Got up this morning and went outside to do a final weather check. It was sunny and a bit cool, if it warmed up while we were in church, we would be too hot in tights, so we decided to wear shorts instead, with a short sleeved jersey, and the same jacket plan.
We had a NW, 30 MPH, head wind, most of the way and it was cold. The jacket I had on was not wind resistant, nor was the unlined jersey. I wisely, put my gloves on before we left, it's no fun riding with cold hands. The air was very cold, worse yet when we went down hill. Even though my legs were working, they became chilled, but not as much as my upper body. My jacket seemed to suck the chill in, rather than repel it. Tony said he knew I was cold, because I stopped talking. Apparently, that is what I do when I am cold or tired. He says he can always tell. I could see gray clouds were rolling in, was hoping they would move through, while we were in church.
The grass has really greened up, since the last rain. It is so good to see the bright patches splashing across the browns and grays that remain. Lots of gulls flying around by the self milking barn, not sure what they find so intriguing there, must be a food source, likely mice in the fields The most common gulls in MI are Ring Billed gulls. Here is a link to some pictures and other info on Ring Billed seagulls.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ring-billed_gull/id/ac
Our state also has Herring gulls. Ring billed gulls are medium sized with a light gray back, and upper wings. The underpart of the gull is white, and they have yellow legs. They are opportunistic feeders and lay their eggs in clutches of 3. The nests are on the ground, in the sand or in tall sea grass, and are vulnerable to skunks, raccoons and foxes. Adult seagulls do not have any predators. They adapt well to nearly any terrain as long as a body of water is nearby. They are notorious parking lot feeders and have become a "pest" bird on rooftops, in many cities. Michigan, has a plentiful, seagull population.
Seemed like we just got warmed up, and church was over. Time to pedal back home. A friend had a new, too big, pair of New Balance athletic shoes that he brought for Tony, and the girl scout cookies Tony had ordered were in, so our ride home was a bit heavier. The cookies fit in the pannier, Tony carried the shoes. For the ride home we put on our rain jackets, because they are more wind resistant. I wore my headband ear warmers too. The gray clouds were still hanging in the sky, but at least there was no rain.
As we rode along, the headwind was now a tail wind, but it was just as cold. On the back side of hills, there is usually a small area, where it is fairly wind free. We purposely went up the hills slower today, then we usually do. At least it gave us a little chance to warm up.
The poplar trees, are among the first to leaf, and this year was no exception.
It is nice to see the fields greening up.
Roadside trees and bushes have young leaves emerging.
I love the color of new leaves.
They are a lighter shade of green and have such a fresh look about them. I call it, "new green." Sometimes in the winter when I see the trees looking so brown and dead, I remind myself, that really, they are busy. Busy making twigs and buds for spring. Dormant trees have 3 phases of rest, early rest, winter rest and after rest. During the winter, trees and plants stop all the reactions that require water. Water in the cells of a plant or tree will freeze, during cold weather, causing the cells to burst, much like a frozen pipe, can. The nutrients needed to make the new twigs and buds, are gathered, before the cold weather starts, and over the winter, the trees and plants are hard at work, getting ready to come to life once the warm weather arrives.
Today, in spite of the March winds that made our pedaling a challenge, we were grateful to be riding. We rode 16 miles today, putting our total for the last 5 days at 50. A good start for the season.
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