Finally, grading’s done, workshops have been attended, and the sun has emerged after days and days of gray, which means, of course, that it was time for a bicycle ride. I took the Surly out to run some errands and then we headed over to the Convention Center, because I vaguely remember hearing there’s a heavy metal convention in town, and my ride downtown featured creative dodging of many pedestrians who looked like they might be in town for a heavy metal convention, so of course I wanted to see if I could get myself in there. Continue reading
nature
Flowering Tree at S. Ellwood & Hudson
I woke up early this morning with an overwhelming desire to play hooky, and I grumped around for awhile until giving in to the senioritis. After a trip to school for some lazy research and a faculty meeting it was time to get on my bike and out in this 80 degree blue sky day–oh, it was perfect out there. Continue reading
Sun Setting Over Druid Hill Park From the Reservoir Path
It’s the end of the semester, and I’ve been burning the candle at about fifteen ends, so by the time this Friday rolled around I was tired, tired, tired. Nope, I didn’t feel like getting on my bike. I felt like getting in bed with cats and starting a new book, but I also knew that once I started pedaling, I’d be glad to be spinning around. And, of course, I was right. Continue reading
Fall Colors at St. Paul & 26th
Oh, that was a long time away from my bike! I was in Atlanta for a conference, and no, thereisnt a bike rental place right downtown, and there should be. Harumph. I spent my days walking, which was fine, if a bit slow. I didn’t see a whole lot of bikes circling the conference hotels, but surely they are somewhere. All I know is I was happy to be back home in Baltimore, and I was itching to pedal. After working at the coffee shop for a bit, I headed downtown via Guilford to meet V. for a grading marathon. I stopped early to snap this picture of the brilliant colors of the trees at the playground behind Margaret Brent elementary school because that red just seemed to take up the whole sky. It is just so pretty here, and I can’t believe I was afraid I wouldn’t find it so. I flew down the hill, around the harbor, drank some coffee and sucked on some caramels, and rode back up the hill. That protected bike lane on Fallsway is already coming along famously. Nope, I don’t mind a little routine, not one bit.
Golden Tree in Druid Hill Park By the Disc Golf Course
I had a most lovely Sunday, up early, made earlier by the time change, housekeeping and handymanning, cat snuggling, War and Peace reading (they think they’re bored and want to fight, but I have a funny feeling that’s not going to turn out well), and then a bike ride to Hampden to meet V. for brunch and some work. After doing some learning, I hopped back on the bike and zipped over to Druid Hill Park to do some leaf peeping. Continue reading
Lush Trees in Druid Hill Park
Oh, rain, please give it a rest! And it did this afternoon. Sure, there were gray skies and clouds and some spitting, but I managed to sneak in a ride in the relatively dry afternoon after a good day of work. I decided to head over to Druid Hill Park to check out the green, and there was a lot of it. Continue reading
View of the Swamp From the Cajun Pride Swamp Tour in LaPlace
Today’s bike ride was a short one, just to the drugstore and back for cash to feed my bagel and coffee habit now that I’m back in Central City–La Playa, you’ve got my number. I am just so tired from these final days of packing and saying goodbye that I just don’t have the energy to do much of anything. But man, I liked the look of my bike locked up with that New Orleans background. a neighborhood acquaintance stopped by, reintroduced himself from that COMSTAT meeting we were both at after Serpas announced they’d be open to the public. “I’d recognize that Surly anywhere,” he said. Yeah, I’m going to miss that small town feel when I move, but I bet I’ll get it back. After another round of sorting, I gasp got in the car and drove out to LaPlace for a swamp tour–didn’t seem right to leave town without one. I was the only person flying solo, but that happens to me all the time. I felt a lot more out of place being the only one who hadn’t seen Swamp People. There were so many alligators, too many, even. I could have don’t with an extra great blue heron or two, though that raccoon family was a total bonus. I snapped this picture while the boast was stopped to let everyone pass around that poor baby alligator for pictures. The swamp is really, really beautiful. I look forward to a return.
Sunflowers At Baronne & Soniat
It’s hot outside. I know, I know, it’s only June and I’m already whining like a little baby, but it is so hot outside. It’s the kind of hot where you step outside and your glasses fog up and you choke a little on the thickness of it all. That’s what happened when I stepped out of the house this afternoon to head up to work. My legs were heavy, so instead of fight it, I just slowed my roll–a good general rule this time of year. I stopped at Soniat and Baronne to take a picture of the tall yellow sunflowers already in bloom. That’s the flip side of the heat, and once I get used to the heat, it’s worth it: flowers like this, for months and months and months. And they’re best seen by bike.
Early Cat’s Claw Blooms On a Shed on Saratoga & Foucher
I am still not feeling well. I’m so, so bad at being sick–I tend to just pretend I’m fine and go about my business and hope the cold or the flu or the whatever just disappears. The first time I dislocated my shoulder I remember pleading with my hosts to just take me home so I could ice it–I don’t want to be any trouble! But I’m just going to admit it. It might be allergies, it might be a cold, it might be some other throat thing, but whatever it is, I’m tired and worn out. Continue reading
Snapdragons at Audubon Park’s Main Entrance
I had one of those incredibly long days, the kind where you are working from the second you get up in the morning through to the evening and you can literally count the number of minutes where you weren’t doing something for the job. Fortunately, I love my job and working all day, while exhausting, means I get to think about a lot of different things in a lot of different ways. One of my students asked in seminar this afternoon how you tell the difference between the self you perform and the self you “really are.” Oh my. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 