Day 321: A Wonderful Start

This morning, in addition to getting myself ready for work (I'm not really a morning person), I washed and dried a load of laundry AND made a batch of granola. Just in case you are wondering, no, I did not burn the granola but the laundry may have gone around in the dryer a few cycles too long. Pretty impressive I thought and especially considering how sleepy I felt. Kitty made one of her middle of the night visits, complete with loud purring and a strong insistence on getting petted. I woke up feeling like I could have started over and slept another entire night. But then I got some coffee down my neck and all was better. Everything is always better after a cup of coffee (or tea), don't you think?

After my marathon morning I was ready to pack up and get on my bike. My ride to work is always one of the highlights of my day and this day was no different. As I pedaled along my way I came across a couple of happy sightings. There are many parks located throughout the city and as winter approaches the parks and recreation people put out the cutest little birdhouses so that the birds who stick around for winter can find food during scarce times. The houses are these long, squat structures with a large open interior that is covered by a low-angled, a-framed roof. I should have stopped to take a photo but with all of my other morning activities I was running a bit late, if you can believe it. I'll see if I can get a photo later because these houses are definitely worth seeing.

I continued through the park and then turned down my final path to the big bridge. On days when I am running late I take what I call the "hill route" and ride over Västerbron, which is the large bridge that connects Södermalm, where I live, to Kungsholmen, where I work. As I pedaled along I passed by a very patient father who was waiting with the stroller while his little girl, very determinedly, walked away from him and over to a wall which she proceeded to climb. It obviously needed to be done right then and there. I could see it in her walk. It just couldn't wait. The cutest part however was that she was dressed in one of these insulated winter jumpsuits that all of the little kids here wear. Her's was red and she looked like a tiny little Michelin man. It was adorable watching her march, Michelin-like to the wall and start to climb. She discretely glanced back at her dad who just stood there with all the patience in the world, allowing her to do a bit more morning exploration before being carted off to dagis (Swedish word for daycare). An absolutely wonderful start to a Friday.

Hope you have a happy weekend!

Here's a photo of the outdoor market. These are probably some of the last trees left with autumn-hued leaves left on them...