I had plenty of time on Friday for a bike ride and that was exactly what I wanted. After another lazy morning lolling about I hopped on the bike and rode down to meet R. for girl talk and sandwiches at the cafe before riding over to East Baltimore to see what Patterson Park and Canton Crossing have been up to. It had been awhile since I’d pedaled that way–I have no idea what I’ve been doing instead, but it was really good to see what the neighborhood’s been up to. I stopped to take a picture of the impressive stuff going down at Exeter Street Gardens. Last time I came this way it was just a concrete slab with a couple of sad, empty planters. Friday, though, it was raised beds and flowers and steps and a tiny red barn and a mural on the wall. What a delight! And an excellent reminder to remember to travel this way regularly–I don’t want to miss anything. The rest of the ride took me through Perkins Homes and across Broadway and up the hill to Patterson Park where it was all green and lush and I saw teen ducks while sitting on a bench in the shade talking to my sister on the phone. I zigged and zagged through Canton and Brewer’s Hill an back around and up to O’Donnell Square for iced tea before pedaling as fast as I could home again in time to shower the humid Baltimore July day off for a night out and about by car and DC metro. I needed a vacation, and lucky me, I’m getting the very best one ever.