Well, not a whole lot has happened on my commutes as of late, which is a good thing. Or is it?

A big change. I've switched shifts, I was working a 9:30-6 but now going in earlier, 6:30-3.

Now what I really loved about the 1st leg of my commute is the views of the Arrowhead Ranch neighborhood here in Glendale, AZ. Nice looking homes, pretty mountain backdrops, but most especially the same series of cool cats I wave to in the bustling morning hours:

The jogger with the unusual stride.

The elderly couple on their morning walk, always holding hands, in their other hand, a mug of coffee.

The fully kitted roadie who drops me each and every time as I cross Deer Valley and 75th Ave.

The fully bearded newspaper deliverer in that ratty red truck.

The construction workers building that new house, always friendly when I need to stop and use their portapotty.

The 30-something woman, in her long khaki skirt, form fitting tops of varying colors, her light-brown hair pulled back, walking her beagle on Melinda Dr.

All that's all gone now. Granted, like some of you I dig commuting in the dark, it's definitely a lot more peaceful nowadays. Eerily peaceful, and dark, and I love the sound and feeling of the cold wind flowing into my helmet.

But I really honestly miss those folks I regularly ran into.