Somehow the calendar has flipped to August already and the change of seasons looms. We’ve been enjoying a pretty spectacular summer here in the Midwest with more moderate temperatures than last year’s scorcher. It’s been a good summer to get out and ride. These days my riding is more short trips and I’m rarely riding without my favorite little passenger behind me. I’m on the bike path more than the country roads. There are regular rides to the Farmer’s Market, to the library, to the downtown outdoor symphony concerts, and countless trips in search of ice cream. These rides may seem to be focused on the destination rather than the journey. But it is the journey that I enjoy; the lush green still surrounds the bike path like a tunnel and riding home as the sun sets the lightning bugs flash in the brush. After an evening spent downtown, my two year old serenades me from the back of the bike with renditions of Twinkle, Twinkle and the ABC’s. I laugh and feebly try to join in as I grind our bike up the long climb back home. Soon enough fall will be here with its crisp cool days and orange and red leaves will envelope us on the path. Those days hold their own special place in my heart. But for now I’m going to enjoy these remaining days of blissful late summer riding.