I took Wednesday afternoon off after a week of marathon grading and teaching and meetings, and oh, it was lovely. I brought hardly anything with me for the ride over to Lake Montebello for a few laps with other bicyclists (they all had their spandex on–I was totes under dressed), kiddos on their way from school to wherever they go after school, and the many walkers, some in regular clothes, others in their suits that make you sweat more, which I guess technically means losing more weight–hey, whatever floats your boat. I spent most of my laps around wondering if it’s a lake or a reservoir, and then headed back west for a quick meeting with a student over coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches before checking out the other place to do laps–Druid Hill Park. The loop around the reservoir (lake?) was packed, but I found my spot and started spinning around in that way that is only possible when you don’t have to be on guard against cars. I pulled up, though, to walk along the east wall to check out the daffodils that bloom on the grades here. Every spring it’s another surprise as they pop back up and wave their hellos. The rest of the ride around was so pretty too, all pink and white flower trees, too early in the season for the mouthfuls of gnats that come with late afternoon by the water. I veered off to continue on the Jones Falls Trail, up past the conservancy, down past the zoo, over through the disc golf course (yes, there’s one at Montebello, too–do people really play disc golf? should I be playing disc golf?), and down the zigzag trail. It’s still early over there. The trees are mostly sticks with just a few leaves and flowers amidst it all. We’re still in waiting for the full bloom of spring, and I like it like that–all potential, like Opening Day over here. I took an easy ride back, stopping to take a picture of the bike with a cherry tree, to say hello to a puppy, all of it just right. Everybody should get a mid-week afternoon off with a bicycle.