Weird, Windy Wednesday

This morning started off just fine. It was nearly 50 degrees outside. The Flik and I posed for a minute under our tree. If there had been leaves on this sucker, they would have been waving like mad!

Windy morning departure

Of course, two of my neighbors had to leave for work as I was conducting my photoshoot. I’m sure they wondered what the occasion was.

Oh Walter, if only you could take pictures.

Slightly embarrassed but not daunted, we set off, into the wind. Yikes. Nashville could have put the Lakefront Trail to shame this morning, with a steady, strong wind and occasional gusts that had me in the lower range of gears all the way to work. Once I turned north, the wind was coming from the side. I thought that was an improvement until a huge gust almost pushed me out of the bike lane.

But I didn’t realize how bad it was until my boss told me that the state Christmas tree had been blown over by the wind last night.

Tennessee's poor Christmas tree (photo by WSMV)

I left work a little early, hoping to beat the cold front. Though it had cooled off considerably from this morning’s 50 degrees, the wind had died down and I was looking forward to a ride home in the twilight, my favorite time of the day.

But I’d hardly gone a block when the Flik ate my pants.

And we were getting along so well!

This was actually the first time I’d worn pants on the Flik. Though it has no chain case or guard of any kind, it has the same oversized crank-cover thing (what do you call this — anyone know?) that my Peugeot does. Since I’ve worn pants on the Peugeot many a time, I thought I would be safe. Lesson learned; never trust an open chain! I LL Cool J’d it all the way home, with my right  pant leg tucked into my oh-so-trendy snowflake socks (hey, I have to summon the white stuff somehow!).

Still, despite the torn pants and the cold, the ride home in the evening light was beautiful.

Last of the leaves

holiday lights

How’s the world treating you this Wednesday?