What a perfect Saturday, all late-summer blue skies and cool morning air, I spent the morning in a car, but the rest of the day was out in it. R. drove up the hill to fetch N. and me and then we headed out for a hike at Oregon Ridge State Park. Now, I’ve hiked around this park at least a dozen times, all four seasons, with lots of different parts of my Baltimore. It’s like my Gwynns-Falls-Trail-Out-to-Middle-Branch-Park bike ride suggestion, but in a car–always a sure win, because it is just plain perfect out here. Continue reading
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View of the Sky from a Waverly Back Patio
Friday’s ride started early with a morning pedal over to R.’s to sit on her back porch and ostensibly talk about our project, but we got waylaid by jokes and girl talk and such, sipping coffee and staring up at this beautiful sky–all blue and green, the power lines a punctuation more than anything, because that was my mood, sitting there with my friend in her neighborhood, feeling at home here. And then I rode over to Hampden for an appointment, pedaling as fast as I could because that neighborhood is always farther away that I think, and I do not like to be late. An hour later and I was riding home to grab my car for the drive to work. Oh, I would rather be on a bicycle these days, especially as the weather just starts its turn to that part where full sun doesn’t mean full sweat and the breezes are actually cool. Bring it, fall. This bicyclist is ready to transition, and I’ve got my windproof gear all ready for a long winter. And I want to sit out on that patio and watch the leaves turn gold and red and orange and then stare up at bare branches against a chilly blue sky. Sometimes I don’t want time to pass, but right now I’m ready for it. I’m glad I get to tour the changes by bike.
Taking a Break on a Loop Around the Druid Hill Park Reservoir Bike/Ped Path
And then some days you just want to mindlessly pedal and listen to music and say your how-you-doin’s to other people doing the very same thing. Monday was that day, so after getting caught up on work emails all afternoon, I hopped on my bike and headed out in the Labor Day humidity for a ride around the Druid Hill Park reservoir. Continue reading
Alcohol and Televisions at David’s 1st & 10 Sports Bar at 36th & Falls Road
Tonight’s ride took me up to Hampden to join J. for a night of preseason football. I could write about any of the many things I saw: the obscene numbers of televisions in this place; the inexplicability of a non-high def TV at a bar with this many TVs; what understaffing looks like; the 7-11’s 2010 “Top Breakfast Sandwich Sales” trophy; the girls tossing a ball between them on the porch, counting how many times they could pass it without it dropping; the crowd at the new ice cream shoppe; or a zillion other things. But tonight’s ride was all about that feel when flying down the hill: I was a little chilly. It was such on odd sensation, one I haven’t had in months and months, but there it was today, another reminder that time passes; best make the most of it.
Clouds Rolling In and Out at the Druid Hill Park Reservoir
Today I just wanted to ride my bike without negotiating traffic or pedestrians or anything, just to feel the warm air on my skin, skirt flapping in the breeze, music in my ears, so rather than explore, I headed to Druid Hill Park for some easy laps around the reservoir. The sky was gray and promised rain, but oh my goodness, I needed a bike ride, so off I went. The promised storm meant the pool was cleared out as kids waited impatiently for the all-clear and I everybody could have the chance to swim in the rain, a terrific pleasure. And then I did my laps as the gray sky gave way to this one, just three laps in, and everyone was back in the pool. A couple more and it was time to head home to meet N. and R. for a walk down to see a movie. The walk back was under that same gray sky from earlier, like the weather can’t make up its mind about what to give us. What I do know, though, is that summer is for bicycling, and it was good to get out for a short ride tonight. More tomorrow, please.
View of the Hanover Street Bridge From a Pier on the Gwynns Falls Trail
I woke up late after a most perfect late night out and my first thought was: bicycle! I hopped out of bed and onto the Surly for a ride over to the Waverly farmer’s market and breakfast at the corner diner. I rode back home for a quick stop before meeting M. for a ride out to Middle Branch Park. She is new in town and hasn’t been on that section of the Gwynns Falls Trail, so I was happy to join her for a ride. Continue reading
View From a Shaded Bench in Middle Branch Park
Today’s ride took me down the hill to the Inner Harbor and around to Federal Hill to join A. for a work date at a Federal Hill coffee shop. We gossiped–her about writing, me about not writing–and then worked in 20 minute intervals, because sometimes that’s how you have to do it, especially when outside is all sun and blue skies and bicycles. After finishing up I had a few hours before I had to be anywhere or doing anything, so I rode around Federal Hill and then headed east to see where it would take me. Continue reading
Stormy Skies Above Webster & E. Fort Ave.
Thursday’s skies and weather report certainly suggested a bicycle ride would be a bad idea, but oh boy, I needed to ride my bike. And there were hints of blue in the sky, so maybe it would be fine. And it was. It felt so good to just fly down the hill and up the hill and around the harbor and up the other hill to Federal Hill. A. and I caught up on all the gossip and then watched each other write and not write and write and then I looked outside again, and maybe the weather report was right. I packed up quickly and snapped a picture of the sky over the neighborhood. It did not look promising, especially with rain already starting to fall. I made it around to the Science Center before the skies just opened up. The deluge! It was incredible, and the wind was blowing the rain horizontally into me. My shoes promptly filled with water, and there was so much water in my eyes I had to get off my bike and walk–I couldn’t see a thing. I finally squinted out enough water to get back on the bike and slowly pedaled up the hill toward home, feet slipping off the pedals, brakes squealing, and puddles splashing. This song would not leave my head, and for some reason I couldn’t stop smiling. Once you’re all wet, you’re all wet, no worries, it’s summertime.
Row Houses and Gray Skies at Light & Barney
The weather report called for thunderstorms, and the skies were growing grayer by the minute by the time I was ready to leave the house, but what am I going to do–drive to Federal Hill? Please. I packed my bag and hopped on my bike to fly down the hill, a song in my ears–a rare moment for a girl like me who follows the rules and knows better than to dull one of my most important senses when riding in the streets–please don’t tell. Oh, it just felt so good to fly down the hill, like being free and alive and like summertime and being a kid, and then I was dodging pedestrians around the Inner Harbor before shifting into an easier gear to ride up the hill to meet A. for beer. I locked up just as the skies opened up–I’m lucky like that. I snapped this picture of the corner of Light and Barney right before heading into the restaurant, and by the time I was ready to leave, the thunderstorm had blown right through, and I flew home, pumping my legs up and down and just enjoying the feel of the mechanics of the thing. It was a good weekend; all it needed was one more steady bike ride, and I’m glad I fit that in between the rains.
Standing Under Scaffolding in the Rain at Franklin & Lafayette in Bed-Stuy
I heard a rumor it was raining outside, but I figured since the weather report on my smartyphone said there was a 40% chance of rain I would probably be able to avoid getting too terribly wet, seeing as how I was only riding a couple of miles. Welp, that 40% chance was 100% chance, and the ride down Bedford Avenue on Brompty reminded me–again–that fenders are good thing if you’re going to ride in the rain. Fortunately, I don’t melt, so I just kept on pedaling and when i got to the donut shoppe to meet E. I took cover under this scaffolding, rung out the back of my skirt, and listened to the music coming from the church behind me. The thing about NYC is that there’s always scaffolding. And then there were artisan donuts and a cold, wet ride up the Franklin Avenue bike lane to home, with extra donuts in a bag for yesterday’s half marathoner. This wasn’t the best weather for a ride, but I’d still rather ride in the rain than get around any other way. Thanks, New York, for another excellent weekend enjoying your fine bicycle infrastructure.
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 