Wednesday, May 16, 2012

weather and cool musicians: a lulu adventure

Biking to work on a fairly regular basis changes one's relationship with the weather predictors.  Where once their information was mildly interesting, now it becomes the major deciding factor in a daily decision:  bike, or drive?  I have come to believe that when the forecasters say there is a 30% chance of precipitation, what they REALLY mean is, "It's not going to rain, but we reserve the right to be wrong about that."  Coming to that conclusion has meant that I mostly disregard little 30% threats and ride my bike anyway.


I did a bit of a double-take when checking yesterday morning, as the forecast said 30% chance...of SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  Hmmm.  Eventually I decided it was more of the same old stuff, and I really, really wanted to ride, so I did.  The weather was beautiful going to work.  The weather was beautiful riding from work to a committee meeting at a nearby church afterward.  I chained Lulu up to a telephone pole, hung my helmet on her handlebars, and jauntily bounced into the church without a care in the world.


During the meeting, though...the weather changed.  First it went from super-bright sun to dark.  Then the trees started whipping.  Next thing I knew, I was not hearing my fellow committee members say much at all, as I was too distracted by what I saw:  it looked like someone had turned on a God-sized fire hose out there.  So much rain, and all if it blowing directly sideways.  Trees waving frantically as if they were preparing for liftoff.  Ohhhh golly.  


How was I going home in THAT?!


Well I sat there, not being a good committee member but instead thinking through my options, and figured out who I was going to call for help.  Meanwhile, the storm spent its fury and moved along as quickly as it had appeared. 


Oh!


I came out afterward and shook a lot of water out of my helmet as I checked out one of those crazy weather times that are easy to love.  The sky was intermittent patches.  Some threatening, low, dark thunderhead sort of thingies.  And some patches of shockingly bright blue sky.  It wasn't raining.  But it sort of was!  It was all just strange enough that I was thoroughly enjoying riding my bike through it (and checking out whole portions of trees on the ground from that few minutes of craziness.)  


When I came down the ramp of the Arsenal bridge to veer onto the bike path, I looked over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't going to collide with anyone.  


What I saw made me shout, "OH!" like a little child and jump off my bike to get a better view:  A DOUBLE RAINBOW!  


It was so huge that I couldn't begin to get the whole thing in one shot, but here is part of one end of it.  The "double" didn't show up as well on camera, but if you peer hard above the one that's easy to see, you might glimpse it (it kind of runs right through the bulb of the lamppost).  It was wonderful.  I wanted to stand there until it went away.


A little further down the path, I turned up the hill toward my place.  There, leaning against the RME (short for "River Music Experience") Building, stood 2 guys in jeans and black t-shirts, leaning against the side of the building with so much coolness that they HAD to be musicians (nobody pulls off "cool" like a musician, am I right?!)  Lulu was all look at me! and they were totally eyes-on, with great big silly grins, from a full block back until I was well beyond them.  She's such a show off.


She was flirty this day, too!
I like that about her. 

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