Ok, just two weather-related things: 38 degrees is a whole lot easier on the toes that 20 degrees, and please, Baltimore, turn down the wind machines. Anyway. It was a sunny day, dry roads, and I happily hopped on the bike and sped down the hill and over to Canton for another swimming lesson. After some practice with the breaststroke (Rob says I have naturally good timing, not that I’m bragging or anything) it was back on the bike for a ride to the west side to meet S. for lunch and a chat about what she does, what I do, and how we might do a thing or two together. Continue reading
Baltimore
Blighted Row Houses at Madison & Montford
It was still super cold out today, but the roads were dry, so I happily took the bike out for my ride down the hill and to the left, to Canton, for a swim lesson. Also, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Ravens won the Super Bowl, and Baltimore is officially The Greatest City in America, so I wanted to ride around and see what all the fuss is about. Continue reading
Blue Skies, Trees, and Naked Poles at E. Lafayette & S. President
I woke up to snowy skies and yesterday’s wind, but I was pretty much dedicated to riding my bike to the gym to go for a swim in an attempt to get back on a schedule, so that’s what I did after some reading and writing. I layered up, put on my hat and gloves, and pulled the bike out. And the wind. Wow, it was cold, and there was a thin layer of ice everywhere in the shade. I carried my bike down the stairs, put a foot on an icy spot, almost slipped, and reconsidered my dedication to taking a bike ride. I am, however, quite stubborn, so I hopped on, tried not to brake, and was on my way. Continue reading
Geese on the Druid Hill Park Reservoir
Oh, it wasn’t easy to leave the perfect mid-70s sunshine of New Orleans for the sleeting skies of Baltimore, but I live here now, so there you go. Yesterday was a bit chilly, but we got a surprise (to me) warm up under heavy clouds today. Things started to look more and more like rain, so I put on my bike shoes and headed to the park for a few turns around the reservoir. It was so, so warm, so I took off my coat, shoved it in my pannier, and pedaled my way to the park. Continue reading
Blooming Daffodil in the Traffic Circle at Harbor East
This past weekend was just ridiculously warm, totally out of character for a January in Baltimore. I mean, S. rode her bike at night in nothing but a sweatshirt, and she’s a baby when it’s cold out. Today was much, much colder, though, so I layered up, put my hat and gloves on, and prepared for the weepy eyes from the freezing breeze in my face as I roll down the hill. Continue reading
Public Places, Sacred Spaces Bench in Druid Hill Park Behind Clipper Park Road
Yesterday’s bike ride was long, made longer by an nighttime ride to and from Federal Hill for a fundraising party where it was all dancing, so today I woke up sore and tired, legs like lead. But it was Sunday morning, and it was Sunday Morning Hiking Club, so I had to stretch and get on out there. Today we walked through Druid Hill Park. I’ve biked all over that park dozens of times, but I’d actually never *walked* in it–makes it a totally different place. We started at this small section of the park behind the new apartments in Woodberry. The clearing is covered with leftovers from Baltimore’s city marble quarry (or something). And there was this bench–it has a little spot underneath to stow a book, including a little plastic cover to keep the pages safe in the rain. Apparently there are a number of benches like this in Baltimore parks, but it was new to me. Sometimes it’s better to walk. A few hours later and I was home, working, and then, I don’t know if you’ve heard but…the Ravens are going to the Super Bowl!
Habitat for Humanity Site on Cherry Blossom in the Orchard Ridge Development in the Claremont Freedom Neighborhood
I didn’t get to ride my bicycle around much this past week due to a heavy workload. Fortunately, part of that workload was learning how to use software to make movies! It was so much fun, and I spent several days making my first tiny film, which you see here. But what making a movie about riding a bike around East Baltimore really made me want to do was, well, ride a bike around East Baltimore, so that’s what I did today. Continue reading
Fog and Trees at Leakin Park Behind the Old Backstop at Seminole & Kevin Road
I didn’t ride a bike today, but I did take a walk with my Sunday Morning Hiking Club. We did a repeat walk around Leakin Park, and here are some of the things I saw: a rusted out backstop with the winter remains of ivy climbing up one side, stands of skinny, naked trees, the undersides of giant thrown trees caked with mud, two cupped mushroom caps on stalks poking out of leaves, piles of deer shit, the leavings of experiments and observation, piles of corn, a deer stand, a yellow-green golf ball, the front wheel and pedals of a Big Wheel, a baseball worn down to the threads, a plastic grocery bag, an empty and unmarked brown glass bottle, an old tire, green scaly mushrooms growing out of downed trees, a tiny salamander in his tiny tree bark house, a sledgehammer head, and unidentified scat. There were other things, I’m sure, but I wasn’t taking notes. All in all we maybe tramped around 1/20th of the park. Good thing there are many, many Sundays in Baltimore in my future, eh?
Gate Behind a Gate at MICA on Collington & Madison
Today’s ride took me over to East Baltimore for a tour of R.’s studio and master’s art project~inflatables, quilted ones that you can sit in and hold workshops and conversations, inside outside~I can’t wait! Her studio’s in MICA’s new-ish building for community art in East Baltimore near Johns Hopkins’ new developments, a neighborhood that as far as I can tell has been the target of a whole lot of ideas. The ride over took me on some zigs and zags, the kind I take if I’m trying to get lost, or if I’m trying to follow directions from the computaltor. Today it was the second, and as soon as I got there I knew where I was. The building’s that kind where unless you have been expressly invited, you can’t figure out how to get inside. Once inside it feels so, so different from where you were a second ago. It’s a community center ostensibly, but it does a very, very good job keeping the community outside until expressly invited in. As I was leaving I snapped the picture of a gate inside a gate with floodlights and a camera, I think, at the other end. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but the gated gate fit right in with the rest of the building. It’s complicated. And then I rode toward Fells Point for sushi, beer, a table to grade on, and the game. Once you cross to Butcher’s Hill, wow, whole different planet. Oh, Baltimore. I graded, ate, drank, hit the highs and lows of the sports fan, and then it was time to race back up the hill to catch the second half with friends. Empty street, empty streets~it’s game time.
Warrior Emporium at 1228 Light Street in Federal Hill
Oh, Friday, I looked forward to you all week. My winter class and my own research and writing have been getting in the way of doing nothing, but I reserved Friday for just that. They promised a warm one, and I missed the “90% chance of rain” memo, so I set out without gloves, hat or raincoat. Oh well. I zipped down the hill in fog for a quick stop in Harbor East and some laps in the pool. Swimming is turning out to be just awesome. Right now it’s all about concentrating on my breathing, and since I’m a beginner, I’m getting better really, really fast. And then it was back on the bike~a quick nod to the bike that has been locked to that one rack since September~and I was on my way around the harbor and up to Locust Point for the ol’ sandwich-massage-and-a-haircut hat trick. By the time I headed back home it was raining, so I just tested my brakes and then rode as fast as I could, taking shortest route instead of the one signed for bikes. I stopped on Light Street to snap a picture of the Warrior Emporium, a place that specializes in cutlery and martial art supplies, of course. It’s a perfect combination, but it just kind of feels weird. There’s a hardware store next door, another place that secretly kind of has everything~drawer pulls, nails, cat carriers, soda, and everything. What a block, eh? Every shopper’s dream. By the time I made it over to Fallsway it was really coming down, so I put my head down and sped home, still quite certain Friday was worth all the hype.
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 