It might actually be here now!

   The season is cooperating like it's spring.  We suffered high humidity and 80F temperatures followed by frost warnings.  With the continual marriage of conflicting weather fronts here in the mid west we are blessed with howling winds,wild variations of weather and plenty of precipitation.  It makes for nice cycling.  The sun is out, the trees have reached out beyond budding and flowers are trying to survive a few cold spells.  Riding to work makes me feel like I have forgotten something__all the winter clothes!  Yet it is comfortable, finally in short sleeves. no gloves, sailing along down wind without working up a sweat,  The air prickles across the skin like a memory of something that happened months before wearing a cocoon.  

   The infrastructure continues to grow.  It's almost like the 3 miles of bike path

 that existed here was a sapling that has grown of it's own will.

Our river trail has been extended another 10 miles or so.
Although several miles are nothing but a glorified sidewalk along a state highway,

most are very nice, secluded and take advantage of  a large park and recreation center.

It goes as far as Galesburg, Mi on it's way to make a connection to the trails in Battle Creek.   The trail association is on a quest to create a continuous trail across the state.  On  larger scale, the

 federal government has now jumped in to make protected bike lanes a priority.