LBK on a Bike: Last Day of (Bike Commuter) Nirvana

It's that day again - the last day of bike commuter nirvana. Yep, the Lubbock Independent School District is flinging its doors open to welcome in the chaos kids tomorrow.

The sun, it rose.

The best part of summer for me is the relaxed traffic. The college students all go home to the metroplex. The locals get to sleep in a bit. And the bicyclists can relax a bit more and not adjust their routes away from schools. Morning commutes in summer are the stuff dreams are made of! (We won't discuss the triple-digit afternoon rides home, but even those are more relaxed.)

At coffee - I had the place to myself. Tomorrow - it'll be noisy and crowded.

Unlimited Routing

This is the last day I'll cruise carelessly past Jayne Ann Miller Elementary.

This morning I pedaled past three public schools and cut through the parking lot of one private school. My commute was 4/10 of a mile shorter than it'll be tomorrow.

Commuting is for the Birds

At coffee, I wrote about wanting to spend some time sitting quietly watching birds. On the way to work I saw a pair of cardinals, a flock of great egrets in the water, a gathering of Mississippi kites circling overhead, and the irony of a mourning dove looking over a traffic-squashed white-wing dove.

I was blessed with a flock of great egrets!

I sat quietly at coffee and I watched the birds as I pedaled. (I may have been distracted riding for brief moments.)

Undeterred by the Detour

Re-routed by bike-unfriendly construction - the fence behind the trees

I had to re-route a bit when I reached the loop. New construction at the mall left no pathway for pedestrians. But it was all good - I still made it to the office by 7:58.

It was a great ride. Now I'll get my guard up for all the harried mother figures and father figures distracted-driving the kids to their harried teachers. The ride will still be great, just a little longer and a little more cautious. But it'll still be better to be on a bike.

May you find joy in your commute and breathe fresher air. Have a great school year, everyone!