This week I pedaled to a neighborhood near Lake Harriet, locked up my bike, and walked the trail surrounding the lake for a change of pace. Instead of flying by on my bicycle, I took in the scenery more casually, pausing to watch insects and notice my surroundings more closely. After the 2.75 mile walk with a lunch break in the middle, I rode home to continue packing for my move on Monday.

It was an ideal activity sandwich: bike - walk - bike :)

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Most of the bees I saw were so busy flying from bloom to bloom, my phone camera couldn't capture them. "Busy as a Bee" seemed to be the theme song their buzzing wings played. This fuzzy bee paused to enjoy a dandelion long enough for me to snap a decent shot. I like the movement the breeze created and the vibrant yellow flowers. Although dandelions are labeled and treated like pesky weeds by a lot of property owners, they are typically the first available food for pollinators in our region each Spring. Let them live!

Cloud cover kept me cool for about half of the walk and I didn't mind that it was a bit gloomy. As the sky cleared and sunlight got more intense, I heated up quickly. This view shows the mirror-like lake surface and downtown Minneapolis sky scrapers in the distance.

These two shots of the same scene show a difference in the temperature settings on my Google Pixel 2 camera phone. According to the promotional videos, it's a high quality phone camera. So far, it doesn't seem better than my Samsung S7. To be fair, I haven't experimented much with the camera options and can not give a thorough review yet.

Shortly after posing for this photograph, the geese flew off in a "V" formation, heading Northwest. Geese are typically hanging around the city lakes and ponds, seemingly harmless until you step in their ... you know ... that is not pleasant at all. I guess that's one way for them to deter humans from taking over their turf.

Notice the sailboats at the buoys? Lake Harriet hosts the Twin Cities Sailing Club, an exclusive group only because the available spots for new people fill so quickly each Spring (not because the cost is outrageous). Fortunately, I was able to join last year. Meanwhile, a friend who was trying for the SIXTH time did not get in. I had a hard time telling him I succeeded the first time I tried. When more spaces opened up later in the season, he did get to join us. Perhaps I'll share photos and experiences of my summer as a sailor (or at least a sailor-in-training) in a future post. One of the most memorable adventures of my life so far was the Sailing Armada trip we took at the end of the season. We spent three nights sleeping on our boats sailing gorgeous Lake Superior, exploring the Apostle Islands and sea caves. Since I survived my first plunge into the frigid water, I jumped in again and swam around our boat. Memories!

Across the lake, structures include a restaurant and the Lake Harriet Bandshell. Bread and Pickle is my favorite of the city's lakeside restaurants, with (mostly) well-sourced ingredients and local craft beers. As stated on the website: "We strive to offer local and sustainably grown or harvested ingredients in a zero-waste environment." (www.breadandpickle.com) Arriving before the lunch rush, I easily found a table and was able to order food before the line grew too long.

The bandshell hosts a wide variety of live musicians, Movies in the Parks screenings, and lakeside yoga to name a few events. When the stage is empty, children are often "performing" for any available audience. Their is no limit to their imaginations.

Watching a monarch flit around milkweed plants brought me to a peaceful pause (at least until I pulled out my phone to take photos...) With mid day sun, the temperature rose quickly. Thankfully, pedaling my bike created moving air during my ride home. That's one of the many wonderful things about biking: you can make your own wind :)

Until my next ulog... ride on, steem on, and blog about it :)

What is cyclefeed?

I'm excited to share with cycling enthusiasts!
This post tells you what's up: How to Participate: Use #cyclefeed in your Posts!

Gratitude to @robmolecule, @twowheeledmonkey, and @mrprofessor for creating #cyclefeed.

Thanks to @surpassinggoogle for initiating #ulog
All photos are my own.