December Afternoon

I got to leave work around lunch time today which obviously enabled me to bicycle in daylight for a change. It was clear and in the low 30s with light winds. As I passed State Street on Roosevelt I noticed a slight commotion of traffic, firetrucks and news helicopters. I didn't see any billowing clouds of smoke so I figured it must have been a false alarm or a gas leak. As an afterthought I figured something might have happened on the El. Sure enough, when I watched the evening news there was a derailment on the Orange Line.

Initially I felt overdressed in my long underwear, running pants, Goretex top, headband and gloves. But by the time I was halfway into my ride my body must have regulated itself and I was pretty comfortable. The only noticeable headwind I encountered was on the northernmost leg of the Lakefront Path. Other than that it was a very enjoyable ride.

I detoured to my brother's house on Chicago's north side. He and his roommates have a bee hive on their garage. It is wrapped up for the winter but they harvested 100 pounds of honey in the fall. At first I thought they were crazy and their neighbors would hound them into getting rid of it. Surprisingly a condo owner with a balcony overlooking the hive likes it very much. She told my brother her father kept bees when she was a little girl. I don't eat honey but maybe I'll sample some of next year's supply.

Distance Traveled: 24.3 miles
Distance to date: 1438.0 miles
Price of gas: $2.49