Smells like Spring

I did a bit of cycling this weekend. Tony and I rode to the movies on Friday evening. When we set out at 6:30 pm we thought we were set for the ride back home after dark. We had reflective vests and bike lights but we didn't check the batteries before we left. Needles to say, replacement batteries were purchased first thing, the next morning.

Riding through the neighborhood is just wonderful right now - the side streets do not have much traffic and honeysuckle and magnolia are in bloom and the air smells are just lovely. Last night (Saturday) we walked over to our neighborhood park (an unexpected treat that we discovered, after we moved in) for an outdoor showing of the movie, Big. On the walk over there were even better smells in the air. I don't know plants very well but I think it was a gardenia bush. All these great scents in the air and usually I just roll past them with the windows up and the air conditioner on.

This morning we took a little ride to show Eleanor the way (on bicycle) to the art school associated with the Museum of Fine Arts. She is signed up for a couple of classes and we want her to be able to get there on her own so that no one will have to schedule work around the drop-off and pick-up times. It is a nice little ride - the only hitch is crossing a couple of busy streets and a bridge over the freeway but I think the whole route is either a marked bike route or very lightly used neighborhood streets. If we can get her to ride along with us a couple more times, I don't think she will have a problem finding her way.

After that little tour, Tony and I went on to find bagels and the New York Times. There is a little (non-franchise) bagel shop a few blocks west and by the time we got out of there, the line was out the door. Pretty good bagels - no New York Times so a brief respite and a double, tall latte from Starbucks was in order. They always have the New York Times. We sat outside for a little while to drink our beverages but didn't stay long enough to more the glance at the paper - we had warm bagels and cool lox and creme cheese to get home.