From inside the house, where all is warm, cozy and golden, the outdoors looks formidable.  The sky is steel grey, cars slush down the street, umbrellas are bobbing  along the sidewalk.  It is tempting to consider this an inside work day.  Who wants to go out into the rain?

But wait, I don’t have a fresh baguette, and a day without baguette is no day at all, so I put on my raincoat, grab an umbrella and run out the door.

Tricked, that’s what I was.  What looked impenetrable from the inside was actually a soft, warm day with a few hints of watery sunlight.  Yes, there was some rain, but nothing like what I’d expected.  It wasn’t at all the kind of day to stay indoors. Crisp baguette in hand, I returned home and set it down, went right back outside and got on my bicycle.  A day this warm, even if it’s a bit wet, cannot be wasted inside.

Drips as big as pears dropped from edges, cornices, and trees,  but I didn’t care.  As anyone who rides a bicycle for sheer pleasure knows, it’s easy to glide between the drips, slash around the puddles, avoid the worst of the wind.

My ride through the town and the fields finished, I returned home to that fresh baguette and a big bowl of coffee. Invigorated, I’m ready to work the day away!

**** Here’s a tip if you’ve got yesterday’s baguette and you can’t get out for a fresh one.  Heat the oven to 400F.  Sprinkle your baguette with water and when the oven is good and hot, put the baguette in there for about 5 minutes.  When you take it out, it will be crisp and as good as new. It won’t keep, so eat it right up.