Chirping birds, glorious blue skies and warmer temps all came together today to inspire my first island bike tour in months. Blissful. Lots of folks have spring fever, and we took our first antidote yesterday, when, just seven days after playing in a rare Charleston snow, we celebrated Alden’s third birthday with a backyard jump castle extravaganza.

The rain is forecasted to roll in tomorrow, so this was the perfect way to round out the weekend with more outdoor fun. As I pedaled along, grateful to be living near the sea, I shamelessly admit I became slightly annoyed by a few things.

The first was the tempting aromas pouring out of island eateries. I could almost taste the pimento cheese burger and fries at Poe’s, the pulled pork sandwich across the street at Home Team BBQ and scent of grilled fish and grits wafting over Breach Inlet. That’s okay, I can indulge another time. But then came the aggressive gulls trying to move in on my granola bar as I enjoyed a few minutes of beach yoga. And finally, the Sunday drivers, putting along in the middle of the street, ogling the beachfront pads, oblivious that they might take out a jogger, a wagon-toting family or a cyclist. Eyes front, por favor.

Anyway, none of those petty grievances could encroach on my joy for long. Perhaps the only real bummer of biking along on such a fantastic day is that I witnessed some great would-be photos and I was camera-free. First, I glimpsed two adorable stringy-haired girls – one blonde, one brunette – hanging out in their soccer duds. Two giggly pals parked in the grass with their pink soccer ball next to a red fire hydrant. Carefree girliness personified.

Next, I almost ran over a group of birds by Fort Moultrie. I’ve had no success sneaking up on these long-beaked birds on the beach or in a boat, and here they were marching across the street from Stella Maris as if they’d realized a communion wafer was no substitute for a Sunday lunch. Make way for oystercatchers!

And finally, a vision that the men would surely appreciate. Seems I wasn’t the only one with spring fever. A group of superfit bikini-clad women was playing volleyball on a sand court in an Isle of Palms sideyard. My bare legs were frozen after pedaling into the chilly headwind, and these gals were just rockin’ their fit summer Olympian frames in a vision that screamed July.

Hmmm, there’s an idea. July. Bring it on!

So what photo-worthy visions have you seen lately? Please share your comments by clicking the link above by the title of this post.