Parade

I was in an office building today that has a large bank of windows that overlooks a busy intersection in the city. I was eating an apple and watching the world go by when I noticed that there were five cyclists riding side by side by side, taking up the entire two lanes for east bound traffic. Then I noticed that it was not just five cyclists but a whole stream of them (if they were a bunch of peacocks I would have called them a 'muster' of peacocks, but they were not). They occupied all of the east bound lanes for over two blocks. The group of them entered the intersection and proceeded to turn left. It was quickly apparent that they were not all going to make it before the light turned red. When the light turned yellow a cyclist in a hat, that could only be called 'jaunty', stopped in the middle of the intersection, pulled out a trumpet, and then serenade the street. A man with bongos joined in, and either all the cyclists were ringing their bells, or someone had wind chimes. The trumpet was soon joined by a chorus of honks (I don't think all, or most, in support of their impromptu cycle parade) from the cars waiting at the intersection. But despite the honking, everyone waited (some in amusement and some probably just unwilling to commit vehicular manslaughter) until the bikes had all gone through.

I do not know where they came from, where they were headed too (they quickly made another turn at the next intersection, thereby leaving my view), why they were riding in fleet style, or even what key the trumpet was playing in. But it brightened my day.