Twenty-Ten is off to an auspicious start. The nasty head cold that had threatened to ruin my weekend has abated and I felt pretty good, so this morning Anna and I rode our bikes up to Splash Pad Park to pick up some fresh veggies at the farmer’s market. Then, for a little extra exercise, we rode the long way around Lake Merritt to get back home. The footpath around the lake was teeming with walkers, joggers, and birds. Just past the Lake Chalet Restaurant I saw a handful of seagulls trying to chase a couple of walkers off their path. (The couple looked like Nancy and Bill — Nancy was a high school classmate of mine — but because the traffic was a little hectic at the moment I couldn’t look closely enough to be sure.)
We rounded the corner onto Harrison street, just as the sun was breaking through the clouds. Straight ahead was the newish Oakland Cathedral of Light. It’s a striking building. I can’t remember what used to be at that corner when we lived here before, but I don’t think it was as nice a visual anchor for that corner of the lake as the Cathedral.
Turning on to Grand, Anna decided she needed another lap around the lake to really get her heart pumping so she kept pedaling while I came upstairs to unload our bounty from the market. (I was riding my old one-speed cruiser, so I think I may have been going to slow for her on the first lap.)
It was a nice start to the new year. 55 degrees, broken clouds, a bustling farmer’s market, squawking birds, a nice bike ride, and a good cup of coffee. Cheers!