Fall is definitely in the air. Cooler than I would like it to be.
But I have pulled out the long pants, gloves and skull cap. So still warm. Still pedaling.

I especially loved the criss-cross pattern that developed above during the sunrise!

The wet weather we’ve been having in Chicago may have taken a break today?
It seems so long since I’ve had a chance to go for my morning sunrise. I’m pretty much
a fair weather rider. And when I get up and there’s rain, or if our back courtyard is wet,
I think it’s a good escuse to get back in bed. It’s no fun to ride in the rain.

It was apparent that it had rained overnight as there were puddles along the way.
But the morning was beautiful, as there were clouds along the horizon that continued to
turn pink as the sun came up. Plus, the puddles served as a nice reflecting pond!

Fall is here. The weather is changing. Cooler. Damper. Darker.
And as the sunrise keeps getting later & later in the morning, I’ve been finding
it tougher to get out for the morning ride. It seems like it’s been wet & rainy
every morning for the past week or so?! Finally today… a chance to play.
And the view over the harbor was stunning… with boats, trees, reflections…

This morning was dark.
Very dark… except for that one big stripe of red on the horizon!

Yet as the sunrise continued, that layer of clouds that kept the morning dark
began to brightened. The drama continued with layers of red on the underside of every cloud!

Beautiful. Love the colors. Love the transformation.

Another beautiful morning along the lakefront.
One bike. Two trees. Which sadly have already begun to lose their leaves?!

C’mon… really?! Why does summer have to end?! And isn’t it too soon?!!!

This morning was very quiet.
So calm. So serene. So beautiful.

This morning was clouded over. With a solid layer of clouds.
And not much “potential” for a beautiful sunrise. Not today. Some mornings I wake up
and see a lot of clouds on the horizon that I know will light up the sky when the sun hits them.
But not today… too many clouds, not a chance.

Then the sky opened up… just a little bit. For just a little while.
And then it was back to cloud cover… and no sunrise ever broke through!
But the waves were still crashing all around. Like little aqua-explosions hitting the lake walls!
Plus, all of the lifeguard stands have been tipped over and moved away from the lake just
waiting to be picked up and put back into storage for another Winter. Always a sad sight.
One more sign that Summer may already be over?!!!

With the crashing waves & wind over the past few days, the lakefront shoreline
was cluttered with a lot of seaweed & debris. Like our own little “homage” to those of you
who have been dealing with the hurricane disasters on the East Coast!

With a low layer of clouds on the horizon, the sunrise was punctuated with crashing waves
all around. The sound permeated the morning… and made it a bit treacherous to “avoid”
the waves as they crashed up & over… and occasionally onto the bike path!

Well, the temperature has dropped dramatically… and Fall is definitely here!
The clouds were crazy, it was quite windy and the waves were crashing all around.
I even had to pull out my long-sleeved jersey & windbreaker vest this morning?!

After a very warm & steamy overnight in Chicago, I thought it would be a great idea to
lower the core temperature of my non-air conditioned body by going for a morning swim
in the lake. So I pedaled down for my first “return swim” post Triathlon! So there I was,
swimming in the pre-dawn hour, with clouds on the horizon and a single sailboat cruising
back & forth along the shore. When all of a sudden, as I bob my head up to breath, I could
hear music. Music?! Typically the only thing I hear is water splashing & me gasping for air!
But no, this morning I was being serenaded by a single saxophone player on that sailboat.
Crystal clear music breaking through the morning sky. A beautiful surprise to make my
morning routine even more magical. And then, oh but wait there’s more… the morning
sunrise was pretty darn impressive too! Another great morning on my bike!