Some things are to be expected on a balmy spring bike ride.
First magnolia pops open on the East Drive.
First very pink tree blooms near Grand Army Plaza!
Forsythia riots near Prospect Park West.
Other things come as a surprise. How can I never have noticed:
...that there are cormorants on the lake?
...that you can see the Empire State Building at this angle through the arch at Grand Army Plaza?
...that 1984 Olympic track and field gold medalist Diane Dixon was honored with this worn-down "Park Dreams" sign, since despoiled by "Dingo" and "BG"? Dixon's quote about training in the park, "tired and exhausted but ultimately prepared...to become an Olympic champion," is a well-placed bit of inspiration at the foot of the Dreaded Hill (which I climbed twice without stopping, but so slowly that I swear my bike rolled backwards). Its condition also prompts meditation on the fleeting nature of sports fame.
Bonus Mammalian Media Whore: A grey squirrel, angling shamelessly for a photo op. In the background, note goose getting in on the act.
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