Today was the 13th day of 2005 that I rode my bicycle for my daily exercise. However, it was the FIRST day that I did the whole 15 mile ride within Forest Park. Other rides have been either shorter than my normal 15 miles, or included part of the ride in non-park business like grocery shopping or coffee house visits.
It was just so awesome today. I have missed it so. I DETEST cold weather and have a hard time doing my exercises outside in the cold. But I have done more walking exercises than bike in this cold. Easier to walk in the bitter cold that ride.
The park is bare, of course, but that has it's beauty too, and this lovely day brought out lots and lots of people. A man working on a HUGE painting of the World's Fair Pavilion, many young women walking kids in walkers, often in groups of three or four women, a tall slim elegant older couple dressed in proper English walking clothes, he with knickers, cane and Sherlock Holmes hat, she in a long camel's hair coat, and passing them were guys with no shirts and girls on roller blades in short shorts, puffing heavy guys, and even some older folks soaking up the sun on benches. People of all ages use the park now, including a very large number of single women, many of them elderly.
The Grand Basin should be renamed by its use. Two names would be strong candidates: The Washington University Auxillary Reading Room, or, Forest Park Lawn Picnic Grounds. Lots of folks bring large towels or blankets and stake out a spot on the 15 foot stretch at the bottom of Art Hill on the edge of the basin. Some are doing picnics, including some with some fine looking bottles of wine, and lovely cheeses I noted, and others stretched out with text books, reading. On the walking trail up at the end by Steinberg Rink I pass medical students working on up-coming exams and passed two guys deep into a discussion of variations of types of testosterone. Heck, bike riding and learning stuff at the same time -- can't beat it.
I was riding between the Grand Basin and the zoo, far from any street noise and I heard this strange noise, clickty, click, clickty, click, very fast staccoto clicking. I knew I couldn't have picked up a leaf, they are not that loud. I thought I'd picked up a twig. So I slammed on my brakes and was about to get off and look, but the click, click kept going. Then I realized it was a woodpecker going at this tree with a vengence. I got a great laugh out of that.
But it did bring home to me how quiet Forest Park is, and how many of the sounds one does hear are nature at work, the chirping of birds, the wind in the trees, quacking of ducks and honking of geese. It is just so lovely. And St. Louisans by the hundreds are re-discovering their marvelous park. No wonder Dogtown real-estate is taking off like it does. We are situated so wonderfully in St. Louis.
It was an awesome afternoon. But as always, my home stretch begins at the corner of Lindell and Skinker when I make my left turn (on the bike trail) round the Linell corner and start up Skinker. From the corner of Forsyth to Hi-Pointe is exactly .9 a mile, and that's one long hill. Then the ride home, down (ah how nice DOWN feels) Clayton, to Tamm and the easy level ride down Tamm, speeding up when I hit St. James Church so I have the speed to fly up my lawn and end my ride right at my front porch. What a marvelous place to live.
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