retrieve the water from Ben.  After doing a bunch of research and asking people I respect their opinions I'm torn on how I feel.  Nothing is cut and dry.  No matter my feelings I think it's good to bring awareness and hopefully push the need for us to find alternative energy sources, etc.

Of course it's windy and I'll have a headwind on the way home! Ha!

Happy Week.