It was a breezy morning on the bike.
A beautiful sunrise… but methinks this is the last of the sun we’ll see today
as the clouds began to move in for the day!

After yesterday’s windy century ride, this morning’s little jaunt along the lakefront was a simple “walk in the park.” Not so windy. Not so far. Just a bike and a beautiful sunrise.

It was a wonderful day on the bike with my friend Chris today! Beautiful miles rolling through rural farms, small towns and endless cornfields. The weather was almost perfect… a bit windy… okay, a LOT windy… but so much fun pedaling close to a hundred miles!!!

First rest stop down. Twenty miles in, only eighty more to go!

And my new best friend… who let me pet her head and used my hand as her own personal salt-lick!

Clear skies with a cool breeze all the way down for a beautiful sunrise
on Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Looks like Navy Pier is gearing up for a busy Pride Weekend.

While the statue of Bob Newhart looks on… according to the Navy Pier website…
Designed for visitor participation, lie on the couch and pour out your troubles to bronze Bob Hartley, the 1970s psychologist from The Bob Newhart Show. Created by Studio EIS in New York, the life-sized statue was commissioned by nostalgia cable channel TV Land and unveiled to the City of Chicago on July 27, 2004 by the company’s president Larry W. Jones. In November 2004, the statue was moved to Navy Pier.

ABORT!!! ABORT!!! I just got up for the morning bike ride, got geared up and headed out. Sure, my weather app said 70% chance of rain… but being the eternal optimist, I thought I could squeeze in my ride before it went up to 90% at 6:00am. Wrong. So I pedaled two or three miles. Sprinkles. Another one or two and bit more rain. So I made the wise decision to head home. The winds shifted & picked up. The temperature dropped quickly. More rain… and just as I was walking up my back stairs… DOWNPOUR!!! Guess sometimes those weather apps are correct??? Huh.

While it was another beautiful cloud-free morning,
it was a completely different story a bit more inland…

… with layers of misty fog hanging low on the golf course & grassy areas
streaking beams of sunlight through the leaves & mist.

Another stunning morning with colorful clouds blowing through the City.
A beautiful start to the day with predictions of rain to come this afternoon.

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Yesterday we had a wonderful day of pedaling through rural Wisconsin for the Horribly Hilly Hundreds. Starting at Blue Mound State Park and rolling off into “the middle of nowhere.” So much fun to spend the day pushing up the hills, zooming down… but still taking time to enjoy the scenery and spend time with friends!

Great ride, great hills… some tough to pedal up, and tough to walk up for some!
Here’s our friend Joni walking up. But as long as you’re still moving forward it’s all good!

Always ready to stop at the top of a hill and wait for our friends, here’s Chris at the top…
waiting, smiling, and watching other bikers fly down the next hill.

We’ve always said that the “best” part of biking is stopping.
As we’re always ready to stop and take in the local scenery. So much fun to get away from the hustle & bustle of the City. Out into the rural farmlands of Wisconsin. Chatting with locals, admiring nature and meeting some local livestock. It’s amazing to see all of the natural beauty if you just take time to look up from your handlebars!

Stopping… posing… and enjoying time with friends on the Horribly Hilly Hundred.
Thanks to my biking pals Chris and Nancy for making it so much fun!!!

Even better when you get to play at the Finish Line photo-op knowing that the hills are behind you! Sweaty, gross and a bit salt-encrusted. Exhausted but exhilarated… and already looking forward to the next ride!!

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Yes, it was this past Saturday before the Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival. The morning colors were spectacular… but just not enough time to post them before rushing to open my tent at the art fair. But trust me… it was worth the wait!!!

So this morning’s ride was a bit anticlimactic.
Not many dramatic sunrise colors bouncing off the clouds.
Just a warm morning ride along the lakefront before the heat of the day set in.