More Signs of Spring in New Jersey

Gorgeous day - sunny, blue skies, but it was deceptive. I dressed for cool but it was COLD! I was thinking maybe high fifties with a little breeze - it was in fact 44 with a very cold light wind (notice how "breeze" becomes "wind" when it is cold. It did actually warm up just a bit as I moved along the roads and, of course, I generate my own heat simply by pedalling. In spite of my complaining however, it was truly a beautiful day. Last week the lawns, fields, and trees were still looking wintrish (is that a word?) but today everything is green. Trees are budding, wildflowers are all over the place and the flowering trees are all in full bloom. Even the dandelions at this early spring day are pretty impressive...and I can say that as someone who does not have to do lawn maintenance anymore. And in this Garden State one of the sure signs of spring is the farmer out on his tractor plowing and discing for the planting season - the photo above is one of several I saw today. Also of note...the tangled trees are a reminder of Hurricane Sandy. The woods on the backroads I ride are full of such scenes, some with even bigger trees.
So I still have almost two months until my ride with the XC folks but I am beginning to get serious about making sure I'm in shape to enjoy it. Today was an easy ride of 42 miles at almost 16 mph - not bad for a cold windy day.