a evening ride to the cove

Bicycled 20 miles, most of that total was a ride down to the Soundwater's Annual meeting earlier this evening. Heard Gina McCarthy, the Commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection, the state's agency charged to protect the state's environment speak. I arrived late, but she was still taking questions.

I asked the final two questions of the evening: the first was regarding the conflict between enforcing the Coastal Management Access Act of 1980 and the agreement Amtrak signed with Department of Environmental Protection, which caps the number of trains allowed to travel east of Old Saybrook per day; the second was related to the "No Child Left Inside" theme of her talk, in which I asked if she would promote statewide bicycle instruction for children. After the program ended I collected signatures for the bikes on trains petition and briefly met Ms. McCarthy.

The ride itself was more interesting than the meeting. The smell of composting leaves at the Waveny Park mulch pile was industrial in strength. The warmth and humidity in the air was truly incredulous for last day in November. The smells of salt water at the mouth of the Noroton River seemed summerlike. Light pollution from the back side of the restaurant on the Boston Post Road was stark. Glare from Waveny paddle tennis courts lights was blinding. Light pollution was evident at every turn of the ride: some was municipal, much was private, the rest was sky glow.