A fabulous gift...

...from the weather wizard!

Last night one of my bikes took a look at today's weather forecast and decided to jump into the car just in case today turned out to be a good riding day. (What, your bikes don't talk to you and take the initiative to plan a ride? Well, mine do!)

The forecast was for a cool and foggy morning, and a 60% possibility of rain in the afternoon - but with temperatures in the upper 60s. When I checked last night that rain was supposed to hold off until after 3. When I checked again this morning it sounded like the rain would make an appearance by noon. But - my bike was already in the car, a sign of hope. I extended my work hours on both ends of the day (just in case) so that I could take a long lunch hour.

The fog stuck until after 11. Patches of blue sky made an appearance, but gray clouds were flying around the sky as the wind picked up. It was a little after 12 when I decided to chance the weather and make my bike (and me!) happy. And what a nice ride! I headed up Middlesex Turnpike, a 2-lane road lined at the beginning with industrial parks, low office buildings. That wouldn't be my choice of a place to ride at the edges of the work day, but it was quiet with very little traffic, a perfect start to my mid-day wandering. At the end of the road I headed west on Concord Road, an absolute treat since the road was newly paved. It was a windy ride, with temperatures rising from the 50s at the start to the mid-60s by the time I returned to work. What a wonderful ride; I could easily have kept right on riding, but I knew I had to go back.

That should have been enough exercise for the day, but it was still dry and the temperature was in the high 60s so I headed out walking after I got home. This was forecast to be our last warm day for a while, and I wanted to spend as much of it as possible outside. Walking, watching the clouds scudding across the full moon, listening to and feeling the wind...

A wonderful day. Thank you, weather wizard!