Early Spring Cycling in Seattle

I-90 Bridge across Lake Washington with Bellevue in background

The painting desk lies fallow this week as I am away for work.  With a forecast of sun and expected afternoon temperatures in the low 60's F, I packed up the cycling gear and headed off for a week in Seattle.  On a sunny day, there are few places as beautiful as Seattle.  I snapped a couple of photos to dissuade those that believe Seattle is constantly inundated by rain.

Post-work afternoons spent cycling around Lake Washington is a perfect way to wind down from the daily stresses of the workplace.  Cycling is also an excellent medium for reflection and a clearing of the head.

View of Lake Washington with Mt Rainer in far right background

Tuesday and Wednesday's routes traced a clockwise loop along the banks of Lake Washington with a crossing of lake Washington via the I-90 before heading back to the hotel in Renton.  As ridden, mileage was at 27 miles.  With dedicated bike paths and bike friendly scenic roads with low motor speeds, traffic was generally light with few points of contention with autos. 

Cycling route

Before leaving for the week, I cleared the gaming table in anticipation of a possible game on Saturday.  Without regular "home" games, the gaming table quickly becomes a staging area for painting, figures, books, rules, and all types of hobby clutter.  A number of books and rules have entered the household since Christmas and organization takes effort and space.  A few duplicates were discovered too.  I tucked away a few rulebooks into the pack for inspiration and a refresher.  One of the rules brought along is the recently received Impetvs Baroque to give it a read through.

Looks like a game will come together on Saturday.  Tentatively scheduled is an ECW battle using Impetvs Baroque.  What battle shall be refought?  No decision yet.  The Battle of Southam was a fun little engagement and might make a worthwhile candidate for two players.  Southam was gamed earlier using three different rules. One Hour Wargames, Basic Impetvs Baroque, and Ironsides all were given a trial with this battle.  Would one more game with yet another set of rules be overdoing the battle?  A QRS for Baroque needs to be drafted to organize the charts and help me become familiar with the rules.  Perfect activity for evenings confined to a hotel.