Looks like I might need to pedal a little faster?… dark clouds moving in!

So the overnight forecast was rain all night into the morning hours… but as the eternal optimist, I decided to set my alarm just in case the rain passed through earlier. And it did!!! The roads were dry so I threw on my bike gear & headed out… still LOTS of clouds! But no rain as predicted.. and sadly NO SUNRISE!!!

On my way home, I also saw this guy cooling off at Jackson Harbor. Always fun to see a Great Blue Heron hanging out in the water fishing. Keenly watching the water waiting for breakfast! I’m always amazed at how large they are, kinda prehistoric… and that we have them in the City?!

Luckily, when I made it down to the South Shore Cultural Center, there was a bit of welcoming shade amongst their colonnade. And then the grounds keepers just happened to turn on the sprinklers for the golf course as I was hanging out there… and the answer is YES!!!

When in Rome, right?!!!

I mean, I was already wet!

It was also perfect timing to find the Gold Star Families Memorial sculpture all lit up with sunrise reflections. Just south of the Museum Campus, between the harbor and Soldier Field… a fun moment as you pedal up the hill to be greeted by this sunrise surprise!

You know it’s gonna be a hot one when you wake up early and it’s already in the 80’s! But because I’m a little crazy, I still put on my bike gear and headed out into the humidity… already SWEATING!!! But I’m glad I did. As I went a bit further than usual and got some great shots downtown at Monroe Harbor as a “huge” sun was coming up through the boats.

And then I figured… I’m already a big sweaty mess, so why not go all the way down to end of the bike trail at the South Shore Cultural Center.

So I did.
Dripping.

It was a beautiful day to get outside and play hooky on my bike. Strange how different this all looks during daylight hours?! Huh.

Lots of clouds without much of a sunrise to speak of. Sure, it was beautiful… with lots of gently rolling waves along the way. Dark, dramatic & moody… still not a bad way to start the day!

Hot… humid… and not much of a sunrise. It wasn’t until I was turning around to head home that I saw the dark clouds moving in with lightning & thunder up north. And foggy dark clouds moving over the City. Made for a dramatic morning along the lakefront… but then it was time to pedal home FAST to avoid getting wet. And I made it… with about three minutes to spare before the deluge came down!!! Whew!!!

We started without clouds in the sky…
but instead we had the Moon & Venus floating quietly over the horizon.

As I pedaled south to Navy Pier, one large cloud moved in as I tried to navigate the closed sections of the lakefront bike trail. Yes, huge sections from Fullerton to Navy Pier are totally closed due to erosion & broken pavement… forcing me to the other side of Lake Shore Drive… and sure, the high water levels covering the bike trail don’t help either!!!