154th ride of 2020 - Friday, 11/20/2020arde

2020 mileage: 3894.9

I was planning to wait until midday to ride today. But when I had to do an early errand, and I went out at 7:30 to experience warm, calm, sunny conditions, I decided to start earlier, since the forecast was for winds to pick up throughout the day. So I ended up beginning at 8:45 (52°, up to 64° by the time I finished), and riding a round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens (32.0 miles in 3:55) on a gorgeous, unseasonably warm fall morning.

On the way home I rode through Gallup Park, and stopped on one bridge and took this picture. However, the winds were picking up by then, and when I stripped off the Michigan gloves that I had chosen to wear for my early start (but no longer needed) in order to take the picture, and laid them on the seat of my trike, as soon as I turned my back the winds (that were increasing by then) blew them into the river, and I soon saw them floating down the Huron River.

I would find it extremely difficult to ride if I could not listen to music on my phone. This is often one of the playlists I have created on Spotify. But in recent days I have increasingly been listening to Public Radio from Interlochen, and yesterday I made my initial acquaintance (via this route) with the following delightful blend of popular and classical music:

Beatles Concerto Grosso - Michelle

I had to smile, as I always do when I hear that song, as my wife's name is Michelle. It made me think of Mom, too, as she invariably greeted Michelle with a smile and a sung snippet of the first three words of the song:

Michelle, ma belle

I'd be willing to bet that Mom, who never studied French, didn't know that it means, "Michelle, my beautiful"—and I'm absolutely certain that she didn't know the next phrase, "Sont est mots qui vont tres bien ensemble" (These are words that go together well). But still it warmed my heart to see her do that.

That was yesterday. And today I met another new friend, by a composer whose Guitar Concerto has long been a favorite of mine.

Joaquin Rodrigo - Concierto Serenata

As I was finishing up, I was in for one final treat. Headed north on the Lohr/Textile Greenway, about a mile and three quarters before reaching home, I heard a friendly, "On your left, Allen!" and my friend Jim Alvey went zipping by me, as my energy was flagging badly by that point, after over 30 miles.

Link to (Relive) video of today's ride